Eden Ahbez (born George Alexander Aberle; April 15, 1908 – March 4, 1995) was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement. He was known to friends simply as Ahbe.
Though born in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish father and
a Scottish-English mother, he was adopted in 1917 by a family in Chanute, Kansas
and raised under the name George McGrew. During the 1930s, McGrew lived in
Kansas City, where he performed as a pianist and dance band leader. He probably
also lived in New York City for some time, although little is known of that
period of his life.
In 1941, he arrived in Los Angeles and began playing
piano in the Eutropheon, a small health food store and raw food restaurant on
Laurel Canyon Boulevard. During this period, he adopted the name "eden
ahbez," choosing to spell his name with lower-case letters, claiming that
only the words God and Infinity were worthy of capitalization.
He is also said to have desired the A and Z (alpha and omega), the beginning and the end, in his surname. During this period, he married Anna Jacobsen and had a son. Sadly Anna died of leukemia in 1963, and his son drowned mysteriously at the age of 22 in 1971.
He is also said to have desired the A and Z (alpha and omega), the beginning and the end, in his surname. During this period, he married Anna Jacobsen and had a son. Sadly Anna died of leukemia in 1963, and his son drowned mysteriously at the age of 22 in 1971.
In 1947, at the prompting of Johnny Mercer, Ahbez
approached Nat "King" Cole's manager backstage at the Lincoln Theatre
in Los Angeles and handed him the music for his song, "Nature Boy." Cole
recognized the underlying Yiddish melody in the song (as did the publishers of
the Yiddish song, "Schwieg Mein Hertz," who later settled out of
court with Ahbez after the tune became a hit) and expressed mild
interest in adding it to his repertoire, since he was looking for a Jewish song to add to his act.
interest in adding it to his repertoire, since he was looking for a Jewish song to add to his act.
Cole began playing the song for live audiences to much
acclaim, but needed to track down its author before releasing his recording of
it. Ahbez was discovered living under the Hollywood Sign and became the focus
of a media frenzy when Cole's version of "Nature Boy" shot to #1 on
the Billboard charts and remained there for eight consecutive weeks during the
summer of 1948. Ahbez was covered simultaneously in Life, Time, and Newsweek
magazines. Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan later released versions of the song.
The melody was also featured in the background of the film The Boy With The
Green Hair (1949) which starred Pat O' Brien and Dean Stockwell.
Ahbez continued to supply Cole with songs, including
"Land of Love (Come My Love and Live with Me)", which was also
covered by Doris Day and The Ink Spots. He also worked closely with jazz
musician Herb Jeffries, and, in 1954, the pair collaborated on an album, The
Singing Prophet, which included the only recording of Ahbez's four-part
"Nature Boy Suite." The album was later reissued as Echoes of
Eternity on Jeffries' United National label. In the mid 1950s, he wrote songs
for Eartha Kitt, Frankie Laine, and others, as well as writing some
rock-and-roll novelty songs. In 1957, his song "Lonely Island" was
recorded by Sam Cooke, becoming the second and final ahbez composition to hit
the Top 40.
In 1959, he began recording instrumental music, which combined his signature somber tones with exotic arrangements and (according to the record sleeve) "primitive rhythms". He often performed bongo, flute, and poetry gigs at beat coffeehouses in the Los Angeles area. In 1960, he recorded his only solo LP, Eden's
Island, for Del-Fi Records. This mixed beatnik poetry with exotica arrangements. Ahbez promoted the album through a coast-to-coast walking tour making personal appearances, but it sold poorly.
Ahbez was a legend in Hollywood for his unusual life
style. Even after he and Jacobsen had a son, they kept on living out under the
stars, with not much more than a bicycle, their sleeping bags, and a juicer to
their name. The story may be apochryphal, but it's said that once, when Ahbez
was being hassled by a cop who assumed from his wild appearance that he
deserved to be hauled off to a mental institution
he remarked calmly, "I look crazy, but I'm not.
And the funny thing is, that other people don't look crazy, but they are." The cop thought it over and responded, "You know bud, you're right. If anybody gives you any trouble, let me know."
he remarked calmly, "I look crazy, but I'm not.
And the funny thing is, that other people don't look crazy, but they are." The cop thought it over and responded, "You know bud, you're right. If anybody gives you any trouble, let me know."
After his only solo record was released in 1960, he began
to fade away from the music scene. After the death of his wife and son, Ahbez completely wtihdrew from the public. He
hung out in the California desert near Indio and would wander into town for
supplies and company, sharing his poems and philosophy. Ahbez kept writing new
music and even kept a piano at a local music studio. From the late 1980s until
his death, he worked closely with Joe Romersa, an engineer/drummer in Los
Angeles. The master tapes, photos, and final works of eden
ahbez are in Romersa's possession.
ahbez are in Romersa's possession.
Sadly he died on March 4, 1995, of injuries sustained in
a car accident, at the age of 86. Another album, Echoes from Nature Boy, was
released posthumously. The music industry in the 1940s and 1950s did not know
what to do with Eden Ahbez, but his song "Nature Boy" is as haunting
and mysterious in 2020 as it was when it became a surprise hit in 1948.
Sometimes the most beautiful music comes out of the strangest places...
(Edited from Space Age Pop and an article by David
Lobosco)
6 comments:
For:” Eden Ahbez – Eden's Island (The Music Of An Enchanted Isle)” go here:
https://pixeldrain.com/u/tVDfwhAv
1. Eden's Island
2. The Wanderer
3. Myna Bird
4. Eden's Cove
5. Tradewind
6. Full Moon
7. Mongoose
8. Market Place
9. Banana Boy
10. The Old Boat
11. Island Girl
12. La Mar
BONUS
13. Surf Rider
14. Tobago
The classic – and only – album release from the man who wrote the massive selling
‘Nature Boy’ as made famous by Nat ‘King’ Cole and covered by everyone from
Sinatra and Esquivel to Nick Cave. A masterpiece of easy listening that has inspired chill-out compilations around the globe, not to mention a better way of looking at the world, ‘Eden’s Island’ is pure exotica on one dozen beautifully-crafted songs.
Plus I have added the A-side of his only single release, ‘Tobago’ and "Surf Rider" which was not included on the album.
Thanks for this interesting feature (and for adding
"Surf Rider").
Thanks for this
Would it be possible to reupload this please?
Hello Tripmaster, Here's the new link
https://www.upload.ee/files/13482648/Eden_Ahbez.rar.html
Brilliant, thank you for bringing it up!
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