Esther & Abi Ofarim
Esther & Abi Ofarim | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Musicians |
| Years active | 1960–1969 |
| Known for | Israeli musical partnership, popular in Germany during the 1960s |
Esther & Abi Ofarim formed an Israeli musical partnership during the 1960s, consisting of the married couple Abi Ofarim and Esther Ofarim. They gained significant popularity in Germany with hit tracks such as "One More Dance", "Morning of My Life", and "Cinderella Rockefella".
Career
Esther Zaied, born on June 13, 1941, encountered guitarist and dancer Abraham "Abi" Reichstadt (October 5, 1937 – May 4, 2018) in Israel in 1958. Following their marriage that same year, they shifted from casual singing engagements to pursuing a professional music career after Esther completed her military service in the Israeli Army. Initially members of the Ofarim Trio, they soon established themselves as a duo performing in nightclubs and appeared in the German-Israeli film Burning Sands (1960). Their first album, Haofarim (Sings Israelic Ballads), was released by Israphon Records in 1961. That year, Esther secured first place at Israel's Song Festival.
In 1962, they issued the album Foibles and Fables, both records receiving extensive airplay on Kol Yisrael radio. Esther achieved second place at Poland's Sopot International Song Festival. The following year, the pair moved to Geneva and produced multilingual tracks for Radio Suisse Romande. Esther represented Switzerland in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing as runner-up. Soon after, they signed a contract with Philips Records in Germany.
During this era, they recorded a folk music album titled Esther Ofarim & Abraham, which reached number two on the German Albums chart under the name Songs der Welt. Their single "One More Dance (Your Husband Is Worse)" climbed to number eight on the Dutch charts in 1964.
Their 1966 single "Noch einen Tanz" attained position 32 in Germany and number six in Austria. That December, they contributed $2,500 to Germany’s Delphin Foundation for Crippled Children, demonstrating gratitude for the strong public reception of their albums Neue Songs Der Welt and Das Neue Esther & Abi Ofarim Album. By this time, they had become West Germany’s leading pop act since World War I; their album The New Esther & Abi Ofarim, produced by Abi himself, dominated German charts for several weeks and surpassed one million copies sold by 1967.
Although Israeli radio imposed a ban due to strained Germany–Israel relations from 1963 onward, their album was released in Israel as Sing Hallelujah! in 1966. Their most successful German single was "Morning of My Life", penned by the Bee Gees, which peaked at number two in 1967. They performed this song during Europe’s inaugural color broadcast via Eurovision from Berlin.
In 1967, their global tour included appearances across the United States and at London’s Savoy Hotel. The album 2 In 3 reached the top position on German charts and secured number six on the UK Albums chart. This achievement earned them their third gold record for surpassing one million international album sales.
Their rendition of "Cinderella Rockefella", a novelty duet composed by Mason Williams and Nancy Ames, held the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart for three consecutive weeks early in 1968 and sold approximately half a million units. The track also entered the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached top ten rankings throughout Europe. The subsequent single "One More Dance," an English adaptation of "Noch einen Tanz," also made it into the UK top twenty.
Throughout 1968, they performed at prominent industry gatherings such as Midem in Cannes, Spain’s Majorca Pop Jazz Festival, and Holland’s Grand Gala du Disque. Additionally, they appeared before Queen Elizabeth at London’s Royal Variety Performance.
Live recordings from their European tour were compiled into Ofarim Concert – Live 1969, which attained number 29 on the UK charts. Due to creative disagreements, their final joint performance took place in Cologne in March 1969 prior to their separation; their divorce was finalized in 1970.
Studio albums
- 1961: Ha Ofarim (The Roes) (Israphon AP 201)
- 1962: Mousar Adin (Foibles and Fables) (Israphon AP 210)
- 1963: Esther Ofarim and Abraham (Songs der Welt) (Philips B48051L-840458BY-840438PY-PHM200102-PHS600102)
- 1964: Melodie einer Nacht (Philips P48104L)
- 1965: That's Our Song (Neue Songs der Welt) (Philips BL7698-652204BL-843750PY, Litratone 12135MS)
- 1966: Noch einen Tanz (Philips 843775PY)
- 1966: Sing Hallelujah! (Das Neue Ofarim Album) (Philips BL7757-P48141L-843920PY, Litratone 12134 MS)
- 1967: 2 in 3 (GER-UK-ESP-ISR) (Philips 838807JY-620209JL-620210JL, Phonodor 13004)
- 1967: Cinderella-Rockefella (FR) (Philips 844301BY)
- 1967: Cinderella-Rockefella (USA) (Philips PHS600269)
- 1968: Up to Date (GER-UK-ISR) (Philips 838808JY, Phonodor 12196)
- 1969: Ofarim Konzert-Live 1969 (GER) (Philips H72AM201)
- 1969: Ofarim Concert – Live 1969 (UK) (Philips 88422DY)
- 1969: Ofarim Concert – Live (USA) (Philips PHS600330)
- 1972: Rak Ivrit (Hebrew only) (Phonodor 13034)
Charted albums
| Release date |
Album | UK |
GER |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Songs der Welt | — | 2 | Issued as Esther Ofarim & Abraham in the United States |
| 1965 | Melodie einer Nacht | — | 9 | |
| Neue Songs der Welt | — | 1 | Titled That's Our Song in the UK market | |
| 1966 | Noch einen Tanz | — | 3 | |
| Das neue Esther & Abi Ofarim Album | — | 1 | Known as Sing Hallelujah! in Israel; called Sing! in the US; and as The New Esther & Abi Ofarim Album in the UK | |
| 1967 | 2 in 3 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1968 | Up to Date | — | 11 | |
| 1969 | Ofarim Concert – Live 1969 | 29 | 14 | |
| "—" indicates a release that did not chart or was unavailable in that country. | ||||
Compilation albums
- 1965: Ester en Abraham Ofarim / Lieder und Songs (Philips Records)
- 1967: Esther + Abi Ofarim (Philips)
- 1967: 2. Folge (Philips)
- 1968: Songs & Hits (Philips)
- 1972: Esther & Abi Ofarim (Philips)
- 1972: Die Ofarim-Story (Philips)
- 1997: Songs of Our Life (Mercury Records)
- 2002: Meisterstücke (Mercury)
Charted singles
| Release date |
Single | US | UK | AT | BEL | CAN | GER | ISR | NL | NO | SWI | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | "Cha'yai Adam" (A Man's Life) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Cha'yai Adam (A Man's Life) |
| 1963 | "One More Dance (Your Husband Is Worse)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | ||
| "Encore une danse" (One More Dance) | — | — | — | — | 30 | — | ||||||
| "Noch einen Tanz" | (One More Dance) | "—" | "—" | "6" | "—" | "—" | "32" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
Noch Einen Tanz |
| "Wenn ich bei dir sein kann" | (Cotton Fields) | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "10" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" |
Melodie Einer Nacht |
| "Sing Hallelujah" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "30" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Morning of My Life" | "—" | "—" | "9" | "—" | "—" | "2" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Cinderella Rockefella" | '68' | '1' | '3' | '2' | '6' | '5' | '—' | '1' | '8' | '10' | ||
| '—' | '13' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | 'Up To Date |
External links
- Musical groups formed in 1960
- Musical groups disbanded in 1969
- 1960 establishments in Israel
- 1969 disestablishments in Israel
- Married couples
- Israeli musical duos
- Folk music duos
- Pop music duos
- Male–female musical duos
- Schlager ensembles
- Israeli expatriates in Germany
- Jewish musical groups
- Israeli pop music groups
- Philips Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 1969