Secrets of the South Side

General Info

• "Busha B. Rabim" is really Jonny K, a.k.a. Jonny Childs, a.k.a. Yonah Krohn, who is an unbelievable Blues guitarist and has played with many great Blues musicians in his career. He has his own solo album called "Blue Over You" which highlights his amazing talents.

 

• "Richard Hertz" is really Mo Shapiro, who has been a friend of mine for almost 20 years. He always lets me stay at his place when I come to NY. He, too, is a truly amazing guitar player and has played on stages all over the country. He also has his own solo album called "The Road Unsettled"

 

• There is a hidden track on the album at the end of the last song. Fast forward 2 minutes after the end of the last song and there will be a 22 minute hidden track of even more secrets from the South Side, including some of the ones mentioned here.

 

• Etan G has been on the air with Howard Stern 6 times, down to the studio 5 times and on the Howard Stern TV show 2 times.

 

• The title of this album came from someone who didn't really like me and was insulting me. The thought came to my head that this would be a good title for the album. It goes to show that something positive can always come out of something negative - but sometimes you have to look for it.

 

• Lenny Solomon of the Jewish Rock parody band "Shlock Rock" has known me before I even hit puberty, way before Shlock Rock even existed! He was the keyboard player of the house band, Kesher, of my youth group, NCSY. He discovered me breakdancing to the song "Jam On It". I was the kid with the radio on my shoulders, breakdancing on the same stage and hanging out with the musicians, doing rap songs and entertaining the masses. Who knew then what the future had in store for both of us and how important our relationship would be to our respective careers. We've been great friends ever since! We've known each other for almost 20 years and have worked together for almost 16 of them.

 

• Cedric Samson, the producer for several of the hits on this album, is a grammy award winner for work with Ice Cube. He was incredibly instrumental in the completion of this album. He has worked with numerous major artists, has been nominated for a slew of grammys and Oscars and has produced, arranged and written many movie scores. His complete resume can be found on my website.
   
  

"Time"

• The first line in "Time" is the English translation to the words "Atoh Sakum Terachem Tzion Ki Ais L'Chenina Ki Va Moed" from Psalms Chapter 102:14. "You shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for it is time to favor her, the set time has come".
   
  
• This song is really one song in 3 parts: 1. Sands of Time 2. Time 3. Father Time. This was done for 2 reasons; 1. To enable radio stations to play just the bouncy track (Time) and 2. For listeners who wanted to hear just one or 2 of the 3 parts.
   
  
• This song was inspired by the song "Ki Va Moed" by R. Shlomo Carlebach. That song always jazzed me up and I felt I had to write a song about now being the time…
   
  
• This song took over 6 months to write the lyrics to my satisfaction.
   
  
• After the 6 months of making the lyrics work to the groove I wanted, it only took 2 days to record.
   
  

"Kid with the Lid"

• This song is about a basketball player named Tamir Goodman. He is an observant Jew and the pride that Lenny Solomon and I had in watching him forced us to write this song.
   
  
• Lenny Solomon came up with the title and much of the chorus. Originally, it was going to sound similar to the Macarena but I wanted to give it a little more urban groove and hence, the finished product.
   
  
• He also assisted in some of the sports jargon, as I am not a big fan of sports.
   
  
• This song is the first of many to appear in a movie. It was picked up for the basketball documentary before it was even mixed and mastered. The movie is slated to be in theaters late summer, early fall, 2002.
   
  
• The producer for this song, Daryl "D-Style" Swan, has worked with huge artists such as Macy Gray, Tu Pac Shakur, Janet Jackson and many more. He has songs on numerous soundtracks as well.
   
  

"Yo Yo 2000/5760"

• This song was originally recorded by the band "Shlock Rock" in 1989 and has been a favorite for many many years…
   
  
• The new music version of this song was created at a Shabbos table here in LA several years ago and was recorded shortly after with its new, hip, infectious groove.
   
  
• When the new music for this song was recorded it was originally only for 6 gigs during the Passover holiday. There was no intention of using it again, however, the response to the new music was so great and positive that I decided it should go on the album. The fans called this one!
   
  

"South Side of the Synagogue"

• In the first verse when mom is "telling me things will be alright and prayed that I sit in G-ds house for the rest of my life is the English translation to the words "…Shivti B'vais Hashem Kol Yimay Chayai" from Psalms Chapter 27:4 "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple."
   
  
• The lyrics to this song were written the day it was recorded.
   
  
• The lyrics were written in 20 minutes, while the music was being recorded in the other room.
   
  
• This song is very personal to me because those who were supposed to be leaders and teachers to me turned out to be sellouts and didn't represent the values that they were supposed to be teaching.
   
  
• It seems that many other people have had, and are having, similar experiences. It seems that they relate to the pain and disappointment this song conveys.
   
  

"Recognize the Miracles"

• This song was written by Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock. 2 versions of this song were written. The version that you hear on "South Side of the Synagogue" is the second version written by Lenny for a larger audience. I remastered it and added a completely new Etan G background.
   
  
• This song was written because many people were attributing the miracles of today to man without "recognizing" that all the tools that we have to create what we do, is from G-d.
   
  

"Elevate"

• The first line in "Elevate" is the English translation to the words "Yosis Alaich Elohayich Kimsos Choson Al Kalah", Your G-d will rejoice over you like a groom rejoices over his bride. This is a paraphrase not an exact quote from Isaiah Chapter 62:5. "For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."
   
  
• This song was purposely made to be track number 8 on the album because 7 is the natural order of things in this world - 7 days in a week, G-d created the world in 7 days - everything natural is included in the 7 natural days of the week; however 8 is the supernatural, the "above nature" if you will, and this song always took me "higher". In fact, that is why a male gets a circumcision on the 8th day because it is a connection to G-d and a perfection of a male that is above nature (a woman is born perfect and needs no fixing) . This song has moved many people, including myself - the lyrics, the power of the music etc. still send energy through me and for that reason I made it track 8.
   
  
• The original song "Lord get me high" was by R. Shlomo Carlebach. The origin of this song goes back to the late 60's when he was conducting a wedding in San Francisco and he had this tune in his head but had no lyrics. He leaned over to a hippie guest and said "friend, I need some lyrics for this tune I have in my head" to which the response was "Lord get me high!"
   
  

"Psalm 150"

• Lyrics: on pg. 74-75 in your Art Scroll siddur (prayer book).
   
  
• Psalm 150, the last psalm in the book of Psalms is emphasizing that man must enrich his spiritual self by recognizing G-d's greatness, kindness and by "praising Him. The long list of musical instruments reflects the full spectrum of human emotions and spiritual potential, all of which can be aroused by music. G-d has given to us the gift and power of music, which can easily be abused. Music was intended to touch the soul and embrace us in a pool of beauty and harmony. We need to appreciate all music, for it's source is G-d.
   
  
• This song was conceived and arranged at a close friends shabbos table at the same time as "Woman Of Valor."
   
  
• This song was then recorded shortly after. It only took 1 day to record.
   
  
• This was the first song to be recorded for this album, before this album even took shape. This was recorded with the knowledge that someday I would put it on some kind of album.
   
  
• This song was recorded in 1996.
   
  

"Makin' the Motzee"

• In spring 1993, I was trying to find myself, what I wanted to with my life and my future goals. While doing the couch circuit (staying on different friends couches) in NYC, Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock asked me to start writing another rap song for his upcoming album "Bring Back That Shabbos Feeling". While sitting on the couch of Susan Stern, on the upper west side, I had gotten off the phone with Lenny at approximately 1:10pm. By 1:30pm I had called Lenny back to tell him it was done. By 2pm I was on the train to Queens and 2:45pm I arrived to see Lenny and work on the finishing touches. By 3:30pm we were done with the lyrics and we had already started working on the music, which was completed in the studio at a later date. By 6pm I was already back on the couch, contemplating my future.
   
  
• In March 2000 I went into the studio to make a new version of the song to perform live at hotels during the Passover holidays. That new version, with few changes is what you hear on the South Side.
   
  
• This song has been a staple in Etan G's repertoire. This is the most requested song at shows AND shabbos tables around the globe.
   
  
• I have performed this song more times than any other.
   
  
• I have done this song in hundreds of different styles, in hundreds of different tempos and in hundreds of different variations.
   
  

"Woman of Valor"

• Lyrics: on pg. 358-359 in your Art Scroll siddur (prayer book).
   
  
• This song is the last 22 verses of the Book of Proverbs, which on the surface is a hymn to the perfect wife who is the mainstay of her home. Although the commentators agree that the chapter is allegorical it is also interpreted as a reference to the Shechina (G-d's presence) the Sabbath, the Torah, wisdom and the soul. The very fact that a Jewish woman was chosen as the vehicle through which to describe such lofty spiritual manifestations is in itself a profound tribute to her.
   
  
• This song is dedicated (every Friday night) to my mother who stood by me through all the hell I put her through, all the schools I was in and out of and all the times she stood in disbelief at the outrageous actions I did.
   
  
• This song was conceived at a close friends shabbos table at the same time as "Psalm 150."
   
  
• The arrangement and development of this song was done with Jonny K, while I was driving in a convertible, on the way to Palm Springs, CA, with the top down, an amp plugged into the cigarette lighter, going 85mph.
   
  
• This song was then recorded shortly after. This song also only took 1 day to record.
   
  
• This was the second song to be recorded for this album, before this album even took shape. This was recorded with the knowledge that someday I would put it on some kind of album.
   
  
• This song was recorded in 1996.
   
  

"Hava Na What?"

• There are 4 different traditional tunes in this song: Shalom Alechem, a tune for "Duchaning" (the priestly blessings), the tune for the reading of the book of Eicha on Tisha B'Av ( the 9th of the month of Av - a historically sad day for the Jewish people) and of course Hava Nagila.
   
  
• This song was originally not going to be on this album. I had another song in its place. However, when I was sitting with my producer, Cedric Samson, in his vehicle, and he played me this song (loud), I saw 2 kids getting into their mothers car, on the other side of the parking lot, dancing to this song. It was then I knew I should seriously think about using this song. In the end I did and it has become a club favorite.