Sweeter and Hotter

Sweeter and Hotter is a complete remix of our acclaimed debut recording, Sweet and Hot, which launched Tzimmes into the consciousness of Jewish music lovers in North America and abroad. Sweet and Hot garnered a very prestigious interview and review on NPR’s All Things Considered with Robert Siegel, which aired on November 22, 1993.

In 2020, as we were creating our 4th album, The Road Never Travelled, I realized that there was almost enough material for a second disc, but it needed a few more pieces. Around that time, my dear friend and band mate, Yona, suggested that I try to remix our debut recording. We always felt that we were constrained by a simpler technology back in 1993, and that certain aspects of the mix could be improved - vocals could be clearer, instruments brought into better relation and so on. Looking around, I found a fine facility in Red Bank, New Jersey that specialized in transferring old reel-to-reels to a digital format. The tapes of Sweet and Hot were 27 years old, but they transferred wonderfully to digital tracks.

I determined that the second disc of The Road Never Travelled would be subtitled, Liturgy Lane, and include several remixed liturgical pieces from Sweet and Hot. After the release of this recording in 2021, we continued the process, and worked on every track of our 1993 debut release. We even did some re-tracking, to improve the final piece, Matai Tagia Eit Lashalom (When will the Time of Peace Arrive). The result, we believe, is an enhanced version of Sweet and Hot that does not compromise the original at all.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the remixed product. 

• Moshe Denburg, Band Leader

Credits

Released July 6, 2022

Personnel -
Moshe Denburg - Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Myrna Rabinowitz - Lead Vocals, Wood Block
Yona Bar-Sever - Lead Guitar, Electric Bass, Vocals, Tambourine
Julian Siegel - Accordion, Accordion/Synth, Synth Bass, Harmonica, Vocals

Featuring
Adel Awad - Darabuka (Arabic Drum), Daff (Frame Drum), Congas
Gary Cohen - Darabuka
Blaine Dunaway - Violin
Don Powrie - Drums
Itamar Erez - Synth Organ (on track 13 - Matai Tagia Eit Lashalom (When will the Time of Peace Arrive)

Sweet and Hot - original release credits:
Recorded and Mixed in 1993 at Alpha Whiz Studios, Vancouver, BC.
Recorded on a Tascam 80-8 (8 track) and mixed to stereo digital audio tape.
Recording Engineer: Blaine Dunaway
Produced by Tzimmes.
Production assistance: Blaine Dunaway
Cover Photo: Marten Bot
Liner Notes: Moshe Denburg
Typesetting: Julian Siegel
Prep and Design: Yona Bar-Sever

Sweeter and Hotter - credits:
Tape reels transferred to digital tracks in 2020, at Sonicraft A2DX Lab, Red Bank New Jersey.
Remixed and remastered at Burning Sound, Vancouver, in 2021-22.
Recording Engineer: Craig Burner
Produced by Moshe Denburg
Production Assistance: Yona Bar-Sever (on track 4 - Laner Velivsamim)
Design by: David Kaufman
Released by: Tzimmes Music www.tzimmes.net

-------------------------------------

Yossel Yossel

Music: Samuel Steinberg 
Words: Nellie Casman

from the album Sweeter and Hotteer by Tzimmes

Mayn khayes geyt mir oys,

My strength is slipping away,

Ikh fil ikh halt nit oys,

I feel I can’t go on any longer

Mayn harts tut mir vey gor on a shir;

My heart aches without end

Es iz mir heys un kalt,

I get hot, I get cold,

Un ikh ver groy un alt,

And I’m getting grey and old,

Un veyst ir mentshen vos es kvelt mir;

And do you know what’s gotten to me?

Di libe brent a shrek,

Love is burning like crazy,

Ikh fil ikh shtarb avek,

I feel I am wasting away

Nokh mayn Yosslen, mayn darling, mayn dir;

For my Yosl, my darling, my dear

A bokher, a sheyner,

A boy, a handsome one,

mir zol zayn far zayne beyner,

May he be well,

Yossel, ikh gey oys far dir.

Yosl I’m dying for you.

Oy oy oy, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel,

Oh, oh, yosl yosl yosl,

Mayn khayes geyt mir azhe oys nokh dir,

My life is slipping away without you

Oy oy oy, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel,

Oh, oh, yosl yosl yosl,

Dayn malke zitst nokh alts un vart oyf dir,

Your queen still sits and waits for you

Oy oy oy, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel, Yossel,

Oh, oh, yosl yosl yosl,

Ikh kholem yeyder nakht nor fun dir,

Every night I dream only of you

Un git der yeytser hore nokh a mol a tore,

And temptation pulls at me again

Yossel, ikh gey oys far dir.

Yosl I can’t live without you.

Geret a shidekh mir,

I could be matched up,

A glik gor on a shir,

Completely joyful

A sheynem bokher mit a bombe gelt;

With a good looking guy with a lot of money

Es iz keyn gringe zakh,

It’s not a simple matter,

Geshtelt a khupe glakh,

To stand under the wedding canopy,

Un veyst ir mentshen vos es kvelt mir;

And do you know what’s gotten to me?

Di libe brent a shrek,

Love is burning like crazy,

Ikh fil ikh shtarb avek,

I feel I am wasting away

Nokh mayn Yosslen, mayn darling, mayn dear,

For my Yosl, my darling, my dear

Baym trinken, baym essen,

While drinking, while eating,

ken ikh im keyn mol fargesen,

I cannot ever forget him

Yossel, ikh gey oys far dir.

Yosl I’m dying for you.

Hashem Yishmorcha

(May the Lord Watch Over You)

Music by Moshe Denburg (1978)

Text: from the Prayer for the Way

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Adoshem yishmorcha,

May hashem watch over you

Yishmorcha mikol ra;

And keep you from all harm;

Adoshem yishmorcha

May hashem watch over you

Mikol ra yishmor et nafshecha.

And keep your living soul from all harm.

Hashem yishmor tseitcha

May hashem watch over your going out

uvo-echa, la lai lai lai,

and coming in, 'la lai lai lai'

Me-ata v'ad olam,

Now and forever,

Hashem yishmor tseitcha

May hashem watch over your going out

uvo-echa,

and coming in,

Me-ata v'ad olam.

Now and forever.

Morenica

Music & Words: Traditional Ladino

Arranged by Moshe Denburg

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Morenica a mi me yaman,
They call me the dark girl;

Yo blanca nasi;

I was born white,

Y del sol del enverano,

And it's the summer sun

Yo me hize ansi.

That makes me like this.

Morenica, grasiozica sos,

Oh, Morenica, gracious one,

Tu morena y yo grasiozo,

You are dark, and I adore you

Y ojos pretos tu.

And your deep dark eyes.

Morenica a mi me yaman,

They call me the dark girl,

Los marineros;

The sailors;

Si otra vez a mi me yaman,

If they call me again,

Yo me vo con eyos.

I will go with them.

Morenica, grasiozica sos,

Oh, Morenica, gracious one,

Tu morena y yo grasiozo,

You are dark, and I adore you

Y ojos pretos tu.

And your deep dark eyes.

Morenica a mi me yama,

He calls me the dark girl,

El hijo del rey;

The son of the king;

Si otra vez a mi me yama,

If he calls me again,

Me vo yo con el.

I will go with him.

Morenica, grasiozica sos,

Oh, Morenica, gracious one,

Tu morena y yo grasiozo,

You are dark, and I adore you

Y ojos pretos tu.

And your deep dark eyes.

Laner Velivsamim

(For the Candle and the Spices)
Music: Avihu Medina 
Text: Sa'adia
from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Laner v'liv'samim

For the candle and the spices,

Naf'shi m'yakheila,

My soul longs.

Im titnu li
Oh, be so kind and give me

kos' yayin l'hav'dala,

a cup of wine for havdala.

Solu d'rachim' li,

Pave the paths for me,

Panu lin'vocha,

Clear them for one who is perplexed,

Pit'khu sh'arim' li

Open the gates for me,

Kol' malachei maala.

All you angels on high.

Einai ani esa

I shall raise my eyes

El' al b'lev' kosef,

Heaven-ward with a devoted heart,

Mam'tsi d'rachai li

To the one who shows me the ways to go

Bayom uvalaila.

By day and by night.

Adio Querida

Music & Words: Traditional Ladino

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Tu madre cuando te pario,

When your mother bore you

Y te quito al mundo,

and brought you into the world,

Corazon eya no te dio,

she did not give you a heart

Para amar segundo.

with which to love.

Adio, adio querida,

Goodbye, goodbye my dear,

No quero la vida,

I don't want this life anymore,

Me la amargates tu.

You have embittered it for me.

Va bushkate otro amor,

Go look for another love,

Aharva otras puertas,

knock on other doors,

Aspera otro ardor,

hope for another passion,

Que para mi sos muerta.

because mine is dead.

Vechitetu

(Swords into Ploughshares)

Music by Moshe Denburg (1971, 1976)

Text: Isaiah, II:4

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

V'chit'tu kharvotam l'itim,                                      
And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares
V'(chit'tu) khanitoteihem l'mazmeirot;                   
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Lo yisa goy el goy kherev,                                     
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
V'lo yilm'du od milkhama.                                     
Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Shein Vi Di Levone

Music: Joseph Rumshinsky
Words: Chaim Tauber

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Sheyn vi di levone,

As beautiful as the moon,

Likhtig vi di shtern,

As radiant as the stars,

Fun himl a matone

You are gift sent

Hostu mikh tsugeshikt.

From heaven to me.

Mayn glik hob ikh gevinen,

What a fortune of happiness I won

Ven ikh hob dikh gefinen,

When I found you

Du shaynst vi toyznt zinen,

You shine like a thousand stars

Host mayn harts baglikt.

Rejoicing my heart.

Dayne tseyndelekh,

Your pretty teeth

Vayse perelekh,

Like little white pearls

Mit dayne sheyne oygn,

And your beautiful eyes,

Dayne kheyndelekh, dayne herelekh,

Your lovely manner, and your hair

Host mikh tsugetsoygn;

Have so attracted me to you.

Sheyn vi di levone,

As beautiful as the moon,

Likhtig vi di shtern,

As radiant as the stars,

Fun himl a matone

You are gift sent

Hostu mikh tsugeshikt.

From heaven to me.

Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen

(Raisins and Almonds)

Music and Lyrics: Traditional, ascribed to Abraham Goldfaden

Arranged by Moshe Denburg

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

In dem beys-hamikdash in a vinkl kheyder,

In the holy temple, in a dark room

Zitst di almone Bas-Tsiyon aleyn;

Sits the widowed daughter of Zion, alone;

Ir ben-yokhidl Yidelen vigt zi keseyder,

Rocking her only son, her dear little Jewish boy,

Un zingt im tsum shlofn

She sings him to sleep with

A lidele sheyn.

A beautiful little melody.

Unter Yideles vigele,

Beneath Yidele's cradle

Shteyt a klor vays tsigele,

Stands a pure-white kid,

Dos tsigele iz geforn handlen,

The kid has gone trading -

Dos vet zayn dayn baruf:

That will be your calling -

Rozhinkes mit mandlen;

Raisins and almonds,

Shlof zhe Yidele, shlof;

Sleep, Yidele, sleep.

Shlof zhe Yidele, shlof.

Sleep, Yidele, sleep.

Az du vest vern raykh Yidele,

When you grow rich, Yidele,

Zolstu zikh dermonen in dem lidele:

May you remember this melody,

Rozhinkes mit mandlen -

Raisins and almonds -

Dos vet zayn dayn baruf,

This will be your calling,

Yidele vet ales handlen;

Yidele will trade with everything.

Shlof zhe Yidele, shlof;

Sleep, Yidele, sleep!

Shlof zhe Yidele, shlof.

Sleep, Yidele, sleep!

Gib Mir a Heym

Music: The tune of 'Home On the Range'

Yiddish Adaptation by Marie Jaffe, from 'Gut Yuntif Gut Yohr'

Used by permission of Carol Publishing.

Arranged by Tzimmes.

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Oy gib mir a heym

Oh give me a home

vu di bufloksn geyn,

where the buffalo roam,

Vu di hirshelekh shpiln oyfn land;

Where the deer and the antelope play,

Keynmol hert men dort

Where seldom is heard

a fartumultn vort

a discouraging word,

Un der himl iz bloy nokhanand.

And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Di luft iz dort rayn

Where the air is so pure,

un di vinterlekh fayn

and the zephyrs so free,

Un s'iz pushet mekhaye fun got,

The breezes so balmy and light,

Ikh bayt keynmol oys

That I would not exchange

mayn land un mayn hoyz

my home on the range,

Far ale metsies in shtot. 

For all of the cities so bright.

Vi oftmol baynakht

How often at night

iz der himl mit prakht

when the heavens are bright,

Fun di shtern vos glantsn vi gold,

With the light from the glittering stars,

Ikh shtey dort antoysht,

Have I stood there amazed

un in kop maynem roysht,

and asked as I gazed,

Az di velt iz mit vunder batsolt.

If their glory exceeds that of ours.

The Book of Life

Music and Words by Moshe Denburg

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

When youthful years come to an ending,
and lonely fears like never before,

the days you dreamed about are numbered now,
it's no use trying to hide anymore.

Lover dear, I want to come closer,
but I fear I don't know the way,

they say that nothing lasts forever, no,

but we got to try to make love last to make love stay.

To believe the miracle of love it's the same old-new way,
'cause the dream I seek can only be when I let it go,

like a falling angel gives his life for another new day,

I feel so weak but it's for me that I got to grow, oh please,
inscribe my name, oh Lord, in the Book of Life.

Now the sky above makes me feel thankful,
for the little love I have to unfold,

the happiness you strive for all your life

it's a treasure it's the light and it won't grow old.

Now I'm sure I've seen the light that shines in me,
and I know darn well I need to be there,

'cause life's a lesson that I never learned,
and I've reason to believe I got to care.

Adon Olam

(Ruler of the Universe)

Music by Myrna Rabinowitz

Text: from the Morning Prayers

Arranged by Moshe Denburg

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Adon olam asher malach,

Ruler of the Universe who reigned

b'terem kol y'tsir nivra,

Before anything was created.

l'eit nasa b'cheftso kol,

When all was made by his will

azai melech sh'mo nikra.

He was acknowledged as supreme king.

V'acharei kichlot hakol,

And when all shall come to an end

l'vado yimloch nora,

Alone the awesome one shall reign.

v'hu haya v'hu hove,

Who has been, who is,

v'hu yiye b'tifara.

And who shall be in glory.

         V'hu echad v'ein sheini,

         God is one, and there is no other,

l'hamshilo l'hachbira,

         To compare or join him.

         bli reishit b'li tachlit,

         Without beginning, without end,

v'lo haoz v'hamisra.

To him alone belongs diminion and power.

V'hu eili v'chai goali,

And he is my G-d, my living redeemer,

v'tsur chevli b'eit tsara,

My rock, my aid in time of grief,

v'hu nisi umanos li,

My banner, my refuge,

m'nat kosi b'yom ekra.

My portion who answers when I call.

         B'yado afkid ruchi,

         I rest my spirit in his hand    

b'eit ishan v'aira,

         When I sleep and when I awake

im ruchi g'viyati,

         With my body, with my spirit,

adonai li v'lo ira.

         G-d is with me, and I shall not fear.

Matai Tagia Eit Lashalom

Music and Words: Moshe Denburg and Ya'akov Mizrahi

Arranged by Moshe Denburg

from the album Sweeter and Hotter by Tzimmes

Boker  ekhad  bifkikhat einai,

One morning when I opened my eyes,

Ra-iti nave b'toch sde milkhama,

I saw an oasis in the midst of a battlefield;

Matai nifros shtikhei hakhavrut,

When shall we spread out the carpets of friendship?

Ha-im  nikhye  ha-im namut?

Will we live? Will we die?

Anashim ovrim b'kheshkat khalom,

People pass by in the darkness of a dream;

Rishrush he-anaf k'mo nigun sh'vakha,

There is a rustling of a branch, like a song of praise;

Y'ladim m'sakhakim b'kotlei harkhov,

Children play along the walls at the sides of the streets -

V'chach  nivr'a  ha-ahava ha-akhava.

And thus love and fraternity is created.

Matai  tagia  eit  lashalom?

When will the time of peace arrive?

Matai tagia eit lashalom?

When will the time of peace arrive?

Shalom  shalom  al  kol Yisrael,

Peace upon Israel!

Shalom shalom al kol Yishmael,

Peace upon Ishmael!

Kol  kore  mitoch ha-afeila,

A voice calls from within the dark -

Matai  tagia  eit lashalom?

When will the time of peace arrive?

Khoref karev v'hakhayal lokhem,

Winter is coming and the soldier does battle;

Mashiakh hanes,

The one who works a miracle,

V'ruakh hashkhina,

and the spirit of the heavenly presence;

Bo-u v'narima et diglei hazman,

Come let us raise up the banners of our time -

Kol  ha-am,  kol  ekhad,  kol arev.

The entire nation, everyone, anyone who would join us.