User:SignedInteger/sandbox/Lehakat Pikud Merkaz: Difference between revisions

 

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The band’s tenth program, “The Lion’s Speaking Authority” formed one side of an album that the troupe released alongside the [[Lehakat Pikud Tzafon|Northern Command Band]] in 1961. The program made a few innovations in its staging.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 1961 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 20 {{!}} 21 מרץ 1961 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1961/03/21/01/page/20 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> Later, in 1962, the band’s 11th program, “Soldiers on the Way” premiered.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1962 |title=⁨”קרנפים” – טרגדיה או סרמדיה ו ⁩ {{!}} ⁨חרות⁩ {{!}} 9 אפריל 1962 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=The Central Command Band is “on their way”. |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hrt/1962/04/09/01/article/35 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> Although it is also the name of an EP by the band, this EP did not contain any songs from this program and was actually an EP of their follow-up program, “Why? Just cause!”.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.caspitweb.com |first=caspit כספית |title=תכנית י”ב – למה כובע |trans-title=Twelfth program-Why? Just cause! |url=http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=100 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217025313/http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=100 |archive-date=2024-12-17 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=army-bands.co.il |language=he}}</ref> The other EP to contain songs from that program was titled “Fatherland Twist”. The two programs would feature the likes of [[Oshik Levi]] and {{Interlanguage link|Hedva Amrani|lt=Hedva Amrani|he|חדוה עמרני}}.

The band’s tenth program, “The Lion’s Speaking Authority” formed one side of an album that the troupe released alongside the [[Lehakat Pikud Tzafon|Northern Command Band]] in 1961. The program made a few innovations in its staging.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 1961 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 20 {{!}} 21 מרץ 1961 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1961/03/21/01/page/20 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> Later, in 1962, the band’s 11th program, “Soldiers on the Way” premiered.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1962 |title=⁨”קרנפים” – טרגדיה או סרמדיה ו ⁩ {{!}} ⁨חרות⁩ {{!}} 9 אפריל 1962 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=The Central Command Band is “on their way”. |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hrt/1962/04/09/01/article/35 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> Although it is also the name of an EP by the band, this EP did not contain any songs from this program and was actually an EP of their follow-up program, “Why? Just cause!”.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.caspitweb.com |first=caspit כספית |title=תכנית י”ב – למה כובע |trans-title=Twelfth program-Why? Just cause! |url=http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=100 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217025313/http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=100 |archive-date=2024-12-17 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=army-bands.co.il |language=he}}</ref> The other EP to contain songs from that program was titled “Fatherland Twist”. The two programs would feature the likes of [[Oshik Levi]] and {{Interlanguage link|Hedva Amrani|lt=Hedva Amrani|he|חדוה עמרני}}.

The band’s thirteenth program, titled “No Favors”, was their first program to receive an album.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1964 |title=⁨חידושים בהפקת תקליטים ⁩ {{!}} ⁨על המשמר⁩ {{!}} 26 נובמבר 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ahr/1964/11/26/01/article/71 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The program featured a musical adaptation of [[Rachel Bluwstein]]’s poem “”{{Interlanguage link|Kinneret (poem)|lt=Kinneret|he|כנרת (שיר)}}””, composed by [[Naomi Shemer]]. The program made references to things such as the [[Twist (dance)|Twist]], which led to a complaint being filed about the program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 June 1964 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 2 {{!}} 9 יוני 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1964/06/09/01/page/2 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he |quote=ראיתי אתמול את להקת פיקוד מרכז בתכניתה ,,לא רוצים טובות” והזדעזעתי. היתכן, שבלהקה צבאית יופיעו ה­ חיילות בתלבושות של נערות זוהר וש­ רוב התכנית יהיה בקצב ה”טוויסט” ול­פי נעימות ממצעד הפזמונים הלועזי! ואני לתומי חשבתי, שלהקה צבאית אינה צריכה להתחרות עם להקות בידור אזרחיות ויש לה גם תפקיד מחנך, בצד התפקיד הבידורי )כך כתבתם בפירוש גם בבמחנה( ­ להביא לחיילים רעיון, שלי­ חות ואידיאל. |trans-quote=Yesterday I saw the Central Command Band’s new program “No Favors” and felt disgusted. How can it be that a military ensemble would allow its female soldiers to dress so lewdly and that most of the program would be in the beat of the [[The Twist (song)|Twist]] and would use songs from the [[Billboard Hot 100|foreign charts]]!? And I naively thought that a military band does not need to compete with the regular pop bands and that it has an educational role alongside its role of entertainment.}}</ref> Nevertheless, reviews of the program were positive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 1964 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 18 {{!}} 20 מאי 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1964/05/20/01/page/18 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The band’s next program, “The important thing is to remain healthy” was made up partially of sketches previously performed by [[Batzal Yarok]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 1965 |title=⁨השאלה: מ* *המו לפסטיבל ה&gt;_שדאל‭?&gt; ‬ ⁩ {{!}} ⁨מעריב⁩ {{!}} 20 יולי 1965 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=14th program of the Central Command Band |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/mar/1965/07/20/01/article/32 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> It did not receive a vinyl recording.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.caspitweb.com |first=caspit כספית |title=תכנית י”ד – העיקר להיות בריא |trans-title=Fourteenth Program-The Main Thing Is To Be Healthy |url=http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=102 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217025345/http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=102 |archive-date=2024-12-17 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=army-bands.co.il |language=he}}</ref> Their next program, “At the Center of Things” did not receive much attention, but it did receive an EP release.

The band’s thirteenth program, titled “No Favors”, was their first program to receive an album.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1964 |title=⁨חידושים בהפקת תקליטים ⁩ {{!}} ⁨על המשמר⁩ {{!}} 26 נובמבר 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ahr/1964/11/26/01/article/71 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The program featured a musical adaptation of [[Rachel Bluwstein]]’s poem “”{{Interlanguage link|Kinneret (poem)|lt=Kinneret|he|כנרת (שיר)}}””, composed by [[Naomi Shemer]]. The program made references to things such as the [[Twist (dance)|Twist]], which led to a complaint being filed about the program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 June 1964 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 2 {{!}} 9 יוני 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1964/06/09/01/page/2 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he |trans-quote=Yesterday I saw the Central Command Band’s new program “No Favors” and felt disgusted. How can it be that a military ensemble would allow its female soldiers to dress so lewdly and that most of the program would be in the beat of the [[The Twist (song)|Twist]] and would use songs from the [[Billboard Hot 100|foreign charts]]!? And I naively thought that a military band does not need to compete with the regular pop bands and that it has an educational role alongside its role of entertainment.}}</ref> Nevertheless, reviews of the program were positive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 1964 |title=⁨במחנה⁩ {{!}} עמוד 18 {{!}} 20 מאי 1964 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/bamahane/1964/05/20/01/page/18 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The band’s next program, “The important thing is to remain healthy” was made up partially of sketches previously performed by [[Batzal Yarok]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 1965 |title=⁨השאלה: מ* *המו לפסטיבל ה&gt;_שדאל‭?&gt; ‬ ⁩ {{!}} ⁨מעריב⁩ {{!}} 20 יולי 1965 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=14th program of the Central Command Band |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/mar/1965/07/20/01/article/32 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> It did not receive a vinyl recording.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.caspitweb.com |first=caspit כספית |title=תכנית י”ד – העיקר להיות בריא |trans-title=Fourteenth Program-The Main Thing Is To Be Healthy |url=http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=102 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217025345/http://army-bands.co.il/programm.asp?id=102 |archive-date=2024-12-17 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=army-bands.co.il |language=he}}</ref> Their next program, “At the Center of Things” did not receive much attention, but it did receive an EP release.

In November 1966, the troupe was filmed by a West German television station for purposes that remain unclear.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 1966 |title=⁨להקה צבאית בסרטון בטלביזיה הגרמנית ⁩ {{!}} ⁨למרחב⁩ {{!}} 22 נובמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Military band filmed for German Television |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/lmrv/1966/11/22/01/article/75 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The filming of the band caused outrage, a threatened boycott of the military ensembles as a whole, and a general questioning of who authorised the filming of the troupe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 1966 |title=⁨תגובות חריפות על צילומי טלביזיה גרמנית במחנות צה”ל ⁩ {{!}} ⁨על המשמר⁩ {{!}} 1 דצמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Outrage at German television coverage at IDF camps. |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ahr/1966/12/01/01/article/91 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1966 |title=⁨הופעה פסולה ⁩ {{!}} ⁨למרחב⁩ {{!}} 24 נובמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Forbidden Concert |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/lmrv/1966/11/24/01/article/14 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 1966 |title=⁨מי התיר לטלוויזיה הגרמנית לצלם במחנות צה״ל?⁩ {{!}} ⁨קול העם⁩ {{!}} 1 דצמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Who allowed the German television to film in IDF camps? |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/khm/1966/12/01/01/article/13 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1967 |title=⁨Untitled⁩ {{!}} ⁨הצפה⁩ {{!}} 18 ינואר 1967 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hzh/1967/01/18/01/article/29 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref>

In November 1966, the troupe was filmed by a West German television station for purposes that remain unclear.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 1966 |title=⁨להקה צבאית בסרטון בטלביזיה הגרמנית ⁩ {{!}} ⁨למרחב⁩ {{!}} 22 נובמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Military band filmed for German Television |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/lmrv/1966/11/22/01/article/75 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref> The filming of the band caused outrage, a threatened boycott of the military ensembles as a whole, and a general questioning of who authorised the filming of the troupe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 1966 |title=⁨תגובות חריפות על צילומי טלביזיה גרמנית במחנות צה”ל ⁩ {{!}} ⁨על המשמר⁩ {{!}} 1 דצמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Outrage at German television coverage at IDF camps. |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/ahr/1966/12/01/01/article/91 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1966 |title=⁨הופעה פסולה ⁩ {{!}} ⁨למרחב⁩ {{!}} 24 נובמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Forbidden Concert |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/lmrv/1966/11/24/01/article/14 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 1966 |title=⁨מי התיר לטלוויזיה הגרמנית לצלם במחנות צה״ל?⁩ {{!}} ⁨קול העם⁩ {{!}} 1 דצמבר 1966 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |trans-title=Who allowed the German television to film in IDF camps? |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/khm/1966/12/01/01/article/13 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1967 |title=⁨Untitled⁩ {{!}} ⁨הצפה⁩ {{!}} 18 ינואר 1967 {{!}} אוסף העיתונות {{!}} הספרייה הלאומית |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/hzh/1967/01/18/01/article/29 |access-date=2025-12-10 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he}}</ref>

Israeli military entertainment band

Musical artist

Lehakat Pikud Merkaz, also known as Lehakat Pikud HaMerkaz (Hebrew: להקת פיקוד המרכז, lit. ‘Central Command Band‘) is the musical ensemble for the Central Command of the Israel Defense Forces. Formed in 1953, the band enjoyed its greatest period of success in the late 1960s to early 1970s, in the aftermath of the Six-Day War.

Many of the band’s songs have become standards in Israeli culture, and the band’s alumni is full of notable musicians, entertainers, actors, and songwriters.

Until 1953, the regional commands of the IDF had small musical groups. For the Central Command, this changed when the then Central Command Commander Tzvi Ayalon requested that a band be formed for his command. Yitzhak Yitzhaky was tasked with forming the band, and its first director was Gideon Shemer [he], Naomi Shemer‘s then husband.^[1][2]

The troupe’s first program was “One of Us“; however, the program received little attention outside of the Command and remains relatively obscure.^[3] On August 30th, 1954, the ensemble began performing their next program, “One Monkey’s Paw“, the program was a play about the IDF Chess championship.^[2][4] The program featured the first performance of the song “Sycamore Garden [he]“^[2] written by Yitzhaky and composed by Yohanan Zarai [he], however, the band did not record it as a single nor did they record the program as an album. Rika Zaraï, Yohanan’s then-wife, would record the song later on in the decade.^[2] The troupe’s next two programs were “Transitional Program“^[5] and “Three Heroes“, neither of which were recorded as an album. The band’s fifth program, “A Raid On The Village” was the first of the band’s programs to feature Shaike Levi, who would later form The Pale Tracker. The program was directed by Gideon Shemer [he] and his wife Naomi Shemer. The program received positive reviews from the Israeli press.^[6][7] In 1957, the band would finally record an album titled “Listen, Buddy!”.^[8] (Although it is possible that the album was released two years later in 1959)^[9] It was made up of songs from various previous programs that the ensemble had performed up to that point. At the same time, the band’s next few programs, “Laughter in the Merkaz“^[10], “The Right Man, at the right place.”^[11] and “The Aluf on the Roof” all enjoyed varying degrees of success. “The Right Man, at the right place.” received positive reviews from the press of the time.^[12][13] “The Aluf on the Roof” received mixed reviews from the press of the time, with reviews highlighting the lack of innovation from the previous program.^[14][15][16] Despite these reviews, neither programs were recorded as an album.

The troupe started the decade with their ninth program: “It is what it is”, which, similarly to their previous program, received mixed to positive reviews from the press of the time, with most of the criticisms of the program being related to the perceived rushed-ness of the program.^{[17][18][19][20]} Like previous programs, it did not receive an album.

The band’s tenth program, “The Lion’s Speaking Authority” formed one side of an album that the troupe released alongside the Northern Command Band in 1961. The program made a few innovations in its staging.^[21] Later, in 1962, the band’s 11th program, “Soldiers on the Way” premiered.^[22] Although it is also the name of an EP by the band, this EP did not contain any songs from this program and was actually an EP of their follow-up program, “Why? Just cause!”.^[23] The other EP to contain songs from that program was titled “Fatherland Twist”. The two programs would feature the likes of Oshik Levi and Hedva Amrani [he].

The band’s thirteenth program, titled “No Favors”, was their first program to receive an album.^[24] The program featured a musical adaptation of Rachel Bluwstein‘s poem “Kinneret [he]“, composed by Naomi Shemer. The program made references to things such as the Twist, which led to a complaint being filed about the program.^[25] Nevertheless, reviews of the program were positive.^[26] The band’s next program, “The important thing is to remain healthy” was made up partially of sketches previously performed by Batzal Yarok.^[27] It did not receive a vinyl recording.^[28] Their next program, “At the Center of Things” did not receive much attention, but it did receive an EP release.

In November 1966, the troupe was filmed by a West German television station for purposes that remain unclear.^[29] The filming of the band caused outrage, a threatened boycott of the military ensembles as a whole, and a general questioning of who authorised the filming of the troupe.^{[30][31][32][33]}

The Central Command Band’s role in shaping the Israeli cultural perception of the Six-Day War is a relatively major one.^[34] The band’s sixteenth program, “Where’s the Merkaz?” included the song “Ammunition Hill” by Yoram Taharlev, which became a major hit and is generally believed to have been the main contributing factor for the battle’s cultural legacy in Israel.^[34] The program was directed musically by Yair Rosenblum and received much acclaim and fanfare amongst the Israeli press and public.^{[35][36][37][38]} The success was short-lived, though, as members of the troupe evaded performing in shows in the North of Israel and the Sinai, causing the band to be disbanded for the first time in its history.^[39]

The band was reformed the following summer.^[40] Their next program, “Join Us In The Valley” equalled the success of their previous program and received acclaim.^[41][42][43] Notable songs from the program include: “We Are Both from the Same Village” by Naomi Shemer, “A Paratrooper’s Song [he]” by Yoram Taharlev, and “Charlie Chaplin“. The success of the program led to the band being voted Band of the Year, an honor they shared with The Nahal Band.

The following program, “Near the Jordan” saw the emergence of Shlomit Aharon. Aharon sang the Haim Hefer-penned song “I Have A Lover In The Special Forces [he]“, which was a major hit that year.^[44] The song was written about the at the time confidential Sayaret Haruv [he], a special forces unit in the IDF during that time period. The program received the same acclaim as before.^[45]

• Listen, Buddy! (1957)
• The Lion’s Speaking Authority (1961, with the Northern Command Band)
• Soldiers on the Way (1963)
• Fatherland Twist (1963)
• No Favors (1964)
• Center of Attention (1966)
• Where’s the Merkaz? (1968)
• Join Us In The Valley (1969)
• Near the Jordan (1970)
• Last Songs To Last (1972)
• And That’s Only The Beginning (1975)
• At the gates of Jericho (1985)
• The Children of 1967 (1987)