Every artist wants his album to be as perfect as can be, but sometimes he has to take a gamble. Is the song he’s deliberating over going to soar or flop? Is that last-minute replacement going to be dynamic or a sleeper? How do these entertainers know they made the right choice?

Can You Hear the Difference?

The song “Modeh Ani” on the album Ani Kan was recorded in New York. It was all recorded, mixed, and ready to go, when, back in Toronto, I sang the song to my rav. He commented that there was a mistake in the words — I had sung “Beruchim heim malachecha ha’osim retzonecha,” when the text is really “… she’osim retzonecha” [from the Friday night “Ribon Kol Haolamim”]. I called my producer, Doni Gross, to discuss what could be done. It was the day before the tracks of the album were mastered. Tzvi Silverstein just happened to be with Doni in the studio, and he offered to try and imitate my voice. It took a few tries, until I said, “Okay, I think that can pass.” He sang the “sheh” syllable a few times, because each time you repeat the words in the song, the “color” of the voice is different, and the technique is slightly different. After that, Doni had to replace my syllable with Tzvi’s in the vocal track. I’m grateful to both of them for a job well done. Check out the song, and see what you hear.

--Shlomo Simcha

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 768)