Readers who’ve been following Jewish music long enough (or are old enough) might remember Mordechai Ben David’s very first album release, back in 1973. Titled Mordechai Ben David Werdyger Sings Original Chassidic Niggunim, the album’s impact was understated, and most of those original chassidic niggunim never really took off (except for two songs — “Yosis,” which MBD revamped in 1988 for the Jerusalem Our Home album, and “Hashiveinu,” which, with a revised beginning, became a popular dance and camp song in the 1970s).

Looking back at that debut record through the prism of decades of albums and hundreds of iconic songs, MBD says he can understand the less-than-ecstatic response. “The album wasn’t particularly successful, since, in truth, those first songs were not fully crystallized. I call that album ‘minus-one,’ and consider the following album, Hineni, as my first album,” he says. Hineni, released the following year, debuted some favorites of the ’70s, including “Ki Lo Yitosh,” “Shema Yisrael,” and the decade’s most popular version of “Od Yishama.” Nevertheless, that “minus-one” album did bring MBD his early invitations to perform.

And how did he come up with the stage name? “One of my friends suggested that I hitch a ride with my father’s name,” MBD recalls. “My father (Chazzan David Werdyger a”h) was already very well-known, and it would be easier for me to break into the music world as his son. I considered this friend a shrewd businessman, so I took his advice.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 733)