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Welcome to Eden’s Island
Yes, eden has a sandy cove! Ohh, yeah-yeah, Ohh, yah-yah! Where boys and girls fall in love! Ohh, yeah-yeah, Ohh, yah-yah! eden ahbez in New York City, May 1948. Mystic moods of pop-exotica, love...
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BBC Radio Debuts New Documentary About eden ahbez
It is official! BBC Radio 4 has just aired their audio documentary about eden ahbez, titled A Strange, Enchanted Boy. Here is the link: BBC 4\’s \”A Strange, Enchanted Boy\” The show will remain...
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A Strange Enchanted Boy
Lest the obvious need restating — everybody loves a character. It’s likely that few fit that description in Hollywood’s record biz history better than EDEN AHBEZ, the man who penned one of pop-song’s...
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Considering the Source (An Interview with Gordon Kennedy)
When “Nature Boy” hit #1 on the Billboard charts in May 1948, post-war Americans viewed its composer, eden ahbez, as both a prophet of hope and a novel curiosity. His image of choice (long hair, beard...
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Ahbez Radio Documentary Hits NPR/KCRW
It’s been somewhat quiet here at the Eden’s Island blog, but I wanted to let everyone know that NPR’s Los Angeles syndicate KCRW recently released a half hour radio documentary on the life of eden...
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The Final Ahbez Music Discussed with “L.A. Weekly”
The alternative newspaper, “L.A. Weekly” published a new article written by me on the final works by eden ahbez. Check out the link here:...
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New Eden Ahbez Compilation Hits Record Bins
If you’ve ever wondered what eden ahbez’s other music, beyond “Nature Boy” and Eden’s Island, sounds like, now you can find out. A new compilation of rare and previously-unreleased songs from the ’50s...
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Ahbez Caught on Video in 1992
In case you missed it, this brief clip with Eden Ahbez appeared on YouTube about seven years ago: The videographer tries to get Ahbez to recite a poem he’d obviously stated just before tape was...
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NEWS: Hear Joe Romersa Play “Ahbe’s Drums”
Joe Romersa is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, session-man and professional engineer. From 1988-95, Eden Ahbez trusted no one else but Joe to record his newest work. That work (dubbed “The Scriptures...
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INTERVIEW: Creating a Better World Community (A Chat with Youngbear Roth)
During his 86 years on this planet, Eden Ahbez encountered many artists, musicians, free-thinkers and spiritual individuals. Youngbear Roth—yoga instructor, therapist and writer—knew Ahbez intimately...
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NEWS: Ahbez’s “Full Moon” Used in FX’s “Fargo”
As the Guardian reports below, Eden Ahbez’s “Full Moon”—from the Eden’s Island album—was used as the closing soundtrack to episode two. Read more here.
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Nature Boy Meets George Benson
Check it out! Jazz guitar-man George Benson had himself a Top 40 hit in 1977 with Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy.” But more recently I came across this clipping of Benson hanging with the elder Ahbez in a...
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Eden Ahbez = Mr. Natural?
So rumors have bandied about for a while now that comic genius R. Crumb’s “Mr. Natural” character was loosely based on Eden Ahbez’s life. From interviews I’ve done for my biography on Ahbez, I’ve heard...
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NEWS: Herb Jeffries’ Full “Nature Boy” Suite Reissued
The tattered sheet music that Eden Ahbez dropped off to Nat “King” Cole’s valet backstage at the Lincoln Theater in 1947 was, in fact, a four-part suite. We know that Cole recorded just the main song....
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NEWS: Lady Gaga Meets Eden Ahbez?
Well… not exactly. But if you’ve not heard yet, the pop provocateur recently released a version of Ahbez’s “Nature Boy” with elder crooner Tony Bennett. Billboard magazine carries the story and link to...
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Wild Boy… Big Beat!
For those who haven’t heard it yet… Eden Ahbez penned a rollicking’ piece of rock-exotica titled “Wild Boy” (Sierra Records) in 1958 for Rocky Holman/Mort Wise and the Wisemen. Have a listen here: A...
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Ahbez = First Hippie?
Well, sure, it’s long been bandied about that Eden Ahbez was amongst the very first counter-culture gurus, or hippies… though don’t tell Walt Whitman that! Now we’ve dug up a bit of early recognition....
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An Island Sprouted in Brooklyn
Not sure how we missed this one, but… It seems the Brooklyn Public Library has at last acknowledged its native son, George P. Aberle, better known to history as Eden Ahbez. See link here. The article...
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INTERVIEW: The Truth About “Riders in the Sky” (Catching Up with Stan Jones...
In 1948, Eden Ahbez—fresh off his success with “Nature Boy”—met songwriter Stan Jones. The latter had a tune he’d written—”Ghost Riders in the Sky”—which, in time, became as much a standard in country...
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New Ahbez Mix on Spotify
Okay… so… Spotify has a pretty limited number of Eden Ahbez tracks available for streaming. But for those interested… here‘s a little mix compiled by me. Hopefully more rare tracks are to be added...
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