Introduction
Little Sammy Gaha (1941-2016, real name Neville George Gaha) was an Australian singer/songwriter, who started his career in the clubs of Kings Cross of Sydney in the late 1950s, and toured in Australia with Lee Gordon’s Big Shows. When his brother, musical director Tony Gaha started the group “The In People”, Sammy Gaha joined the band, performing as one of the singers.
At the end of 1960s Gaha moved to Paris where he joined the French jazz-rock band “Blue Bird”, a band who perhaps is most famous for playing at Mick and Bianca Jagger’s wedding in 1970. The next year he started releasing a number of solo singles by the name of Little Sammy Gaha, ‘Had To Run’, ‘Midnight’ and perhaps his most popular song ‘Rock And Roll Is Back Again’. Also he contributed a song to the soundtrack of the film "The Legend Of Frenchie King".
In 1974 he recorded two songs, ‘J'ai Envie De Toi’ and ‘Cuckoo’ in the same studio where Vangelis spent a lot of time, and so it came to be that Vangelis helped out with playing the keyboard on these songs.
While in France Gaha released a couple more singles, but at some point returned to Australia, where he continued singing in music groups. Sammy Gaha passed away in Sydney on the 10th of April 2016.
Tracklist and credits
- ‘J’ai Envie De Toi’
- ‘Cuckoo’
Songs composed by Sammy Gaha.
Produced by Norbert Saada.
Arrangements by Aldo Franck.
Keyboard by Vangelis Papathanassiou.
Discography
7” single
- 1974 Cathala Publishing 46.700 France
- 1974 Joker M 7175 Italy
- 1974 Melodi 74006 Turkye
- 1974 Red Bird Records 401.4032 Brazil
LP
- 1974 Various Artists - "Super Parada Mundial vol. II" Som Livre 4047049 Brazil (includes ‘J'ai Envie De Toi’)
These songs were never issued on CD.
Recording studio
These songs are recorded in the Europa Sonor “Poste Parisien” studio in Paris, France (the same studio where the “Earth” album was recorded).
Links