Melissa Connel
Was the leader of an american high school band named "The Catacombs", in which Danny Sanderson was a guitar player at the age of 14. They studied together at the Arts and Music High School in New York. "The Catacombs" was consisted of two guitar players (Danny and Melissa), a bass player and a drummer. Kaveret's song The Cold Shoulder (BaYom U'BaLayla) was originally performed by "The Catacombs" in 1965, when it was called "This Isn't The First Time". The song was composed by Danny & Melissa, as stated on the Poogy Tales (Sipurei Poogy) cover, only her name was misspelled as Coggel.
Melissa has recently contacted Danny after not being in touch for over 3 decades. During this time she has kept interest in Danny's career, bought his albums throughout Kaveret, Gazoz, Doda and his solo career. Today she is the leader of a California based alternative rock group named "The Heaters", and being an open lesbian, she and her band fight for sexual equality.
Dori Ben Ze'ev
One of the Israeli culture's key men. A radio broadcaster, TV shows host, comedian, singer and more.
While in the Nahal Band, Danny Sanderson and Meir Fenigstein broadcasted their Poogy sketches in his radio show "From Us To You" (MiMenu Elayich). They would record the sketches in advance in Sanderson's home, using a simple tape recorder, and then deliver it to Galey Tzahal radio station's headquarter, a few minutes from the Nahal Band's headquarters. Poogy's character has gained popularity within the listeners, which gave the founders of Kaveret a first taste of fame.
Miri Aloni
A singer who gained acknowledgement singing the Nahal Band's revolutionary Shir LaShalom. Later was a member in Apocalypse (Aharit HaYamim), together with Yitzhak Klapter.
She, as well as other ex-Nahal Banders, took part in the first version of the Poogy rock opera written by Danny Sanderson, and participated in the recording of the show, featuring her singing lead vocal in We Didn't Know What To Do (Lo Yadanu Ma La'asot) and It's Been Nice (Nehmad).
Ever since she is mostly identified with Shir LaShalom, which she sang together with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin the night he was assassinated.
Asher Bitansky
A producer, personal manager, soundman and a sound equipment supplier. Was born in 1952.
As a friend of Danny Sanderson and the other ex-Nahal Band members, setting them gigs in school parties during their military service, he was sort of Kaveret's manager when they just started. He was the one who suggested adding Yitzhak Klapter to the band. He helped them finance the recording of their first single, including Self Service (Sheirut Atzmi) as an A-side and We Didn't Know What To Do (Lo Yadanu Ma La'asot) as a B-side. He also tried to interest several producers to invest in Kaveret, with no luck. When Avraham Deshe (Pashanel) came into the picture as a producer, one of his terms was that he would also replace Bitansky as Kaveret's manager.
Bitansky has stayed in the music business, and has worked with lots of artists and bands, including Yonny Rechter & Avner Kenner's "14 Octaves", Shalom Hanoch & Ariel Zilber's "Tamuz", Matti Caspi, Nurit Galron, "HaKlik", and recently, Ahinoam Nini (AKA Noa). Also, he is well known for being a sound technique expert, and together with his partner Ofer Pesanzon he runs "Mor Productions", which supply sound equipment.
Noam Sharif
A composer, arranger and a conductor. Considered as one of Israel's finest classical musicians. Was born in 1935, studied in Berlin and in 1957 returned to Israel.
Has known Danny Sanderson through his cousin, and has musically produced the band The Schnitzels (HaShnitzelim), in which Sanderson, Alon Oleartchik, and through some points Efraim Shamir and Meir Fenigstein, were members. Under his supervision, they recorded an early version of Left Handed Octopus (HaTamnun Ha'Iter) in Goal studios during the members' military service in the Nahal Band.
In 1974 he was invited by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (Rashut HaShidur), which chose Kaveret to represent Israel in that year's Eurovision contest, to write an orchestral arrangement to Kaveret's song I Gave Her My Life (Natati La Hayay). He wrote it in collaboration with Sanderson and Yonny Rechter, who later on conducted the orchestra.
Avraham Salaman
A kanon player. Played in Kol Israel's The Oriental Music Orchestra (Tizmoret Beit HaShidur), under the conduction of Zuzu Musa.
Danny Sanderson used to come to the orchestra's rehearsals, when they accompanied Kaveret in Left Handed Octopus (HaTamnun Ha'Iter). He then met Salaman, and started thinking of a way to combine his unique sound with Kaveret. They composed together the mostly instrumental french-spoofing L'Amour Et La Vie, in which Salaman played the Kanon.
Sanderson has kept a close musical relationship with Salaman, and has since collaborated with him on several songs and projects, as with the '70s commercial titled "Joseph, King Of The Carpets" (Yosef Melech HaShtihim), and his solo songs Ma HaDawin Shelach?, Ani HaKol Shel HaMatzpun Shelach and of course, the Left Handed Octopus (HaTamnun Ha'Iter) homage, The Return Of The Octopus (Shuvo Shel HaTamnun).
Makhelat HaShfela
Never existed in real life. The Lowland Choir, in literal translation, is listed on the back cover of Poogy In A Pitah (Poogy BePita) as a backing vocals choir in Everything Has It's Price (Shir HaMehiron). Not being a real choir, it included the band members' girlfriends/wives - Anat Gov, Ayana Eilon (Klapter's), Astar Shamir and others - as well as the technicians who were in the area at the time of recording.
Eli Mohar
A songs, sketches and magazines columns writer.
Has known Kaveret's members since writing the song HaNesicha VeHaTzfarde'a for the Nahal Band. Wrote the lyrics for Childhood (Shi'ur Moledet), which is the first and only non-Kaveret-written song, not counting the covers they performed in concerts. The song was composed by Efraim Shamir, who adapted a polish tune which he originally sang in the Nahal Band auditions. Sticking out in Kaveret's repertoire for being slow, nostalgic and accompanied by strings arranged by Yonny Rehcter, the song was not well accepted by the audience, and signaled Kaveret's soon to come breaking up.
The song has since become a classic. Mohar wrote some more for Shamir, and collaborated a lot with Rechter. They have released a few albums together, based on Mohar's lyrics and Rechter's music. Besides, Mohar writes a column in Ha'Ir magazine.
Yehuda Talit
The owner and founder of Talit Procudtions (Talit Hafakot), in which Danny Sanderson is signed.
Sanderson has been working with Talit since 1981, when his solo career started, after hearing about a failed project Talit was involved in, for which he repaid his debts. This fact impressed Sanderson, who made Talit his personal manager.
Talit has since produced all of Kaveret's reunions, and also produced the reunion albums Live Summer 1984 (Hofa'a Haya Kayitz 1984) and Kaveret In The Park (Kaveret BaPark) (co-produced with Michael Tapuah) and the reunion movies Pictures From A Band's Life (Tmunot MeHayey Lahaka) and Kaveret In The Park (Kaveret BaPark) (co-produced with Michael Tapuah).
Aharon Kotleir
A miscellaneous instruments player, known for his ability to marvelously play on everyday objects, such as pipes, brooms, bottles, and tools.
In 1998 he performed a saw solo in the reunion song Remember, Don't Remember (Zocher, Lo Zocher), creating a very spooky sound. The part he played, with Kaveret's vocals accompanying him, is borrowed from Moshe Vilansky's Hora Mamtera.