Monocled Alchemist

Psychedelic Trippers from 1970s Turkey

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music | While it s difficult to locate the actual origins of any musical form a good case can be made that Turkish rock music, has its origins with students of the Turkish Naval Academy in 1957 and the most important example of early group, music the Sourer Soyata Band.

In Turkey, as the 1950s become the 1960s, just like in cities and towns across Britain and America, countless musical groups began to spring up as young people felt the pull of a growing youth movement. The music that would come from Turkey would blend European and Asian influences unique to that country and essential to the cultural synthesis of Turkish folk and Western rock music that emerged in 1967-1968.

The name “Anadolu pop” or “Anatolian pop” was used to describe the music on the first singles released by Mogollar during this time. Murat Ses, the keyboard player of Mogollar, was a pioneer in Turkish psychedelia in the Eastern-themed music coming out of his Hammond organ. The psychedelia we hear in Mogollar is the essence of the ancient and mystical soul of Turkish folk music.

Selda also Known by her full name, Seida Bagcan) is a well known performer of politically-themed music whose best works in the 1970s involved arrangements of the traditional songs of several Turkish folk poets. Her first song in this collection is “Bundan Sonra,” one of her several turku (traditional Turkish folk song) arrangements written by folk poet Muhlis Akarsu. Her second selection, “Ince Ince Bir Kar Yagar,” is also a turku arrangement with very explicit political lyrics written by Asik Mahsuni Serif ( a poet famous for his rebellious socialist lyrics).

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music

This transformation of traditional Turkish folk music and poetry into more contemporary rock-based music is similar to the transformation of traditional folk blues in the West. The great Delta blues players like Robert Johnson created music with one acoustic guitar in much the same way that traditional turku arrangements were played originally on one saz (traditional Turkish instrument). As you listen here, if you consider the ways in which classic Delta blues songs were later given electric rock arrangements by musicians like John Mayall, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and others you will have a fuller understanding of the Turkish rock/folk/pop music of this era.

Ozdemir Erdogan is a well known jazz guitarist, vocalist and arranger His track here, “Uzun Ince Bir Yoldayim,” was originally a well known turku of Asik Veysel, one of the most revered Turkish folk poets. While the original turku had lyrics, Erdogan’s skill as an arranger is evident here as the song is transformed into an instrumental in which the lyrics’ melody is carried by the organ and electric guitar (the traditional saz can also be heard in the mix). This arrangement was originally released on the B-side of an Ozdemir Erdogan single, and later released in the compilation LP TRT Ara Muzikleri that included several instrumental works played at TRT (Turkish Radio and Television).

Although Alpay is best known in Turkey as a singer of romantic songs, his albums also include rock arrangements like “Kirpiklerin Ok Ok Eyle,” selected here from his first LP released in 1967. “Kirpiklerin Ok Ok Eyle” is a famous and anonymous turku that has been performed and recorded by various musicians.

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music

In this collection we have a second, slightly later (1969), version performed by Baris Manco. Best known in Turkey for his later work, this psychedelic arrangement of “Kirpiklerin Ok Ok Eyle” is a good example of his early years in the late 60s and his early psychedelic band, Kaygisizlar. First released as the B-side of a Baris Manco and Kaygisizlar single in 1969, the track was later placed on his LP Dunden Bugune in 1971. Baris Manco, a talented musician and song writer, died in 1999 at the age of 56.

The names Mahzar Alanson and Fuat Guner are known in Turkey through their group MFO (Mahzar, Fuat and Ozkan) which is still active and performing. The LP with Mahzar and Fuat, Turkuz Turku Cagiririz, was released before MFO in 1973 when they were not as famous as today and contains some great examples of Turkish rock music such as “Sur Efem Atini” included here.

Erkin Koray, the most psychedelic rocker ever from Turkey, made his most psychedelic recordings between 1970 and 1974. He fronted several groups during that period and the song here, “Yagmur” (Turkish for “rain”), was recorded in 1971 with his band Erkin Koray Supergroup. “Yagmur” was written by saz virtuoso Vedat Yildirimbora, a member of Erkin Koray Supergroup both on recordings and live (the electric saz that Yildirimbora played was first developed by Erkin Koray).

“Yagmur” is taken from Koray’s first LP, a collection of his singles released in 1973. Erkin Korey is still active in the rock music scene today at the age of 64.

Ersen has been famous in Turkey since forming his band Dadaslar in 1974. The song “Kara Yazi” was released in 1972, before the formation of Dadaslar, on the B-side of his single “Kozan Dagi.” The song finally appeared on a full-length compilation LP in 1977.

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music

Edip Akbayram is a turku arranger and singer whose best work features the writings of Asik Mahsuni Serif. The recording presented here “Yakar Inceden Inceden” (written by Cudi Koyuncu) was first released on the B-side of Edip Akbayram and Dostlar‘s first single from 1973 (Dostlar is the group that Edip Akbayram did his strongest work with) “Yakar Inceden Inceden” also appeared on Edip Akbavram‘s first LP in 1974.

Hardal (“mustard” in Turkish) released two LP s in the late 1970s and early 1980s The group is important because of its members, musicians who played in Erkin Koray’s ground breaking group in the early 1970s Yeralti Dortiusu. The song “Yagmur Masali” is taken from their first LP Nasil Ne Zaman. Hardal is one of the last examples of the best Turkish rock music of the 1960s – 1970s, as there was a definite shift away from those traditions after the beginning of the 1980s

Erol Buyukburc has been a prominent figure in Turkish popular music since the late 1950s releasing more singles than all other Turkish pop musicians. “Hop Dedik” features as the title track of his 1976 LP, is one of his harder rock arrangements

Cem Karaca is another important rock singer known for his political stance. His career began in the late 1960s with Apaslar (the Turkish version of The Shadows “Apache”), but became more overtly political in the beginning of 1970s, forming the group Kardaslar (“brothers”). Featured here, “Tatli Dillim” is a psychedelic arrangement of a turku written by another important folk poet, Neset Ertas.

The arrangement is dominated by two electric guitars, one played by German musician Alex Wiska (who introduces some blues-influenced riffs), and the other a Turkish guitarist, Unol Buyukgonenc, who plays in a more Eastern flavoured direction. This synthesis of East and West is an excellent example of the unique character of Turkish psychedelic music. The song was released as single in 1971, and was later placed on the compilation LP Kardaslar-Apaslar in 1973. Cem Karaca died in 2004 at the age of 59.

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music

Uc Hurel is a Turkish rock group formed in 1970 by three brothers Onur Hurel, Haldun Hurel and Feridun Hurel. The most unique characteristic of this band was in its use of instruments of their own design. Drums created from traditional Turkish percussion instruments, and a double neck stringed creation that had an electric saz on one half and electric guitar on the other allowed them to achieve a very distinctive and recognizable sound in the studio. Their track here “Aglarsa Anam Aglar,” was released as a single in 1973 and on their LP Hurel Arsivi from 1974. The unique instruments mentioned above can be heard at work in this song.

Mogollar‘s most psychedelic work was released in the late 60’s and early 70’s, and earned them the nickname the “Turkish Pink Floyd.” Their instrumental “Halic’te Gun Batimi” (“Sunset in Golden Horn”) is taken from their 1971 LP originally released in France as Les Mogol (later released in Turkey in 1974). Mogollar is still active in the Turkish music scene, minus their early keyboard player, Murat Ses, who now lives in Austria and works on electronic music.

Bulent Ortacgil is a song writer and singer who released his debut LP Benimle Oynar misin? (“Would you like to play with me?”) in 1974, an album which has become a Turkish pop music classic recently reissued on CD. Of all the artists on this compilation, Ortacgil is unique because of the absence of Eastern influences in his music, sounding more Western (and perhaps, less “Turkish”) as a result. The song “Sen Varsin” is taken from his 1974 LP and is a good example of his style. Bulent Ortacgil is still active in music and sought as a live performer.

Love, Peace & Poetry | Turkish Psychedelic Music

Erkut Tackin started his musical career when he was a student in Turkish Naval Academy with Somer Soyata Band. After he had left the academy and the military (in order to be a rock ‘n’ roll star), he released many singles during the 1960s. His sole LP however, was released in 1975, where he sang rock ‘n’ roll with arrangements reminiscent of the soul of the 1960s. The song “Gitmek Dustu Bana” is taken from that now very rare LP.

As the smoke from the hookah rises around you and the intricate patterns in the finely-woven carpet open upon new worlds of meaning, breathe in the music deeply and enjoy this ninth volume in the Love, Peace & Poetry series. There’s still a whole world out there waiting to be explored. (Cagdas Uyar, Istanbul, Turkey and Stan Denski, Indianapolis, USA)