Global A Go-Go presents:
We are Turks, we sing Turkish folk songs
In July, listener and friend Ceci asked me a question about Turkish rock bands. She had just seen Altın Gün at Thalia Hall in Chicago and loved them; she wanted to know what other bands she should listen to since she enjoyed them so much.
I too am a big fan of Altın Gün; their album Aşk is one of my favorites of 2023 so far. So I put together a list for Ceci of my ten favorite Anatolian rock albums. Some of them are by current artists either from Turkey or from around the world, others are from the 1970s when the Anatolian rock genre was being invented, and a couple are compilations of songs by a variety of historic Turkish artists. This list is in no way a summary of the best, or the best known, or the most important Anatolian rock albums — it’s entirely based on my eccentric personal taste.
I liked the list so much that I thought, “This would be a great subject for an episode of Global A Go-Go.” So that’s what I’m doing this week (Sunday September 17, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site).
Those top ten Anatolian rock albums will make up the first hour and a half of the program. After that you’ll hear my favorite new Turkish rock releases from Lalalar, Gaye Su Akyol and the aforementioned Altın Gün. And we’ll finish with a tribute to Erkin Koray, one of the founders of Anatolian rock, who passed away in August.
Podcast: radio4all.net/program/116393
All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go
Here’s that list of Global A Go-Go’s favorite Anatolian rock albums:
The current revivalists
Umut Adan – Bahar: My favorite new album of any genre in 2019
Altın Gün – Aşk: Will be one of my top albums of 2023
Şatellites – Şatellites: From Israel, but they certainly sound like Turks
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Kar Yağar: Singer is Turkish-German, other band members are from France and England
The compilations
İstanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics: The first compilation of this material that I heard, and still one of the best
Uzelli Psychedelic Anadolu: All recorded for a Turkish general-store-turned-record-label in Frankfurt, believe it or not
The originals
Alpay – Yekte: A pop singer who followed the Turkish psych-rock trend and ended up making some of that genre’s best songs
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi – Disko Folk: Twangy Turkish duo in Germany whose music sounds kind of like Anatolian surf-rock; worth owning just for the cover
Mazhar ve Fuat – Türküz Türkü Çağırırız!: This one is folk-rock, reminds me of Fairport Convention in places and the Laurel Canyon sound in others
Üç Hürel – 3 Hür-El: The three Hürel brothers, another album that’s more folk than psych
Show Archive
Play show / Add show to playlistPlaylist:
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Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Global a Go-Go”
from Global A Go-Go
BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - 2001
England UK
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Ünol Büyükgönenç, “Deniz Üstü Köpürür (feat. Kardaslar)”
from Uzelli Psychedelic Anadolu
Uzelli Kaset San. - 2016
Turkey, 1973
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Mazhar Ve Fuat, “Türküz Türkü Çağırırız”
Shadoks Music - 2014
Turkey, 1973
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Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, “Dom Dom Kurşunu”
from Kar Yağar
Bongo Joe - 2019
Turkey-Germany-France-England UK
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Ersen Ve Dadaslar, “Derman Bulunmaz”
from İstanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics
Nublu - 2011
Turkey, 1977
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Barış Manço & Moğollar, “Binboğanın Kızı”
from İstanbul 70: Psych, Disco, Folk Classics
Nublu - 2011
Turkey, 1971
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Mazhar Ve Fuat, “Adımız Miskindir Bizim”
Shadoks Music - 2014
Turkey, 1973
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Erkin Koray, “Cümbür Cemaat”
from Meçhul: Singles & Rarities
Sublime Frequencies - 2023
Turkey, 1976
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Erkin Koray, “Olmayınca Olmuyor”
from Meçhul: Singles & Rarities
Sublime Frequencies - 2023
Turkey, 1977
Bill Lupoletti Global A Go-Go September 17th, 2023
Posted In: Music Shows