V.A.
Waking Up Scheherazade - Arabian Psych Nuggets
Label:  Grey Past 
Date:  2007
Length:  41:55
Genre:  Psychedelic; Psychadelic
    Track Listing:
      1.  
      		 Sea-Ders - Thanks a Lot    2:50
      2.  
      		 El-Abranis - Athedjaladde    3:53
      3.  
      		 Simon C. Edwards and His Soul Set - I Got You    2:50
      4.  
      		 Morocco - Ela Tho    2:30
      5.  
      		 Kouroush - Dil Dasa Per Mesha    2:53
      6.  
      		 The Kool Kats - Step Out    2:05
      7.  
      		 Nai Bonet - The Seventh Veil    1:46
      8.  
      		 Tony Franks and the Hippin' Souls - Last Night    3:44
      9.  
      		 The News - From the Moon    2:35
      10.  
      		 Raks - Raks Dance    2:31
      11.  
      		 Kareem Issaq and Middle Eastern Rock - Besaha    1:48
      12.  
      		 Ray Psyah - Deep Down Inside    2:45
      13.  
      		 Sea-Ders - Undecidedly    2:11
      14.  
      		 El-Abranis - Ayetheri a L'afjare    2:30
      15.  
      		 Simon C. Edwards and His Soul Set - The Way I Do    2:27
      16.  
      		 Morocco - Opa Kukla    2:37
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      A.
      1. Sea-ders -Thanks a lot - Lebanon -1966

      The Seaders hailed from Beirut. The city that was called the Monte Carlo of the East in those days. A city where the European and Arabian Jet set held domestics and where casino's -and glitter and glamour were very common. In Lebanon you still can go from swimming in the Mediterranean sea to eternal snow in half an hour. So waterskiing in the morning and snowskiing in the afternoon is no problem at all. The Seaders first were called -the '5 Top Hits' covering hits they heard broadcasted on BBC World radio. When the Beatles craze arrived in Lebanon they changed their name into 'Sea-ders' and in 1966 they recorded 6 original compositions in an obscure Beirut studio. 'Thanks a lot' turned out to be an overnight smash in Lebanon and more than 10.000 copies were sold. The first big beat hit by a Lebanese band ever. DECCA UK had confidence enough in the boys to get 'm to England. They held residence in the hip Pickwick club and released 3 45's and one EP. None of 'm did anything. Decca England send the band a note for 1800 pounds for debts the band had with 'm for recording costs, promo costs and other costs. The band all fled to various places leaving all their gear in the UK in their apartment. DECCA Turkey scored in 1969 one of the biggest Turkish hits of that year with the second UK 45. Now the band was called the Cedars. 'Hide if you want to hide/ For your information'. The band never saw a penny.

      2. El-Abranis -Athedjaladde -Algeria 1972

      El-Abranis were around in the Algerian and French rock scenes since the late 60s. Here's a fantastic 1972 45. We include both sides cause it's an almost perfect mix of crude garage psych with a more ethnic Algerian feel. They also released a couple of LP's. We're still tracing their catalogue down.

      3. Simon C. Edwards& His Soul Set I got you Lebanon -196?

      This disc was recorded and produced in Lebanon in the late 60s. No idea who these guys were. It's surely a fantastic crude garagey soul tune and the young crowd will have had a blast of a time with these exploding mod beaters. We know of 2 45's by these guys.

      4. Morocco -Ela tho -USA/ Armenia 1967

      No idea what's the story here. A very much exploding Arabian garage psych tune that was released by an American major. You wonder what they'd expected from the record buying youngsters. Seems to hail from the New York Armenian scene that also spawned the Devil's Anvil. But not sure. Hell of a disc anyway!

      5. Kouroush -Dil Dasa Per Mesha Iran/ Persia 196?

      No idea whom this Persian guy was. A beautiful laid back psych tune exploding in the kinda fuzz breaks we know from the better US psych bands especially reminding a bit of the first Country Joe and the Fish records or early West Coast Pop Art Experimental band.

      6. The Kool Kats Step out Lebanon 196?

      One 45 we know off by this Lebanees band and the fact this 45 was released on the obscure 'Liverpool' label sais enough. A nicy gritty ditty.

      7. Nai Bonnet -The seventh veil -Egypt/ USA

      Nai Bonnet was an Egyptian belly-dancer starring in some movies dedicated to the ancient Arabian world seen through the kitchy glasses of Hollywood. Her 'Jelly belly' was included in the 'Girls in the garage' series and she even had a whole album on 'Karate' entitled 'Belly dance a Go Go'. This fantastic instro is the b-side to the 'Jelly-belly' 45 and was written by Nai herself. The latter can also be found on the LP in a different vocal version.

      8. Tony Franks& The Hippin' Souls Last night Lebanon 196?

      Another mod psych band from the Beirut underground. We also know of 2 45's by these modsters. 'Last night' is a cool atmospheric garage beat tune with psychedelic touches in the chorus.

      B.
      1. The News -From the moonLebanon 196?/ 197?

      When seen through the Lebanese historical landscape of time a tune from the early 70s that has a band sing 'We don't want no war, we want peace' puts guys like Donovan or Barry Mc Guire straight into the Kindergarten. These guys absolutely knew what they were singing about. The News were one of the Lebanese top bands and even released a whole megarare album in 1975. Their early releases go back as far as 1967. All of 'm very hard to obtain. 'From the moon' is a -fantastic splash down of psychedelic effects, brilliant arranging by one of the Rahbani brothers and incredible garage power. Everybody should hear this!

      2. Raks Raks dance Iran/ Persia 196?

      Very obscure Persian mid 60s release blending almost perfectly ethnic music with the new Western amplified approach.

      3. Kareem Issaq& Middle Eastern Rock Besaha USA/ Various Arabian countries -1967

      This band had a whole LP in the US were they were called 'The Devil's Anvil'. Here we have a wyld fuzzed up non-lp track from their Israelian EP. Members came from various countries all over the Orient and recorded under the guidance of Felix Pappalardi. This must be one of their best tunes though the whole album is a must have for any person into real good cross-over rock.

      4. Ray Psyah Deep down inside Lebanon 197?

      Rare fuzzed up lebanees psych 45. Ray had several releases this as far as we know being his best. The lyrics are a bit leaving a lot of space to imagination That's rock 'n roll insn'it.

      5. Sea-ders -Undecidedly -Lebanon 1966

      The English B/side to the 'Thanks a lot' 45. The Lebanese original release had a different b-side that was far less in our opinion. They had about 40 original tunes. You might wonder what more nuggets were hidden there.

      6. El-Abranis -Ayetheri A L'afjare -Algeria 1972

      7. Simon C. Edwards& His Soul Set -The way I do -Lebanon 196?

      Incredible mod tune with a deep heavy fuzz break that will amaze many.

      8. Morocco -Opa kuklaUSA/ Armenia 1967
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