Folk Vinyl 263 Items

Born in Lower Egypt in 1929, Abdel Halim Hafez became, during a relatively short career that ended with his death in 1977 aged 48, one of the giants of Egyptian Music and his legend has never stopped growing since. Alongside Oum Kalthoum, Warda, Farid el Atrache and Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Hafez revolutionised Egyptian music and became a hugely popular star across the whole Arab world. Blessed with stricking good looks, Abdel Halim Hafez started his career in the early 50s and quickly attracted the attention of one of the Egyptian radio's A&Rs who took him under his wing and invited him to perform on the radio. His career went from strength to strength and from 1953, he was associated with the Egyptian revolution led by Nasser. His music mixing tradition and modernity made him one of the most loved singers of the 1950s as he developed a romantic edge that became his signature style (he was dubbed "the dark-skinned nightingale"). In the mid 50s, hot on the heels of his success in music, he launched his acting career in the thriving Egyptian film industry and also became a hugely popular actor. Hafez worked with the greatest composers of their time including Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Baligh Hamdy who composed ‘Mawood’ ("Promised.") Recorded live in 1971 (as it was the norm at the time. Singer would rarely record studio albums), 'Mawood' is one of the singer's most recognisable standards. The song stretches over the two sides of the album and consists of several sections alternating instrumental parts and sung ones. The song, written by Egyptian poet Mohamed Hamza, sees Hafez talking to his heart, apologizing for driving it from failure to failure and concluding that, to find solace, one must keep love at bay. He's backed by his full orchestra featuring traditional instrumentation and those powerful strings that influenced the likes of Jean-Claude Vannier, together with modern instrumentation including organ and electric guitar by Omar Khorshid adding his unmissable twang to the ensemble. 'Mawood' mixes tradition and modernity and develops into a hypnotic epic full of groove with a superb soulful performance by one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. An undisputed Arabic Music classic which Wewantsounds it delighted to reissue on vinyl for the first time since the 1970s.

Here we have another magical achievement of the early 70’s counterculture. Officially released in 1972 on the small imprint Westwood Recordings, the album has an intimate, predominantly acoustic flavor. Flutes, chimes and gentle organ sounds all over the place. Tales of faraway lands, sand, sea, castles, kings, queens and even Peter Pan dominates the scene, imposing a sort of ancestral feel. Rob Armstrong, the leader of the group, became a renowned luthier and you can hear the care and love of the acoustic guitar in his music. The short lived british folk trio released just this single before vanishiong. The album consists of nine acoustic folk tracks of their own material and the Bob Dylan's classic Tom Thumb Blues.

Sophisticated & passionate, with flamboyant taste in sunglasses, Cem Karaca once led Istanbul’s music fans through a period of violent political turmoil. Karaca reworked traditional folk lyrics with molten electric bass lines that played up both a poet’s broiling righteousness and also his listeners’ common ground with their elders in Turkey’s history. This is the second album from Karaca, released in 1974, reissued for the first time in Picture Disc with remastered sound. It leads the listener through Karaca’s own musical history, skipping across various collaborations and bands up to his then-current project Dervisan. Can throbbing Anatolian guitars take on the assassins of the Grey Wolves? Imagine a hairy pied piper with R Kelly’s flair for drama, wailing into a microphone over an electric baglama, and you’re ready to enter the bohemian world of Papa Cem.

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Rocky Mountain High album and song, John Denver's Windstar Records is reissuing the album on limited edition Transparent Blue Vinyl. Originally released September 15, 1972, Rocky Mountain High was Denver's first Top 10 album, propelled by the self-titled single. In 2007, the title track was made a state song of Colorado. The album has gone on to earn 2x Platinum status and the title track certified Gold. In the early 1970s, Denver was one of the first artists to share an environmental message through his music, and fans responded. John understood that responsibility came with having a public voice. The album's iconic namesake Rocky Mountain High was written while Denver was camping in the Rocky Mountains during the Perseid Meteor Shower, with lyrics expressing the love and wonder John Denver felt for his adopted state of Colorado, and speaking of environmental sustainability. Released while war was raging in Vietnam, the album's second single "Prisoners" tells a story of prisoners of war. The album also features Denver's take on songs by The Beatles and John Prine, and the five-part Season Suite finds reflection through the seasons.

The Silos, the still-kicking band Walter Salas-Humara co-founded in New York’s post-punk ‘80s scene played Alt-Rock, Alt-Country, and Americana before any critics coined those terms. They were named Best New Artist in the Rolling Stone magazine critics' poll in 1987 after the release of Cuba. The album has since been considered a stone-cold classic, being hugely influential in the so-called Americana or alternative country scene that followed in its wake. “Cuba is one of those albums that has become a kind of talisman among true music fans. Because you know that Cuba exists inside everyone, and this extraordinary album can take you there. It's a journey filled with longing and loss, warmth and wonder”. (Anthony DeCurtis) This gatefold double LP 35th anniversary special edition, includes the additional album The Bird Album Live On Kcrw. Recorded on April 18, 1990, shortly after the release of their self-titled third album for RCA Records, The Silos performed about 75 minutes of music for the Snap alternative music radio program. Broadcast on Kcrw in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles, it features versions of all but one song from that third album. Both of the singer-songwriter-guitarists from the band's early days, Walter Salas-Humara and Bob Rupe, were in the line-up for this broadcast which also included Graham Maby on bass, Brian Doherty on Drums, and Kenny Margolis on Keyboard. Salas-Humara’s legacy would seem secure; his name is on 24 albums, his Horse Paintings hang in homes and galleries around the world, and his WaltersDogs portraits even appeared in the film “Get Him to the Greek” (Nicholas Stoller, 20210). but he’s hardly ready to call it a day: The Silos have a new album out now called Family and are currently touring the world.

Such an elusive British artist, Christine Harwood was sailing the sea of lone folk singers with a sole album of rare beauty. Released in 1970 on small british label Birth, Nice To Meet Miss Christine is still an exercise in pure beauty, a dramatic/magic affair that materialized into thin air and suddenly was gone. Featuring a who’s who of the british prog and psych-folk scene – the late King Crimson alumni Ian McDonald on sax and flute, drummer extraordinaire Pete York, Nucleus and Jody Grind bass player Roger Sutton, Strawbs guitar player Dave Lambert – the album is more than a miraculous rendition of the (acid) folk revival venturing on more audacious territories, as shown in the rare groove of standout track Wooden Ships. Blue eyed soul and yacht rock fanatics take note !

Cult South Asian New Wave! Naya Beat is proud to announce its second release, Tere Liye, the highly sought after and impossible to find New Wave album by the unsung pioneers of the British Asian music scene, Pinky Ann Rihal. Remastered for vinyl by multi Grammy-nominated Frank Merritt at The Carvery and available for the first time since its limited 1985 release, the album is as fresh and relevant today as it was 37 years ago. South Asian New Wave. Four words that you will rarely see together. Pinky Ann Rihal were the brainchild of two London-based Punjabi immigrants and progressive rock musicians – Harry Rihal and Jati Sodhi – at a time in the U.K. when progressive rock musicians were almost exclusively white and Punjabi musicians were almost exclusively making Bhangra. Encouraged by their friend and disco pioneer Biddu (yes, that Biddu!), they cut ‘Tere Liye’ – a one-off Hindi-language New Wave album with producer John Hamilton and vocalists Pinky Rihal (married to Harry) and Anne Barrett (married to John). It is an album that exemplifies the cultural collaboration and musical synthesis of the time. Complementing the rich, cosmic and layered synths and drum programming of Hamilton and the distorted guitars of Rihal and Sodhi are the Hindi lyrics of vocalists Pinky and Anne. The result is an amazing one-of-a-kind South Asian New Wave album. Nothing like it has come out before or since. Stymied on its original release by bungled distribution, poor marketing and plenty of bad luck, this incredible album seemed destined to be lost to history. With Asian electronic music in the U.K. seeing a rebirth and capturing imaginations around the world,‘Tere Liye’ can finally take its rightful place as one of the pioneering albums of the Asian underground. This is Naya Beat’s second release in a series of reissues, reworks and remixes, and compilations dedicated to uncovering electronic and dance music from the overlooked ‘80s and ‘90s South Asian music scene. Their first release Naya Beat Volume 1: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music 1983-1992 was named by the Vinyl Factory as the Number 1 reissue of 2021

2018 Re-mastered, 180g black viny. The single compilation of Barıs Manco from 1972-1975. Originally released in 1976. Psychedelic Sound flavoured by Turkish traditional instruments and anonymous lyrics, Can’t take your ears off the sound that you hear.

This is the compilation of singles during the first half of 1970s. Erkin Koray is one of the greatest musician (singer, songwriter and electric guitar master) of Turkish Rock Scene in 1970s. The album has totally psychedelic, acid Rock sound. You will never remain unconcerned when you first hear the killer and groovy guitar sound of him.

Folksongs and Ballads by Tia Blake & Her Folk-Group, is more than just a “lost classic”. As clear and honest as can be, Folksongs and Ballads is a magnetic record, a refuge like only Nick Drake, Nico, and a few others have been able to create. A graceful, delicately minimalist approach to classic Appalachian and British folk songs.The perfect balance between melancholy and daydream. Originally released only in France in 1971, Ici Bientôt is very pleased to present the first ever reissue on vinyl. When she recorded her only album, Tia Blake was nineteen years old and had just arrived in Paris a year and a half beforehand. She spent most of her time at Disco’Thé, a record shop in the Latin Quarter, a free space, peaceful and inspiring, a hub for students as well as the local artistic community. There, Tia would occasionally sing—when she managed to overcome her shyness. Two young guitarists who were passionate fans of folk music and regulars at the shop began to accompany her, forming “Her Folk Group.” One year later, they cut 11 tracks at Pierre Barouh’s Studios Saravah. Folksongs and Ballads is composed of traditional tunes that have been covered many times, but they’re not the best known folk standards. A collection of stories ranging from the Middle Ages to the 1960s, bringing together sublimely doleful ballads, lamentations for a lost lover, and an unexpected, brilliant version of the road anthem “Plastic Jesus.” Tia Blake's haunting, unaffected voice captivates and comforts us, wrapping us in its cool embrace. Meanwhile, the tasteful, stripped-down, mellow acoustic arrangements provided by the guitarists, reminiscent of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, occasionally supported by a kena flute, have created the space Tia Blake needed to reinvent these traditional songs. Folksongs and Ballads is a timeless record, deep and unique, a longtime companion for repeated listening, in the vein of works by Sibylle Baier, Bridget St. John and Vashti Bunyan.

In 1967, the English poet George Duffell, alias Jorgy Porgy, decided to set his verses to music, birthing J.P. Sunshine with guitarist/vocalist Rod Goodway of pop act the Pack (later with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown), the line-up expanding with a bassist and bongo player, Duffell’s girlfriend on percussion, and former Pack guitarist Andy Rickell on electric lead. These resultant recordings, cut on basic gear in Duffell’s flat, evidence an individual psychedelic sound, marked by the incestuous claustrophobia of the group’s romantic rivalries, the meandering lyrics and disjointed melodies pointing to the pervasive drug use that ultimately squashed the project. This is psych with a difference: rare, rough, and freaky!

Nyami Nyami Records presents a reissue of a rare gem from the Gramma Records catalog , the historic Zimbabweean label. Dumisani Maraire, the leading creator of modern mbira, settled in the USA in the late 60s where he popularized the traditional music of the Shona people. Tichazomuona is the first album he recorded in liberated Zimbabwe, in 1986, with his wife Maichi and daughter Chiwoniso. You can hear the very young singer on lead vocals on the title track, long before she went on to perform solo on the international stage. We launched Nyami Nyami with her last recording Zvichapera and are happy to also release now her very first.

I have never heard before of the Jurchen culture from the Chinese and later East Russian Northlands and as well not of the Nanai People who have risen from the scattered remains of the Jurchen culture wiped out by furiously attacking Mongolian steppe armies some 850 years back. The Great Khans did not leave much variety after sweeping through the taiga towards Western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries. So the Nanai people came to exist and had their songs and instruments. Some of them were used by composer Alexander Lavrov and singer Kola Beldy who is of Nanian descent in their music on this, Kola Beldy’s fourth album. Just as all his records from the 1980s, this is extremely rare and originals in good shape can cost a small fortune. Just in case they ever turn up somewhere outside the vast Russian country. Now for the very outstanding music that as mentiond above is based on centuries old folk tunes of the Nanai and Jurchen cultures which get slightly updated in the sense of 1989 state oft he art pop and rock and that even in a slightly progressive way. Kola Beldy, already 60 years of age by then, was a long time active folk and pop singer in the Soviet Union who unfortunately passed away only 64 years old in 1993. He owns a full, warm mid ranged voice and chants the ancient melodies in a mystifying way. The instrumentation behind him shows a good variety of old and modern instruments. While the opening track is based mostly on percussion and drum patterns with an eerie grinding sound and later on a jew’s harp added upon which Beldy lays down a melody with a typical far eastern approach in what seems to be Russian language, further tracks contain synthesizer lines and even an electric guitar. Still the overall atmosphere is mostly mystical, solemn and spiritual. I definitely have not heard anything alike before. The more rock oriented tunes could bring back memories of Italian movie soundtracks by Goblin, based on progressive rock and jazz to the mind of the listener, just with these awesome vocals. Italian 90s progressive rockers Presence also had a similar approach. The keyboards, organ, very modern singing bass guitar head towards a very progressive direction here. Art pop, if you want to call it that. Based on ancient Nanian tunes but made timeless and even in 2021 fresh sounding by a very talented band. So, Kola Beldy’s fourth album may not be a mainstream favorite, fans of progressive pop like that of early 80s Goblin, Presence from the early 90s and good ol‘ Peter Gabriel, not for the voice itself but for the songs, will find pleasure in this nifty obscurity which gets reissued now for the first time on vinyl in 32 years.

When we talk about british folk revival we should not forget a key figure as Ian A. Anderson, a songwriter on its own and a truly prime mover in the local scene. Currently editor of the ‘world music magazine’ fRoots, Ian A. Anderson first performed in his home town of Weston-super-Mare as a member of the Backwater Jook Band and came to prominence as a member of the Bristol based country blues scene of the mid to late 1960s, performing live and on record, both solo, with Al Jones and Elliott Jackson as the trio Anderson Jones Jackson, and as a duo with ‘globetrotter’ and long time friend Mike Cooper. After two EPs, he recorded his first album, Stereo Death Breakdown, as Ian Anderson’s Country Blues Band, which was released by Liberty/United Artists in 1969. In December 1969, with John Turner, he conceived the record label The Village Thing, for which he was also a producer. The label released two dozen albums by mostly between 1970 and 1974 including influential albums by Wizz Jones, Sun Also Rises, Pigsty Hill Light Orchestra, Steve Tilston, Dave Evans, Lackey & Sweeney, Chris Thompson, Dave Peabody and more, as well as three by Anderson himself. ‘Royal York Crescent’ is proper solo debut was licensed the 13th of Novemebr 1970 and is still considered as a forerunner of the acid folk movement . His lightly fingerpicking was backed by bongos – Ian Turner – and bass/piano – John Turner – providing a dynamic effort for his spectacular lyricism. This long lost classic is finally backing in print for your necessary uplifting entertainment.

Limited to 15000 copies.

Vinyl version of Remastered Original Album + LP of Studio masters, B-sides and demos (many for the first time on vinyl) from the 2016 Bella Donna Deluxe Edition.

Carl Erdmann’s Bizzarrophytes was recorded in Roswell, New Mexico, during the final years of the 70’s. A desert-fried haze of buzzing sitar raga, shimmering guitar soli, and lonesome instrumental psych. Erdmann had been galvanized several years prior by witnessing an intimate performance by Ravi Shankar at Austin’s University of Texas. Erdmann spent the next several years with a sitar in the back of his pickup truck - teaching himself the instrument between stints working on an oil field as a geologist.

After settling in Roswell, Erdmann procured a Tascam 4-track reel to reel tape machine and began to experiment with recording. He played most of the instruments himself, and followed a fresh muse each day. One day his recordings would mine the same instrumental guitar territory as Leo Kottke and John Renbourn, like on Bizzarrophytes’ opening track, Majesty. The next day Erdmann might multi-track some bass and drums and end up landing in the same hazy psych-folk territory as Relatively Clean Rivers, as evidenced on album standouts Turritella Flats, and Portugal. And then, perhaps his Ravi Shankar influence would shine through, and he’d deliver a stirring sitar raga like Dhun. Erdmann explored all of these sounds without ever considering releasing them into the world. He was simply experimenting with his equipment and his instruments, and flexing his muscles with whatever kind of inspiration happened to strike. It wasn’t until 1980 that a friend convinced Carl to assemble some of these recordings into an album and self-release it.

Bizarrophytes was released in a miniscule private press run, financed and distributed by Erdmann himself. Most copies didn’t make it out of the southwest. And it has remained woefully hard to find until now. The disparate sounds of Erdmann’s experimentation hang together as a beautifully cohesive tapestry of home-brewed psychedelic folk. A menagerie of eclectic instrumental experimentation, baked in the desert sun, and captured to tape. Morning Trip Records is proud to present Bizzarrophytes.

First ever legit vinyl reissue, sanctioned by the band members, of this collectable psych/folk/hard-rock album from 1973. Brigg were a rural Pennsylvania folk-tinged psychedelic band formed by three high school friends: Rob Morse, Jeff Willoughby and Rusty Foulke. In 1973, they borrowed the money to record their first album together. They called it Brigg after one member saw the name in a dream. It was recorded at a grocery store converted into a 4-track studio. The photos for the cover were taken in a purportedly haunted house in Danville. The band members pressed 1000 copies and sold some to their friends but never played a live show together. They divided the remaining copies between them and went their separate ways. Several decades later, the Brigg album became a collector’s item and was bootlegged all over the world.

The London-born vocalist and former Sorbonne lecturer Gilli Smyth became known as the ‘space whisperer’ for the poems she performed in Gong, formed in Paris in 1967 with her Australian-born partner, Daevid Allen of Soft Machine, with whom she also performed. Debut solo album Mother, released by French label Charly in 1978, featured her breathy suppositions on motherhood, the cosmic lifeforce, and the powers of Mother Earth, cut with fellow Gong members such as bassist Christian Trisch, saxophonist Didier Malherbe, drummer Pip Pyle, and Allen himself, as well as their children. A must for all Gong fans!

Amaia Zubiria, the incredible female vocal part of Basque folk-prog legends Haizea, has an extensive discography worth checking. Here’s the first ever vinyl reissue of her 1985 folk album joined by guitarist Pascal Gaigne.

Cult Classic LP BY Legendary Egyptian Guitarist Omar Khorshid, First Released ON THE Label 'voice OF Lebanon' IN 1974 AND Reissued Here ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time With Original Artwork AND Remastered Audio Plus NEW Liner Notes BY DJ Ernesto Chahoud.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Omar Khorshid's highly sought after instrumental album 'Giant + Guitar' originally released in 1974 in Lebanon and recorded at Polysound Studio by famed Lebanese engineer Nabil Moumtaz. The album features Khorshid's unique electric guitar sound mixed with arabic melodies over superb psych arrangements. The album has been newly remastered and comes with the original 'Voice of Lebanon' artwork and a 2 page insert featuring liner notes by DJ Ernesto Chahoud. Wewantsounds' series of Arabic music reissues are curated by Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Omar Khorshid's life, if short (he died age 36 in a road accident), was extraordinary. Blessed with a great talent for music, the Egyptian musician and actor became one of the best guitarists of the Arab World accompanying the greatest stars of the 60s and 70s, including Oum Kalthoum, Abdel Halim Hafez and Farid El Atrache. To avoid the political troubles of the time in Egypt, and to fulfil his artistic ambitions, Khorshid moved to Beirut in Lebanon in 1973 and started recording a string of superb albums experimenting with Oriental music. ?He recorded for several labels including Voice of Lebanon, one of the key Lebanese labels of the time. He released his first album 'Giant + Guitar' for the label in 1974 and it was an instantly popular in the Arab world. The album, which has a great ample sound, was recorded at the Polysound studios overseen by engineer Nabil Moumtaz. The front cover sees Khorshid on his motorcycle in the busy street of Hamra, one of the most vibrant Beirut neighbourhoods where he was playing most nights in residence. (The album was also released internationally as 'Rhythms from the Orient' with a different artwork focusing on belly dance) The sound of the album is both bold and accessible displaying Khorshid's unique guitar sound, accompanied by a small band mixing traditional and modern fuzzed up arrangements. The mesmerizing opening track, 'Rakset El Fadaa', composed by Lebanese musician Nour Al Mallah, is a perfect example of Khorshid's artistry. Starting with a long, hypnotic guitar intro, it then speeds up with the backing of a groovy organ, Oriental percussion and the psych sound of an early synthesizer to great effect. The album continues on the same mode blending traditional Oriental music with inventive arrangements as showcased by the Mohamed Abdel Wahab standard 'Leilet Hob' popularised by Oum Kalthoum, which sees Khorshid and his musicians shifting pace several times over eight minutes. One of the peaks of the album in terms of sonic experiments is undoubtedly Korshid's own composition, 'Taqassim Sanat Alfein', with Khorshid's superb guitar in full bloom accompanied by a few touches of synth. A truly innovative album which pushed the boundaries of Oriental music at the time, 'Giant + Guitar' has gained in stature over the years and has become highly sought after by many DJs and collectors. A hugely important album which Wewantsounds is happy to reintroduce to the international audience for the first time since the 70s

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the the- controversial album of Buck Owens, Don Rich and the rest of the Buckaroos doing countrified covers of Simon & Garfunkel, Donovon, and Dylan along with some originals. We shipped the original reels to Kevin Gray to do an all analog thing of sonic beauty. This is known as Buck's big thumbs-up to the folk-rock sound and it's time we celebrate it. All analog and on clear vinyl.

In an active internet age that has collectively dug up a wealth of lost and hidden classics in recent times, it's easy to become cynical about the possibility of valuable discoveries still to be made. Illusions Of The Maintenance Man by Virgin Insanity, however, is a stunning record of 70s acid folk and assures us that there will always be a wealth of lost great records as long as there artists who veer off the beaten path. Bob Long formed the band in the 70s in the backdrop of Texas, and there is an eerie, timeless quality to the acoustics of these tracks that spread out and breath life as much today as they did when this album was originally released in 1972. On an earlier version of the album, the late great writer of psychedelic culture Patrick Lundborg wrote glowing liner notes for the album which were sadly never used, but exist in various forms online for those wishing to read more about the album's background. This is the first release for the band since P-vine released a CD containing Long's previously unreleased 2nd and 3rd album in 2006. Modern-day fans of Mount Eerie and Cat Power will surely find something to love in the dream-like rooms and space of Virgin Insanity's world. All tracks are remastered by frontman Bob Long himself and the jacket will be reproduced from specifications of the original version which is now trading at more than $1,800!

A Svart Mondo release. Black vinyl, gatefold jacket.

First released by Britain’s then foremost folk label, Transatlantic Records in 1970, Storyteller’s first album is a forgotten gem of Psychedelic Folk Prog Rock. Warm and silky production courtesy of Andrew Bown and Peter Frampton, fabulous dual vocals and a wistful arrangement of top-drawer UK Folk Prog, make Storyteller a diamond worth digging into.

Around 1969, after being a part of the band The Other Two on Decca Records, working with people like Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy and Jerry Lee Lewis, and touring with Chuck Berry and The Animals, Caroline Attard joined a new band that was being formed; Storyteller. A quintet who followed their own inclination, ignoring current fashions and just doing what seemed to come naturally, Storyteller is a crate-digger’s delight. Up there with Fairport Convention, Jefferson Airplane and Steeleye Span, Storyteller were steeped in folklore tales such as on ‘Ballad Of The Three Laps’, bringing the true spirit of folk alive in their own unique way. With songs written primarily by Roger Moon, and Terry Durham as muse of inspiration with his paintings and wonderful Yorkshire stories, Storyteller’s debut has the authentic and honest vibe of the real McCoy.

No longer confined to being coveted by collectors and those in the know, this lush remastered reissue via Svart Records comes on gatefold vinyl with updated liner notes and interview. If you treasure Folk, Prog and Psychedelic Rock, make sure this is a tale you don’t miss out on!

Little we know about this long lost gem coming from the outskirts of the Commonwealth. But as far as we know, beautiness lies inside. That is the case of the sole album of mysterious australian band Extradition. Released in a small run on local independent label Sweet Peach in 1971, the self titled album stands as one of the most accurate acid folk rendition outside the UK realm. Formerly a three piece Extradition struggle on their personal behavior forging a rural set up that pursue the ‘think green’ revolution. It could be the English folk revival or the West Coast flower power, but the album introduce a different state of mind, far away from the chaotic suburbs of the counter culture. Lost on the isle, the acoustic set up of the band brings joy and happiness, a new age that reflects the multiple essence of the four elements. While the opener ‘ A Water Song’ brings to mind the course of a small river ‘A Love Song’ sets the mood for a long lost medieval folk tale. Acoustic guitar, small percussion, natural found sound and the celestial voice of Shayna Carlin (also member of cult band Tully, a weirdo surf-psychedelic affair) all of the elements above literally conjure for an ambient album before the definition was fully embraced by a massive audience.

Kënnlisch, one of the rarest haunting psychedelic acid folk LPs from France, was the work of brothers Philippe and Jean-François Macherey.

Originally released in 1976 on the mega collectable label Le Kiosque d'Orphée, it contains some of the most beautiful sounds to come out of the 1970s alternative music scene.

An instrumental album, it opens with a burst of sunshine vibes and takes them into the experimental scene of French alternative folk avantgarde with a strong Cosmische influence. Beauty is the word, grown over acoustic guitar parts harmonised with the most elegant Moog Satellite lines you'll ever hear to create atmospheres of sound that make this is the perfect record for your mind to float away on a peaceful Sunday morning under a clear blue sky - it does have that therapeutic quality that we miss so much in modern music.

Wah Wah presents the very first official reissue of this mega rare LP, housed in it's original minimalist hand made artwork with the little upgrade twist of silk-screen printing and including a 4-page colour booklet with photos and text provided by the Macherey brothers themselves.

500 copies only!

Cult Classic BY Often-sampled Arabic Diva Warda Recorded IN 1973 With Full Egyptian Orchestra ON THE Label Soutelphan. Reissued ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time, With Remastered Audio, Original Artwork AND TWO Page Insert With NEW Introduction

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue 'Khalik Hena' recorded 1973 by legendary Arabic Diva Warda who has been sampled by Jay Z and J Dilla. The album recorded in public mixes traditional Arabic music with a tinge of 70s grooves. Here Warda delivers a hypnotic performance backed by her full-size orchestra featuring those unparalleled Arabic strings that made recordings by Oum Khalthoum, Farid El Atrache and Abdel Halim Hafez so famous. 'Khalik Hena' is one of her all-time classics, written by legendary composer Baligh Hamdi and the audio has been newly remastered. This release features the LP original artwork with a 2 page insert featuring a new introduction by Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe who curates Wewantsounds' Arabic series of reissues.

Warda is one of the undisputed divas of the Arab world. Born in the Paris suburb from an Algerian Father and a Lebanese mother, she was discovered at 11 by Ahmed Hachlaf, Pathe Marconi's heads of A&R specialising in Arabic music. having honed her singing skills at her father's cabaret in the Latin Quarter, the Tam-Tam (for Tunisia - Algeria - Morocco) she quickly found recognition in the Arabic music circles.

The family relocated to Beirut in the late 50s after the police found arms in her father's cabaret destined to the political group fighting for Algeria's independence and was swiftly discovered there by an Egyptian film producer who brought her to Cairo to record and play in his films. From there, her career took a meteoric rise and she became a star working with Egyptian such stars as Abdel Halim Hafez and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

However, in the early 60s a traditional marriage in Algeria stopped her career for a decade to be a housewife until Algerian President Boumediene asked her to perform for the 10th anniversary of the Nation's independence in 1972. This was an epiphany and after a divorce she was back to Egypt for a triumphant comeback.

'Khalik Hena' recorded in public in 1973 dates back to these glory days. Teaming up with her new husband, legendary composer Baligh Hamdi, she recorded a string of classic albums - hypnotic tour-de-forces stretching over two sides in an almost trance-like mode, enhancing Warda's powerful vocal and ability to mesmerise audiences. Blending traditional and modern instrumentations (electric guitar, organ), the music is both complex and groovy, 'Khalik Hena' is one of her best LPs, sought after by Arabic diggers and collectors alike. An undisputed classic of Arabic Music, which Wewantsounds is glad to reissue on vinyl for the first time since the 70s.

Seminal compilation of instrumental tracks, originally released in Ethiopia in 1972. Features tracks from Tèsfa-Maryam Kidané, Bahta Gèbrè-Heywèt and Mulatu Astatké including the hit “Yégélé Tezeta”

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce an ambitious Makoto Kubota reissue program with his three albums recorded with The Sunset Gang between 1973 and 1977. The albums feature Haruomi Hosono (who also co-produced ‘Hawaii Champroo’ and ‘Dixie Fever’) and also include Minako Yoshida, Taeko Ohnuki and Tatsuo Hayachi to name a few. Makoto Kubota has been one of Japan’s true musical innovators and following his involvement with Les Rallizes Dénudés in the early 70s, he developed a unique sound bringing American, Hawaiian and Okinawan music influences to his own Japanese folk music mix. Starting with the reissue of 'Hawaii Champroo' recorded in Honolulu in 1975 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono, Wewantsounds will then release 'Sunset Gang' from 1973 followed by Dixie Fever from 1977. All albums have been newly remastered by Makoto Kubota and they each come with original artwork, OBI and the original japanese inserts. This is the first time the albums are released outside of Japan.

Recorded in 1975 at the famed Sounds of Hawaii studio in Honolulu, Hawaii Champroo was co-produced by Haruomi Hosono and marks the start of Kubota's keen interest in Hawaiian and Okinawan music (Champroo is derived from Chanpuru, the traditional Okinawan stir-fry dish). A companion album to Hosono's own 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Bon Voyage Co.' albums(on which Kubota plays), the album was at the forefront of a tropical musical movement started in Japan in the mid-70s. The core Sunset Gang consists of Kubota on Guitar, Takashi Onzo on bass, Yosuke Fujita on guitars and mandolin, Keni Inoue on lead guitar and Hiroki Komazawa on pedal steel guitar. They are joined on the album by Hosono on drums and Teriyuki Kokubu on piano. Having travelled to the United States in the early 70s, Makoto Kubota had fallen in love with American music and had brought back many influences from his sojourn on the East and West coast. these are evident from the tracks covered by the band on 'Hawaii Champroo', including Jesse Fuller's 'San Francisco Blues', The Rooftop Singers' 'Walk Right In' (an old Gus Cannon ragtime) or The Texas Playboys' classic 'Steel Guitar Rag.' 'Hawaii Champroo' also features originals such as the funky 'Shanghai Gaeri' and a nod to the Hula Hawaiian dance 'Moonlight Hula'. One of the highlights of the album is the classic 'Haisai Ozisan', the Okinawan 1972 cult classic by Shoukichi Kina which has become a standard in Japan. All in all, 'Hawaii Champroo' is a timeless classic and one of the key Japanese albums from the 70s which Wewantsounds is happy to introduce outside of Japan for the first time.

Wewantsounds is closing its Makoto Kubota reissue series with the release of "Dixie Fever" recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors, 'Sunset Gang' and 'Hawaii Champroo', 'Dixie Fever' continues to explore American and Island music through a Japanese prism with a skilful mix of blues, swamp funk and America adding an exotic edge to the whole. It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the LP features original artwork with OBI and insert plus remastered audio by Makoto Kubota himself.

A year after the release of their highly-acclaimed album 'Hawaii Champroo' in 1975, Makoto Kubota and The Sunset Gang reunited at Sounds of Hawaii studios with co-producer Haruomi Hosono to record a new album, 'Dixie Fever'. They used pretty much the same ingredients that had made the success of Champroo - an effortless mix of Japanese folk and american roots music with some tropical influences. The same mix that Haruomi Hosono was applying to his own albums, especially ''Tropical Dandy which was experimenting with the same ideas - In fact the front cover of both 'Tropical Dandy' and 'Dixie Fever' are illustrated by Yasuo Yagi. ?As per 'Hawaii Champroo' and 'Sunset Gang', 'Dixie Fever' includes a mix of original compositions and covers. On the album, you spot The Lovin' Spoonful's 'Wild About My Lovin' and a funked up version of UK singer songwriter Ralph McTell's song 'When i Was a Cowboy'. They feature the Gang's usual musicians (Keni Inoue on guitar, Yosuke Fujita on slide guitar and Takashi Onzo on bass and keyboards) complemented by a handful of guests including Tin Pan Alley drummer Tatsuo Hayashi, Motoya Hamaguchi on percussion and New Orleans pianist and Dr. John friend, Ronnie Barron. Together they play a superb brew made of blues, soul, Hawaiian music and southern swamp rhythms. One of the highlights of the album is undoubtedly 'Hoshikuzu' (Stardust) which has become a cult classic over the years on the international City Pop scene and whose sunshine mid-tempo vibe is the perfect reflection of the group's musicianship. The track perfectly adds to the album's charm which Wewantsounds is happy to release for the first time internationally.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Ziad Rahbani's cult album, "Bennesbeh Labokra...Chou?" released in Lebanon only and mixing arabic music with Jazz, Bossa Nova and other western influences. Hailed as an absolute classic, the album is the soundtrack to his eponymous play and has been highly sought-after by DJs and collectors around the world. Curated by Lebanese-born music expert Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the album is reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1978, featuring original gatefold sleeve, remastered audio and a 2 page insert with a new introduction by Choueiry. When Ziad Rahbani released "Bennesbeh Labokra... Chou?" he was only 22 years old. He had started to make an impression on the Lebanese cultural scene a few years before, while still a teenager, composing and releasing albums under his own name. Born into an illustrious musical family - his mother is the legendary Lebanese Diva Fairuz and his father, Assi Rahbani, was a renowned composer and part of one of the most famous Lebanese groups, The Rahbani Brothers - Ziad quickly gained exposure as a gifted composer and producer. When his father fell ill in the mid 70s, he took over as Fairuz's producer which led to a fruitful collaboration starting with the 1979 album "Wahdon." ?Highly influenced by other genres of music, Rahbani had started bringing modern western influences to traditional arabic music. 1978 saw the release of two key albums by the young musician, the Disco 12-inch "Abu Ali" which went on to become one of the most sought-after Arabic albums on the international DJ scene and "Bennesbeh Labokra... Chou?" which follows "Abu Ali" closely in many diggers' want-list. ?A soundtrack to Rahbani's eponymous play, the album "Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou?" gathers all the musical interludes heard during the play, a social diatribe about the Beirut society underlining the difficulties of living in the tense social and political climate of the Lebanese civil war. Written by and starring Rahbani, the play follows the everyday life and problems of a young couple running a cafe in the heart of Beirut. The play underlying Rahbani's leftist sensitivity was an immense success and the album was released the same year (the complete play was also released over three LPs). ?"Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou?" is a skilful blend of Arabic music and Bossa-nova ("First Introduction" - the recurring theme of the album), groove with the funky beat of "Second Introduction" and the jazz vibe of "Variation 3" and "Variation 4." It's also interesting to hear an early version of "Al Bosta" which would grace Fairuz's 1979 album "Wahdon" in a faster, funkier version also produced by Rahbani." ?with a knack for cinematic orchestrations reminiscent of Lalo Schifrin, Ziad Rahbani also brings more complex arrangements to the album on such tracks as "Variation 5" making the album such a rich listening. Undoubtedly one of the most important albums recorded in the Middle East which Wewantsounds is glad to reissue in its full glory with remastered audio and original artwork.

Back in print once again! Robbie Basho's 15th record, and his magnum opus of solo guitar. It is the culmination of his life's effort to usher guitar music into a new artistic paradigm, and to "establish the steel string as a concert instrument indigenous to America."

Originally released in 1979, "Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12" was Robbie Basho's 15th record, and his magnum opus of solo guitar. It is the culmination of his life's effort to usher guitar music into a new artistic paradigm, and to "establish the steel string as a concert instrument indigenous to America."

This album represents Basho’s most technically fine guitar work. In both composition and performance, the album is enormously complex and yet conveys an effortlessness unique to Basho. As he famously espoused, “My philosophy is quite simple: soul first, technique later.” The richness of Basho's soul emanates from this record as distinctly as each note ringing from his steel strings.

Only one song on the record (“Pasha Ii”) features Basho’s enigmatic voice, but it may be his most extraordinary vocal performance – his voice calling out through a shimmer of strings, singing ancient syllables with timeless emotion. The remaining ten instrumental songs roam through Eastern and Western modalities, dark and light meditations, wild and restrained expression.

With "Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12", Basho summons rich allusions, hallucinations and delicately numinous passages. As he said, "It's not about going far out, it's about going far in. It's about a deeper feeling." These are deep waters indeed, as substantial and enriching today as they were 35 years ago.

Record Store Day 2020 Release. Limitation: 1000. Numbered. Prosperous was originally released in 1972, and was the first release on the iconic Irish music label 'Tara Music', which was also home to early Clannad records, Planxty, Moving Hearts & Stockton'

Here is one of the most sought after Turkish records. Really a rare single from Turkey. Turkish psych folk-rock sound with killer electric saz/fuzz heavy funk single from 1975. Remastered sound, arranged by Zafer Dilek.

Canterbury-based progressive jazz-rock act Ben only released one obscure album, issued on Philips’ prog subsidiary Vertigo in 1971, but it’s a lovely collective of extended instrumental jams, worthy of discovery for those that missed it the first time around. Peter Davey’s saxophone and clarinet melodies push the material to high peaks, against an understated backing from future Nashville Teens bassist, Len Surtees and former Graham Bond drummer, David Sheen, keyboardist Alex Macleery and guitarist Gerry Reid adding flourishes at key moments. The songs “The Wooing Of The Child” and “The Wooing Of The Man” credit a certain K Jarrett as songwriter, making this rare beast all the more intriguing.

Record Store Day 2020 Release.
Limitation: 5000 copies.

7″ single of Cat Stevens songBut I Might Die Tonightfrom the album Tea For The Tillerman. Side A will feature the alternative version of the song from the film Deep End. The A-side was reworked specifically for the film (which starred Jane Asher and somewhat a UK cult classic) and is a previously unreleased in any form! Colour of the 7″ Single is Light Blue.

Percussionist Frank Ricotti played in the National Youth Orchestra and was rated the UK’s top vibraphonist during the late 1960s. In 1971, with guitarist Mike de Albuquerque, he cut the multifaceted jazz album, First Wind, which alternated between experimental rock- influenced jazz and thoughtful adaptations of work by James Taylor, John Sebastian and Melanie Safka, with some surprising blues diversions too, such as Albuquerque’s “Go Out And Get It.” However, Albuquerque soon joined ELO as a bassist, putting an end to the duo.

Fortuna Records return with an exceptional reissue of a mid-80s early electronica LP by keyboardist Raviv Gazit. The album was composed entirely on the Synclavier synthesizer in the basement of the Tel-Aviv University in 1985. Gazit was ahead of his time composing cold yet blissful electronic music for film and theatre which he later released as an album. An unexpected yet extremely welcome addition to Fortuna's killer catalog.

Some hard-hitting rhythm section blending into a prime example of the swingin' sound of the cool influences of Jazz, Funk and Folk music, with a Turkish flavor.
It's fantastic funk jazz groove built on a titanium synth bassline!
An instrumental library of traditional Turkish Jazz session reaching a great climax in drums and percussion sets + electro-bass break with moog and synthesizers from the beginning to the end.
Traditional Turkish songs are based on drums and synth bass over moody 5/8 fuzz guitars...
Album recorded & released in Denmark, 1979, and it has never been released in Turkey.