Erkin Koray - Benden Sana (1982)

«Erkin Koray (born June 24, 1941, in Beykoz, Istanbul) has been in the Turkish rock music scene since the late 1950s or early 1960s. He is widely acclaimed as being the first person to ever play rock and roll in Turkey; in 1957, he and his band gained fame by playing covers of Elvis Presley and Fats Domino. He was also one of the first Turkish musicians to embrace the electric guitar and modern amplification.

By the late 1960s, he was already a major figure in Turkish psychedelic music and Anatolian Rock, beginning with his first psychedelic single Anma Arkadaş in 1967. Koray followed this with a number of singles, both by himself and in collaboration with others, that established him as a force to be reckoned with on the Turkish rock scene. Koray became a controversial figure in Turkey during the 1960s and 1970s; he was actually assaulted in Istanbul, and on one occasion stabbed, for having long hair.

In the early 1970s, he formed the group Ter with the former members of Grup Bunalim, a power trio styled group. […] The music of Ter was influenced by glam rock and psychedelia, and featured extended guitar solos and progressive arrangements – something that his record company, Istanbul Records, was not prepared to accept.

The Turkish public remained interested in Koray's solo work nonetheless, and in 1973 his first album, Erkin Koray, was released. […] The album consists of a collection of singles from 1967 to 1973. Koray left Istanbul Records after its release, signing to Doglan Records. […] 1974 saw the release of his groundbreaking album, Elektronik Türküler (“Electronic Ballads”). Finally given the freedom to record an album instead of being limited to 45 rpm singles, Koray and his band created an album that reflected both his Turkish roots and his love of psychedelic and progressive rock. The album's popularity continues to the present day, with several legitimate and non-legitimate releases on both album and CD. Elektronik Türküler is widely considered to be Koray's masterpiece by many critics, and many of his subsequent releases followed in this vein, with progressive and psychedelic influences balanced by Turkish folk forms. […]

Benden Sana (From Me to You), released in 1982, saw Erkin Koray experimenting with Indian music. It was recorded in Germany and Istanbul, with the help of Turkish and Indian musicians (with Erkin playing all melody instruments, along with bass), and included remakes of two of his earlier hits (he would continue this remake tradition in the years to come).

Koray continues to record and perform in Turkey to this day, and in Turkish music circles is often referred to as Erkin Baba ("Erkin the Father") for his pioneering influence on Turkish popular music. Koray is also the inventor of the electric bağlama, a traditional Turkish musical instrument related to the lute, and its unique sound can be heard on many of his albums.» (Wikipedia & Progarchives)

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