Secret Stash Rec. 
V.A. : Persian Funk -LP- (IR,1960s/70s,pub.2010)****/***°°
Funk and disco-coloured pop were one of the influences that were incorporated easily with the commercialising pop industry in Iran during the few years that this was allowed and stimulated by the former Shah government. However, only a few producers had a monopoly for the string sounds, and only a handful of rock musicians were guests to play against these arrangements. Like in Asia it was also normal that certain movie stars appeared as front singers. Most of the scene in western terms was pretty mainstream, but when you lift out especially the most funky, groovy, emotional or even rock tracks you hear that the sound influenced by a more international sound from the early 70s is something we could still enjoy very much. After the so called Iranian Islamic Revolution the short stimulating period dedicated towards this sort of popularisation ended and bans and thorough restrictions were put over the music, and the appearance of woman singers were banned. The left overs from the scene but even so the musicians fled abroad in fact nearly all became more a commercial, mainstream or an empty expression beginning to lack more and more from the creative discovery roots process. Most important and successful singer Gogoosh more or less kept a bond with the country over the years. At the time she had played a key role of previous fashionable values, from commercialised song pop to expressive rock with a funky edge. Most singers felt down with the opposed creative restriction. Names like Shohreh, Martik, Morteza and Shahram Shabpareh I only see appear in more lame mainstream areas afterwards. But I have no clue what happened to Mehrpouya for instance. I know that Kourosh still tries to live with the restrictions, with more hope in an endless street than results.
The examples of the LP are all enjoyable and give a good clue to songs from the popular music period, where TV broadcast to those singers with bands was also provided.
On the first track of Shohreh, in the vein of Gogoosh, you can hear how well the strings and brass with relaxed rock band in a funky pop way fitted so well with the Farsi singing, like a Persian version to a more international popular music taste. The second track by Shohreh has a beautiful arrangement with Latin-funk edges and interesting rhythms and small flute solos in between. Shamaizadeh’s “Hard Groove” is a funky instrumental with wild sax improvisation. The Morteza’s track is also a mystery to me, another instrumental with filmic strings and funky grooves by a rock band (including electric bass, electric guitars, congas and drums). The Kourosh Yaghmaei I knew already, a more progressive move, with rocking edge and fuzz guitars, organ, a heavy bass repetition theme, interesting percussion and this sung with soft vocals. Also Mehrpouya was reissued before. He’s pretty unique of course. “Soul Raga” is a classic track with a groovy and danceable exotic worldpsych mixture of sitar and an psychedelic/progressive edge of organ and electric bass with a bit of afro-funky brass with organ and a funky/jazzy flute improvisation somewhere included in it too. Also his track “Ghabileye Leyli” was published before, a brilliant instrumental with an arrangement of strings, organ, rock band grooves with funky wa-wa guitar. Martik’s “Past Time Paradise” is an English song which could easily have been an early 80s dance pop hit. Like common in those years, it has more keyboards already. It is less my cup of tea. Absolute essential again is Gogoosh's most funky track ever, in an instrumental version of her song, here called “Song For Googoosh”, with a funky bass and incredible beautiful strings arrangements. Just watch the videos of the track with Gogoosh dancing and shining and descent glamour appearance. Shahram Shabpareh is included too. He had a past with The Rebels and Black Cats before. “Prison Song” is an English lyrics pop song with a certain sad note, and good brass arrangement fitting with the emotionality in the song. It is a good pop song but is not particular something to add to the funk/creative music area. The label also included Gogoosh a song in English called “respect”, very well sung like a Persian Janis Joplin. It was another song with a message, a mission, but it couldn’t stop the resolute devolution process of the traditionalists.
"Shahram was a member of an Iranian knock off of The Beatles known as The Rebels (AKA Rebels Kings and Rebels 5). By all accounts, this group did everything they could to really embody rock stardom. The story is that the band was often spotted rolling around Tehran in a black Cadillac convertible. hahram also played in another band called “The Black Cats.” Founded in ’63 by Shahram’s brother Shahbal, this group cut their teeth playing James Brown and Ray Charles covers in clubs around Tehran such as Koochini. Other notable members of The Black Cats include Hassan Shamafe Zadeh, Manoocheher Eslami, and the legendary Farhad. Below is an audio clip and the picture sleeve to their 1974 hit single “A Chili Pum.” In addition to being pressed and released in Iran, it was also manufactured and released in Turkey. The Turkish pressings actually seem to surface more frequently than the Persian ones. This song is not featured on the Persian Funk compilation, though it is indeed pretty dang funky.
