Filed under: Pakistan
“Why do you like this stuff?”
“How did you find out about this?”
“Why do you care?”
I get asked those questions all the time. Just about every musician from Pakistan that I corresponded with over the last few yeas has asked that.
I have always been a big fan of instrumental guitar music. I took – um, I mean borrowed – my mother’s Ventures records when I went away to college. When you add in the cultural influences in Pakistan – being situated between Afghanistan, India and Iran – you end up with a sound that was, and still is, unlike anything heard anywhere else on the planet.
But I had no idea any of this even existed a few years ago, not until I got a CD-R from a guy named Henri in Holland. On that disc, were three of the four tracks from The Panthers‘ Folk Tunes of Pakistan on Electric Sitar and Western Instruments e.p. Not too much later, I stumbled upon 4 Folk Tunes of Pakistan by The Fore Thoughts. By about the time I got my paws on The Mods‘ Folk Instrumentals of Pakistan, I knew I was on to something. But I am sure you are wondering – Why folk tunes? I never did get an answer to that one…
Very little is known about The Aay Jays. This single was the band’s only release. The band was featured on the first two volumes of Pakistan International Airlines‘ In Flight Music series, the second of which included the song “Balley Balley”, which was does not appear on this single. The Aay Jays – as well as The Abstracts, The Blue Birds, The Bugs, The Fore Thoughts, The Mods and The Panthers, Nisar Bazmi and Sohail Rana – are featured on Sublime Frequencies‘ latest release: Pakistan • Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966 – 1976. The double gatefold LP features 22 tracks, sourced straight from the original EMI Pakistan masters. For information on the record release party, you can go HERE.
Many thanks to Marthy Coumans for the vinyl transfer and cover scan of this single.
Catalog number EKCE 20023 on EMI Pakistan, released 1973.
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Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Annexe 
Well DANG! This kicks !
Comment by Carl Howard January 29, 2011 @ 9:47 pmThis rules. Thanks for posting!
Comment by sean January 30, 2011 @ 9:02 amI just wanted to say a huge thank you for that awesome comp that SF just put out. Also, I discovered this blog while in India (looking up stuff on Indian slide guitar players) a few years ago and have been a huge fan ever since. My own comps of African stuff from your site beat the ones getting re-issued. Again, big thanks
Comment by Bruce January 30, 2011 @ 9:15 amwas that person henri smeets. i sent him that cdr with thje panthers songs. anyway you could try craig green on ebay. his id is mojo cools i think. i know he had a copy of said ep
Comment by ed nadorozny February 16, 2011 @ 9:06 amAs a matter of fact, it was Henri. Thanks!
Comment by Radiodiffusion February 16, 2011 @ 10:04 amHi, Mr. Ed !!
Comment by litlgrey February 16, 2011 @ 12:38 pmHi – just discovered this blog. I am a music fan living in Chicago of Pakistani descent. On a lark, I went to the World section at the store and stumbled upon a vinly copy of the compilation. In this post 9-11 age, Muslim-Americans of Paki and Indian descent are living in confusing and confounding times. Our heritage is a mix of the East, where our parents grew up, and the West, where we grew up, and we’re all trying to make sense of what our culture is. This compilation is like a watershed moment for me,and how I identify with my ethnic background. Not Pakistani/Indian enough, not American enough, too Muslim, not enough Muslim, etc, etc. This comp is like the beginning of our long and strange trip in claiming who we are. Thank you for doing this work, it is a huge deal.
Comment by Assad April 3, 2011 @ 7:04 pm“Why do you like this stuff?”
“How did you find out about this?”
“Why do you care?”
I, too, get asked those questions all the time. I have an addiction to western-influenced international music from the 60s and 70s and used to have a radio show dedicated to it. Thank you, thank you for feeding this addiction and supplying me with lots of good music for my show. I absolutely love your site.
Comment by Jibbajabb December 7, 2011 @ 11:23 amHi! Great collection! Nope. AWESOME collection! But what about Tafo’s “Greatests Hits” LP?
Comment by R.Khleb July 25, 2012 @ 6:40 pmDo you have a copy?
Comment by Radiodiffusion July 26, 2012 @ 3:17 amhaha) nope! it’s veryvery rare LP. but your collection is not full without it. btw did you know this man?
http://hindustanivinyl.blogspot.com
he is diggin PK psych too 🙂
http://hindustanivinyl.blogspot.com/p/psychjazzgaragebeat-from-pakistan.html
and sale some records.
http://www.discogs.com/seller/hindustanivinyl
Cheers
Comment by R.Khleb July 26, 2012 @ 9:58 pmI stumbled upon that site some time ago but had forgotten about it. I was recently trying to remember the name… So, thank you very much.
Comment by Radiodiffusion July 27, 2012 @ 2:39 amI found your site while looking for info on Aay Jays. Just trying to connect to my past, I grew up in Karachi during this sort of westernization of Pakistani music scene. Bands such as Silhouettes, The Mods and Panthers etc. were all the rage. I fondly remember buying their 45’s as soon as they would hit the music stores and playing them on my Grandmothers’ Blaupunkt Radiogram. ( Consoles with record changer, open reel tape player and radio, all inclusive piece of furniture). Thank you for maintaining this site!
Comment by Zafar July 25, 2014 @ 12:12 am