Part III: Bahrock Bands: Early Rock Bands of Bahrain - The Sharks (Final Part).

Dear blawggers,

On nows for the last installment of Bahraini rock bands from the 70's and 80's. Get ready, for... in this last post, you will be introduced for the first time I am sure to a band that was really good. And, I have to repeat here... really really good.

The term 'garage band' was coined in the early 60's to describe how some young rock bands were trying new sounds in the privacy of their home garages. That, and the fact that these bands were as raw sounding as a mechanic's garage, to boot. Garage bands are a rarity and the collectors with the wildest heads are after these little-known punkadelic bands as if their lives depend on it.

In Bahrain, and in the late 60's and early 70's, the young generation wanted to rock. They riled and roiled inside their parents' house garages the same as any, say mid-west American garage/beat band did, renting a small room if none was available to hide their instruments and practice their new sounds. One of these was The Shiek Issa Sports City Club in the capital Manama. The Brothers Band played there way too often at its early starts. And so did many other bands. Sadly, and with a sigh... these young people did not succeed in starting a beat band festival like the ones in Israel and Turkey as we've mentioned in previous posts. Instead, they had very fierce competition between them and held promontory battle-of-bands that were so popular in Bahrain and neighbouring Gulf states like Kuwait.

Here below is a quick, final look at some of these bands. We shall start with the best of them all...

The Sharks:

The Sharks Band - Live at the Manama Hilton - 1980.

The Sharks circa 1970s.

This band started singing in Farsi sounding pretty much like every Iranian 70's singer/band. Their roots can be traced to 1967, even if I am not so sure about it. The Sharks (الشاركس), played mostly live and had only one album issued on a cassette years later by the Kuwaiti record label Al-Nazaer. Little is known about this band except that one of its ex-members went later to join Osiris.

Here's the cassette-album. 'Njoy!

The Sharks - S/T.

(Bonus: some of their live songs were caught on video cassette and uploaded at YouTubia. I here, give you these seven live tracks played at the Manama Hilton, Bahrain in 1980. All songs are sung in Farsi/Persian (early Bahraini bands were so heavily influenced by Koroush Yaghmaei and Iranian singers like Dariush and Sattar). The quality of the video cassette is beyond shitty. Unluckily, the tape loops and poops here and there. Mind, still the music is enjoyable. So, try to enjoy these rare moments of good rock music.

The Sharks الشاركس - Live At The Hilton - 1980.









The Happiness Band - فرقة الهابنس:
On with the show now, and we go dig some beats and wonderful rare tunes by The Happiness Band (فرقة الهابنس/السعادة) from Bahrain. One sole cassette survives for this good band (same-titled - Nazaer 1985). Hope it makes y'all happy. Right!

The Happiness Band - الهابنس.

More bands but these are newer ones. Here below are The Family Band, The Salatins Band, and Al-Kawakeb Band. These bands veer more on the pop sounds and almost lick early rap in a way that's not totally deplorable. Still, this treasure trove of old 80's cassette that you're about to explore is a rare occurring and one should take feebly-happening chances like this one here to catch whatever this one-of-its-kind weblog is dropping. The pleasure again, is always mine. Rawk awn!

The Family Band - فرقة العائلة.

The Salatins Band - فرقة السلاطين.

Al-Kawakeb Band - فرقة الكواكب البحرينية.

See ya cowboys and cowgirls at one more blog-post with... Dariush!

Bubai!

H.H.