Over the past few decades, mainstream media has portrayed Iran as a lawless, civilly disobedient wasteland swamped with dictatorial ethics, a tank on every street corner and an American president effigy burning hall of fame. This is actually so far from the truth that it’s ridiculous. Iran is a stunning country, Iranian people are a beautiful, kind and generous race, and its capital, Tehran, apart from its thousands of breathtaking mosques, has quite an eclectic, and dare I say it, bohemian, counterculture and music scene. Enter Jokers.
Hailing from the gritty Tehran neighbourhood of Jamaran, Jokers were to many westerners somewhat of an anomaly in that they were a heavy-psych band from 1970s Iran. Truth be told, they were one of many. Sadly, most failed to score a record deal. But where they failed, Jokers succeeded, and after a brief visit to the U.K. in 1970, were signed to that country’s Light in the Attic/Fading Sunshine records.
In 1971, with little outside influence and at risk of arrest and prosecution at the hands of a tyrannical government who for some stupid reason hated rock ‘n’ roll (weirdos), they released their one and only album simply titled Jokers, which over the years has been re-released on Strawberry Rain records. The album contains four balls-out heavy-psych killers that put its peers Mighty Baby and Dragonfly pretty much back in their collective boxes. Tracks like ‘Southern Blues’, ‘All Wrong’ and the epic three-parter ‘Joker’s Theme’ still blows listeners away with their pure stoner riffage, acid-drenched debauchery and out and out rock ‘n’ roll grunt. All tracks however, seem to maintain a sense of purity and separation from its western rivals which again can be attributed to the minimal outside influence. These guys are dang heroes!
But it’s the album opener, ‘Going Away’ that breaks the mould entirely. Coming in at just over three-minutes long, it’s damn short for an early-seventies psych jam. But there’s more. It’s staunch and gut-churning riff could almost be mistaken for a 60’s garage jam circa Blue Cheer and Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks. But there’s more. I’ll be damned if I don’t hear some Detroit-laced proto-punk in there as well!
Whatever the hell it is, find that big Iranian rock, crank this mother loud ‘n’ proud and then best you Iran down to your local jam shack and pick yourself up a copy. Sorry.
Ya,they’re a fun band but I’m kinda suprised you compared the song “Going Away” to Blue Cheer and Moving Sidewalks,when the tune is an obvious ripoff of Blister On The Moon by Taste.Maybe You’ve never heard of them,it’s the only reason I can think of.As to why Rory never came after them for this I can only surmise he was too much of a gentleman.Anyways,it’s a great post of a little known group and we thank you for that.