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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Morka: There Was A Time... 1971-73

 

Probably the best psychedelic band that ever came from Greece. With members coming from


Greece, USA and Canada and with a british female vocalist, "There was a time…" is here to blow your mind away!!! During the difficult years of the dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974), a band was formed which was the origin of Morka. Its leader was the late Dorian Kokas, a Greek who left America in 1968 to hide in Greece, deserting the expeditionary force that the American Government was sending to Vietnam.
                             

The band begun in 1970 as STONE DEEP and is responsible for the production of the rarest greek

private single nowadays. This group, founded in late 1970 by John Jungemann and Dorian Kokas, was called Stone Deep. It set the trend of the basic characteristics of Morka, which was a four-part harmony band.
                         

Followed by many line-up changes, MORKA presented 2 more singles for Greek POLYDOR in 1972 and the next year they made their 7-track magnus-opus demo. This album contains all their 3 singles

plus the 7 tracks of the unreleased back in 1973 demo. All the elements that make an album to be a treasure for the psychoheads are present. Excellent male-female vocals (all but one sung in english), lots of harmonies and melodies, tons of fuzzy guitars and bombastic drum breaks. The late 60's american psychedelic and the early 70's british acid-folk influences are obvious in this album but MORKA play their own music.
                                

Morka – There Was A Time...
Label: Not On Label (Morka) – none
Format: CD, Compilation, Unofficial Release 2006
Country:    
Released: 1971 - 73   
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

                       


01. Fair Lady Of 1860   6:03

Written-By – D. Kokas
02. Fourteen Young Children   2:36

Written-By – D. Kokas
03. I See   2:16
Written-By – D. Kokas, M. Moraitis
04. And So She Flies   2:03
Written-By – D. Kokas
05. Squeezing Pimples   1:13
Written-By – P. Papadeas
06. Winter's Here   3:16
Written-By – D. Kokas, J. Jungemann
07. Disassociation   1:05
Written-By – D. Kokas
08. Judy   3:50
Written-By – D. Kokas, J. Jungemann
09. Avenue Winter   5:28
Written-By – D. Kokas
10. She Shouts   2:08
Written-By – D. Kokas, M. Moraitis
11. Ann  2:18
Written-By – D. Kokas
12. Looking For The Past   2:06

Written-By – D. Kokas
13. Γιατί? [Why?]   2:19
Written-By – D. Kokas
14. Just Like the film   4:14

Written-By – D. Kokas

LINE - UP

                              


Dorian Kokas - (Real Name: Κωνσταντίνος Κόκκας) - Guitar, Vocals (Passed away on November 18, 2009) Member of The Groups: Agapanthos, CC Blues King and Morka)
Bass – Antonis Bravos (tracks: 05, 06), Dorian Kokas (tracks: 01 to 04)
Drums – Reiner (tracks: 03, 04), Michalis Orphanidis (tracks: 05 to 14)
Vocals, Effects – Pamela Leake
Vocals – Dorian Kokas, George "Tambre" Tambakopoulos (tracks: A5, A6), John Jungemann (tracks: 01, 02), Mike Moraitis (tracks: 03, 04), Pamela Leake (tracks: 05 to 14), Paul Papadeas (tracks: 05 to 14)
Electric Bass – Leigh Sioris
Flute – Kirk Esco (tracks: 01 to 04)
Guitar – Dorian Kokas, John Jungemann (tracks: 01, 02), Paul Papadeas (tracks: 05 to 14)
Harmonica, Contrabass – Paul Papadeas
Piano – Dorian Kokas (tracks: 01, 02, 05, 07, 09, 11, 12), Mike Moraitis (tracks: 03, 04)
                             


Το ψυχεδελικό συγκρότημα Morka, σχηματίστηκε το 1971.
Τα μέλη του ήταν οι: 

                          


Ντόριαν Κόκας - (Αληθινό όνομα¨Κωνσταντίνος Κόκκας) - κιθάρα, φωνή (Πέθανε 18 Νοεμβρίου 2009) Συμμετείχε στους:  CC Blues King, Αγάπανθος και Morka)


Αντώνης Μπράβος
- μπάσο
Πωλ Παπαδέας - κιθάρα, φωνή
Τζωρτζ Ταμπακόπουλος - τραγούδι
Μιχάλης Ορφανίδης - ντράμερ
Πάμελα Ληκ - φωνή
Reiner - Drums
Kirk Esco - Φλάουτο
John Jungemann - κιθάρα
Μιχάλης Μωραίτης - πιάνο


                      


Το ψυχεδελικό συγκρότημα Morka, σχηματίστηκε το 1971. Αρχηγός του ήταν ο αείμνηστος Ντόριαν Κόκας, Έλληνας που έφυγε το 1968  από την Αμερική για να κρυφτεί στην Ελλάδα,

λιποτακτώντας από το  εκστρατευτικό σώμα που η Αμερικανική Κυβέρνηση έστελνε στο Βιετνάμ.
Άλλα μέλη του συγκροτήματος: Αντώνης Μπράβος, Πωλ Παπαδέας, Τζωρτζ Ταμπακόπουλος, Μιχάλης Ορφανίδης και Πάμελα Ληκ. Εμφανίζονται σε Κινηματογράφους, σε Σχολεία για ενίσχυση μαθητικών εκδρομών (εξαήμερων) και σε κλαμπάκια. Το συγκρότημα διαλύεται τον Απρίλιο του 1973, ύστερα από τον σοβαρό τραυματισμό του Μιχάλη Ορφανίδη.
                         

Συγκεκριμένα, τα ξημερώματα της 21 Απριλίου 1973, ο Ορφανίδης διερχόμενος την οδό Σπευσίππου, τραυματίστηκε πολύ σοβαρά, από έκρηξη βόμβας που είχε τοποθετηθεί κάτω από αυτοκίνητο. Την

βόμβα, την είχε βάλει εκεί, ο κτηνίατρος Ιπποκράτης Σαβούρας, που με το ψευδώνυμο «Συνταγματάρχης Πορφύρης», αγωνιζόταν να ρίξει τη χούντα. Ευτυχώς, αν και όλοι πίστευαν το αντίθετο, ο Μιχάλης Ορφανίδης, δεν έχασε το αριστερό πόδι.Τα περισσότερα που έχουν γραφτεί για αυτό το συγκρότημα, είναι ανακρίβειες, και ανακυκλώσεις από διάφορες φήμες. Μέχρι σήμερα, δεν έχει γραφτεί, η πραγματική ιστορία.

Flac Size: 248 MB

12 comments:

  1. If you don't know that the band was from Greece, you could mistake them for a psychedelic/folk band from the UK, so great & beautiful is it.
    I started with Small Faces and listened to all of them. I was excited about the quality and it is exc. By far the best i know. It comes a cross particularly well with Odgens...
    Today i plan to listen Zappa Apostrophe. For me, Zappa was very good up until Bongo Fury (1975) and a masterpiece !! After that, i'll be done with the master.

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    Replies
    1. Morka was an excellent Greek band!!! Their leader formed other 3 bands (With Stone Deep)

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    2. I didn't know. But is that something ?

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  2. whoever did the painting (the upper one, after the photograph more below) did not make a good job - they look so much uglier than in reality - just a thought, thankfully music speaks for itself, thanks for that!

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  3. Ευχαριστούμε για το σπάνιο αυτό Ψυχεδελικό διαμάντι. Οι μπάντες που μας προτείνεις είναι πάντα απίστευτες!

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  4. Oh WOW !....14 tracks of pure magic. I always go on your good recommendation Kostas and this is certainly a fantastic album , many thanks for the heads up on this one and I very much appreciate all your time and effort that you put into your wonderful blog, it really is a labour of love and I can't thank you enough Kostas......Love & Peace Stu

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    Replies
    1. Hello my friend 👋. I was sure that you'll like very much this wonderful band. I know that you adore the Psychedelic groups and I'm trying to post many albums (Old and New) of this genre. Thank you for your comment.

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  5. Great post I love this album. Thanks for the detailed history of the band. Just wondering, do you know if the video of "And So She Flies" is from a movie? Thanks for all the great music you share Kostas! Cheers from Australia

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    Replies
    1. Hi Steve, I don't know if the video is from a movie 🎥. Many thanks for your comment.

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  6. I have really enjoyed discovering the awesome Greek bands you've been sharing, so I'm really looking forward to hearing this. Thanks again mate

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