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NTS Guide to: '60s Lebanese Beat, Garage Rock, and Yé Yé
NTS Guide to: '60s Lebanese Beat, Garage Rock, and Yé Yé
29 Oct 2025 · Beirut

NTS Guide to: '60s Lebanese Beat, Garage Rock, and Yé Yé

Travelling back to Beirut in the late 60s and early 70s for an hour of obscurities from the city's underground guitar band scene. Influenced by US and Western garage rock, beat and yé ye acts, Lebanese groups like The Cedars and The News blended these international sounds with local rhythms, and sang English lyrics with an Arabic slant.

Many of these records are difficult to find, being recorded cheaply and in minuscule runs in the era immediately preceding Lebanon's descent into a 15-year long civil war.

Selected by NTS resident Ernesto Chahoud.

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Tracklist

  • Claude Haddad
    Arabesque
  • Marcel Esséli
    Dabqué Mon Amour
  • Rinda
    Un Sourire S'Il Vous Plait
  • Patrick Samson
    Guitare Et Bongos = Guitars And Bongos
  • Bernard
    Suzy
  • Tony Valiere
    On Est Deux, On Est Heureux
  • Manuel
    Non, Je Veux Retourner
  • Elias Rahbani
    I'm Falcon And You
  • Don Reed
    I Am The One
  • Ray Psy
    I Love You
  • The News
    Take Me
  • Abdallah
    Wild Hawk
  • Abi Siblini
    Hey J
  • Something Different
    Chemical Reaction
  • The Kool Kats
    Step Out
  • The Sea-ders
    Thanks A Lot
  • Menelik Yerevan
    Moi Je T’aime Bien
  • Simon C. Edwards & His Soul Set
    I Got You
  • Rainbow Bridge
    Free Of Changes
  • TONY FRANKS AND THE HIPPIN SOUL
    LOOSE ME QUICK
  • I NOTTURNI
    I Notturni