MFÖ were one of the main proprietors of Turkish music. The name stands for the first letters of the names of main members Mazhar Alanson (vocals), Fuat Güner (guitar), and Özkan Uğur (bass). MFÖ took its power from the combination of three creative minds. Aside from being good musicians, all three were also great songwriters and, above it, all three could sing well. Utilizing combined vocal harmonies, MFÖ were distinctive, yet with their easily memorized and still deeply touching lyrics, they were ultimate crowd favorites. The history of MFÖ dates back to the mid-'60s. In 1966, Fuat Güner and Mazhar Alanson met because of a Beatles LP, and after listening to it together, they realized that they could form a band. They first played together in Kaygisizlar, in which a great number of talented musicians took part for short periods of time. Güner and Alanson met the likes of Baris Manco and Fikret Kizilok in that band. "Kol Dugmeleri" was one of the Baris Manco hits he recorded with Kaygisizlar. After Manco left, Kaygisizlar kept going and recorded more singles. As the lineup changes became more frequent (which was unacceptable to Güner and Alanson) the pair decided to go solo. Türküz Türkü Cagiriz! was released in 1974 under the name Mazhar-Fuat, and was one of the most respected albums of the Turkish psychedelic era, and it also included the early versions of MFÖ hits like "Gullerin Icinden." In the meantime, Uğur (bass) played with Baris Manco's band Kurtalan Ekspres, and with Erkin Koray and his band Terfor for a short time. He also joined Anatolian pop master Ersen's band Ersen ve Dadaslar. The three musicians decided to play together in 1976. Taking Ayhan Sicimoglu (drums) and Galip Boransu (keyboards) on their side, they formed İpucu Beşlisi. Although the lineup seemed promising, they could only release one single, "Heyecanli." The first-ever Turkish video clip for a song was shot for this single. In 1984, when their first album under the name MFÖ was released, they had been playing together for more than a decade. Their experience certainly showed on their debut album, Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız: it was an instant success. Mostly comprised of downtempo ballads (except the title track and a few funky pieces), the album received numerous awards including Best Album and Best Songwriter (for "Alanson"). Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız is a milestone in Turkish music history. The period between 1984 and 1995 was the most creatively efficient period of the band. After a failed attempt in the Eurovision Song Contest ("Diday Diday Day" took 14th place), their second album, Peki Peki Anladik, was also a failure. The second half of the album was completely in English in the hope of attracting a European audience (which didn't happen). A year later, in 1986, Vak the Rock was released. Using more guitars this time, they regained their popularity with songs like "Gozyaslarimizi Bitti Mi Sandin?" and "Bazen." 1987 saw the release of No Problem. The more uptempo and gig-friendly album secured them some popularity, but in 1988, when they had a second chance in the Eurovision Song Contest, their entry "Sufi" placed a disappointing 15th. After their first compilation, The Best of MFÖ, their fifth album Geldiler arrived in 1990. With more spoken word than singing, Geldiler proved to be socially disturbing. Painting fake moustaches on the cover, the album dealt with both Turkey's problems stemming from heavy migration to Istanbul, and the competitive working conditions of the industrialized modern world. Agannaga Rüşvet, released in 1992, was a straightforward criticism of Turkey's economic system and militant use of violence in trying to solve social problems. While the same year's Dönmem Yolumdan proved a return to the style of their debut, it was 1995's M.V.A.B. that matched the quality of Ele Gune Karsi. It was a popular album and marked the end of MFÖ's highly creative years. Even though they stopped recording, they kept playing live, and individual members worked on solo projects. They still wrote music for films and plays, and also had a TV show called The MFÖ Show. The MFÖ Collection, a compilation of re-recorded versions of MFÖ songs, was released in 2003. A highly anticipated new album, AGU, was comprised of original material and saw release in 2006; the album resembled the solo work of Mazhar Alanson. Bassist Özkan Uğur, who also enjoyed a career as an actor after MFÖ's breakup, died on July 8, 2023, at the age of 69. ~ Vefik Karaege, Rovi

David August, MFÖ

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