Filed under: Pakistan
♬ Jungee
The Fore Thoughts were from Pakistan.
Apparently, there was a market for traditional music played on Western instruments. Not sure who this was being marketed to, either the indigenous population or foreign tourists. But there were a number of bands that released similar records, most notable being The Mods, The Panthers and The Slihouettes. The Four Thoughts actually released two records, both with the exact same front cover.
Here are the liner notes from the e.p.:
Let me present to you the first record released by the up coming group, ‘Fore Thoughts’. In this album they are playing four of the very popular Pakistani Folk tunes composed and arranged by the brilliant young maestro Sohail Rana.
Together they present a sound which you have not heard before, it is a successful and happy marriage of Eastern melodies to Western instruments. The instruments you will hear in this album are: Electric Guitar (lead, played by Anif Luqmani [printed as ‘Anis Luqmani’]), Electric Organ (played by Anis Ahmed), Bass Guitar (played by Bashir Belouch) and the drums (played by young Umeed Ansari).
The tunes presented here are from different regions of Pakistan, namely former provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and East Pakistan. You will agree with me when I say that they have done full justice to melodies by retaining their Eastern Flavour in the interpretation.
Wishing you all a very happy listening time,
Fazili Shakil, Manager
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number EKCE 20003. on The Gramophone Company of Pakistan Limited and was manufactured by Columbia in Pakistan.
20 Comments so far
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Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Annexe 
Dear friends,
I recently found an EP (without sleeve) by The Fore Thoughts that even goes a bit further, i.e. the band played kind of Eastern instrumental rock with a traditional twist. The details are:
Side A
Boatman’s Call
Ho Jamaloo
Side B
Shahbaz Qalandar
Jugnee
Label: Royal
Cat.No.: RT 2025
Could anyone help with some info on that release
Thanks
Hans
Comment by Hans Pohle January 9, 2009 @ 8:29 amBrings back memories – now can again play on my guitar after the 70’s. Am living in Toronto now!
Comment by Mir Tehseen Ali Khan June 3, 2009 @ 3:21 pmU R right – have lost my EP!!!
Comment by Mir Tehseen Ali Khan June 3, 2009 @ 3:22 pmThere was an all girl’s band by the name of ” Xavier sisters”. in the mode of the Supremes. Other names comes to mind the ” Incrowed” who use to perform at the ” Samar” disco in the “Metropole” hotel, The “Lotalicks” comprised of the the Lotia’s a mainly business community from Karaci.
Comment by shakeel August 10, 2010 @ 8:03 amYes I am the Keyboard player of the group
Comment by Anis Ahmed November 29, 2010 @ 12:10 am‘Fore Thoughts’and incidentally the name of our lead guitarist was Asif Luqmani and not Anis Luqmani. I am based in London UK, I still persue music mostly composing my own. It has been over forty one years since I left Karachi-I would very much appreciate some information of the whereabouts of any of the Group members.
What info you are looking for?
Comment by Anis Ahmed November 29, 2010 @ 12:21 amThe music (folk tunes) were recorded in 1966 at the Gramophone Company of Pakistan-EMI Pakistan at their SITE Studios Karachi and practically every night we the ‘Fore Thoughts’ use to play these numbers amongst Western Music in The Discotheque at Hotel Metropole Karachi.
Hi, I am glad I have come across this website. Listening to your music brings back many memories for me. I have some of your tunes on cassette composed and arranged by Mohammad Yousuf, who in fact is a very good friend of my father. Do you remember there were other Pakistani bands in those days. The Panthers, Aay Jays, Mods, Abstracts and Rogers come to mind.
Comment by Kamran Sekha January 3, 2011 @ 4:27 pmits geat to hear our beautiful pakistani music by our equally talented Pakistan Musicians, if any one is interested we have a web site or search on facebook for LMK that has been put together by a group of Pakstani that have spanned from pre partition time till recent. drop me an emal and I can assist u n the search. thanks to the internet and all those that have uploaded pakistani music we can listen to a range of good old desi music from our homeland
Comment by kevin mendonca June 11, 2011 @ 10:56 amMy recolection was that the lead gutarist was Azeem Lakhani the drummer was an Anglo indian guy called Pinto & finally the singer was Azmat Butt. ??? .
Comment by shakeel October 25, 2011 @ 12:11 pmPlease ignore my above comment of 12.11 pm. I got forethoughts confused with the “Thunders”
Comment by shakeel October 25, 2011 @ 12:13 pmHi Anis,
Comment by Shahid Haque March 26, 2012 @ 7:49 amIf I remember right you used to live in PECHS close to Shaheed e Millat Rd…. My brother Sattar Haque also played with you. Was that in 1969/70 at Metropole, Karachi, Azmat was on Drums and Lead singer, and Bashir Baloch/guitar. I think you had a “Farfisa” electric organ. I was with the” black pirates” (Aman khan etc) then. Then in ’70/71, Bashir Baloch Singer/guitar, Martin/ Drums, Sattar Haque/ Bass, Me on rhythm guitar, Aslam on lead guitar, formed another band and played at Falleti’s Lahore, Intercontinental Lahore and Flashman’s Rawalpindi… The band broke in 71 right after Flashman’s (Pindi) when I and Sattar moved to USA. Heard Bashir Baloch and Aslam went to Afghanistan and then Bashir went to France with his guitar and music …no contact with them since….. Met with Ahsan/ (Laddan) (of Panthers) a few times in Chicago in the ’80’s… been out of touch since then.
I was researching to find some information for Sattar Haque’s kids when I came across this site… Hope you’ll contact/reply to this, and throw some light on your first hand experience.
Thanks.
Hi Shahid,
Comment by Anis Ahmed June 1, 2012 @ 8:19 pmNice to hear from you I know you as Haque saabs brother, all your recollections about Fore Thoughts are correct, only I use to live near Old American School towards Shaheed-e- Millat road. Our very first group was with your brother on base Bashir on lead Azmat on drums and myself on rhythm guitar and also Azam Shaikh but he dropped out, We called ourselves Fentom Five and Aces four I swithed to Keyboard with Fore Thoughts (Bashir, Asif Luqmani, Umeed Ansari and Anis)
After so many years I have traced Asif, Umeed, Azmat and our Manager Fazli Shakeel. When this group broke
up your brother and Azmat returned and we went to East Pakistan tour the second time(first being with the original
group the previous year)
. I would like to know the wherabouts of your brother. If you send me your email
address I will send you two photos which Azmat has sent
me (group photo). I am hunting for Bashir Baloch -any
news of him? please let me know. I still pursue music.
I sold my PA and Keyboard to Laddan.
Anis (akatariwala@hotmail.com)– 1st June 2012
Dear Anis,
Comment by Asif Lukmani ( lead guitarist of the original forethoughts) June 24, 2012 @ 10:28 amGreat to see your comments. There are a lot of errors in the names and groups. Cannot blame anyone its been quite a while. Contact me on.the email given . Lots of regards . Hoping to hear from you.
Dear Hans, I just stumbled on this site yesterday and would like to answer your questions. The group was from Pakistan and these were traditional folk tunes that were handed down from hundreds of years and carried amazing stories from the past when there was no recorded data and everything were handed down by word of mouth .No one can claim to compose these gems. I happened to be the lead guitarist of this group and I am really happy that at long last there is now a recognition of our work. Ours was a group that played everything from Elvis,Belafonte,Calypso, Carlos Jobim even Dave Brubeck and King Cole and suddenly we were asked to do folk tunes of Pakistan. We played daily at the only happening place of Karachi . DDDDiscotheq
Comment by Asif Lukmani ( lead guitarist of the original forethoughts) June 24, 2012 @ 11:19 amDear Asif,
So delighted to hear from you, although I know about you being in Karachi, this is the very first time I have some news from you. Remember the dumlotee farm of yours….. and of course our Disco contract days and of course the first Dacca trip.
I came to Pakistan in 2009 July for only 14 days but unfortunately 3 days into my visit my brother Hafeezbhai died.Practically all my visit was taken away timevise.This was the same brother who invited us all to Dacca.
Asif you mention about your email, please send me by emailing on my email -I could not locate it on your comment box. Where is Bashir Baloch? I have coomunicated with Azmat,Shakeel, Umeed and now of course you. Life is short so keep talking. Let me know your telephone number, I will call you.
Anis
Comment by Anis Ahmed June 27, 2012 @ 11:30 amDear Anis, Glad you saw my note. My telephone: 34550051 You have to add the country code of course My email is asiflukmani@yahoo.com Send me your phone number.
Comment by Asif Lukmani ( lead guitarist of the original forethoughts) June 27, 2012 @ 10:24 pmDear Anis.
Comment by Peer Mohammed Baloch April 28, 2013 @ 7:11 pmMy name is Peer Mohammed Baloch (Peeru) I know all of your three friends. I saw Bashir in Paris in 1974 & 75 I was going to Art school in Paris I met him on St Germain Des prie since then I am also trying to locate him ? We used to jam with Ahmed Noor Baloch, Ateeq ur Rehman. Ahmed Noor teaches in Vienna School of Music. I don’t know what Umeed is doing ? Asif was doing wood work ? my email is peerkhan1@aol.com
couple of months back talked with Azeem Lakhani in Houston.
Regards
Peer
Great Blog
Comment by David Burroughs March 26, 2014 @ 9:11 amI would be interested in the above information
Comment by shakeel July 1, 2014 @ 1:43 amDear Shakeel. I thank you for having thought of me. Have we ever met. It’s good to see that we are trying to put our music together. I would like to communicate with yo and put in the bits of info and incidents I remember and am deeply nostalgic about. Karachi was a such a hep place and there are thousands of things to talk about. Thank you once again, With regards. Asif.
Comment by Asif Lukmani July 1, 2014 @ 2:11 am