The best music Greece ever exported...

[EngineerGreece]

The best music Greece ever exported in the world. The best psychedelic/progressive art rock. Even better imo than Pink Floyd. You will be amazed, trust me... Watch the videos. Especially the ''The Four Horsemen and Aegean Sea''

Aphrodite's Child

Aphrodite's Child was a Greek progressive rock band formed in 1967, by Vangelis Papathanassiou (keyboards); Demis Roussos (bass guitar and vocals), Loukas Sideras (drums and vocals), and Anargyros "Silver" Koulouris (guitar). Papathanassiou and Roussos had already been successful in Greece (playing in the bands Formynx and Idols respectively) while they got together with Sideras and Koulouris to form a new band. Their first recording as a band was for George Romanos album In concert and in Studio where they played on four songs and were credited as "Vangelis and his orchestra". In the same year they recorded a two song demo and submitted it to Philips Records.

From Athens to Paris

It was probably Vangelis' idea that the still-anonymous band should be relocated in London which would be a more suitable environment. This decision, however, was not problem-free. Koulouris had to stay in Greece to fulfill his military service while the band, on their way to London, got stuck in Paris partially because they did not have the correct work permits and partially because of the strikes associated with the May 1968 events.

In Paris they signed to Mercury Records, christened "Aphrodite's Child" and released their first single "Rain and Tears", a reworking of Pachelbel's Canon in D major. With this song the band became an overnight sensation in France and several other European countries in which the single charted well, despite the song being sung in English and not French. In October of the same year, the band released their first album End of the World. The album contained an equal amount of psychedelic pop songs and ballads in the vein of Procol Harum or The Moody Blues.

The band began touring around Europe, and in January 1969 they recorded a single in Italian for the San Remo Festival in which they did not participate, however. Their next hit single was "I want to live", an arrangement of the song "Plaisir' d'amour". For their second album, the band travelled to London to record at the famous Trident Studios. The first single from the new album, the rootsier "Let me love, let me live" came out in October, while the album It's five o'clock came out in December 1969 featuring more successful ballads (like the title song) but also songs that crossed many musical genres including country rock.

After their second album, the band begun touring again, this time without Vangelis who preferred to stay in Paris and record the music for Henry Chapier's film "Sex Power". Vangelis was replaced on stage with Harris Chalkitis. 1970 went by with the band promoting their latest album and Vangelis working on his first film project. To keep the steady flow of hits, the band released another single in August, "Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall".

666

The band began to record their crowning achievement late in 1970: a musical adaptation of the biblical Book of Revelation, entitled 666. Silver Koulouris, having finished his Greek army duty rejoined the band. However, relations between all the band members were not good at the time, and continued to worsen during the album's creation.

Essentially, 666 was Vangelis' concept, created with an outside lyricist, Costas Ferris. The music that Vangelis was creating for 666 was much more psychedelic and progressive rock oriented than anything the band had done before. This did not sit well with the other band members, who wished to continue in the pop direction that had brought them success. Furthermore, Roussos was being groomed for a solo career, and recorded his first solo single "We Shall Dance" (with Sideras on drums), and his first solo album On the Greek Side of My Mind, whereas Vangelis recorded the score for L'apocalypse des Animaux and worked on a single with his girlfriend Vilma Ladopoulou, performing with Koulouris using the pseudonym "Alpha Beta".


By the time the double LP 666 finally came out in early 1972, and having sold over 20 million albums, the band had already split. Both Vangelis and Demis Roussos pursued successful solo careers, Roussos as a pop singer and Vangelis as one of the pioneers in New Age music. Koulouris worked with both on occasion. Loukas Sideras pursued a less successful solo career, releasing an album and the single "Rising Sun" after the break-up.

Singles

"Plastics nevermore" / "The other people" (1968)
"Rain and tears" / "Don't try to catch a river" (1968) (IT #1)
"End of the world" / "You always stand in my way" (1969) (IT #8)
"Valley of sadness" / "Mister Thomas" (1969)
"Lontano dagli occhi" / "Quando l'amore diventa poesia" (1969)
"I want to live" / "Magic Mirror" (1969) (IT #5)
"Let me love, let me live" / "Marie Jolie" (1969) (IT #20)
"It's five o'clock" / "Wake up" (1970) (IT #1)
"Spring, summer, winter and fall" / "Air" (1970) (IT #1)
"Such a funny night" / "Annabella" (1970)
"Break" / "Babylon" (1972)

Discography:

End of the World
1. End of the World
2. Don't Try to Catch a River
3. Mister Thomas
4. Rain and Tears
5. Grass Is No Green
6. Valley of Sadness
7. You Always Stand in My Way
8. The Shepherd and the Moon
9. Day of the Fool

Five O'clock
1. It's Five O'Clock
2. Wake Up
3. Take Your Time
4. Annabella
5. Let Me Love, Let Me Live
6. Funky Mary
7. Good Time So Fine
8. Marie Jolie
9. Such a Funny Night

And the best album:

666

666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18) is a double album by psychedelic/progressive art rock group Aphrodite's Child. It is one of the early cult albums in rock history, and is still popular among fans today. It was published in 1972, and was the primary vehicle/effort for the Vangelis project. It had a minor Album Oriented Radio hit in "The Four Horsemen," and a nearly pop hit with "Break." The album was ostensibly an adaptation of Biblical passages from the book of the same name, but was also very experimental in lyrics and composition, including a curious piece of performance art in which Greek actress Irene Papas is struggling to chant a mantra while in the throes of hysteria and climax.

Essentially, 666 was Vangelis' concept, created with an outside lyricist, Costas Ferris. The music that Vangelis was creating for 666 was much more psychedelic and progressive rock oriented than anything the band had done before. The music itself was an impressive display of Vangelis' abilities, combining psychedelic and progressive rock with ethnic instruments, choral chanting, recitations, and very advanced use of synthesizers and keyboards for the time. In time the album became recognized as one of the most important early progressive rock works, and a defining example of the concept album. 666 also made Vangelis an underground name to watch, and in 1974 earned him an offer from Jon Anderson to join Yes following the departure of Rick Wakeman.

Just before the release of the album Vangelis engaged in a long fight with Mercury Records over the content of the album. The record company, in particular, objected to the song "∞" (infinity), which they considered obscene. It consisted of Irene Papas chanting the words "I was, I am, I am to come" over and over again in various stages of hysteria, while Vangelis accompanied her on a maelstrom of percussion (the five-minute finished track was reportedly edited down from a 39-minute piece recorded in a single take). However, the double-album length of 666 and the musical experimentation, as well as the subject matter, also exacerbated Mercury's ire. Another bone of contention was the sleeve note stating "This album was recorded under the influence of Sahlep." This was at first suspected to be either a drug or some form of occult ritual; in fact it is a drink popular around the eastern Mediterranean and made from the dried powdered roots of a type of orchid. After Roussos and Sideras had already released their first solo albums, Mercury finally agreed to release 666 one year after completion and two years after Roussos, Sideras and Koulouris had finished their parts in it, and it came out in 1972, as did a single taken from it - Break.

Current fans and critics typically rate 666 as the group's finest effort; Allmusic gives it 4½ stars (although their review does say "the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through").

Disc one

1. "The System" - 0:23
2. "Babylon" - 2:47
3. "Loud, Loud, Loud" - 2:42
4. "The Four Horsemen" - 5:53
5. "The Lamb" - 4:34
6. "The Seventh Seal" - 1:30
7. "Aegian Sea" - 5:22
8. "Seven Bowls" - 1:28
9. "The Wakening Beast" - 1:11
10. "Lament" - 2:45
11. "The Marching Beast" - 2:00
12. "The Battle Of The Locusts" - 0:56
13. "Do It" - 1:44
14. "Tribulation" - 0:32
15. "The Beast" - 2:26
16. "Ofis" - 0:14

Disc two

1. "Seven Trumpets" - 0:35
2. "Altamont" - 4:33
3. "The Wedding of the Lamb" - 3:38
4. "The Capture of the Beast" - 2:17
5. "∞" - 5:15
6. "Hic et Nunc" - 2:55
7. "All the Seats Were Occupied" - 19:21
8. "Break" - 2:59

The Four Horsemen (666)


Rain And Tears (Single)


It's Five O'clock (It's Five O'clock)


Aegean Sea (666)


Break (666)

[RelaxInPireaus]

you know I am Vangelis fan and of course AC fan also so !!! YES !!! THEY ARE THE GREATEST !!!

[ReiAyanami]

I prefer Constantina and Vagelis

[gorgos]

Best of the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cGMdfqCPu4

[gorgos]

Gotta love this song title...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvUii...eature=related

[EngineerGreece]

gorgos you ruined my thread... Mpougas is a fkng idiotic fagot.

Τι εμετικός και άθλιος είναι αυτός ο μπουγάς, αν είναι δυνατόν.

[ovem]

Είναι ο χειρότερος έβερ. Ο χειροτερότερος, σε σημείο που γίνεται ενδιαφέρον.

Εγώ λέω Μάνο Χατζιδάκι, Νανα Μούσχουρη και Μίκη θεοδωράκη. Κλασσικά πράγματα. Α ίσως και η Καραίνδρου.

[LAZO]

gorgos, thank you so much, you made my day.

[marsdenk]

How come there isn't a sub-forum for modern Greek music. Even though I don't understand it, I still enjoy listening to Greek music, especially if it's sounds like folk.

Recently, I've discovered a cool Greek singer, Peggy Zina, and I absolutely love her music style. "Ti tha akouso akoma" is one of those songs I don't know how to stop playing. It got into my blood and I feel enchanted by that sound.

I understand everybody is busy these days as the holidays are approaching, but if you would like to suggest an artist or just a tune that sounds similar to the above mentioned song, please share. :0)

[PAO13]

Originally Posted by marsdenk

I understand everybody is busy these days as the holidays are approaching, but if you would like to suggest an artist or just a tune that sounds similar to the above mentioned song, please share. :0)

Maybe Katy Garbi i something for you.

[prisma]

Originally Posted by EngineerGreece

The best music Greece ever exported in the world. The best psychedelic/progressive art rock. Even better imo than Pink Floyd. You will be amazed, trust me... Watch the videos. Especially the ''The Four Horsemen and Aegean Sea''

Aphrodite's Child

Indeed one of the few happy moments for greek music, making it abroad.
Vaggelis is one of the shining stars for our country, showing our potentials on international artistic things for modern music....
Nowadays many artists with a "groove" and good productions exists in Greece but things are now different. And i mean pop/rock/alternative artists with really intresting works...

[ovem]

Oι rotting christ πουλούσαν περισσότερα cd στο εξωτερικό απ' ότι στην Ελλάδα, βέβαια κανείς δεν τους ξέρει παρά μόνο κάτι καμμένοι black-μεταλάδες Άγγλοι.