More Aphrodite's Children

It’s been a year since the first GREEKAZOID post so here’s a few statistics:

58 posts
3,950 unique visitors from 76 countries
16,750 pageviews

The 10 most popular posts:
1.    Aphrodite’s Children
2.    The Legend of Aris San
3.    Groovy Soundtracks
4.    The 4 Levels of Existence…
5.    The Last Drive
6.    5th Avenue
7.    Sunshine for your Dreams
8.    Tradition Goes Electric
9.    Xmas Story
10.  On the Jazz Side

Aphrodite’s Children is by far the most popular post with two times the views of the 2nd one.
So here’s some more…Aphrodite’s Children:

Nicos Papathanassiou is Vangelis’ older brother.
Nicos has been a producer and composer for Chrisma, Dalida, Lucas Sideras and others.
In 1971 he produced African People’s album Stop Pushing where he also has written or co-written most of the songs.


One of his compositions:
I just want to be friends - African People

In 1972 Stamatis Spanoudakis released his first album Beautiful Lies as Stamatis with some great help from his friends.  
Lucas Sideras and Argyris Koulouris from Aphrodite’s Child contributed on the drums and guitars respectively.  
Dimitris Tambosis on backing vocals.  
Alekos Karakadas on guitars too.


Here's The Look from Beautiful Lies by Stamatis

Finally…Humanity. In 1973 Vangelis (under the name Richard Broadbacker) cooperated with Robert Fitoussi, Argyris Koulouris and Michael Haubrich and released a single (Bird of Love/The Pawn) under the name Humanity (or Umanity).
According to Robert Fitoussi the flip side of the single, The Pawn derived from a session they had just for fun where Vangelis played drums (source: vangelismovements)

The Pawn - Humanity 1973

Odyssey

In 1977 Theodoros Roumbanis (grandnephew of Nikos Roumbanis who’s often cited as composer of Misirlou) released an interesting album with the name The Other Odysseus. Initially the work, that was commissioned by the mayor of Ithaque to be presented in its festival, had the form of an operetta. But finally only the music and songs were presented in the concerts and the album that followed. The lyrics belong to Dimitris Iatropoulos with whom he has written more than 200 (yet unreleased) songs (source: VIP The Story of Theodoros Roumbanis by Frida Bioubi).

Scylla and Charybdis - Litsa Sakelariou

In 2006 Mikis Theodorakis wrote a new cycle of songs that were released a year later in Odyssey album. The lyrics belong to Costas Cartelias.
Irina Valentinova provides some very interesting orchestration adding a lyrical layer to Theodorakis compositions.
All songs are sang by Maria Farantouri but one which is interpreted by Theodorakis himself.

Circe - Maria Farantouri

In 2011 composer Nektarios Karantzis and singer/performer Savina Yannatou released an album which is not just inspired by Odyssey; it is Odyssey in the sense that the original ancient text is used.
The composer uses several classical and traditional instruments to create a sound that is Greek and timeless as Odyssey itself.


Tell me O Muse (Andra moi ennepe) - Savina Yannatou

For a Few Drops of Happiness

There are 3 songs that I like to play in this particular order as if they belong to some Greek soul compilation.
They do not for the moment.

The first one belongs to George Kinousis album Kanena Provlima (No Problem), 1978.
The opening track Efyga (I’m gone) has a groovy soul instrumentation on top of a Greek popular tune. Giorgos Kinoussis has a long history in music as an accordionist and composer of popular songs in late 60s and as a singer/songwriter in the 70s.

Efyga (I'm Gone), 1978

In 1972 Aris San released the single Ine Arga (It’s late). This is a particularly interesting tune composed by Aris San (lyrics by Pythagoras) as it is a pure soul masterpiece with horns and string arrangements.
The song is included as bonus track in the triple cd Memorial Collection – 10th Anniversary released in 2002 by NMC Music Ltd in Israel. The compilation is highly recommended as it includes 65 of his songs sang in Greek, Spanish and Hebrew. 

Ine Arga (It's Late), 1972

The 3rd one is the 1978 version of Gia Liges Stagones Eftyxias (For a Few Drops of Happiness) by George Egyptios (real name George Maroulakakis born in Alexandria, Egypt).
The song, a Stavros Kaxos composition, appeared in Egyptios album Esy pou Efyges (You Left), 1974 where Egyptios has also done the orchestration.
George Egyptios does another version on his 1978 album Ta Hili sou (Your Lips) with different orchestration (Mallidis) where bouzouki is replaced by organ offering a pure exotica experience.

Gia Liges Stagones Eftyhias (For a Few Drops of Happiness), 1978