Aphrodite's Child -

Aphrodite’s Child was a Greek symphonic/psych-rock band that released numerous singles and three albums between 1968 and 1972 on Mercury/Vertigo, culminating with the experimental double-album 666. The band included future electronic maestro Vangelis, superstar balladeer Demis Roussos, and eventual Ypsilon drummer Lucas Sideras.

Members: Demis Roussos (bass, guitar, vocals), Vangelis (keyboards), Lucas Sideras (drums), Argyris “Silver” Koulouris (guitar, 1967-?, 1970-72)

Background

Aphrodite’s Child formed in 1967 when keyboardist Vangelis Papathanassiou teamed with three recent member of The Minis: singer/bassist Demis Roussos, guitarist Argyris “Silver” Koulouris, and drummer Lucas Sideras.

Vangelis (b. 1943, Angria) first studied filmmaking but entered the rock scene in 1963 as organist of The Forminx, an Athens beat group named after the Ancient Greek string instrument. They cut nine Decca singles through 1966 and found national fame. Vangelis (under his then-stagename Vagos) wrote the band’s originals with English lyrics by producer/DJ Nico Mastorakis. After their split, Vangelis composed scores for the 1966–67 Greek films 5,000 Lies, Antique Rally, Frenzy, and To Prosopo tis Medousas.

Roussos (b. 1946) was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt; the son of a Greek classical guitarist. As a teenager, his family settled in Greece, where he filtered through multiple bands. At age 18, he co-founded Kifissia beatsters The Idols, a popular club act that later signed to Parlophone. Before they hit the studio, Roussos jumped ship to We Five, an Athens covers band with future Axis guitarist Dimitris Katakouzinos. We Five cut two 1966 singles on Pan-Vox.

Sideras (b. 1944, Athens) drummed for The Stormies, which cut two 1965 singles with featured singer Zoi Kurukli.

In 1966, Roussos teamed with Sideras and Kurukli in The Minis, an Athens six-piece with keyboardist Stelios Vlavianos (a future Roussos-solo backer) and teenage guitarist “Silver” Koulouris (b. 1947, Piraeus). The Minis cut one single comprised of Beatles covers — “And I Love Her” (b/w “Girl”) — in 1966 on Music-Box.

Formation

In 1967, Vangelis teamed with Roussos, Sideras, and Koulouris in the Papathanassiou Set, which cut a two-song demo for the Greek division of Philips Records. They made their recorded debut as the backing band on In Concert and in Studio, the 1968 fourth album by Greek folk singer George Romanos.

Philips pointed the band to England, a presumed friendlier market for their psychedelic rock in light of the 1967 Greek military junta. However, Koulouris’s draft into the Greek Army prevented his participation. En route to the UK, the trio got detained in Paris over visa issues and strikes associated with the May 1968 student uprising.

The trio settled in Paris and signed with Mercury Records, whose transatlantic A&R executive, Lou Reizner, renamed them Aphrodite’s Child after a song title on Dick Campbell Sings Where It’s At, the Reizner-produced 1965 Mercury album by American folk singer Dick Campbell.

In July 1968, Aphrodite’s Child released their debut single: “Rain and Tears,” a Vangelis-arranged adaptation of Canon in D by German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706). Vangelis co-wrote the b-side, “Don’t Try to Catch a River,” with French lyricist Boris Bergman.

“Rain and Tears” reached No. 1 in France, Belgium, and Italy and No. 2 in Norway, Switzerland, and Spain.

End of the World

Aphrodite’s Child released their debut album, End of the World, in December 1968 on Mercury.

The album blends baroque pop and psychedelic rock with elements of Greek folk and early art-rock, characterized by dramatic vocal delivery from Demis Roussos and ornate keyboard arrangements by Vangelis Papathanassiou. Its mixture of melancholic ballads and ornate, rhythm-driven songs established the group’s European presence and foreshadowed the cinematic scope of their later work.

Vangelis wrote the bulk of the material with lyricist Boris Bergman. They adapted Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the hit single “Rain and Tears.”

The title track opens with Roussos’ tremulous voice over solemn piano chords that rise into anguished refrains. “Don’t Try to Catch a River” contrasts with brisk rhythm changes and electronic keyboard colorations that anticipate Vangelis’ later approach to sound design. “Mister Thomas,” arranged in waltz time with circus tones, incorporates Greek folk motifs within a Beatlesque frame. “Rain and Tears,” built on Pachelbel’s harmonic sequence, mixes baroque instrumentation and plaintive choral layers around Roussos’ sorrowful vocal. “The Grass Is No Green” introduces modal chanting and experimental keyboard breaks suggestive of their later concept work.

The second side’s “Valley of Sadness” presents soft organ textures, while “You Always Stand in My Way” pivots to a more agitated vocal line and rock rhythm. “The Shepherd and the Moon” returns to folk melody with surreal vocal treatments, and “Day of the Fool” closes the album with an extended organ passage and shifting tempos that point toward progressive form.

A1. “End of the World” (3:11)
A2. “Don’t Try to Catch a River” (3:37)
A3. “Mister Thomas” (2:47)
A4. “Rain and Tears” (3:12) — adapted from Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
A5. “The Grass Is No Green” (5:59)

B1. “Valley of Sadness” (3:11)
B2. “You Always Stand in My Way” (3:53)
B3. “The Shepherd and the Moon” (3:00)
B4. “Day of the Fool” (5:51)

Sessions occurred at several Paris studios between May and October 1968 with producer Pierre Sberro and engineers under the Philips label.

End of the World features Vangelis on keyboards, piano, organ, clavichord, flute, and vibraphone; Demis Roussos on vocals, bass, and guitars; and Loukas Sideras on drums and percussion, with Claude Chauvet on additional vocals.

Mercury promoted the album with “Rain and Tears” (b/w “Don’t Try to Catch a River”), which topped charts across continental Europe and reached No. 29 in the UK. The follow-up singles “End of the World” and “Valley of Sadness” appeared in 1969. “Rain and Tears” was later recorded by Dalida in multiple language versions (“Quelques larmes de pluie,” “Regenzeit – Tränenleid,” “Lacrime e Pioggia”), extending the song’s continental reach.

In early 1969, Aphrodite’s Child released a standalone single: “I Want to Live,” a Papathanassiou-arranged adaptation of “Plaisir d’amour,” a 1784 love song by French Classical composer Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. (“Plaisir” was also the basis of Elvis Presley’s 1961 ballad “Love Me Tender”). Vangelis wrote the b-side, “Magic Mirror,” with English library composer John Fiddy.

It’s Five o’Clock

Aphrodite’s Child released their second album, It’s Five o’Clock, in October 1969 on Mercury.

Recorded after their relocation to London, the album shifts from the baroque-psych tone of End of the World toward a broader mix of folk, country-rock, and early progressive styles. It contrasts stripped-down acoustic passages and rhythmic experimentation, anticipating the textural scope of 666 while retaining the concise songcraft of their earlier work.

Keyboardist Vangelis Papathanassiou composed most of the material with lyricist Richard Francis. Drummer Loukas Sideras co-wrote one track and sings two, while Demis Roussos contributes “Annabella,” written with Richard Adams.

The title track opens in waltz time with harpsichord and chime textures beneath Roussos’ sorrowed tenor; its image of global fatigue struck a chord in post–May ’68 Europe. “Wake Up” unfolds as a two-part anthem, ascending through a repeating canon before resolving in a Beatles-inspired coda. “Take Your Time” leans toward pastoral country-rock, while “Annabella” returns to watery organ and falsetto phrasing over waves and acoustic shimmer. “Let Me Love, Let Me Live” places Sideras’ gravelly vocal against psychedelic rhythm changes and a long-building “let me love” refrain.

The second side opens with “Funky Mary,” a percussion-led number with blues phrasing and piano interplay suggestive of 666’s rhythmic experiments. “Good Time So Fine” adopts a brassy pop-jazz tone with call-and-response female vocals. “Marie Jolie” drifts between folk and chanson, framed by acoustic guitar and sustained high vocals, and “Such a Funny Night” closes the set with bouzouki phrasing and flute in a Greek-folk cadence.

A1. “It’s Five O’Clock” (3:31)
A2. “Wake Up” (4:04)
A3. “Take Your Time” (2:39)
A4. “Annabella” (3:45)
A5. “Let Me Love, Let Me Live” (4:43)

B1. “Funky Mary” (4:11)
B2. “Good Time So Fine” (2:45)
B3. “Marie Jolie” (4:41)
B4. “Such a Funny Night” (4:34)

Sessions occurred at Trident Studios, London, between June 16 and 21, 1969, with Aphrodite’s Child self-producing and Malcolm Toft engineering.

Mercury promoted It’s Five O’Clock with “Let Me Love, Let Me Live” (b/w “Marie Jolie”) in late 1969, followed by “It’s Five O’Clock” (b/w “Funky Mary”) in early 1970. The latter reached No. 6 in Switzerland and No. 11 in the Netherlands.

Italian singer Milva later recorded German (“Kennst du das auch?”) and French (“Le drapeau de l’humanité”) versions of “It’s Five O’Clock,” and Demis Roussos re-recorded the song for his 1987 compilation The Demis Roussos Story.

666

Aphrodite’s Child released released their third album, 666, in June 1972 on Vertigo.

An ambitious double concept work subtitled The Apocalypse of John, 13/18, the album adapts passages from the Book of Revelation into a surreal countercultural allegory set within a circus performing the apocalypse while the real one unfolds outside. It expands their sound into experimental progressive rock, incorporating spoken passages, sound collage, and diverse musical forms ranging from psychedelic rock and funk to choral drama and world music.

Keyboardist Vangelis Papathanassiou composed the music and produced the sessions with lyricist and film director Costas Ferris, who conceived the narrative. Guitarist Silver Koulouris, bassist and vocalist Demis Roussos, and drummer Loukas Sideras performed the core instrumentation with additional input from jazz reedist Harris Halkitis, horn player Michel Ripoche, narrator Daniel Koplowitz, actor John Forst, painter Yannis Tsarouchis, and actress Irene Papas, who delivers the album’s most controversial vocal passage.

Vangelis wrote all twenty-four tracks, using Ferris’ text as the lyrical base. Guest vocalist Irene Papas appears on “∞,” while Sideras sings lead on “The Beast” and “Break.”

The set opens with “The System,” whose chant of “We got the system to fuck the system” introduces the work’s subversive tone. “Babylon” and “Loud, Loud, Loud” present the circus spectacle in rock and narrated form, while “The Four Horsemen” stages Revelation 6 in alternating calm and storm sections with echoed drone, martial drums, and a climactic guitar cadenza by Koulouris.

Instrumentals like “The Lamb” and “The Seventh Seal” mix Greek tonalities with Eastern modes, while “Aegian Sea” combines narration and sustained guitar soloing over oceanic keyboard layers. Later pieces (“The Marching Beast,” “The Battle of the Locusts,” “Do It”) shift into harder and jazz-driven forms, offset by Sideras’ funk-led “The Beast” and the ritualistic “∞,” where Papas’ ascending chant builds into a primal climax. “All the Seats Were Occupied” reprises earlier motifs in a 19-minute montage of recurring voices and themes before the quiet finale, “Break.”

A1. “The System” (0:36) – A brief chant framed by a terse drum flourish, urging revolt in echo of Abbie Hoffman’s pamphlet. Its blunt message sets the album’s apocalyptic lens.
A2. “Babylon” (2:47) – Strummed guitars and bustling crowd ambience frame a fall-of-empire scene from Revelation 18, paced by driving rhythm and contoured bass lines from Demis Roussos.
A3. “Loud, Loud, Loud” (2:42) – A two-chord piano vamp supports hushed narration envisioning a future without war, answered by a choral refrain that swells in quiet resolve.
A4. “The Four Horsemen” (5:45) – Echoed keys and wind chimes suspend the verses’ tension before storming choruses release a harder, rapid pace. A long wah-charged solo drives the closing escalation while Roussos paraphrases Revelation 6.
A5. “The Lamb” (4:34) – Interwoven chants trace an angular central figure while guitar and keys dart in quick turns. Its title nods to scriptural symbolism without explicit narration.
A6. “The Seventh Seal” (4:49) – A repeating keyboard motif steadies the scene as Forst recites the final seal’s opening, letting silence hover at its conclusion.

B1. “Aegian Sea” (5:22) – Sustained synth currents support a slow, bending guitar line. Forst’s voice, pitched low and echoed to one side, promises relief from hunger and thirst.
B2. “Seven Bowls” (1:29) – Clanging percussion and choral lines describe the bowls’ judgments, altering biblical details as stars vanish and air turns toxic.
B3. “The Wakening Beast” (1:11) – Wind-touched chimes and spectral resonance outline a cautious emergence, as if something stirs just beyond view.
B4. “Lament” (2:45) – Sparse vibraphone pulses beneath a vocal elegy for humanity, answered by drifting harmonies with a Byzantine hue.
B5. “The Marching Beast” (2:00) – A stepwise, repeated figure gains momentum as piano flickers and flute trills punctuate its tightening march.
B6. “The Battle of the Locusts” (0:56) – A terse instrumental burst marked by rapid guitar leads and busy drums, announced by its title before charging forward.
B7. “Do It” (1:45) – Accelerated pacing and shouted cues echo Jerry Rubin’s revolutionary text as guitar and bass race in compact, urgent figures.
B8. “Tribulation” (0:32) – Short, atonal brass overlaps in jagged phrases, evoking mounting distress without settling into pattern.
B9. “The Beast” (2:26) – Sideras alternates vocal registers while percussion snap and studio asides flicker at the edges. Plate-reverb spatter on the snare adds theatrical tension.
B10. “Ofis” (0:14) – A line from a shadow-puppet drama is hurled with slapback echo, commanding the serpent to appear.

C1. “Seven Trumpets” (0:35) – A brief proclamation announcing judgment, tearing open the boundary between spectacle and catastrophe.
C2. “Altamont” (4:32) – Steady rhythm supports wordless scatting, vibraphone patterns, and horns. Later narration recounts visions of past, present, and imminent ruin.
C3. “The Wedding of the Lamb” (3:38) – Electronic keyboard lines drill through syncopated percussion while wordless voices circle the theme, ending in a spoken handoff to the next tableau.
C4. “The Capture of the Beast” (2:17) – A tom-heavy drum episode battles against droning keyboards, suggesting a struggle rather than a triumph.
C5. “∞” (5:15) – (music/lyrics: Ferris, Papathanassiou; vocal: Irene Papas)
Sparse percussion underpins Papas chanting “I was, I am, I am to come,” escalating into breath-torn frenzy that depicts birth, desire, and transformation.
C6. “Hic et Nunc” (2:55) – An upbeat piano pulse, sax flourishes, and crowd shouts center on the urgency of “here and now,” pulling earlier motifs into present tense.

D1. “All the Seats Were Occupied” (19:19) – A long instrumental arc cycles through raga-tinged figures, funk-leaning passages, percussive breaks, and a chaotic montage of earlier voices, presenting the apocalypse as public spectacle.
D2. “Break” (2:58) – Piano and organ brace a farewell of weary reassurance, capped by one last off-mic cry of “Do it!” that leaves the uprising unresolved.

Sessions occurred at Europa Sonor Studios in Paris between late 1970 and early 1971, with Vangelis producing and Roger Roche engineering. Giorgio Gomelsky assisted informally (“passing by”) during production, and Gerard Fallec coordinated the album’s release after a year-long label dispute.

666 features cover art designed by Fallec: a red sleeve with the number printed in black and white to resemble a license plate. The inner gatefold shows a surreal car-crash painting signed “M. Dubre.”

Vertigo promoted the album with “Babylon” (b/w “Break”), followed by “The Four Horsemen,” which became its best-known track and later received regular airplay on AOR stations.

Though Aphrodite’s Child disbanded prior to 666’s release, the album later achieved cult standing among progressive rock listeners for its fusion of biblical allegory and experimental form.

Discography: