Psycho were a Greek New Wave/art-pop duo comprised of vocalists Dora Antoniadis and Stefanos Kotatis. The band issued the album Montage Fatal in 1982 on WEA Records with backing by multi-instrumentalist Stamatis Spanoudakis. The nameplate derived from the album’s opening track “Psycho Killer,” a cover of the Talking Heads song. Though initially a one-album project, […]
Ypsilon were a Greek art-pop combo that issued the album Metro Music Man in 1977 on Philips. The band included ex-Axis bassist Dimitris Katakouzinos and former Aphrodite’s Child drummer Lucas Sideras. Members: Lakis Vlavianos (piano, Moog), Jose Sour (guitar), Dimitris Katakouzinos (bass), Lucas Sideras (drums, vocals) Discography: Metro Music Man (1977)
Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou (born March 29, 1943) is a Greek electronic musician and composer, known professionally as Vangelis. He first emerged as the keyboardist of beat combo The Forminx, which issued a string of 1964/65 singles on Decca and Pan-Vox. He then teamed up with members of rival band The Minis to form the symphonic/psych […]
The Four Levels of Existence (Τα 4 Επίπεδα Της Ύπαρξης) were a Greek hard-rock/psych band that issued a self-titled album on Venus in 1976. The thrice-reissued album has gained international cult renown and been the subject of hip-hop sampling in the 21st century. Members: Χρήστος Βλαχάκης [Christos Vlahakis] (drums, percussion), Αθανάσιος Αλατάς [Athanasios Alatas] (rhythm […]
Trypes (Τρύπες) were a Greek rock band that was active for 18 years, starting in 1983. The band debuted with a self-titled album on Ano Kato in 1985, followed by five albums on Virgin into the following decade. Members: Γιάννης Αγγελάκας [Giannis Aggelakas] (vocals), Γιώργος Καρράς [Giorgos Karras] (bass), Μιχάλης Κανατίδης [Mihalis Kanatidis] (guitar, 1983-84), […]
Stavros Logarides (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης) is a Turkish-Greek vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who first emerged in the folk/psych foursome Poll, which issued two albums circa 1971/72. This was followed by a one-album stint with symphonic trio Akritas. In 1978, he released an eponymous solo album on Polydor with backing by members of jazz-rock combo Sphinx. The […]
Socrates Drank the Conium were a Greek hard-rock/psych band that released a clutch of singles circa 1970/71, followed by three albums on Polydor during 1972 and 1973. A name-edit to Socrates preceded the Vangelis-produced Phos, released in 1976 on Vertigo. Three further albums appeared during the early 1980s on Minos and Virgin. Members: Αντώνης Τουρκογιώργης […]
Akritas (Ακρίτας) were a Greek symphonic-rock trio that released a self-titled album on Polydor in 1973. The band included musician/vocalist Stavros Logarides, who would later records as a solo artist. Members: Άρης Τασούλης [Aris Tasoulis] (piano, organ, keyboards), Σταύρος Λογαρίδης [Stavros Logarides] (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), Γιώργος Τσουπάκης [Giorgos Tsoupakis] (drums) Discography: Ακρίτας (1973)
Pete & Royce were a Greek symphonic/psych combo that issued two small-press albums circa 1980/81. Keyboardist Bill Ghinos (Βασίλης Γκίνος) has since become a studio owner and prominent producer/composer/backing musician. Members: Pete Tsiros (guitars, vocals), Lavrentis Tsinaroglou (guitars, vocals), Bill Ghinos (keyboards), Ilias Porfiris (bass), Fontas Hatzis (drums) Discography: Suffering of Tomorrow (1980) Days of […]
Poll were a Greek folk/psych combo that released three singles and two albums on Polydor circa 1971/72. Vocalist/songwriter Robert Williams (Ροβέρτος-Κωνσταντίνος Ουίλλιαμς) released numerous solo albums over the following two decades. Members: Stauros Logaridis (bass, vocals, guitar, piano, kazoo, percussion), Kostas Tournas (guitar, vocals, piano, organ, kazoo, percussion), Robert Williams (guitar, piano, vocals), Nasia Sandi […]
P.L.J. Band were a Greek symphonic/space-rock quintet that debuted with the 1979 self-press EP Gaspar. In 1982, the band released Armageddon, their first of two popular albums on the Vertigo label. A name-change to Termites (Τερμίτες) yielded three further albums on Virgin between 1984 and 1986. Members: Lavrentis Maheritsas (lead vocals, 12-string guitar, keyboards), Adonis […]
Morka were a Greek folk/psych ensemble that released six songs across two shortplayers in 1972 on Polydor. Two of the songs, “Winter’s Here” and “Judy,” had also been released under the band’s earlier name, Stone Deep. In 1997, the six songs were compiled with seven unreleased tracks on the archival CD There Was a Time…. The […]
Katerina Gogou (Κατερίνα Γώγου: June 1, 1940 — Oct. 3, 1993) was a Greek poet, vocalist, and actress who appeared in more than 30 movies. In 1981, she sang on the album Στο δρόμο, recorded in collaboration with composer/conductor Kyriakos Sfetsas. She died from a pill overdose at age 53. Discography: Στο δρόμο (1981)
Kyriakos Sfetsas is a Greek composer and arranger who recorded numerous classical and soundtrack works between 1974 and 1986. In 1980, he released the avant-jazz/funk album Χωρίς Σύνορα — recorded with backing by the Greek Fusion Orchestra — on Columbia. The following year, he collaborated with poet/vocalist Katerina Gogou on the album Στο δρόμο. Discography: […]
Gus Vali is a Greek-American conductor and arranger who released numerous albums of Arabic belly-dance music for United Artists and Musicor between the late 1950s and late 1970s. In 1974, he headed the album Chimera: A Fantasy in Jazz * Rock * Mid-East Sounds on Peters International. The album features contributions from guitarist Joe Beck, […]
Agapanthos (Αγάπανθος) were a Greek folk-rock/art-rock band that was active as a recording unit during the mid-1970s and again during the mid-1980s. The band released a single and self-titled album circa 1975/76 on EMI/Columbia and a second album, Επιστροφή στις ρίζες, in 1984 on Diskografikos Sineterismos Kallitehnon. The constant member through both iterations was bassist/vocalist […]
Axis were a Paris-based psych-rock combo comprised of expatriated Greek musicians. The band released six singles and three albums on Riviera between 1970 and 1973. Members: Ντέμης Βισβίκης [Demis Visvikis aka Demis Loukas Jr.] (vocals, organ), Δημήτρης Κατακουζηνός [Dimitris Katakuzinos] (acoustic guitar, bass, vocals), Αλέκος Καρακαντάς [Alekos Karakandas] (lead guitar, vocals), Αλέξανδρος Φάντης [Alexandros Fantis] […]
Aphrodite’s Child were a Greek symphonic/psych-rock band that released numerous singles and three albums on Mercury/Vertigo between 1968 and 1972. 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) Discography: […]
