"ELSEWHERE": Aphrodite's Child

-- About the group "Aphrodite's Child" and its music --

Gallery of Aphrodite's Child related images

After Vangelis' Greek 60s band "The Forminx" broke up, Vangelis, together with singer Demis Roussos and drummer Lucas Sideras left for London to try his success outside of Greece. They got stuck in Paris and formed the band "Aphrodite's Child".
They recorded a song, "Rain and Tears", inspired on Pachelbell's famous canon and released it on single. It became a huge success ranking at the top of the charts in several European countries.

In total they recorded 3 albums together, with considerable success in the European charts. Vangelis wanted to move more and more to his own experimental direction, which can be recognized on the "666" album. After its release the group split up and both Demis Roussos and Vangelis started their successful solo careers.
According to the "Superstar" re-release of Vangelis' "Earth" album, Demis Roussos and Vangelis sat down after recording Demis' "Magic" album in 1977 to talk about a possible resurrection of the band, but this never set through.

Albums:

End Of The World (1968)

Until recently this album was never released on CD. The Polygram department in Greece however has now finally released it.

        1 End of the World            3:13
        2 Don't Try to Catch a River  3:38
        3 Mister Thomas               2:52
        4 Rain and Tears              3:10
        5 The Grass is No Green       6:05

        1 Valley of Sadness           3:13
        2 You always Stand in My Way  3:55
        3 The Shepherd and the Moon   3:04
        4 Day of the Fool             5:50

It's Five O'Clock (1969)

This album was not available on CD until recently when Polygram Greece finally released it.
There have been some misunderstandings about an earlier release concerning this album since recordlabel BRmusic released a compilation CD, falsely listing it as "It's Five O'Clock" (see "Greatest Hits", below).

        1 It's Five O'Clock         3:29
        2 Wake Up                   4:05
        3 Take Your Time            2:40
        4 Annabella                 3:55
        5 Let Me Love, Let Me Live  4:42

        1 Funky Mary                4:11
        2 Good Time So Fine         2:44
        3 Marie Jolie               4:47
        4 Such A Funny Night        4:33

666 (1972)
Vangelis started working on this album in 1970, because the contract with Mercury demanded a third album. The record company had doubts about the concept, which was very progressive, so they asked for a new single first. After "Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall" had been released the group started to record 666, joined by Silver Koulouris who's initial participation in Aphrodite's Child couldn't be because he had had to fulfill his duties in the Greek Army.
While Vangelis finished the work on the album the other band members started performing live without him, and Demis Roussos released a solo album. It took more than a year to finish, and by the time it was released, in 1972, the band had already split up.
There was quite a bit of controversy surrounding the album at the time of its release. This led to boycotts on certain radio stations. One of the reasons for this was a remark on the album's sleeve stating that the album was recorded under the influence of "Sahlep", which was interpreted as being either a drug or a demon. It actually is a Turkish drink which includes Sahlep powder (a spice) as ingredient. Another reason was the song "Infinity" which has Irene Papas making certain noises one would normal not allow to leave the bedroom. And quite loud as well. It's ironic that this album would, for a long time, turn out the only one to get a general release on CD, until it was joined by the other albums being released on CD, only in Greece in 1996. The album is still regarded as a classic in the progressive rock genre, being covered and sampled by present day artists, and appearing in popular magazines' top 10 lists.
Some of the sounds and voices on the album have lived another live more recently, when Rumanian born composer Michael Cretu used many large samples from this album in his famous Enigma album "MCMXC A.D.", released in 1990.
This double-album was until recently the only album by "Aphrodite's Child" that had been released on CD.
LP/CD 1
```
        1  The System                    0:23
        2  Babylon                       2:47
        3  Loud Loud Loud                2:42
        4  The Four Horsemen             5:54
        5  The Lamb                      4:33
        6  The Seventh Seal              1:30
        7  Aegian Sea                    5:22
        8  Seven Bowls                   1:29
        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
        
```
LP/CD 2
```
        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  [infinity symbol]             5:15
        6  Hic And Nunc                  2:55
        7  All The Seats Were Occupied  19:19 
        8  Break                         2:58
        
```

Compilations on CD:

Best Of Aphrodite's Child

The first ever Aphrodite's Child compilation on CD. Used to be one of the countless different compilation LPs - this one being printed and released in Germany - later got transfered to CD and released all over the world. For a long time it was the only way to get most of Aphrodite's Child's hit songs on CD, until Polygram Greece released the albums and BR Music and Mercury started to release the other compilations.

        1  Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall 4:57
        2  Such a funny night              4:33
        3  I want to live                  3:30
        4  You always stand in my way      3:55
        5  Rain and Tears                  3:10
        6  Let me love, Let me live        4:42
        7  Don't try to catch a river      3:38
        8  It's five o'clock               3:29
        9  Wake up                         4:50
        10 End of the World                3:13

Label and catalogue number: Mercury 838 706-2

The Best Of Aphrodite's Child (1994)

A different compilation CD, released (almost exclusively) in France.

        1. Rain and tears                  0:23
        2. The system                      2:47
        3. Babylon                         3:13
        4. It's five o'clock               3:38
        5. Don't try to catch a river      3:25
        6. Hic and nunc                    2:55
        7. The battle of the locusts       0:56
        8. Do it                           1:44
        9. I want to live                  4:42
       10. The beast                       2:26
       11. You always stand in my way      3:55
       12. Let me love, let me live        4:42
       13. Wake up                         3:29
       14. Marie Jolie                     4:05
       15. Take your time                  2:40
       16. Annabella                       3:55
       17. Good time so fine               2:44
       18. Marie Jolie                     4:47
       19. Magic mirror                    2:51
       20. Break                           2:58

Label and catalogue number: Phonogram 522 675-2

Greatest Hits (1995)

This Dutch compilation, created by BR Music, contains a large seclection of Aphrodite's Child tracks in excellent sound quality. The booklet is extensive, including many photos, texts and a quite elaborate discography listing unreleased music and rare releases. It also falsely lists Vangelis' "Sex Power" as an unreleased "Aphrodite's Child" album.

        1  Rain and Tears                  3:10
        2  End of the World                3:13
        3  Mister Thomas                   2:52
        4  The Grass is no Green           6:05
        5  Valley Of Sadness               3:13
        6  Shepard of the Moon             3:04
        7  Day of the Fool                 5:50
        8  I Want to Live                  3:30
        9  Let Me Love, Let Me Live        4:42
        10 Marie Jolie                     4:47
        11 It's Five O Clock               3:29
        12 Wake Up                         4:05
        13 Annabella                       3:55
        14 Good Time So Fine               2:44
        15 Such a Funny Night              4:33
        16 Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall 4:57
        17 Break                           2:58
        18 Babylon                         3:30
        19 The Four Horsemen               3:54
        20 Hic Et Nunc                     2:55

Label and catalogue number: BR Music BX 509-2

The Complete Collection (1996)

A Double CD with a lot of tracks, compiled by Bert van Breda from BR Music, but released on another label (Mercury). The booklet is a lot like "Greatest Hits" but has other photos, and the error of listing "Sex Power" in the discography has been corrected.

Actually, many of the tracks on this CD never appeared before on any CD. At the time they were only released on rare singles exclusive to certain countries only, like the Italian "Quando L'Amore Diventa Poesia" and "Lontano Dagli Occhi" tracks. This is one of the most recommendable Aphrodite's Child CDs out there. The only material missing is the progressive material represented in a number of tracks on the "666" album, where sound effects took over from the regular pop song format. Later on, more compilations were released with unreleased bonus material, which makes this album only a first step to completing your Aphrodite's Child collection.

CD 1

        1  Plastics Nevermore             2:30
        2  The Other People               3:07
        3  Rain and Tears                 3:13
        4  Don't Try To Catch A River     3:41
        5  End of the World               3:14
        6  You Always Stand In My Way     3:57
        7  Mister Thomas                  2:49
        8  The Grass Is No Green          6:06
        9  Valley of Sadness              3:12
        10 The Shepherd and the Moon      3:02
        11 Day of the Fool                5:57
        12 Quando L'Amore Diventa Poesia  2:39
        13 Lontano Dagli Occhi            3:42
        14 I Want To Live                 3:50
        15 Magic Mirror                   2:52
        16 Let Me Love, Let Me Live       4:41
        17 Marie Jolie                    4:37
        18 It's Five O'Clock              3:28
        19 Wake Up                        4:02
        20 Take Your Time                 2:40

CD 2

        1  Such A Funny Night             4:31
        2  Annabella                      3:51
        3  Good Time So Fine              2:43
        4  Funky Mary                     4:11
        5  Spring Summer Winter and Fall  4:54
        6  Air                            4:16
        7  Break                          2:52
        8  Babylon                        2:50
        9  The Four Horseman              5:54
        10 The Lamb                       4:35
        11 The Seventh Seal               1:31
        12 Aegian Sea                     5:20
        13 Lament                         2:53
        14 The Marching Beast             2:01
        15 Hic et Nunc                    2:54
        16 All the Seats Were Occupied   19:18

Label and ordernumber: Mercury 534 073-2

The Singles (2001)

Another Dutch BR Music compilation, comparable to 1995's Greatest Hits disc, which confusingly has the same catalog number, although title and track selection are both completely different. The date on "The Singles" points to 1995, although the album was not actually released before 2001. The booklet inside has different pictures that cannot be found elsewhere.

        1  Plastics Nevermore               2:30
        2  The Other People                 3:07
        3  Rain and Tears                   3:13
        4  Don't Try To Catch a River       3:41
        5  End of the World                 3:14
        6  You Always Stand in my Way       3:57
        7  Valley of Sadness                3:12
        8  Mister Thomas                    2:49
        9  Quando Lamore Diventa Poesia     2:39
        10 Lontano Dagli Occhi              3:42
        11 I Want to Live                   3:50
        12 Magic Mirror                     2:52
        13 Let me Love, Let me Live         4:41
        14 Marie Jolie                      4:37
        15 It's Five O Clock                3:28
        16 Wake Up                          4:02
        17 Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall  4:57
        18 Air                              4:16
        19 Such a Funny Night               3:39
        20 Annabella                        3:51
        21 Break                            2:52
        22 Babylon                          2:50

Label and ordernumber: BR Music BX 509-2

Babylon the Great (2002)

Universal's newly conceived introduction to "Aphrodite's Child", this time assembled from a more progressive rock perspective than used for the usual poppy hitsong compilation albums.

The collection has been enhanced by including a long experimental track composed by Vangelis that never made it to any release so far. The track slowly builds a repetitive pattern that one could say in a way precursors what dance mucicians would start toying with more than 20 years later. A number of other songs are presented in their single edits, usually not having appeared in CD format before.
```
        
     1. The Other People (Single Version)
     2. You Always Stand In My Way
     3. Valley Of Sadness
     4. The Grass Is No Green
     5. Day Of The Fool
     6. The Shepherd And The Moon
     7. Magic Mirror (Single Version)
     8. Funky Mary
     9. Let Me Love, Let Me Live
    10. Chackachak (Previously Unreleased)
    11. Loud, Loud, Loud
    12. The Four Horsemen
    13. The Aegian Sea
    14. Lament
    15. Break
```
Label and ordernumber: Mercury 586 870-2

The Singles + (2003)

This is the follow-up to the first "The Singles" album, produced by BR Music. This time it's a double CD, with as most interesting feature it's three bonus tracks, marking the first time any Aphrodite's Child live performances were released.

The first bonus "End of the World live" sounds rather poor, mixed in mono, but contains some interesting sound effects and live performing which make it very much worth the while. The second is the Italian "Lontano Dagli Occhi" as it was live performed in a TV program, which some fans still have as a VHS recording. The band was asked questions by the audience and they performed this track. During the end titles they performed an impressive live jazzy jam session, which also appears on this CD.

The disc actually resembles The Complete Collection a lot, but cannot completely replace it, because "All the Seats Were Occupied" was omitted, and "Such a Funny Night" is featured here in a much shorter edit, with a number of repeats cut from the middle of the song.