The plane was hijacked by members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, and Roussos and his wife, along with the other passengers, were held captive for a few days. Eventually he moved back to Greece, however, and it was there from which he boarded TWA flight 847 to Rome on June 14, 1985. In 1978 the singer decided to retire, and moved to Malibu Beach, where he kept a lower profile. The 1970s were a prolific time for Roussos, and he released a number of singles and albums that charted highly on the European and Latin American charts. With his label contacts in place, however, Roussos was able to secure a deal as a solo recording artist, and later that same year issued the single “We Shall Dance,” also included on the album On the Greek Side of My Mind. A huge hit in Europe, especially France, the band released a handful of albums before breaking up in 1971. One of these was Aphrodite’s Child, which also featured Vangelis Papatanassiou and Lucas Sideras. In the early '60s, however, the family decided to return to their homeland, and once there, the young Roussos (who had studied trumpet and sung in the church choir in Egypt) began playing in local bands. Singer Demis Roussos, known for his dramatic, operatic vocal stylings, was born Artemios Ventouris Roussos in Alexandria, Egypt, on June 15, 1946, to Greek expatriate parents. But still - WHAT A VOICE this man had/has!! The Greek influences abound, and I have to say that to TRULY appreciate it, listen to it start-to-finish in one setting with great audio and a comfortable chair (plus any other, er, aural enhancements you may want to avail yourselves with…), and if you are open-minded at all about the origins of so-called “world music”, pop/rock esoterica, etc., you will NOT be disappointed!.by… L.
All I can say is… HOLY $#!+ !!!!!!! This is an incredibly complex album that will sit well among Van Der Graaf Generator and Genesis types of progressive “rock-pop” with a few excursions into melodic pop-land. old mother told me how much she loved Demis Roussos’ voice, I figured that I would dig into the archives of the earliest Demis solo stuff and discovered this 1971 gem.
LP was “666”, an apocalyptic horrorshow that mixed intelligent lyrics with pop stuff - plus an absolutely terrifying performance by avant-garde singer Diamanda Galas! Later I bought the Greatest Hits LP and remembered how good these Greek musicians were, even when Vangelis and Demis produced pop pablum for the (mostly) Euro masses afterwards.Īnd then, after my now-85 yr. I grew up a military brat in Europe in the late '60s and early '70s, and I had heard Aphrodite’s Child and later Demis Roussos’ oeuvre on the radio as a staple. On The Greek Side Of My Mind is a dramatic exploration of his roots, the legends of his home country and the journey he was on, weaving the themes of Greek folk into a rich orchestrated progressive pop that transports with it’s rich imagery. Made with Aphrodite’s Child lyricist Boris Bergman and French musicians as well as Aphrodite’s Child drummer Lucas Sideras, On The Greek Side Of My Mind is the missing link between the band and his solo success - even though it was made while Aphrodite’s Child were still going. He became an international star in 1973 with ‘Forever And Ever’, but the unsung On The Greek Side Of My Mind was where his solo career began. Before Greece’s Progressive Rock legends Aphrodite’s Child bowed out in 1972 with the double concept album 666, their singer Demis Roussos had already made his own, solo, concept album, On The Greek Side Of My Mind. As Psychedelic as it was atmospheric, On The Greek Side Of My Mind is essential to The Aphrodite’s Child jigsaw. Greek folk into a rich orchestrated progressive pop that transports with itsĭigitally re-mastered edition of this 1971 album. Legends of his home country and the journey he was on, weaving the themes of On The Greek Side Of My Mind is a dramatic exploration of his roots, the Success – even though it was made while Aphrodite’s Child were still going. Made withĪphrodite’s Child lyricist Boris Bergman and French musicians as well asĪphrodite’s Child drummer Lucas Sideras, On The Greek Side Of My Mind is the missing link between the band and his solo He became an international star in 1973 with “Forever And Ever”, but the unsung On The Greek Side Of My Mind was where his solo career began. And essential for any fan of Roussos.īefore Greece’s progressive rock legends Aphrodite’s Child bowed out in 1972 with the double concept album 666, their singer Demis Roussos had already made his own, solo, concept album, 1971’s On The Greek Side Of My Mind. As psychedelic as it was atmospheric, On The Greek Side Of My Mind is essential to The Aphrodite’s Chid jigsaw.