Aphrodite's Child
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Aphrodite's Child was a Greek progressive rock band formed in 1968 by vocalist Demis Roussos, multi-instrumentalist Vangelis Papathanassiou and drummer Lucas Sideras. After a failed attempt to enter England, the band regrouped in Paris, where guitarist Anargyros "Silver" Koulouris was added to their line-up (although he would be forced to leave the band to perform military service, with guitar and bass both being played by Roussos during his absence).
The band's first two albums, End of the World and It's Five O'Clock, combined prog rock with elements of Greek folk music, with the former spawning the song Rain and Tears, which was a minor hit in Britain.
The band began to record their crowning achievement in 1970: a musical adaptation of the biblical Book of Revelations, entitled 666 - The Number of the Beast (double album). Controversial because of its subject matter and rumours about how it was conceived, it was not finally released until 1972, by which time the band had split over musical differences. Nevertheless, the album became recognized as one of most important in the genre, especially as a defining example of a concept album. Amongst the guests on the album were Irene Papas and John Forst.
After the band split, both Vangelis and Demis Roussos pursued successful solo careers, Kolouris worked with both on occasion, whilst Lucas Sideras pursued a less successful solo career, releasing the single Rising Sun after the break-up.
Discography
- End of the World (1968)
- It's Five O'Clock (1969)
- 666 - The Number of the Beast (1972)
- Best Of Aphrodite's Child (1980)
- Aphrodite's Child's Greatest Hits (1995)
- The Complete Collection (Aphrodite's Child) (1996)
- Babylon the Great (2002)
Song HighLights:
Four Horsemen was a minor hit in the United States, receiving AOR airplay.
Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall Rain and Tears It's Five o Clock Such a Funny NightTemplate:Band-stub