There's a few artists from Greece that have some disco hits in the past!
The most famous of them is one of the best voices ever from this country!!!
DEMIS ROUSSOSDemis Roussos, the 350 pound Greek crooner is best known in America through his association with Vangelis ("Theme from Chariots of Fire"). But across the Atlantic Ocean, and in parts of Latin America, millions of people are proud to call themselves Demis Rossous fans. Chances are, you've never heard of Demis Roussos. And that's a shame. Because Demis is one of the biggest stars in the world.
Demis was born in Egypt in 1946. The son of Greek expatriates, Demis spent his early years living in Alexandria, immersed in Arabic culture and the choral music of the Greek Orthodox church. In 1958, fleeing from the trouble over the Suez Canal, Demis' family returned to Greece where Demis honed his skills as a performer. Having learned to play piano and guitar, Demis spent many hours practicing. As a young man, Demis was forced to work as a cabaret musician in order to support his family.
By the time he formed his first band -The Idols- at age 17, Demis was already a force to be reckoned with. The Idols gave way to the We Five -both of which were primarly Western-style cover bands- but Demis' first big break came in 1968, when he teamed-up with Vangelis Papathanassiou, Loukas Sideras, and Agyrilos Koulouris to form the operatic psychedelic rock band Aphrodite's Child.
Aphrodite's Child had a string of hit singles, but the group split-up following the release of their final album "666". "666" was a concept album about the Book of Revelations, featuring a stunning musical tribute to the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Although the band was finished, Vangelis and Demis Roussos reunited for the 1970 recording "Sex Power", and continued to be frequent musical collaborators throughout the next 30 years, including the 1977 "Magic" LP and a guest appearance by Demis Roussus on the "Blade Runner" soundtrack.
Demis began his own solo career with the single "We Shall Dance." Initially sales were slow, but when Demis embarked on a tour of Southern Europe the song quickly became a #1 hit.
Demis Roussos' solo success was assured with the release of the album "On the Greek Side of My Mind" (aka "Fire and Ice" ). Like Abba, Demis re-recorded his songs in many different languages, which led to a series of hit singles in Germany (1974); England -where the EP "The Roussos Phenomenon" was a #1 record in 1976 (Malcolm McClaren eat your heart out!); France (1977 and 1978); Italy (where Demis hit #1); and finally the United States (where the LP "Demis" went gold). The 1978 album "Universum" was released in four different languages, and Demis' Spanish-language songs soon became a hit in Latin America.
In 1982, Demis teamed-up with Veronique Skawinska (Vangelis' "life companion") to publish his autobiography "A Question of Weight". The book -which focuses on Demis' struggle to lose 100 pounds- includes many rare photographs of Demis, including one of Demis Roussos crucified, as well as personal advice on topics such as love, sex, and food.
Throughout the 1970's, Demis Roussos' increasingly grandiose romantic records found an appreciative audience worldwide. Few who have heard him can forget Demis' characteristically warbling operatic voice. But the 1980's were a time of bitter disappointment. Peoples' tastes had changed, and Demis was quickly turning into a musical has-been. "Attitudes" and "Reflections" were both commercial flops. A hit single in Australia (where one in four people own a Neil Diamond record), was not enough to lift Demis' spirits. He took time-off from his musical career and sank into depression.
In 1985, Demis' airplane was hijacked by terrorists, and the singer was held hostage in Beirut for five days. Already a big celebrity throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Demis sang his way to freedom. The hijackers were so impressed by their celebrity hostage, they even celebrated Demis' birthday with him on the airplane.
After he had recovered from his experience with the hijackers, Demis returned with a new album called "La Grec",which was quickly followed by "Time" and "Voice and Vision". All three albums sold well in continental Europe, particularly Italy and France. Demis followed-up on this success with two new Christmas albums: "Come All Ye Faithful" and "Christmas with Demis Roussous".
The 1990's saw the release of half-a-dozen new albums, along with the re-release of many older songs on compact disc.
In 1993, Demis celebrated his career with a 25 year retrospective, and a new CD called "Insight" (released under a variety different titles, such as "Morning Has Broken", etc.). "Insight" is notable for the (rather unfortunate) decision to include a rap tune called "Spleen". This was followed by "In Holland" (1995), "Immortal" and "Serenade" (1996).
From 1978 the Freddie Perren Loft classic 12'' of Demis Roussos - L.O.V.E. Got A Hold On Me !!!
Demis Roussos - L.O.V.E. Got A Hold On Me -
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