Socrates with Vangelis Papathanassiou - Phos (1976, Vertigo) (1998 Greece Remastered)
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Artist: Socrates with Vangelis Papathanassiou
Album: Phos (means Light )
Released: 1998
Source: Vertigo (518 738 2)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Introduction
In 1975 Vangelis worked with the Greek rock band Socrates on their third album "Phos". The band consists of three members at the time, Antonis Tourkogiorgis, John Spathas and George Tradalidis. Their cooperation with Vangelis lasts only for this one album, he is credited for producing the album, playing keyboards and percussion and also for composing one of the songs.
Before and after this album Socrates made a number of other albums, sometimes under the imaginative name 'Socrates drank the conium'...
Review
Greek band Socrates (without Vangelis) sound like a standard seventies rhythm'n'blues-outfit with a lead-vocalist/bass player, lead-guitarist and drummer, somewhat akin to early Fleetwood Mac, Free and other bluesy bands like those. But they also remind you of some of the livelier moments of Aphrodite's Child - in fact, Antonis Tourkogiorgis' voice is not dissimilar to that of the younger Demis Roussos, and likewise the guitar-work of John Spadas compared to that of Silver Koulouris. But they lack some of the melancholy and weirdness of their illustrious predecessors, which is where Vangelis comes in for this 1976 album "Phos".
Socrates, like Aphrodite's Child, recorded for Vertigo/Polygram which is probably how they got in touch with Vangelis, who in turn might have relished the chance to work with some fellow Greeks again, in a rather uncomplicated style far removed from his own at the time (e.g. "Albedo 0.39", "Spiral").
Discography
Although recorded in 1975, an LP was first issued in 1976 in Greece and the USA, the last one which was later withdrawn. The USA print had a yellow cover with a statue-head picture (see scan on the right), where as the Greek printed a different cover, with a collage of pictures from the three band members (see scan on top) No singles were released. The first cd was issued in Greece in 1993 by Vertigo, which was later re-issued in South Korea by Si-Wan records. Both have the collage cover. In 1998 Vertigo re-released a remastered edition of the album, with the statue head cover. Apparently also a single was released from the album in Greece...
LP
1976 Vertigo 6331 950 Greece
1976 Peters International PILPS 9013 USA
CD
1993 Vertigo 518 738 2 Greece
1995 Si-Wan Records 518 527 2 South Korea
1998 Vertigo 518 738 2 Greece (Remastered)
Recording studio
As his own studio was still being built up, Vangelis booked recording time Orange Studios, a small but centrally located studio. There he met Keith Spencer-Allen, sound engineer at Orange Studios at the time, who would be his assistant at Nemo during the remaining part of the seventies. Not only did Vangelis record this album at Orange Studios, but also an album with Greek singer Mariangela. Actually the female backing vocal in "A day in heaven" is Mariangela.
Album Lyrics
"Phos" is not a masterpiece of an album (but certainly the better for Vangelis' contribution) and Socrates as a band would have remained highly obscure and of interest to blues specialists only, were it not for their involvement with the much better-known Vangelis. For him, it was probably just an opportunity to "let his hair down", have some fun and help out a few fellow Greeks. The result is enjoyable enough to listen to once in a while, as simply another oddity in the long Vangelis canon.
Track List:
1. Starvation
2. Queen of the universe
3. Every dream comes to an end
4. The bride
5. Killer
6. A day in heaven
7. Time of pain
8. Mountains
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