Demis Roussos, real name Artemios ‘Demis’ Ventouris-Roussos, was a Greek singer who had two distinct careers as brilliant as each other, the first in the 'Aphrodite's Child' and the second in solo. Singer who could boast of having sold no less than 60 million albums during his lifetime.
It was at the age of 17 that his artistic destiny changed when he crossed paths with a certain Evangelos Papathenassiou, the same one who would become a few years later the incredible composer who we know under the name of Vangelis.
He formed with him and a third thief named Loukas Sideras the 'Aphrodite’s Child' in 1967, a group which released their first title "Plastics nevermore" the following year in 1968, a title that would go completely unnoticed.
This is not the case with the next one, "Rain and Tears" which also in 1968 and which will make a real worldwide hit, launching the career of the group in a shattering way. Title taken from the album "End of the world" also released in 1968.
The group will produce several hits of planetary class thereafter with titles like "I want to live" in 1969, as well as "It's five o'clock" and "Spring, Summer, Winter and fall" in 1970. Despite these successes repeatedly, the group will eventually separate in 1972.
After the separation of the group, the singer and Vangelis will continue to collaborate on several occasions. Especially on flagship film soundtracks such as 'Chariots of Fire' in 1981 or 'Blade Runner' in 1982.
The artist’s solo career began not in 1973 after the band's disbandment but 2 years earlier in 1971 with the release of a first Single called "We Shall Dance". And for a first solo try, it is rather successful since the title will know a significant success throughout the Old Continent.
His first album “Forever and ever” was released in 1973, an album which was to hit the market in Europe and launch the singer's solo career in a sensational fashion. With the key several major hits including "My friend the wind", "Forever and ever" but also, and above all, "Goodbye my love, goodbye".
The year 1974 saw the release of the album "My only fascination", an album which confirmed the singer's status as a phenomenon of the moment. In particular thanks to the titles “Someday somewhere” which came out the same year and “Lovely lady of Arcadia” released a few months earlier in 1973.
New album "Souvenirs" in 1975 and another major success. Paradoxically, the album will struggle to produce a Single of global class as before and only the track "Perdoname" will manage to succeed.
The year 1977 saw him come back in force with the album "The Demis Roussos magic", album which will know its hour of glory across the Channel and which will produce two high caliber Singles with the titles "When forever has gone" and "Because".
In 1978, he finally obtained one of his first successes in the USA with the titles "That once in a lifetime" and "L.O.V.E. Got a hold of me", both from the album" Demis Roussos".
Even if the level of success decreases from year to year, the album "Man of the world" which was released in 1980 saw it stay afloat, notably thanks to the title "Lost in love".
The rest will unfortunately prove to be much more complicated to manage than expected. Considered by the younger generations as 'has been', like a good number of singers from his generation, successes are becoming increasingly rare except in 1982 with the title "Follow me" at the International and the enormous “Quand je t'aime" in France in 1987. A title written by a certain Didier Barbelivien, as if by chance…
He will obtain some rare successes thereafter like “Prier” and “Time” in 1988, as well as “On wécrit sur les murs” in 1989. But they will be indeed the last and all that will come out thereafter will know only a very modest level of success.
A great adventure which will end definitively on January 25, 2015, when he died of stomach-pancreatic cancer at the age of 68, leaving behind one of the most extensive discography of the end of the 20th century and which will at least have the merit of surviving him ...
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
Rain and tears (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1968
End of the world (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1968
I want to live (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1969
Let me love, let me live (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1969
It's Five O'Clock (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1969
70s Decade :
Spring, summer, winter and fall (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1970
We shall dance 1971
Break (Aphrodite’s Childs) 1972
My reason 1972
Goodbye my love, goodbye 1973
Forever and ever 1973
My friend the wind 1973
Lovey Lady of Arcadia 1973
Someday, somewhere 1974
My only fascination 1974
Auf Wiederseh'n 1974
With you 1974
Schön wie Mona Lisa 1975
From souvenirs to souvenirs 1975
Perdoname 1975
Midnight is the time I need you 1975
Happy to be on an island in the sun 1975
Cant' say how much I love you 1976
When forever has gone 1976
Mourir auprès de mon amour 1977
Ainsi soit-il 1977
Life in the city 1978
That once in a lifetime 1978
L.O.V.E Got a hold of me 1978
Loin des yeux loin du cœur 1978
80s Decade :
Lost in love 1980
I need you 1980
Race to the end 1981
Follow me 1982
Jay 1983
Love me tender 1984
Island of love 1985
Summer in her eyes 1986
Quand je t’aime 1987
Prier 1988
Le Grec 1988
Time 1988
Dance of love 1989
On écrit sur les murs 1989
Spleen 1989
90s Decade :
Petite fille 1990
Poésie 1990
Tous les 'je vous aime' 1993
Dinata 1997
2000s Decade :
Love is 2009
Tracks :
1968...probably one of the biggest hits of that year and of the entire decade. The first steps of future huge stars (literally and figuratively...)
1968...a sequel that can't match the previous gem but still allows the group to show that he won't be the group of just One Shot. The proof !
1969...for the moment in grouped mode, a mode which is particularly successful for them for the moment. But not sure it will last like this for very long...
1969...as long as the successes follow one another, the young Vangelis and Demis have no reason to want to emancipate themselves from the rest of the group. For the moment...
1969...especially when they produce this kind of title. Their second biggest success, a success that definitely confirms the group as one of the most gifted of the end of the 60s. MA-GIC !
1970... the group will not survive the transition to the following decade. He delivers here one of his last titles and is about to turn the page definitively...
1971 ... first solo title and first classified title, what more could you ask for. A second career that starts in an ideal way for the singer !
1972... the adventure will continue a little bit in grouped mode but the heart is no longer there, that's clear. Everyone will regain their freedom and 2 members of the group will begin a most successful solo career...
1972... he confirms with this title that the first solo success of 1971 was anything but an accident. It is therefore set for several years of success at least, even a few decades !
1973 ... then THIS title comes ! The title of the consecration, and yes, already ! Here he obtains his greatest global success and at the same time offers himself a direct ticket to posterity. MAS-TER-FUL !
1973 ... the year of all success ! He goes directly with a title almost of the same level and undoubtedly becomes one of the biggest phenomena of the moment !
1973 ... a year that never ends and which sees him deliver a number of world class titles for the less impressive. This is called literally walking on water !
1973 ... a year 1973 which ended in apotheosis with this title and which will undoubtedly remain as its best vintage. There are years like this !
1974 ... a predisposition for the register 'With emotions' among the best of the moment. An undeniable talent in this field which literally outperforms the competition !
1974 ... a year 1974 which will not be able to equal the year 1973 but which nevertheless maintains the artist at a very high level of success. A decidedly extraordinary talent !
1974 ... the adventure continues to be beautiful and above all the singer continues to unroll in an impressive way to say the least. And whatever the language in which he sings ...
1974 ... it is clear that he will still have his greatest successes in the English language. Except in a few years when he will experience one of his biggest personal successes in French ...
1975 ... after 2 totally euphoric years, the rest will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected. The singer is struggling to renew himself and the sanction will be immediate in the Charts ...
1975 ... he does not demerit, far from it but too much Intimist kills the Intimist at one point. An alternation of style would be welcome, that's clear ...
1975 ... and it is precisely when he dares to do something else that success returns. Like what, often, it doesn't matter much ...
1975 ... and that, to dare, he dares, finally ! Here he has arrived in Disco mode and my faith he is far from being ridiculous. Unfortunately for him, the title will go somewhat unnoticed ...
1975 ... a title that borders on caricature and yet will experience its heyday across the Channel. All tastes are in nature as they say ...
1976 ... here he is back in intimist mode on a particularly inspired title which will once again please almost only the great Bretons. It's always better than nothing as they say !
1976 ... the great adventure across the Channel continues with this title. A year 1976 which will have seen him shine mainly there. Afterwards, it is better to shine in a few countries than not at all !
1977 ... which will undoubtedly remain as one of his finest titles. Here he delivers an absolutely sumptuous title in which his talent for the Intimist really does wonders, moreover in French. And as luck would have it, who is the composer. A certain Vangelis...!
1977 ... a 1977 year of incredible richness in terms of 'emotional' titles. Too much Intimist kills the Intimist but in his case, we ask for more !
1978 ... a nice track, much more playful but which unfortunately will go somewhat unnoticed. As soon as he leaves its usual register, the public is not necessarily there ...
1978 ... one of his very rare successes in the USA. A year 1978 with a much faster tempo and which shows a facet of his talent that we weren't used to seeing ...
1978 ... new success in the USA with this 100 % Disco title. It just goes to show that if he had alternated between an Intimist title and a Dance title more often, his international fame would have been quite different !
1978 ... return to the Intimist and this time in French. A good job once again in this area even if the success of the title will necessarily be limited to France ...
1980 ... a change of decade that rhymes with luxury cover, something extremely rare for him. He revisits here with Florence Warner the title of Air Supply released the same year. A revisited version much faster than the original but which holds the road as they say !
1980 ... even if his talent in the Intimist remains of a very high level, it is clear that his style is starting to look somewhat obsolete in this new decade. Attention danger...
1981 ... the adapted version of the soundtrack of the film 'Chariots of Fire', surely one of the most famous soundtracks of the decade. With the key to a nice title necessarily !
1982 ... a very astonishing version of the Aranjuez concerto. Completely outside the time and musical standards of the moment. Damn daring bet ...
1983 ... he finally takes the measure of the latest musical trends and tries to adapt to them. And my faith, the result is not that bad, that's clear !
1984 ... when Demis revisits Elvis dating from 1956. Vangelis paste is omnipresent on this track and allows to release a revisited version for the less surprising ...
1985 ... it is clear that the gap between him and the competition is widening year after year. What he offers is nice, but how do you fight with youngsters who are 20 years younger. Almost impossible bet ...
1986 ... the adventure continues for good even if the singer is doing more and more only some figuration. It is clear that the best years are now behind ...
1987 ... then the miracle comes thanks to the providential help of the 'hits maker' Didier Barbelivien. He offers him on a stage this sumptuous title which will revive the artist in a shattering way. At least in France ...
1988 ... a dark and serious title with a certain quality but which absolutely does not fit with what young audiences expect. Hence a title that will necessarily go somewhat unnoticed ...
1988 ... and what to say about it ! It's clear that this completely offbeat artistic direction can only be of interest to grassroots fans. And even...
1988 ... he hangs on and tries by all means to get back into the race, in particular thanks to this title which sounds much more trendy. It's tried but unfortunately it will not be enough ...
1989 ... the end of the 1980s which saw him explore the Dance field much more. Happy initiative because the titles produced are far from being ridiculous !
1989 ... a second part of the 1980s which saw him return to the race in an unexpected way. Like what, it was enough simply to compose the right titles for him and he will have done what was necessary behind to get the best from it !
1989 ... the return to Intimist mode but a modern Intimist mode and that changes everything. This will not bring him back to the top of the Top50 but it at least has the merit of keeping him afloat for a while ...
1990 ... and here he is unashamedly attacking the 90s, a decade that will unfortunately be too many. Because everything will go much too quickly during this decade for him ...
1990 ... he will resist for a while longer, but the end of the adventure is near. The competition is now light years ahead and it is now becoming impossible for him to exist at the highest level in these conditions ...
1993 ... a title in the form of a will which traces his career and looks back on the best moments of his life. A nice title which literally floats in the air and which once again highlights his extraordinary talent for the 'emotional' register ...
1997 .... what better way to end the adventure than a swaying track with strong accents of gypsy music and which gives energy. We want more !
2009 ... 12 years will separate the 2 titles. He will attempt an impossible comeback during the 2000s but mass has been said for a long time concerning him and he will never come back to the race unfortunately. But what a career !
Wiki :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :