DEMIS ROUSSOS – The Roussos Phenomenon (EP)

This modestly titled EP (four tracks) used the first of these, “Forever and Ever” to sell the record and I’m sorry to say that I loved it. I thought the intro, which doubled as the middle-bit and the fade, was blinding. The alarming fact about Roussos was that his voice didn’t fit his body and here “Dennis” and I saw eye to eye, as I was small for my age but had a particularly low-pitched voice, which all the girls thought was a put on. I used to do a great (no modesty spared her, I’m afraid) impersonation of Len Martin, the guy who read out the football results on “Grandstand”, perfectly from about thirteen onwards. It was perhaps a worrying party piece but then sweet little Waldo…well, you know. Dennis, of course, was the reverse of this, being a bearded bull of a man in possession of a somewhat squeaky, though melodious bray.

It always surprised me that Roussos did not attract more female admirers from my own age group. He was certainly a grizzled old lump, without doubt all man, and by then an international superstar. My own take on it was that girly voice, which like Tiny Tim, gave him the appearance as something an oddity. Perhaps that was it.

Bit of triv. DR was the first African-born artist to top the UK singles chart. His place of origin had been Egypt, although both parents were Greek.

Tom why judge the release on all EP tracks but not judge other #1 singles on their b-sides? Your mark could be based just on the most played or well known track from any EP no? Apologies if, in this case, there was no ‘standout’ song from this in that respect.

In terms of what we might call “sanitised”/cleaned up Greek popular song, don’t forget that for decades Britain loved/still love Nana Mouskouri, who had umpteen hit albums (though only one hit single – “Only Love,” a #2 hit in 1986) and was endlessly on TV (or endlessly being impersonated by Benny Hill) in my youth. Demis is a more complex case.

But before I get to the great man, a couple of secondary observations:

a) ’76 may be the only case of two different songs with the same title reaching number one in the same year (even though Demis’ “Forever And Ever” was strictly speaking the lead track of an EP);

b) It’s worth ruminating a little over the resurrection of the EP. One of the several major flaws of the official (i.e. used in Guinness) chart is that for most of the sixties it excluded EPs – they had their own chart in Record Retailer, but in most of the other charts, including the NME, they were counted along with singles. Therefore another somewhat distorted picture emerges. Most bizarrely, at the time when EPs were discreetly allowed back into the Record Retailer chart, this was just before the BMRB won the chart contract, and their first stipulation was to exclude EPs again; hence Simon and Garfunkel’s Mrs Robinson EP was number nine in the mid-February ’69 chart and number nowhere the following week.

Most labels got round this by inventing the three-track maxi single which benefited lots of artists, from Mungo Jerry to Bowie. But in ’76 we see, not only The Roussos Phenomenon but also Bryan Ferry’s Extended Play (also top ten: lead track, his cover of the Everlys’ “The Price Of Love”) and of course Eddie and the Hotrods’ Live At The Marquee package. I’m not really sure of the specific catalyst for the revival but don’t remember it being specifically punk-related; however it did help pave the way for the forthcoming back to basics what-have-yous.

Now, back to Demis, the then-recent subject of a similarly titled BBC1 documentary watched by millions – he’d already had a top five hit here with “Happy To Be On An Island In The Sun” over Xmas ’75-6 (clever timing, in the same way that you were always bombarded with travel adverts on Boxing Day ITV) and the doc consolidated his gathering attraction to fans of a certain age and bearing.

With Vangelis, of course, he’d been in Aphrodite’s Child with whom he scored a huge European hit in ’68 with the rather soppy ballad “Rain And Tears” before they progressed to the challenging arenas of 1972’s climactic double epic 666. And the subsequent Roussos/Vangelis reunion as part of the Blade Runner soundtrack confirmed that he still had a taste for adventure.

(Incidentally, Vangelis himself was slowly coming to prominence with UK prog audiences at around this time; 1975’s Heaven And Hell, enthusiastically and regularly spun by Alan Freeman on his Saturday afternoon rock show, was marketed as a Greek Tubular Bells and did very well – and also includes one of my all-time favourite ballads, “Long Ago And Far Away,” the first Jon and Vangelis collaboration)

And then came the phenomenon. I have to say that whenever I think of 1976 I do not automatically think of bondage trousers down the King’s Road (since in 1976 I had as yet seen neither) but rather this – if one number one brings back the stifling heat, the endless sun, the general mood of that summer, it is this one, even though its production and delivery sound filtered through an alternative 1968 (see also Joe Dolan’s 1969 top three smash “Make Me An Island” for another possible precedent).

And the use of the song and Demis as unlikely standard bearers for housewifely values in Abigail’s Party confirmed and nailed the intended audience. Note how (at least in the 1977 BBC TV production) Beverley also pulls out of her record rack a Tom Jones best of, one of those really tacky mid-seventies Music For Pleasure-type compilations, and grooves away in her own, temporarily contented universe despite the embarrassment of her guests. Here you can see a lot of what Mike Leigh was getting at and the kind of person Beverley was; the sort who swooned over Tom back in ’65 and knew that it was HER moment and don’t you bloody punks even think about trying to take my moment, my intact memory, away from me (did Lester Bangs watch it when he was over here to interview the Clash?), but then life changed, or got in the way, and she gradually lost interest and then heart; and the Beatles were getting a little too weird for her liking and isn’t that Engelbert a hunk? She’ll cling on to her moment forever if it strangles her. Meanwhile, unseen but not unheard, Abigail is next door, raving over (I think?) “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” by the Adverts, the oncoming tidal wave which (in Beverley’s front room) has already claimed a casualty. Demis, then, becomes her new talisman, her beacon of reassurance that these new-fangled seventies aren’t going mad or pulling her apart – that she’s still got someone, something, to whose beaming, beneficent kaftan she may cling. The sixties minus the question mark – and in that transitional summer, Demis was the man to supply what so many people wanted.

I further note that Tony Oxley plays drums on a couple of early Vangelis albums (Dragon and Hypothesis to be exact) and I have asked him about those but he just shook his head sadly and said he did it for the money just after Paul Anka had thrown him out of his band for not playing four to the bar.

666 has always been one of my favourite albums, apart from Irene Papas’s rather OTT contribution. I still skip that bit when I listen to the CD. I first got into it a little before this, having been aware of the single “Break” which had been a nearly-hit twice in the past couple of years.

Demis’s solo career was a hell of a sell-out wasn’t it? His albums were pretty popular in Britain too, which is unusual, because if you look at his singles chart performance, and heard this or “Happy To Be…”, you would assme that he was just a disposable novelty brought home from a holiday, and that his appeal would dry out over a few singles.

Perhaps his choice of solo material was influenced by the success of the rather insipid “Rain and Tears” mentioned earlier. It wasn’t a million miles away from his solo stuff, and Aphrodite’s Child never really came close to matching its commercial success.

Re the renaissance of EPs – although this wasn’t on the label, I think Island Records had a lot to do with the re-birth. Apart from Bryan Ferry, and Eddie and the Hot Rods, Island also released EPs from Jess Roden and Michael Nesmith around this time

Well, you can’t really hate her now, it’s way too retrospective/hindsighty.

Also, “Liebfraumilch red wine” being her height of sophistication. Were we laffing at her pretention or laffing at her getting it wrong? Putting it in the fridge.

Of course, thesedays it’s fine to put LRed in the fridge. If you want to. Then? Nonnononooo….

Ah yes (#13) – the hijacking (1985?), something else that Demis has in common with Bryan Ferry…

“So Long Ago, So Clear” indeed (hits self v. hard with cricket bat)…

Further to #15 (and I’ll stop now), Danny Williams was born in South Africa and had a solo no1 in 1961 with “Moon River”.

Waldo, I assure you this isn’t personal, but the Africa thing just didn’t ring true to me – I think I’ve had the same conversation with someone before!

vinylscot/Waldo – but Johannesburg-born Manfred Mann beats them both, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find there was someone else before him.

Punctum (#6) – there are two different number one songs with the same title within a year of each other in 1984/85, but it’s two different years (though only just)

I’ve had “Bacchanale” by Vangelis running through my head since this thread was posted – it’s from “Heaven and Hell” and is a cracking bit of prog. Anyway, Demis – his sex appeal was something I’ve always found hard to fathom, but I do remember my sister saying “ooh, I’d drop me knickers for him” – to my mother!

There was a Freddie Starr (IIRC) sketch where he’s dressed as Demis in the kaftan, singing in the customary high voice, then walks across the stage and his voice goes down three octaves as he leaves behind the bloke with a pair of pliers who’d been hiding under the kaftan. Quality 70s entertainment.

Incidentally, this town is on edge on a muggy old day, and by tonight Barrow AFC may be joining Eastbourne Borough in the Conference. Let’s hear it for the Bluebirds!

Mind you, one should never underestimate Barrow’s potential for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory…

I can understand Demis Roussos’s sex appeal, provided I get to be on top…

Oh, that e.p. pic doesn’t load btw.

He looks like Russel Brand in that picture!

I’m afraid that my problem with Demis Roussos is that that voice always has a fingers on blackboard/ squeaky balloon shuddering effect on me. The only other singer I know who has the same effect is John Anderson.

Which adds up as being doubly unfortunate for Vangelis!

For some reason the mid-song massed bouzouki interlude makes me think of “Strangers In The Night” ten years on.

Vinylscot #15+20 – I really shouldn’t believe everything I read, should I? You are quite right, Danny Williams was of course born in RSA and, yes, I was referring to solo singers. My only mitigation was that I obtained the “Demis being the first African born UK chart topper revelation”, having speed-read an item about the Bubble on-line. I chose not to consider this “fact”, which you have now revealed as being complete shite. Thanks for the correction. But then hands up those of you who still buy the line that Henry Cooper was the first professional to put Clay down? He was not. The number of pints I’ve won proving that one!!!

Rosie – Well done Barrow indeed! We’ll have to keep an eye on the fixture lits for next season, as I intend to cover selected away games for Boro, and a trip to Barrow, coupled with a day or two in the Lake District would be very appealing, as long as it’s not a Tuesday night in November. BTW, I remember when Barrow were in the Football League last time. They now have an oportunity to return.

Tom – Nothing wrong with being a pieboy, son! I too am an uber-tubby lad (a fat bastard, if you will) but still manage to swim 30+ lengths most days over at David Lloyds, even if one or two of the youngsters use that opportunity to do a spot of surfing as I glide gently by.

Indeed a delightful snap, Tom. Being happy is what it’s all about. And you (and Junior) clearly are.

I see that you’re a fan of “Callan”, as am I. Magnificent series.

Actually, and I fear this will provoke the ire of some correspondents, Tom Waits is the third singer whose voice I cannot stand, like a growling dog that won’t shut up…

Oh well, that’s it then. Rosie is so uncool that she even likes Tom Waits! The privileged ones with an ‘FT’ in front of their names to show rank and how cool and knowledgable and on the money they are have spoken!

Ok, I’ll go for social death. The one voice I really can’t stand is the atonal gob-on-you screeching of the bone-headed lumpenproletariat, as personified by that nice Mr Lydon, whining that the world is being so unfair to them. Watch the massed ranks of the hip young gunslingers rounding on me, with oh-so-tolerant Marcello in the van!

Shortly I’m going over to my own place to pan Young Frankenstein, which is unthinkable because it’s Mel Brooks, but I thought it a ponderous, sub-Marxian piece of pubescent male wankfest!

Ha! Told you so! QED!

Intelligence and musical competence are so yesterday! The thick and talentless rule, OK!

Excuse me while I enjoy some Donizetti this morning.

Marcello, do you realise how ironic it looks from the outside, when you demand that your own musical preferences be placed on a pedestal and worshipped, but you are excoriating in your castigation of what you don’t like? Dowen with “state-approved pop”, forward with the glorious Marcello-approved sound!

Lots of vision and magic in Donizetti. You should try it sometime. Oh, that bel canto sound, all those notes! Thrilling. Really!

Good butchers who know their craft inside out are pearls beyond price. They should be venerated. Donizetti = Lydgate’s of Holland Park Avenue. Punk = the meat counter at Asda.

Sorry, Rosie but i’m w/ Marcello on this one. The rules of ‘compentance’ that apply to cinema, art, theatre or practically everything else simply don’t have anywhere as much weight when discussing music. The likes of Carey, Bolton, Houston et al are merely Muzak- faultlessly performed on a technical level but totally devoid of soul and passion. The list of musicians who could never be described as virtuosos, on the other hand, that have moved and/or excited me over the years are manifold- Syd Barrett, Bo Diddley, Link Wray,the Fall our pal Beefheart, any number of bluesmen, 60’s garage bands, punk groups and hip-hop artists. I could go on and on (and on) but my point is that lack of conventional musical ability does not prohibit one from making great music and having this abiltity in no way guarentees it. Ironically i’m reminded of an old quote from Keith Richard of all people-“Judging a guitarist on how many notes he can play in a minute is like judging a novelist on how quickly he can type”.

Rosie, i’ll start off by putting my hands up and admitting i don’t have any real knowledge of Donizetti so can’t comment on that one.

The thing that punk did was make people realise(or remind them)that great pop/rock music did not require one to have a degree in musical theory and a 80 piece drum kit that cost more than most music fans would earn in a year and that imagination and enthusiasm were, at the end of the day, more important than being the next Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman. Punk requainted rock with the power and simplicity of “Tutti Frutti” or “Blue Seude Shoes”. Even to one like myself who was too young at the time this throughline seems obvious.

Don’t get me wrong- i’m not against displays of musical prowess or sophistication and realise to be so would be hugely limiting and wrongheaded. However i get the same thrill from Pete Shelley’s two-note guitar solo on the Buzzcocks “Boredom” as i do from Hendrix’s “Driving South” and feel that they are two sides of the same coin – poweful musical statements showing two musicians expressing themselves thru their instruments and pushing the boundaries of what they could be used for in the contexts they were working in, simultaneously reflecting and reacting against everything that had gone before.The fact that they were at opposite ends of the scale in terms of prowess does not make one more or less valid than the other.