Αφου ειμαι "ακουραστος" ;D και μια και το θρεντ ξεφευγει λιγο και παει σε μια πιο γενικη συζητηση γυρω απο τον Παπαθανασιου, κατσε να ποσταρω εδω και μια μινι συνεντευξη του Giorgio Gomelsky σχετικα με δυο απο τα πιο cult αλμπουμ του Βαγγελη, τα ανεπισημα
The Dragon και
Hypothesis.
Προσωπικα ακουσα πρωτη φορα το "The Dragon" στα μεσα των 80s, οταν πιτσιρικας πηγα σε ενα γνωστο δισκαδικο της πολης μου το οποιο ανηκε σε ενα τυπο που ειχε τεραστια προσωπικη δισκοθηκη και το μαγαζακι του ηταν μια τρυπα μεν αλλα με πολλες χιλιαδες δισκους. Παρα πολλοι εμαθαν να ακουνε μουσικη χαρη σ'αυτον τον τυπο, σε μια εποχη που ουτε ιντερνετ υπηρχε ουτε μεγαλη πληροφορηση γυρω απο τη μουσικη.
Παω λοιπον ενα καλοκαιρι στο μαγαζι του με 5000δρχ στην τσεπη αν θυμαμαι καλα, και του λεω "
παρε αυτα τα λεφτα και δωσε μου οτι καλυτερο εχεις απο Παπαθανασιου". Παιρνει τα λεφτα και μου δινει σε βινυλιο τα
Heaven And Hell
Albedo 0.39
Spiral
See You Later
The Best of Jon and Vangelis
The Dragon
Τα παραπανω αλμπουμ τα ακουσα για πρωτη φορα σε ενα πικαπ που το καπακι του ηταν το ηχειο του. Καποιος πριν λιγες μερες εψαχνε εδω στο ΝΟΙΖ για ενα τετοιο.
(Αυτο το πικαπ/βαλιτσακι μετατραπηκε αργοτερα σε...ενισχυτη, 
οταν συνδεσα πανω του το πρωτο μου synth, ενα Yamaha DX21)
Πολυ αργοτερα πουλησα ολα τα βινυλια μου για να τα αντικαταστησω με CD
(ποτε δεν ημουν φιλος του βινυλιου) και μαζι φυσικα πουλησα και το "The Dragon" σε ενα φιλο. Μετα απο χρονια διαβασα οτι αυτο το αλμπουμ ο Παπαθανασιου δεν το αναγνωριζε σαν επισημο και ηταν πολυ σπανιο και δυσκολο να βρεθει. Εκανα μια προσπαθεια να το ξαναγορασω απο τον φιλο μου αλλα ο αλητης ηξερε την ιστορια και δεν το πουλαγε. ;D
Τεσπα, το 2008 βρηκα ενα CD που περιειχε μεσα το "The Dragon" μαζι με το "Hypothesis" και το αγορασα. Τα δυο αυτα αλμπουμ λοιπον ηχογραφηθηκαν τον Ιουνιο του 1971 σε παραγωγη Giorgio Gomelsky και ειναι κυριως jam sessions του Παπαθανασιου με τους Αργύρη Κουλούρη
(ο κιθαριστας των Aphrodite's Child στο "666"), Michel Ripoche
(violin), Brian Odger
(bass), Mick Waller και Tony Oxley
(drums). Το στυλ των αλμπουμ αυτων ειναι κατι μεταξυ Jazz Rock/Fusion και ProgRock, με λιγο Free στοιχεια.
Το "The Dragon" εχει τρια κομματια και το "Hypothesis" δυο. Και τα δυο αλμπουμ κυκλοφορησαν απο την Charly Records το 1978 χωρις την αδεια βεβαια του Βαγγελη. Την απιθανη ιστορια της κυκλοφοριας τους θα σας την πει παρακατω ο Giorgio Gomelsky. 8)
How did you get to work with Vangelis?
I was managing Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity and we were touring in France. Our agent, Jean-Pierre Rawson, told me to check out a band he was helping who had been stranded in France on their way to London due to the events of May '68. They were playing at a club in Valbonne (near Cannes) and since Julie and the band were going to perform there too, I went to check out the place. The band was Aphrodite's Child and I liked them a lot. An interesting mixture of influences, I particularly liked Vangelis' interest in ancient Byzantine music and we became buddies.
Two years later, after 15 years of England, I moved from London to Paris - my mother was French so I spoke the language - and got involved with MAGMA, a very avant garde and original band with whom I produced some 10 albums. You might gather that I do like "originality", essential to make music progress. By that time Aphrodite's Child had become a huge success in France and were on the point of breaking up. I met with Vangelis a couple of times and we renewed our friendship.
He told me about the "666" project, and although I was very busy with MAGMA (and GONG),
I decided to contribute whatever I could to the project and whenever possible I "passed by the studio". It actually got quite involved and for practical purposes I ended up being a sort of "acting producer". I had no ambition however to get full credit, because, first of all, I respected very much what Vangelis and Costas (Ferris) had already done (wasn't in from the start), and secondly, I'm not suffering from excessive vanity, I was glad to help along a worthwhile musical project.
The "Dragon" and "Hypothesis" albums were released as Vangelis works.
Vangelis' original intension in 1968 was to reach London where there was a very strong musical (and more 'serious' than in Paris) scene he was interested in exploring. I thought that now that he had the time - Aphrodite's Child had broken up after "666" - it would be a good idea. I could introduce him to the very best musicians (I worked there for 15 years and obviously knew the scene) and put together an interesting collaborative project.
A guy called Karakos (who had founded BYG Records and later Celluloid) decided to back the project with the intention of eventually releasing the tapes on his label in Paris. He dealt directly with Vangelis and the Marquee Studio. I was paid a flat fee ($2000 if I remember correctly) for producing, but since it was partly my initiative, I didn't mind. I was very excited about the project and what it could do for Vangelis and progressive rock music. Well, as you must surely know, good ol' Vangelis doesn't much like traveling, so it took a while to get to London...
How did the band work together?
The sessions were actually very enjoyable. The idea was to find "grooves" that could lead into long, (sufi)trance-like but evolving rhythmic patterns with a lot of improvisation on top. Vangelis hardly spoke English, but there was a good, natural, understanding between all concerned. Music, when intelligently perceived, is a universal language.
We had a few technical problems with all of Vangelis' gear, some of which was custom-made and unknown to the technicians there, so we didn't have all the time we wished for the "performances", or for overdubs. The guys would come in and we would talk to them about general outlines and after establishing a few basic riffs and an acceptable "balance", we would jump right into it.
What inspired the recordings?
For my part, and I think Vangelis agreed, it was finding that "trance".
When Charly Records released "Hypothesis" and "The Dragon" the release was disputed and records where withdrawn from sale. How do you look back on those times?
After the original sessions in London, we returned to Paris. The idea here was to get the masters and study what overdubs and additions were fruitful in order to complete the production. Karakos had agreed not to release anything until finished and approved by Vangelis and myself. What happened then would indeed make a great movie about the muck and muddle and tortuousness of the music business.
Karakos' company went bankrupt and his ex-partner Jean Luc Young took over the catalogue (don't ask me how!) and started CHARLY RECORDS. Of course he knew of these sessions and wanted to release them. The problem was, the studio in London was owed money and they wouldn't release the tapes. Somehow, Jean Luc got the Marquee people to bring the tapes to Paris and once in his possession, pretending a visit to the toilet, actually left them empty-handed (no payment) in the restaurant where they had met!!
Frankly I forgot all about these sessions until some time later when I heard CHARLY had released them without approval or completion. Of course I was flabbergasted, but I knew Jean Luc had done that to some of my tapes too and I had never succeeded at stopping him. By that time I was living in New York too and totally out of touch with Vangelis, Paris or London.
To my surprise Vangelis turned up in New York some time later and I met him. He had a very good lawyer with him and asked me to sign some papers outlining what the original agreement with Karakos was, which I did. His lawyer, when informed of my own difficulties with CHARLY, had promised to help me too but I never again heard from him or from Vangelis. I understand he came to some agreement with CHARLY but I had no part in it. I've never even received a copy of the recordings, on cassette tape or CD and I have no idea what, if anything, Vangelis did with them. Of course I'm sad this project which promised so much, ended up so poorly. It certainly was a lesson as to how NOT to trust what people agree to!
Τα "The Dragon" και "Hypothesis" παραμενουν cult ακομα στις μερες μας, στα τελη των 70s/αρχες των 80s ηταν πραγματικα δυσκολο να τα πετυχεις καπου αλλα στις μερες μας οποιοσδηποτε πλεον μπορει να τα βρει σε CD ή να τα ακουσει στο ιντερνετ, αν και το γεγονος αυτο δεν χαροποιει ιδιαιτερα φανταζομαι τον Βαγγελη.
Ας ακουσουμε δυο κομματια.
Vangelis - Keys
Brian Odger - Bass
Tony Oxley - Drums
Αγγελίες
