He was never English, he was one of those foreigners who came to England and got flung out for overstaying, or never having had, his work permit.
He and Vangelis then built, in Paris, one of the greatest proto-rock European bands of the time, Aphrodite's Child, and put out three of the most influential progressive albums I can bring to mind. And all we derisive English can remember him for is his taste in kaftans.
There are times when being English is an embarrassment. He was a giant, he was a hero, he will be remembered for his magnificent compositions.
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:02 am
by flopstock
Is this his real voice?
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:27 am
by spot
flopstock;1472853 wrote: Is this his real voice?
I hope someone else can answer that - I've no flash player, I'm on the end of a cellphone in Eastern Europe and I'd hate to buy yet more gigabytes. It's cheap enough but it involves shopping with creaky mime impressions on my part of data travelling the Internet.
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:36 am
by Bruv
flopstock;1472853 wrote: Is this his real voice?
This one is the one that made his name in the UK.........and yes that is his voice.
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:07 am
by FourPart
I imagine the 1st clip was in his latter years, plus it sounds in that as if he has developed throat problems, as it mainly seems to affect the upper range of his voice, which was never a problem in his younger years. I couldn't help wondering if the 'undisclosed illness' mentioned in the BBC News item might have been throat cancer.
He was certainly a fantastic musician & unlike mcuh modern stuff you can clearly understand every word he sings, as well as the emotions behind them.
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:13 am
by flopstock
Just to clarify - I liked the one I linked to, just wasn't sure if that was his real voice or if he had been autotuned.
Demis Roussos, RIP
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:33 pm
by AnneBoleyn
Spot, you're turning into the George Jessel, aka "Toastmaster General" of FG:
"It is said that his specialty, however, was funerals, and that no one could receive proper burial without a eulogy from Mr. Jessel. Beginning with those of Fanny Brice and Al Jolson, he said that he had given eulogies at several hundred funerals. So well known had he become for this that the question had been raised publicly: ''Who will deliver the eulogy of Mr. Jessel?'' "
GEORGE JESSEL, COMEDIAN, DEAD - KNOWN AS 'TOASTMASTER GENERAL' - NYTimes.com