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RIP Vangelis.

Oh damn. So sorry to hear this. My favourite composer. His score to Blade Runner is just immense. Absolutely unique, and a real game changer. And so many other works that stand out, touched by the sublime. And then there's his wonderful collaboration with Jon Anderson.

RIP Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou.

John
 
Wasn’t there a story about him coming to the UK to audition for the post-Wakeman Yes with all his kit but being unable to play because no-one had the necessary Greek to British mains adaptors? So Patrick Moraz got the job instead? It sounds unlikely, but it’s too good for me to have made up.
 
Indeed, a bad year for electronic music pioneers / those of us that like this genre.
I class myslef as lucky to have seen him live in 1980, at the RFH London, and Jon Anderson was in the audience, and got called on stage to do a couple of impromptu numbers (find my way home and friends of Mr Cairo if my memory serves)
He had a Japanese string ensemble with him, and just cannot now remember all he played, but I do remember thinking how good he was when we were leaving.
I think that was my first ever visit to the RFH, and loved the ambience of the hall and it's wood panelling.
 
Wasn’t there a story about him coming to the UK to audition for the post-Wakeman Yes with all his kit but being unable to play because no-one had the necessary Greek to British mains adaptors? So Patrick Moraz got the job instead? It sounds unlikely, but it’s too good for me to have made up.

What happened was that Vangelis did audition for Yes and, by all accounts, was successful. The problem was that Vangelis then wanted to play the drums as well and generally take over the band. That didn't go down too well with the members of Yes, so the deal was off. It did give us Jon and Vangelis though, starting with the track I posted above appearing on "Heaven and Hell" and going on to do four albums as a duo.
 
I was raised on listening to Vangelis, just have so many memories tied to his music, especially from my childhood - a sad day indeed. You may be gone but your music will go on forever. RIP Vangelis
 
What happened was that Vangelis did audition for Yes and, by all accounts, was successful. The problem was that Vangelis then wanted to play the drums as well and generally take over the band. That didn't go down too well with the members of Yes, so the deal was off. It did give us Jon and Vangelis though, starting with the track I posted above appearing on "Heaven and Hell" and going on to do four albums as a duo.

Don’t know what the true story was, but I read Patrick Moraz did his Yes audition using Vangelis’s keyboard setup which was still in the studio.
Listening to The Best of Jon and Vangelis now on an ancient Polydor cd. Had trouble locating it in the rack it’s so long since I played it.
 


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