Index
The album pages detail all the albums Vangelis released - including his most important collaborations - in reverse chronological order. For "best of" albums, look for the compilations section.
Mask
Antarctica
Short StoriesRapsodies (1986)
Vangelis' second collaboration with Irene Papas features music and text based on (or inspired by) Greek Orthodox liturgical chant. Papas sings the Greek Lyrics which are in fact Greek Orthodox Christian Hymns. Vangelis composed one additional song that blends nicely with the other material.
In most countries this album is hard to find.
1. Ti Ipermacho Stratigo 6:51
2. O! Gliki Mou Ear 8:40
3. Ton Nimfona Sou Vlepo 1:36
4. Rapsodia 5:24
5. Tin Oreotita Tis Parthenias Sou 4:39
6. Christos Anesti 7:20
7. Asma Asmaton 11:14
To learn more about the backgrounds and lyrics behind the songs on this album, read the:
Elsewhere: Translations and notes
In Greece, a re-mastered edition was released in 2007, with a partly translated track list:
1. To My Champion And Commander 6:52
2. Oh, My Sweet Springtime 8:41
3. I See Your Bridal Chamber All Bedecked 1:36
4. Rhapsody 5:26
5. The Beauty Of Your Virginity And
The Splendor Of Your Purity 4:41
6. Ressurection 7:23
7. Song Of Songs 11:13
Invisible Connections (1985)
This strange work was released on the legendary classical label "Deutsche Grammophon". It's hard to find in most countries, although asking in specialized classical shops might pay off even in countries where the album can never be found in the Vangelis bins.
"Invisible Connections" is an expressionistic piece that sounds more like a sound collage than music. It consists of carefully blend dark sounds, providing an eerie atmosphere. There are no melodies or harmonies, or even rhythms, causing it to be one of Vangelis' less popular albums
A CD released in Japan re-titled the piece to "Meis?", which translates to the English "Meditation".
1. Invisible Connections 18:30
2. Atom Blaster 7:42
3. Thermo Vision 13:19
Mask (1985)
A work full of strange electronic sequences and choruses. The overall feeling is very classical, due to large movements of choirs, timpani, but the romantic approach that might be expected has been replaced with dark undertones. Melodies make way for repetitive motifs that create rather complex but hypnotic constructions. It follows very few of popular or classical music's usual conventions which, even though it's rather elegant in some passages, makes the music a bit less accessible for some people. One might need to acquire a taste for it
1. Movement 1 10:18
2. Movement 2 3:26
3. Movement 3 6:38
4. Movement 4 8:41
5. Movement 5 10:00
6. Movement 6 4:22
Soil Festivities (1984)
This album marked the beginning of a slightly darker and more experimental era of Vangelis' style. "Soil Festivities" consists of 5 movements, each starting with a simple repetitive cue over which Vangelis starts to improvise long stretched melodies with both gentle and dark results. Although the production might feel rather cold, it's intimate at the same time, as if you're sitting right next to the synthesizer setup, listening along to the extended improvised session. Those who are looking for "Chariots of Fire" like hum-along hits should look elsewhere. Inspired by the life that can be found beneath the surface, the music breaths its own subtle organic feeling. This album deserves an equally close examination.
1. Movement 1 18:20
2. Movement 2 6:20
3. Movement 3 6:06
4. Movement 4 9:54
5. Movement 5 7:20
Antarctica (1983)
The soundtrack to a legendary Japanese film by Koreyoshi Kurahara, which at the time of release broke all of the country's cinema records. It follows a number of snow dogs - due to circumstances tragically left behind on a camp at the South Pole - on their survival journey homewards. Most amazingly based on a true story.
For years, the soundtrack album was only available in Japan, popping up in other countries as a rare and expensive import, when in 1988 Polydor finally decided to sell the album also in the rest of the world.
Most of the music has been build around the strong and famous main theme, most prolifically arranged in the first track. Many calm and hypnotic renditions are heard throughout the album, which generally breathes a cold but enchanting atmosphere. The music is brilliantly paced and immediately awakens visions of wide snowy landscapes, mixed with flavors of the heroics of the movie's dog protagonists.
The cover design depends on which pressing of the CD you buy, with the white cover being the most seen throughout the world. But in general, no matter which design you have, the other one is always depicted on the other side of the booklet. The CD released in the States includes only the white design.
1. Theme From Antarctica 7:29
2. Antarctic Echoes 5:58
3. Kinematic 3:50
4. Song of White 5:17
5. Life of Antarctica 5:59
6. Memory of Antarctica 5:30
7. Other Side of Antarctica 6:56
8. Deliverance 4:29
Private Collection (1983)
The third "Jon and Vangelis album" features 6 tracks. The sixth being the highly popular "Horizon" is particularly popular with fans, perhaps because of its impressive length of 22:53, or because there's a number of instrumental parts that are more reminiscent of Vangelis' romantic solo works. All tracks are tender songs with romantic influences, making the album more consistent in style then the previous Jon & Vangelis recordings... A number of tracks where released as singles, but none of them did very well in the singles charts, although "He is Sailing" celebrated quite some air play at the time.
1. Italian Song 2:53
2. And When The Night Comes 4:35
3. Deborah 4:54
4. Polonaise 5:24
5. He is Sailing 6:47
8. Horizon 22:53
Chariots of Fire (1981)
This is the soundtrack to Hugh Hudson's Oscar winning film with the same title. The true story is about two contrasting British athletes who compete in the Olympic games in 1924. The catchy main theme and the stylishly contrasting understated sport action won Vangelis the prestigious Academy Award (tm), better known as the Oscar, for "Best original score". He was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, so the statue was accepted by the Academy on Vangelis' behalf.
Almost all the music on the album are re-recorded versions, compared to the music found in the movie. The main titles, for instance, sound much richer and more gratuitous on the album. Other themes, like "Five Circles", were totally rearranged. The film version of that track was piano dominated and sounded and developed rather differently.
Vangelis was accused of plagiarizing the main theme from another Greek composer named Stavros Logarides, but a judge wisely decided it was an original composition in favor of Vangelis, when the matter was taken to court.
The album contains one track (Jerusalem) that was neither written nor performed by Vangelis.
Mobile Fidelity (MFSL) has released an ULTRADISC II version of this album. This means a digitally re-mastered version pressed as a 24KT gold plated CD (for durability) released only in limited quantities. It is hard to find, by now, but only interesting for collectors, because the sound quality was debatably worse than the original CD pressing.
During the Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney, another re-mastered version of Chariots of Fire was released by Polydor in the UK. It had updated artwork by original designer Alwyn Clayden and contained rarely seen pictures in the booklet. The sound, re-mastered by Vangelis himself indeed improved slightly over both the original CD and the Ultradisc versions, sounding more clear and warm.
Finally, in 2006 Universal released another version, again re-mastered by Vangelis, to commemorate the soundtrack's 25th anniversary. Sound quality is comparable to the previous Vangelis remaster.
1. Titles 3:33
2. Five Circles 5:20
3. Abraham's Theme 3:20
4. Eric's Theme 4:18
5. 100 Metres 2:04
6. Jerusalem 2:47 [Not a Vangelis track]
7. Chariots Of Fire 20:41
The Friends Of Mr Cairo (1981)
The second "Jon and Vangelis" album. Early LP releases didn't actually include the classic "I'll Find My Way Home". It was a separate single release that became a huge hit, so it was added to later pressings of the album, including all CDs.
The title song, with a duration of more than 12 minutes on the album, is a tribute to the imagination of early (gangster) - movies. It opens with some voices acting out a 30's style action scene with sound effects synchronized to the music. Another classic is the song "State of Independence", which was re-recorded by Donna Summer and went on to become a world wide hit.
1. I'll Find My Way Home 4:31
2. State Of Independence 7:56
3. Beside 4:12
4. The Mayflower 6:38
5. The Friends Of Mr. Cairo 12:09
6. Back To School 5:09
7. Outside Of This (Inside Of That) 5:03
See You Later (1980)
This peculiar album contains many vocals (Jon Anderson and Peter Marsh amongst others) and voice-overs. It seems to be a satire on modern societies hypocrisies like the overestimated importance of external bravura and "trying to impress"-behavior. Many vocals have been processed, and the overall sound is a bit unusual. It contains a lot of tongue in cheek humor. The style of the album diverges from Vangelis' usual works, due to the minimal production style, extensive use of vocals, and long, largely improvised compositions, with a rather bleak view of our society. In that sense, no wonder that the immensely popular but undeniably sad-toned "Memories of Green" originated from this album, even if it was the Blade Runner score's reuse of this music that managed to popularize it.
The music on the 7" single "My Love", backed with "Domestic Logic" was originally intended for this record, but eventually left out. Two other tracks were removed, never appearing anywhere again, other than on an extremely rare test-pressing of this album. A collector's holy grail.
1. I Can't Take It Anymore 5:38
2. Multi-Track Suggestion 5:32
3. Memories Of Green 5:44
4. Not a Bit - All Of It 2:55
5. Suffocation 9:21
6. See You Later 10:22
Short Stories (1980)
The first "Jon and Vangelis" album (Jon Anderson, lead singer of Yes) contains a diverse collection songs. Most were primarily improvised and in many cases the very first recording made it to the album.
Jon Anderson had introduced himself to Vangelis when he looked him up in Paris, out of the blue, and Vangelis was subsequently asked to join Yes as a keyboardist. Vangelis and the symphonic rock band where not a match, in terms of the creative process, so this didn't actually happen, but in the short time they spend together Jon and Vangelis apparently became very good friends.
1. Curious Electric 6:40
2. Each And Everyday \
3. Bird Song / 5:07
4. I Hear You Now 5:11
5. The Road 4:31
6. Far Away In Baagad 8:02
7. Love is \
8. One More Time / 6:17
9. Thunder 2:13
10. A Play Within A Play 7:02
Note:This is the official track list of the CD. This contains in fact an error. The track "Love is" is not included at the start of track 7 but in fact at the end of track 6. This can be verified by listening to the lyrics, or looking at the tracks of the "Chronicles" compilation CD.
China (1979)
Vangelis portrays great flexibility here again, being able to combine Eastern influences with his own modern ideas and techniques. A very diverse album. Featuring Michel Ripoche on the violin, previously heard on an album like "Fais Que Ton Reve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit".
A promotional video was made featuring a compilation of music from the album, with images of Vangelis in London and in his studio recording the music.
1. Chung Kuo 5:31
2. The Long March 2:01
3. The Dragon 4:13
4. The Plum Blossom 2:36
5. The Tao Of Love 2:44
6. The Little Fete 3:01
7. Yin & Yang 5:48
8. Himalaya 10:53
9. Summit 4:30
Most of the original LPs however had a different split between the first tracks, and when looking at the title of the "Long March" single that was released for the album in '79 it is easy to assume the CD has the timings wrong. The LP lists a time of 1:43 for Chung Kuo, referring to the opening effects and descending notes, and a time of 5:50 for "The Long March" referring to the recognizable slow sequence and moody melody, including the short piano variation, which is called "The Long March" on the CD. The 7" single was called "The Long March" and indeed did not feature the sound effects. The piano part at the end however was cut off.
