Phivos (composer)

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Phoebus - Phivos - Φοίβος

Background information
Birth name	Evaggelos - Phivos Tassopoulos
Born	January 1, 1971
Origin	Greece
Genre(s)	Modern Laika , Pop, Dance, Rock
Years active	1993 - Present
Label(s)	Sony Music (1993 - 1996), Minos EMI (1997 - 2000), Heaven Music (2001-Present)

Phivos (Greek: Φοίβος) (b. 1 January 1971) sometimes spelled Phoebus or Fivos is a well known songwriter in both Greece and Cyprus. Phivos is mostly known for his music through Despina Vandi, although he has composed albums for many other artists in Greece and Cyprus. A high percentage of the albums he composes receive certification making him one of the most successful Greek composer of the 90's and 00's.

1 Biography
2 Current Projects
3 Trivia
4 Discography
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Phivos was born on January 1, 1971 in Athens, Greece to parents Giorgos and Afroditi. As a student he started playing music with his rock band, as a drummer. Although he passed his final exams and became a law student, he eventually quit to follow his musical ambitions composing. He began to write his first songs, while he studying music and harmony next to his teacher Themis Roussos. At the age 22, he signed his first contract with Sony Music.

In the 90's Phivos collaborated with many famous Greek singers such as Keti Garbi, Angela Dimitriou, Pwlina, Eleni Dimou, Pashalis Terzis, Basilis Karras, Giannis Parios, Lefteris Pantazis, Manto, Thanos Kalliris and Konstantina to name a few. The songs he has written for them, were some of the most successful of their works and launched his composing career.

His biggest collaboration started in 1997 composing the album Deka Entoles (Ten Commandments) for Despina Vandi. The collaboration started off a very long a successful team that he is mostly recognized for today. Since then, every album released by Despina Vandi is composed exclusively by Phivos. All of her albums have reached atleast platinum certification, with the highest being 6X Platinum single "Ypofero". The massive sales of the album, led to an award for best-selling single ever in Greece awarded by the owner of Virgin Records, Richard Branson.

Shortly after the single, Phivos and Despina signed with Heaven Records. In March 2002, Phivos and Despina were nominated and awarded "World's Best Selling Greek Artist 2001" at the World Music Awards for the album Gia. That same year, he attracted the attention of Desmond Child, who ended up collaborating with Phivos for the preparation of the first international single of the Greek singer Sakis Rouvas. The record was released by Universal Music France.

In 2003, Phivos and Despina recorded the song "Gia" in English. The song quickly became a number 1 hit around the world on many dance charts as well as in the USA and UK. The song was released as a CD-single in Europe, USA, Australia, Turkey and South Africa and has been also included in more than 120 compilations worldwide. It was included on charts such as Billboard and Music Week as well as many DJ playlists.

In spring 2004, Coca Cola Greece enlisted the help of Phivos to compose a song for the companies Athens 2004 Summer Olympics campaign. Phivos teamed up with Despina and made the song "Come along now".

In summer 2005, the collaboration of Phivos and Coca Cola Greece continued with the song "Teleia" by Victoria Halkiti, which also became a summer hit in Greece.

In the last couple of years, Phivos has mostly written songs for Giorgos Mazonakis, Elli Kokkinou, and Thanos Petrelis beside his exclusiveness to Despina Vandi. His latest work is with Fame Story contestant Maro Lytra.

[edit] Current Projects

Currently, Phivos is preparing the upcoming albums of Despina Vandi, Giorgos Mazonakis, Thanos Petrelis and the repackaged edition of the album "H Mihani Tou Xronou" of Maro Lytra. All are expected to be released in 2007.

[edit] Trivia

In all records that Phivos is involved in, he is referred only by his first name. The only records that his surname has been written in the album's credits are "Styl" (Vicky Haritou), "Diadoseis" (Dimitris Kokotas), and "Ego den eimai ego" (Lefteris Pantazis).

The first complete album that Phivos composed is "Styl" (Vicky Haritou).

The first album in which Phivos appears as the producer is "Syneidisi" (Dimitris Kokotas).

Phivos has collaborated also with some other artists who have appeared in duets of songs he writes for other artists. These are: Giorgos Alkaios (duet with Vicky Haritou in the album "Styl" (1993)), Antonis Vardis (duet with Keti Garbi in the album "Evaisthiseis" (1997), Nino (duet with Elli Kokkinou in the album "Sto Kokkino" (2003), Bo (rap appearance in the cd-single "Come Along Now" of Despina Vandi) and Giorgos Tsalikis (duet with Elli Kokkinou in the album "Sto Kokkino Platinum Edition" (2004).

Phivos rejects almost all the interviews that he is offered to take. In the past, though, he has accepted an interview for the greek magazine "Eikones" of the Ethnos newspaper, together with Despina Vandi (2002). In the same year, Phivos and Despina Vandi accepted a common interview for the Panorama FM - 98.4 FM radio station of Thessaloniki, Greece. Another TV interview in which Phivos appeared is for Discovery Channel (2005), where he talked about his collaboration with Despina Vandi.

Lyrics for the songs composed by Phivos have been written by (apart from himself): Eleni Giannatsoulia, Eui Droutsa, Natalia Germanou, Giannis Parios, Giannis Rentoumis, Giannis Doksas, Manos Eleutheriou, Hro Trigoni, Vaggelis Konstantinidis, Victoria Halkiti, Haris and Markella Panagiotou.

Artists who collaborated with Phivos in their debut albums are: Vicky Haritou, Dimitris Kokotas, Dionysis Shoinas, Antonis Remos, Natasa Theodoridou, Giorgos Lempesis and Thanos Petrelis.

In 1999, Phivos married Amalia Kantere.

In 2004, Phivos was a torch bearer of the Athens 2004 Olympic Flame in the greek island of Kefalonia.

Apart from composing music and writing lyrics, Phivos also is an arranger, programmer and producer, producing most of the records he composes.

[edit] Discography

Phivos has collaborated with the following artists:

Keti Garbi in the albums:

Os Ton Paradeiso (Sony Music - 1993)*
Atofio Hrysafi (Sony Music - 1994)*
Arhizo Polemo (Sony Music - 1996)
Evaisthiseis (Sony Music - 1997)
To Kati (Sony Music - 2000) - Double best of album, including 7 new songs and a new medley remix of two older ones

Vicky Haritou in the album:

Styl (BMG Ariola - 1993)

Lefteris Pantazis in the album:

Ego Den Eimai Ego (Sony Music - 1993)*

Dimitris Kokotas in the albums:

Diadoseis (Eros Music - 1994)
Syneidisi (Eros Music - 1995)
Aharistia (Eros Music - 1997)

Efi Sarri in the album:

Petao (Minos EMI - 1994)

Eleni Dimou in the album:

I Eleni Ton Feggarion (Sony Music - 1994)*

Pwlina in the albums:

Kainourios Erotas (Sony Music - 1994)*
Deka Xronia Meta (Sony Music - 1995)*

Thanos Kalliris in the albums:

Kapoio Kalokairi (Sony Music - 1994)*
Monaxa Tin Psyhi Sou (Sony Music - 1996)*

Pashalis Terzis in the albums:

Mesogeios (Sony Music - 1994)*
Afise Me Mono (Sony Music - 1995)*
Afta Einai Ta Tragoudia Mou (Sony Music - 1996)*
Ta Zeimbekika Tou Pashali (Sony Music - 2001)* - Best of album including the previously unreleased song "An Den Me Thes" written by Phivos

Dionysis Shoinas in the albums:

Proti Agapi (Sony Music - 1994)*
S'Agapo (Sony Music - 1995)*
Mou Tairiazeis (Sony Music - 2000) - EP

Angela Dimitriou in the albums:

Pes Afto Pou Theleis (Sony Music - 1994)*
Mi Mas Agapas (Minos EMI - 1996)*
100% (Minos EMI - 1998)

Hristina Maragozi in the album:

Aggalia Gemati Agathia (Sony Music - 1996)*

Konstantina in the album:

Erhomai (Minos EMI - 1996)*

Antonis Remos in the album:

Antonis Remos (Sony Music - 1996)*

Vasilis Karras in the albums:

Tilefonise Mou (Minos EMI - 1996)
Fainomeno (Minos EMI - 1998) - cd single
Epistrefo (Minos EMI - 1999)
The Greek Experience (Heaven Music - 2004)* - Compilation album with the new duet "Mia Gynaika Ftaiei" with Tolis Voskopoulos

Stella Konitopoulou in the album:

Diavatirio (Sony Music - 1997)*

Manto in the album:

Gia Oles Tis Fores (Sony Music - 1997)*

Natasa Theodoridou in the album:

Natasa Theodoridou (Sony Music - 1997)*

Giannis Parios in the album:

Typseis (Minos EMI - 1997)

Despina Vandi in the albums:

Deka Entoles (Minos EMI - 1997)*
Spania (Minos EMI - 1998) - cd single
Profities (Minos EMI - 1999)
Ypofero (Minos EMI - 2000) - EP
Gia (Heaven Music - 2001)
Ante Gia (Heaven Music - 2002) - EP
Gia Collector's Edition (Heaven Music - 2002) - Includes the album "Geia", the EP "Ante Geia" and some other remixes
Gia (Heaven Music/Ministry of Sound - 2003) - cd single
Gia US Edition (Heaven Music/Escondida Music - 2003)
Live (Heaven Music - 2003)
Come Along Now (Heaven Music - Version 1 - 2004) - cd single ft. the theme of Coca Cola 2004 campaign
Come Along Now (Heaven Music - Version 2 - 2004) - cd single ft. the theme of Coca Cola 2004 campaign
Opa Opa (Heaven Music/Ministry of Sound - 2004)** - cd single
Come Along Now (Heaven Music/Ministry of Sound - 2004) - Album not officially released in Greece
Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou (Heaven Music - 2004)
Special Edition (Heaven Music - 2005) - Repackaged Edition of the album "Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou"
Kalanta (Heaven Music - 2006) - EP

Aggelos Dionysiou in the album:

Yposyneidito (Minos EMI - 1999)*

Giorgos Lempesis in the albums:

Eksartisi (Minos EMI - 1999)
I Agapi Vlaptei Sovara Tin Ygeia (Heaven Music - 2001)
Eliksirio (Heaven Music - 2002)* - cd single
I Mera I Kali (Heaven Music - 2003)*

Giorgos Mazonakis in the albums:

Koita Me + Beat (Heaven Music - 2002)* - Repackaged edition of the album "Koita Me", featuring two new songs by Phivos and some new remixes
Savvato (Heaven Music - 2003)
Savvato + To Gucci Ton Masai (Heaven Music - 2004)
Summer In Greece! (Heaven Music - 2006) - cd single
TBA (Heaven Music - Spring 2007 - upcoming)

Sakis Rouvas in the albums:

Disco Girl (Minos EMI - 2001) - cd single
Ola Kala (Minos EMI - 2002)*
Ola Kala European Release (Minos EMI/Universal Music France - 2002)*

The above three albums were produced in collaboration with the famous producer Desmond Child

Tolis Voskopoulos in the album:

I Sosti Apantisi (Heaven Music - 2002)
The Greek Experience (Heaven Music - 2004)* - Compilation album with the new duet "Mia Gynaika Ftaiei" with Vasilis Karras

Elli Kokkinou in the albums:

Sto Kokkino (Heaven Music - 2003)
Platinum Edition (Heaven Music - 2004) - Repackaged Edition of the album "Sto Kokkino"
Sex (Heaven Music - 2005)
Ki Allo... (Heaven Music - 2006) - Repackaged Edition of the album "Sex"

Thanos Petrelis in the albums:

Eixe To Xroma T' Ouranou (Heaven Music - 2004)*
Thymizeis Kati Apo Ellada (Heaven Music - 2005)
Eutyhos (Heaven Music - 2006) - EP

Victoria Halkiti in the albums:

Teleia (Heaven Music - 2005) - cd single ft. the theme of Coca Cola 2005 campaign
Teleia f***ing edition (Heaven Music - 2006) - cd single - Repackaged Edition of the cd single "Teleia"

Maro Lytra in the album:

Mihani Tou Hronou (Heaven Music - 2007)*

Other

In 1994, a compilation of songs written by Phivos (music) and Eleni Giannatsoulia (lyrics) was released by Sony Music. The title of the record was "Gia Sena Kai Gia Mena" and featured songs by a lot of greek singers: Sofia Arvaniti, Keti Garbi, Thanos Kalliris, Dionysis Sxoinas, Pashalis Terzis, Pwlina, Natassa Pantelidi, Ntinos Vrettos, Petros Kolettis and Lorna.

In 1997, the single "Love Will Make A Difference" was released by Sony Music. The song featured Ronny Money.

In 1999, a different version of the song "Margarites" (originally performed by Angela Dimitriou) was released by Sony Music. The song was called "Makapy" and was performed by Santiago. In the same year, a compilation of some songs performed by Angela Dimitriou were released in arabic countries, due to the huge success of the song "Margarites". The album included songs composed by Phivos] and Giorgos Theofanous, another famous composer from Cyprus.

In 2005, Phivos composed the anthem of the greek soccer team AEK. The song was called "Mia Agapi Exw Stin Kardia" and was performed by Giorgos Florakis. Released by Heaven Music.

Notes:

(*) Phivos composed only some tracks and not the whole album.

(**) The song Opa Opa was composed by Giorgos Alkaios and not by Phivos. This song was originally performed by a very famous greek singer, Notis Sfakianakis in 1992. In 1999, a second, more beat version of Opa Opa was performed by the group Antique, which gave a rebirth to the song. The Despina Vandi version is the final one and features english lyrics for the first time. Although Phivos is not the composer of the song, he was involved in the arrangements and the whole production. Opa Opa became a huge international hit.