Silver Koulouris

Silver Koulouris (born 26 January 1947)[1] is a Greek musician best known for his membership in the band Aphrodite's Child, in which he played lead guitar.[2] He has also performed session work on a plethora of albums by other artists, including those of his former Aphrodite's Child bandmates, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and in recent decades he has released solo recordings under his own name.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Born in Piraeus, Greece,[1] Koulouris acquired the nickname "Silver" due to his birth name's similarity to the Greek word for the element silver.[2] In converting his given name from the Greek alphabet, many different spellings of his name have emerged, such as Anargyros, Argyris, Argiris, Anarchyris, Anachyros, and Agyrilos.[3]

In his late teenage years, Koulouris met Demis Roussos, who played bass guitar, and Lucas Sideras, a drummer, with whom he went on to play guitar in a band called The Idols in and around Athens, Greece.[4] Because he was in the Greek Army at the time, Koulouris was able to play with The Idols only occasionally,[4] but he maintained a connection with Roussos and Sideras that would prove to be key to his future musical career.

With Aphrodite's Child

In 1966, Roussos and Sideras met keyboardist and composer Vangelis Papathanassiou,[4] and in 1968, the three decided to form a band, inviting Koulouris to join as their guitarist. That same year, the foursome recorded one single, "Plastics Nevermore" b/w "The Other People,"[5][6] under the name Aphrodite's Child. As the band prepared to travel to England to find greater success, Koulouris' military obligations once again impeded his musical career, and he had to stay in Greece while the remaining three established Aphrodite's Child further west.[2]

By 1970, Koulouris was out of the military and free to rejoin the band. He provided lead guitar and assorted percussion on the group's groundbreaking studio LP, 666.[7] One of his most notable moments on the record is his solo on the track "The Four Horsemen"; according to music critic George Starostin, Koulouris' performance on that song was "a brilliantly constructed wah-wah solo... which has not just the finest guitar playing on the album, but simply happens to be one of the greatest guitar solos ever played — and I am not joking: no one would ever suspect Koulouris of being an unsurpassed technical virtuoso, but somehow he managed to properly pick up all the epic chords and come out with a flying monster that could easily stand its ground next to Dave Gilmour in terms of emotional impact."[8] Due to conflict within the band and tensions with their record label, Aphrodite's Child had broken up by the time the album was released,[4] so Koulouris was left to find a new musical direction for himself.

Collaborations and Session Work

Following Aphrodite's Child's demise, Koulouris became a session musician for his former bandmates as they embarked on solo careers. He co-wrote tracks and played bass, rhythm, and lead guitars as well as additional percussion on Sideras' debut LP, One Day;[9] he co-wrote songs and played bass, lead guitar, and laouto on Roussos' debut album, Fire and Ice;[10] and on Vangelis' 1973 album Earth, Koulouris provided guitar, lute, and backing vocals.[11]

Koulouris did session work on additional solo albums by Roussos and Vangelis[12] and also played for fellow Greek musician Harris Chalkitis,[12] who had assisted in the completion of 666.[7] In 1975, Koulouris worked with Vangelis in a band-like setting once again, along with Michael Haubrich and F.R. David, and together they released one single, "Bird of Love" b/w "The Pawn," under the name Humanity (sometimes spelled Umanity).[13]

After further session work for various artists, Koulouris collaborated with Magic Power, an electronic funk band, on two LPs and a single: Lady Midnight in 1979, "A Lot to Learn" b/w "The Waiting Game" in 1980 (Koulouris appeared on the original single cover sleeve), and the group's self-titled second album, also in 1980.[12] Most of his contribution to the Magic Power sound was through rhythm guitar.

Solo Works

In 1997, Koulouris finally released an album of his own, titled Αργιριδιαδρομές[3] (which translates to English as "Argiridiadromes"). In addition, he issued another solo album, City Lights, in early 2015.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Silver Koulouris: Relationships". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Silver Koulouris". Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Argiris Koulouris". Discogs. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Roussos, Demis; Skawinska, Veronique (1982). A Question of Weight. Michel Lafon. pp. 23, 25, 31. ISBN 2-86804-008-X.
  5. ↑ "Aphrodite's Child - Plastics Nevermore/The Other People". Discogs. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Aphrodite's Child". LPCDreissues. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 666 (Liner notes). Aphrodite's Child. Vertigo. 1972.
  8. ↑ Starostin, George (25 April 2012). "Aphrodite's Child: 666". Only Solitaire Blog. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  9. ↑ One Day (Liner notes). Lucas Sideras. Polydor. 1972.
  10. ↑ Fire and Ice (Liner notes). Demis Roussos. Philips. 1971.
  11. ↑ Earth (Liner notes). Vangelis O. Papathanassiou. Vertigo. 1973.
  12. 1 2 3 "Argiris Koulouris Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Humanity(2)". Discogs. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "City Lights by Silver Koulouris". cdbaby. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
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