666FrontIntroduction

The story of “666” starts in the summer of 1970, when Vangelis began working on the third and final album of "Aphrodite's Child", together with compatriot Costas Ferris who suggests a concept album based on a part of the New Testament, The Apocalypse of St. John. The album is controversial from the start, as Lucas and Demis were initially not convinced the new project was a good idea, fearing to break away from their audience and commercial success.

Recording sessions take place at the Europa Sonor Studio at Rue de la Gaîté for three months at the end of the year, including guitarist Argyris Koulouris, who re-joined the band after fulfilling his army duty in Greece.

After the sessions finished, Vangelis set to work to create a master recording from the studio tapes (with input from Demis and Lucas), which was then presented to the Philips executives who had not been allowed entrance to the studio as long as recordings were in progress. When they finally hear the music, the record company is shocked, and refuses to release the album which they consider blasphemous (most notably the ‘∞‘ Infinity vocal by Irene Papas). The release is then put on hold...666FrontUK

By this time it became clear that Vangelis was no longer interested to tour with the band, and this effectively split up the group. Demis and Lucas went on tour without Vangelis (to Italy and Spain) with Harris Chalkitis replacing Vangelis on stage. Shortly after, Demis launched his solo-career, and everyone went separate ways...

It would take until the spring of 1972 for Vangelis and Philips to reach an agreement, and by June 1972 the album is finally released. The ‘∞‘ Infinity vocal by Irene Papas is still included, as demanded by Vangelis, but only in a much shortened version, and the entire album is cut to the released version of about 80 minutes.

Only one single made it off the album, "Break” b/w “Babylon", which was released in November 1972, but this did not turn the album into a commercial success at the time. Today however the experimental "666" has received widespread acknowledgement and is regarded as a classic work and milestone of progressive rock!

 

666TracklistTracklist and credits

  1. The System
  2. Babylon
  3. Loud Loud Loud
  4. The Four Horseman
  5. The Lamb
  6. The Seventh Seal
  7. Aegian Sea
  8. Seven Bowls
  9. The Wakening Beast
  10. Lament
  11. The Marching Beast
  12. The Battle Of The Locusts
  13. Do It
  14. Tribulation
  15. The Beast
  16. Ofis
  17. Seven Trumpets
  18. Altamont
  19. The Wedding Of The Lamb
  20. The Capture Of The Beast
  21. ∞
  22. Hic Et Nunc
  23. All The Seats Were Occupied
  24. Break
  • All music composed, arranged and produced by Vangelis Papathanassiou.
  • Text written by Costas Ferris.
  • Played by Aphrodite's Child.
  • Vangelis Papathanassiou: organ, piano, flute, percussion, vibes and backing vocals
  • Demis Roussos: bass, lead vocals and backing vocals
  • Lucas Sideras: drums, lead vocals and backing vocals
  • Argyris Koulouris: guitars and percussion


666RecordingGuest musicians:

  • Harris Chalkitis: Bass, tenor sax, conga drums and backing vocals.
  • Michel Ripoche: Trombone and tenor sax.
  • Irene Papas: Vocal on ‘∞‘ Infinity.
  • John Forst: Narration.
  • Yannis Tsarouchis: Greek text.

Production:

  • Recording engineer: Roger Roche
  • Assistant: Jean-Claude Conan
  • Production coordinator: Gerard Fallec
  • Passing by: Giorgio Gomelsky

 

666InsideDiscography

LP

  • 1972 Vertigo 6673 001 France. Also (re-)issued in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Europe, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, South Korea, UK, and the US.

CD

  • 1989 (Vertigo 838 430-2) West-Germany
  • 1989 (Vertigo PPD-3039~40) Japan
  • 1994 (Vertigo PHCR-16105/6) Japan
  • 1996 (One Way Records OW31375) USA
  • 2004 (Vertigo UICY-9373/4) Japan (papersleeve)
  • 2010 (Vertigo UICY-20134/5) Japan (SHM-CD)
  • 2014 (Vertigo UICY-76359) Japan (SHM-CD)
  • 2014 (Vertigo UICY-40074) Japan (Platinum SHM-CD)
  • 2018 (Vertigo 838 430-2) Europe
  • 2024 (Universal Music Recordings 00602435948621) Worldwide (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 4CD/Blu-ray

BreakS7” single

EP

  • 1972 The System / Babylon / Hic Et Nunc / Break / The Beast / Ofis (Vertigo 6234100) Chile
  • 1972 Hic Et Nunc / Break / Babylon / The Lamb (Vertigo VEPL-1) USA

 

Recording studio

The music for this album was recorded in the Europa Sonor Studio at Rue de la Gaîté in Paris.

 

666StudioDid you know that...

  • The released album of “666” is a shorter version of what Vangelis and Costas initially had in mind. There is a claim that the original recordings contained sufficient material to fill up a four-record album, instead of just two....
  • The full recording of 'oo' Infinity, as sung by Irene Papas, is nothing less than 39 minutes!
  • The LP initially issued in Greece contains a different and longer mix, dismissing fading and overlapping of individual tracks and with longer versions of several songs! This alternate mix is also included on the CD of the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (2024)
  • At time of recording the name of the concept album was “Apocalypse”, but this was changed to “666” by suggestion of Gerard Fallec, the production coordinator for Philips.
  • Record producer Giorgio Gomelski visited the studio during the recording sessions and helped around with the production, for which he is credited as 'passing by'.
  • The young boy that recites a text on 'Loud, Loud, Loud' is Daniel Koplowitz, the son of a diplomat. He is not credited on the album sleeve. 
  • The album created some controversy due to the remark on the inside sleeve that it had been created under the influence of "Sahlep". In the days of the early seventies this was interpreted as a drug, while in reality it is a non-alcoholic hot beverage made from the flour of orchids.

 

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