MelinaMercouriFrontIntroduction

Melina Mercouri (1920-1994, full name Maria Amalia Mercouri) was a Greek actrice, singer and politician. As an actress her international break-through came with her role in the film “Never On Sunday” (1960), in which she also sang the Oscar-winning title song. The film is directed by Jules Dassin, with whom Mercouri married in 1966. Other films of Dassin that feature Melina Mercouri are among others “Phaedra” (1962), “Topkapi” (1964) and “10:30 PM Summer” (1966). After the military coup d’état in Greece in 1967 Mercouri, who actively opposed the military regime in her home country, could not return home and lost her possessions in Greece. She settled in France.

While in France, Melina Mercouri developed a music career and gained popularity singing in French on several albums. On the 18th of December 1973 she presented a music special on French television titled "Si Mélina.... M'Était Contée" by Pierre Jourdan. The special featured Melina singing a variety of songs by Greek and French composers, including several songs of Vangelis. One particular scene of the show gives a rare view of Vangelis, walking inside his Parisian apartment on Avenue Foch.

At the same time "Si Mélina.... M'Était Contée" was also released as an album, which includes four songs arranged by Vangelis. Richelle Dassin, the daughter of Jules Dassin and step-daughter of Melina Mercouri, contributed lyrics for two of these songs, i.e. ‘Athenes, Ma Ville’ and ‘Je Te Dirais Les Mots’. Richelle Dassin also worked with Vangelis that year as a lyricist on his album “Earth”. Both songs were issued on a 7” single to promote to album release.

After the fall of the military regime in Greece in 1974, Melina Mercouri returned to Athens to become one of the founding members of the Panhellenic Socialist party ‘PASOK’. In 1977 she was elected as a member of Greek parliament, and in 1981 she became the first female Minister of Culture in Greece. She strongly advocated the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles, pieces that were removed from the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings in Athens and are now part of the British Museum collection in London. The Melina Mercouri Foundation, which was founded by her husband Jules Dassin after her death, keeps Melina Mercouri's vision alive.

Melina Mercouri, cherished and passionately loved by the Greek people, passed away on the 6th of March 1994 in New York.

 

MelinaMercouriPhotoTracklist and credits

  • ‘Je Te Dirais Les Mots’
     Composed by Vangelis Papathanassiou.
     Lyrics by Richelle Dassin and Claude Lemesle.
     
  • ‘Ou Que Me Porte Mon Voyage, La Grece Me Blesse’
     Music by Vangelis Papathanassiou, based on the orthodox theme of 'Vendredi Saint'.
     Lyrics based on a poem by Georges Seferis.
     
  • ‘Sinefiasmeni Kiriaki’
     Music and lyrics by Vassilis Tsitsanis.
     
  • ‘Athenes, Ma Ville’
     Composed by Vangelis Papathanassiou.
     Lyrics by Richelle Dassin and Claude Lemesle.

Arrangements and Musical Direction: V. Papathanassiou.

full tracklist

 

AthenesMaVilleFrontDiscography

LP

  • 1973 Polydor 2473 028 Canada/France
  • 1973 WEA 58399 Greece

CD

  • 1994 Polydor 523 119-2 Greece
  • 2014 Universal Music 060250 3781904 1 Greece
  • 2007 Mercury 0602498498934 Greece (compilation 2CD titled “The Very Best Of Melina Mercouri”, includes ‘Athina’, the Greek version of ‘Athenes, Ma Ville’, as well as ‘Je Te Dirais Les Mots’ and ‘Ou Que Me Porte Mon Voyage, La Grece Me Blesse’)

7” single

 

Recording studio

It is not clear where exactly the songs with Melina Mercouri were recorded, possibly the Parisian Europa Sonor studio was used where Vangelis also recorded his solo albums “Fais Que Ton Rêve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit” (1972), and later also “Earth” (1973).

 

MelinaMercouriGroupMore

  • The song ‘Je Te Dirais Les Mots’ would later be re-arranged into ‘Because’ (‘Aupres De Mon Amour’), the hit-song by Demis Roussos. The song is included on Demis’ album "Magic", which was produced by Vangelis in 1977.
  • The song ‘Athenes Ma Ville’ is based on a theme  on Vangelis' solo album “Fais Que Ton Rêve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit” (1972)
  • The song ‘Ou Que Me Porte Mon Voyage, La Grece Me Blesse’ is based on a traditional Greek Orthodox composition. The same composition would later be re-arranged into "O! Gliki Mou Ear" and sung by Irene Papas on her second collaborative album "Rapsodies" (1986).
  • The song ‘Athenes Ma Ville’ is also available as a Greek version titled ‘Athina’, among others on a compilation album "The Very Best Of Melina Mercouri" (2007).
  • In this scene from the French TV music special "Si Mélina.... M'Était Contée" Vangelis can be seen in his Parisian apartment.
  • Melina Mercouri performed her songs several times on French television, see "Athenes, Ma Ville" and "Je Te Dirais Les Mots".

 

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