Thursday, August 23, 2007

Greece is the word: Bessy Argyraki

A compilation CD by Bessy Argyraki was released in Greece including several 70's Eurocovers.
Bessy Argyraki represented Greece on their 3rd entry in 1977: Mathema Solfege (A music lesson) by Pascalis, Marianna, Robert & Bessy.
The song was the most succesful Greek entry until Antique / Helena Paparizou came along in 2001 and it was a hit in several countries.It's also one of the most covered Greek entries.
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As the Robert Williams Group (minus Marianna Toli but with with Rena Pagkrati & Takis Antoniadis), they recorded several Eurovision entries from 1975 and 1976, all sung in Greek.
On the new Bessy Argyraki 2CD San ena oneiro you can find five of them.
The 40 track 2CD also includes Mathema Solfege and coverversions like ABBA's S.O.S., Dolly Partons Jolene & 9 to 5, three hits from Grease (no pun intended) & A far l'amore comincia tu by Rafaella Carra.

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ΜΠEΣΣΥ ΑΡΓΥΡΑΚΗ - ΣΑΝ ΕΝΑ ΟΝΕΙΡΟ
ΤΑ ΩΡΑΙΟΤΕΡΑ ΜΟΥ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ 1973-1987
(Universal 3746329)
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includes:
Italy 1975 - Era (Wess & Dori Ghezzi)
- ΜΟΝΟ - by Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams
Netherlands 1975 - Ding A Dong (Teach In)
- ΝΤΙΝΓΚ ΝΤΑΝΓΚ ΝΤΟΝΓΚ - Ding Dang Dong - Bessy Argyraki
Germany 1976 - Sing Sang Song (Les Humphries Singers)
- Σ' ΑΓΑΠΩ - S'Agapo - Robert, Bessy, Takis & Rena
Israel 1976 - Emor Shalom (Chocolat, Menta, Mastik)
- ΠΩΣ ΝΑ ΣΤΟ ΠΩ - Pos na stop po - Bessy Argyraki
Italy 1976 - We'll live it all again (Al Bano & Romina Power)
- ΦΤΙΑΞΕ ΤΟ ΑΥΡΙΟ - Ftiakse to avrio - Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams

The CD is available from several Greek music shops and at http://www.123play.gr/ as download.
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Another interesting CD with a handfull of the Robert Williams Group covers is Ta Oreotera by Robert Williams.
ΤΑ ΩΡΑΙΟΤΕΡΑ ΜΟΥ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ - (Polydor 1995, re-issued on Universal 2901422)
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This one includes:
Italy 1975 - Era (Wess & Dori Ghezzi)
- ΜΟΝΟ - by Bessy Argyraki & Robert Williams
Sweden 1975 - Jennie Jennie (Lars Berghagen)
- ΤΖΕΝΗ-ΤΖΕΝΗ - Robert Williams
Germany 1976 - Sing Sang Song (Les Humphries Singers)
- Σ' ΑΓΑΠΩ - S'agapo - Robert, Bessy, Takis & Rena
Finland 1976 - Pump Pump (Fredi & Friends)
- Η ΚΑΡΔΙΆ ΧΤΥΠΆ ' ΈΝΑ ΜΠΑΜΠ-ΜΠΑΜΠ -
---------------------I kardia ktypa 'ena pamp pamp - by Robert & Takis
UK 1976 - Save your kisses for me (Brotherhood of man)
- ΠΕΣ ΓΕΙΑ ΧΑΡΑ - Pes gia hara - Robert, Bessy , Takis & Rena
This CD also includes Mathema Solfege.
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And there's some more related Eurocovers that haven't been released yet on CD as far as I know:
UK 1973 - Power to all our friends by Pascalis (Arbanitides) - LP Fili ke adelphi (1973)
Spain 1973 - Eres tu - Marianna Toli
Netherlands 1974 - I see a star by Takis & Christina
UK 1975 - Let me be the one by Robert Williams
France 1976 - 1,2,3 by Rena Pagkrati
Netherlands 1976 - The party's over by Rena Pagkrati
Netherlands 1977 - De mallemolen by Rena Pagkrati
Norway 1977 - Casanova by Rena Pagkrati
Israel 1979 - Hallelujah by Bessy Argyraki - LP
Switzerland 1980 - Cinema by Bessy Argyraki
(All songs sung in Greek)





ΜΑΘΗΜΑ ΣΟΛΦΕΖ BONUS - An unreleased studio version of Mathema Solfege by Belorussian talentshow stars Corianna & Aleksey Khlestov titled Urok Solfedgio (Урок сольфеджио) sung in Russian.Emor Shalom - We'll live it all again - Cinema - Urok Solfedgio - and from an earlier Eurocovers post : Pump Pump
Help Wanted: I would like to find out about the original releases of all above mentioned Greek coverversions (incl. those from the CDs) I know some were released on single and LP, but if you have any specific details (title, label) they would be very welcome.

Related Eurocovers Posts:
You can find a Lithuanian version of Die For You (Antique's 2001 hit entry for Greece) in this Eurocovers post about Mino.
My Number One (Greece 2005 winner) by Icelandic preselection singer Bríet Sunna Valdemarsdóttir is in this Eurocovers post

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