Aphrodite's Child was a Greek rock and pop band formed in 1967, by Vangelis Papathanassiou, Demis Roussos, Loukas Sideras, and Silver Koulouris (guitar). They initially found success in Europe with hit singles like "Rain and Tears", "End of the World", "I Want to Live", and "It's Five O'Clock", before pivoting to progressive rock with their third and final album, 666 (1972). An ambitious concept album inspired by the Book of Revelation, it later gained critical acclaim and has appeared on a number of lists of the top progressive and psychedelic albums of all time.
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a song written by Mel Tillis about a paralyzed veteran who lies helplessly as his wife "paints [herself] up" to go out for the evening without him; he believes she is going in search of a lover. As he hears the door slam behind her, he claims that he would murder her if he could move to get his gun, and pleads for her to reconsider. A line in the song about a "crazy Asian war" and the time of the song's release led to the assumption the song was about a veteran of the Vietnam War, though this was never stated in the lyrics. However, Tillis stated that the song was about a veteran of World War II.
"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland, with an orchestra conducted by John Dixon. The Hyland version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies in the US, and was a worldwide hit. The song has been adapted into French as "Itsy bitsy petit bikini" and into German as "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini", reaching number one on national charts in both languages. Several versions of the song have proved successful in various European countries. In 1990 a version by British pop band Bombalurina, titled "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland.
"Eloise" is a song first released in 1968 on the MGM label. It was sung by Barry Ryan, and written by his twin brother Paul Ryan. Running for over five minutes, it features strong orchestration, melodramatic vocals, and a brief slow interlude. It sold three million copies worldwide, and reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart as published by Record Retailer, but hit No. 1 in the NME and Melody Maker charts. It topped the chart in 17 countries, including Italy, the Netherlands and Australia.
"Son of My Father" is a song popularised in 1972 by Chicory Tip.
"Burning Heart" is a song by Survivor. It appeared in the 1985 film Rocky IV and on its soundtrack album; the film's star Sylvester Stallone personally commissioned the song. The single peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in February 1986, behind "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne and Friends. It was the biggest hit the band had with Jimi Jamison on lead vocals. It was also a top 5 hit in the UK, Germany and several other European countries, and reached the top 15 in Canada.
...bugiardo più che mai... più incosciente che mai... is a studio album by Italian singer Mina, released on November 1969 by PDU.
"Black Is Black" is a song by the Spanish rock band Los Bravos, released in 1966 as the group's debut single for Decca Records. Produced by Ivor Raymonde, it reached number two in the UK, number four in the US, and number one in Canada. With the recording's success, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock band to have an international hit single. A dance remix was released as a single in 1986.
Jean-Michel Delpech, known as Michel Delpech, was a French singer-songwriter and actor.
"Soy rebelde" is a Spanish pop ballad written by Manuel Alejandro and Ana Magdalena. It was released by British-born singer Jeanette in 1971, and was her debut solo single. It has been re-recorded by Jeanette in English, French, and Japanese, and has inspired cover versions in diverse genres from flamenco to punk rock and rap.
"Le métèque" is a French chanson by Georges Moustaki (1934–2013). He wrote it in 1969, and it was his first breakthrough hit, reaching number one in the French charts for six non-consecutive weeks. Before this song he had written for many singers, including "Milord" for Édith Piaf. He recorded an Italian version titled "Lo straniero", which became the best-selling record of 1969 in Italy.
"El mismo sol" is the debut single by Spanish-German singer-songwriter Álvaro Soler. It was written by Soler along with Simon Triebel and Ali Zuchowski for his debut studio album Eterno Agosto (2015). The song was recorded in Berlin where Soler resides and was published first on the personal YouTube channel of the singer. Based on the success of the video, Soler was signed to Universal Music and the single made available on iTunes on May 8, 2015, serving as his debut.
Dik Dik is an Italian beat/pop-rock band, named after the antelope Dik-dik, formed in the 1960s and still active. They were most popular in the late 1960s, when they released a string of hit singles with the contribution of renowned lyric-writer Mogol and songwriter Lucio Battisti, their greatest successes being "Sognando la California" and "Senza luce", respectively covers of "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and Papas and "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum. While their early production is mostly inspired by the Beatles, in the 1970s they also experimented in other genres, including progressive rock. They went on hiatus in the 1980s but later returned to the scene, mostly in revival television shows and live performances.
"Flirt!" is a song and single written by Jonathan King, Michel Delpech and Roland Vincent and performed by King. Released in 1972 it reached 22, on the UK charts, staying there for nine weeks. The song is a cover of a French song, Pour un Flirt, by Delpech and Vincent, to which King added English lyrics.
Texas 25 is a compilation album by Scottish rock band Texas, released on 16 February 2015. The album was released to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary and features eight reworked Texas tracks along with four new songs. A 2-disc deluxe edition of the album was also released, with disc 1 featuring the same track listing as the standard version of the album and disc 2 including the original versions of 15 of the band's biggest hits.
"Rain and Tears" is a song by the Greek band Aphrodite's Child. The song was included on the band's 1968 debut studio album End of the World, and was released as a single in July 1968 on Mercury. It became a major hit across Europe, reaching number one in France, number two in several other countries, and entering the top 30 in the United Kingdom and West Germany.
"It's Five O'clock" is a song by the Greek band Aphrodite's Child from their 1969 studio album It's Five O'Clock. It was also released as a single, in February 1970, on Mercury Records.
"Ceux que l'amour a blessés" is a song by French singer Johnny Hallyday. It was released as a single in January 1970.
"Fais-moi une place" is a 1989 pop song recorded by French singer Julien Clerc. Written by Françoise Hardy with a music composed by Clerc, it was the first single from his 15th studio album Fais-moi une place, on which it appears as the seventh track, and was released in January 1990. It achieved success in France where it was a top ten hit and won the category "Song of the year" at the 1991 Victoires de la Musique.
"Yaka dansé", also titled "Yaka dansé (l'aborigène)" on the disc of the various formats as there is an "aborigène mix", is a 1987 reggae song recorded by French band Raft. Written and composed by band's singer Christian Fougeron, it was released in August 1987 and became the first single from Raft's 1989 second album Madagascar, on which it appears as the tenth track in a remixed version. Praised by critics, it was particularly appreciated for its deep lyrics under an innocent appearance, dealing with racism and decolonization, and its catchy rhythm. It was a successful hit in France, peaking at number two, and can be considered as Raft's signature song.
