[Sergey]

Vangelis on "Olias of Sunhillow" is long discissed topic and it seems that we would never get true answer due to copyrights etc.
But - we are having our ears... Let's listen to this music more careful.
Today I listened to some tracks - and listening to "Ocean Song" a caught myself with the thought that it's so obviously Vangelisian track (Oceanic
Lead party of keyboards is a little bit of heavy - and it's Jon's playing, but the airy exquisite keyboards in the background of the melody - I suppose, it's Vangelis is playing.
Please, try to listen to this CD and express your impressions.

[uncledon]

"Solid Space"...how anybody could listen to that and think that Vangelis in not involved is beyond me! I love Jon Anderson's solo material, but comparing this album with "Song of Seven", well, it is clear that Vangelis clearly did provide his "energy" to Olias!

Cheers,
Don
http://vangeliscollector.com

[Sergey]

Thank you, Uncle Don!
Really - it's start is not obviously Vangelisian, but after that...
Vangelis surely involved.

[Gordon]

Yeah, I've a double CD of Demis Roussos ('The Very Best of...', FM Records) and although there are song-writing credits in which Vangelis appears in various guises there aren't any performance credits on the sleeve. But I'm pretty sure he's playing on a number of the tracks.
I'm going to check out that Jon Anderson CD. I've heard Jon's an intelligent guy but I really can't stand his lyrics...
P.S. This should be on another thread, right? Apologies: I'm just over-enthusiastic...

[zenpool1]

This has came up several times at Yesfans, usually ending with
the Jon fans extolling his greatness, despite the opinion of site keyboardists.

Let's say, if it was Jon (doubtful) that he's never displayed such
talent arranging the keys since.

Kirk/zenpool

[moviemaker]

[kennytempo]

I really like this album. "Song of search" and "to the runner" never leave my playlist.
When it comes to vangelis playing on this album i don´t know but i wouldn´t be surprised if he helped Jon with the arrangements.

[Jorge]

[Shepherd]

I find it likely that parts of that album was recorded at NEMO, judging by the diversity of synths involved and some of that trademark Vangelis percussion.

Anyway IMO it remains one of V's best works and certainly, perhaps next to Odes w/Papas, Phos, and the jams with Neuronium, his best collaboration. Nothing he ever did as Jon and Vangelis comes close to this. Yes with Vangelis would certainly have been an exciting group, but I can see how Vangelis wanted to move more into improvisation....

[Shepherd]

Some interesting information in this interview :

Quote:

Yeah, I didn't really start until I was twenty-seven, twenty-eight when I started playing piano and guitar at home, but it was very lame at the start, and then I met Vangelis who was a mentor for me. I used to watch what he played and how he played, then I got home and tried to be a 'sort of Vangelis'. It's impossible but I was trying to imitate his work and learn more about technology - and now I have a very beautiful studio, I have some very fine equipment so I can compose every day, some symphony or some other music. Over the years you grow into your own style. - Still, on "Olias On Sunhillow", way back in 1976, you already played everything yourself. I'm doing the "Return Of Olias" now, for the next four years, and the first disc will come out next summer, it will be the first part of the five-disc project, and I'm doing it myself.

Reading this I'm not so sure whether V participated on the record anymore - on his own account, Jon Anderson simply emulated Vangelis' style, to a large extent using the same synths and even the ethnic percussion in Vangelis' collection (which makes it possible that parts of the album were recorded at NEMO).

[Sergey]

In on his iterviews Vangelis said that his involvement into the record by Jon met negative reaction on his label, while he (he said so) didn't know anything about this album.
I think it was on Elsew.
Probably there's his and Jon's mutual legend - not to start judicial, copyright, royalties etc. problems and discussions.
I suppose it's easy to define playing by Jon (even imitating Vangelis - it's more rough sounds of keyboards) from playing by Vangelis himself.
Jon could play keyboards and I like his ambient-New Age instrumental record "Angel Embrace", but he is still far from level of Vangelis.
Well, we could only supppose...
And it could be said from the other side and repeated once more in this thread - why later Jon's solo records from that time are so differ from "Olias"?
And only now Jon recorded with other keyboard player "Zamaran" ("Olias-2").
Probability of involment of Vangelis is very high.