Throughout his childhood he was influenced by the musics that were coexisting in Egypt. The sound of Arabic music entered into his life at that time and has continued until today as one of his biggest influences. At the age of ten, he was intrigued by Jazz and learnt to play the trumpet. As a young boy he also attended the choir of the Greek Byzantine church of Alexandria and sang for five years as a soloist.
However, when Artemios reached the age of fifteen, his life changed. It was the time of the Suez Canal crisis. His family left Egypt and immigrated to their homeland Greece. Artemios then had to work to support his family. During the day he attended school and, at night, he played the trumpet in various clubs in Athens. Two years later, his first band, "The Idols" was formed. Artemios played the Bass Guitar and sang backing vocals as well. One day, as the lead singer needed to rest, he asked Artemios to replace him for a few songs. That night, when Artemios sang "The House Of The Rising Sun" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" the audience was amazed. From then on Artemios was asked to sing again and again.
Within a short period, Artemios was making a sound reputation. It was at this time that he met the man who would later become one of his most successful composer, Lakis Vlavianos. From that meeting a new band was born, the "We Five", with Artemios as the lead singer.
In 1968 Artemios’s journey crossed the road of two other top Greek musicians, Vangelis Papatanassiou and Loukas Sideras. Their associationbecame one of the biggest musical events of the seventies in the form of "Aphrodite’s Child". This ambitious band decided to travel to the United Kingdom for better commercial prospects. Artemios--who had now shortened his name to Demis--would be the singer and the bass player, Vangelis the main composer as well as the keyboard player, and Loukas would play the drums.
However, they were refused entry to the United Kingdom for lack of a work permit. Instead, Aphrodite's Child travelled to Paris, arriving just as the city was going through the May 68 revolution. After a few concerts in some trendy Parisian clubs, a major company offered to record a song of theirs, one that was inspired by Pachelbel‘s canon called "Rain And Tears". This first album of Aphrodite’s Child sold over a million copies in France alone.
Nine months later, as Demis first daughter, Emily, was born, "Rain And Tears" was the top single all over Europe and a top 20 single in the United Kingdom. The band experienced a huge success for three years.
They then released their legendary last album “666”, after which, for various reasons, Aphrodite's Child decided to split up.
Since Demis was one of the main elements of the band, the record company offered him a chance to recorded his first solo single, "We Shall Dance", which was released on the album "On the Greek Side of My Mind". This album and the single jumped into the top five of all the national hit parades of Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.
Some months later, Demis met with his old friend of the "We Five", Lakis Vlavianos. Lakis was then going through an inspired period and wrote many songs which Demis recorded; these turned into a string of number one hits all over the world, including: "Forever And Ever", "My Friend the Wind", and "Velvet Morning".
After his second child, Cyril, was born in 1975, Demis toured the globe for eight years with his second wife and child. In Brazil, he packed a stadium of 150 000 people--an event that was achieved in that particular stadium twice only. (The other previous artist was Frank Sinatra.) In fact, Demis sold enough records to gain a name in the Guinness Book of records among the personalities of show business in the 70’s and the eighties. He was awarded more than a hundred golden, platinum, and diamond albums and cassettes.
His unique dressing style was often considered eccentric but Demis was following his instinct which told him that the music he was performing should match with the combination of looks between the glorious Byzantine Empire and the Arabic Caftan.
In 1978 his instinct told him again that he should retire for a while, thinking of new things concerning his career and life. And so he took his family to an area of the world where he was unknown, Malibu Beach, California. There, Demis lost over 50 kilograms. He returned to Europe and lived a quieter life between England and Greece, alone with his son, Cyril.
On June 14 1985, wile he was travelling from Athens to Rome, a decisive event occurred. Demis’s TWA airplane was hijacked by terrorists. After two days in that plane praying, Demis was held three days in the prison of Beyrouth with his third wife. Like many other survivors, he went through the shock of a traumatic experience. After that, Demis said he had never understood so well the importance of the nations living in peace and how precious life is when you see death so close. He felt more than ever that his contribution for a better tomorrow could be via music and so decided to return to the recording and performance scene.
He recorded twenty songs and compiled an album called "The story of Demis Roussos". With this album, Demis started to world tour again and found a nostalgic audience who had missed his magic voice. In 1986 Demis toured the USSR for three weeks and was invited to join important scientists, writers and artists at the forum for peace and disarmament in Moscow, during February 1987.
Later that year, during a tight TV schedule in Chile, Demis insisted on fitting in a visit to the Earth summit in Rio to get a clearer picture of the environmental problems, which were a main concern for Demis.
Since then Demis had been a regular visitor of the charts with singles such as "Quand je t’aime" and "On écrit sur les murs", and albums such as "Voice and Vision" and "Immortel".
Since 2008, Demis had been living in Greece by the sea. After being one of the most talented singers of his century, Demis was still working on more magical offerings, with the blessing of music and God.
He died aged 68, on the Hygeia Hospital in Athens on January 25, 2015.
Shadows
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shadows of a thousand faces keep on turning in your mind,
Forgotten names and places never really left behind.
Is it here imagination seeking shelter from the rain,
or a long self conversation once again.
Shadows never point a finger at the things you say or do,
silently they seem to linger anywhere you may run to.
Sharing every joy or torment, every laughter or despair,
facing you at any moment if you dare.
Gentle hearts that once surrendered what you didn't understand,
conquest of the night that ended holding you with trembling hands.
In a book a fall leaf-clover marks the day you said hello,
till she found that it was over long ago.
Little things have lost their meaning leaving only emptiness,
tender words and simple feelings never eased your hungriness.
Yesterdays remain so certain and tomorrow’s round the bend,
can you read the line that darkens on your hand.
Both ends of a candle burning shine so brightly for a while,
wrinkles of a life reflecting in your smile.
Shadows never point a finger at the things you say or do,
silently they seem to linger anywhere you may run to.
Sharing every joy or torment, every laughter or despair,
facing you at any moment if you dare.
The opening lines of Demis Roussos's song "Shadows" depict the sense of lingering memories and regrets. There are feelings of loss, longing, and nostalgia for moments and people left behind. The shadows symbolize the unresolved past that has a lasting impact on the present. The shadows keep turning in the mind, and the forgotten names and places never get properly left behind, they seem to linger silently. The entire song seems to exist in the space between forgetting and remembering, between the past and the present.
Even though the shadows never point a finger at the things we say or do, they seem to linger anywhere we run to. The shadows are with us in every joy or torment, every laughter or despair, and they may confront us anytime we dare. The gentle hearts that once surrendered what we didn't understand no longer embrace us, leaving behind emptiness. The candle that burns bright for a while also produces wrinkles of a life reflected in our smiles. The song allows the shadows to be the guidance and warning of the present, the past, and the future.
Overall, "Shadows" by Demis Roussos is a poignant representation of the transience of time and memories, and how the things we encounter shape our lives. We are reminded that we must embrace and make sense of shadows as an extension of ourselves, illuminating our path ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows of a thousand faces keep on turning in your mind,
Various thoughts and memories constantly revolve in your mind, leaving behind a shadowy imprint of faces, without a clear appearance.
Forgotten names and places never really left behind.
Even though you forget the exact names and places of past experiences, they linger in your subconscious, never really forgotten.
Is it here imagination seeking shelter from the rain,
Perhaps your imagination seeks an escape from the difficulties of reality, taking refuge in a world of its own creation.
or a long self conversation once again.
Alternatively, you may engage in extended inner dialogues with yourself, pondering different ideas and aspects of life.
Shadows never point a finger at the things you say or do,
The lingering memories and thoughts do not judge or criticize your words or actions, they simply observe.
silently they seem to linger anywhere you may run to.
No matter where you go, these shadows follow you, quietly keeping you company in your solitude.
Sharing every joy or torment, every laughter or despair,
The shadows share in all your life experiences, including the highs and lows, the happiness and sorrow.
facing you at any moment if you dare.
If you dare to look closely, the shadows are always there, facing you and reflecting your innermost thoughts and feelings.
Gentle hearts that once surrendered what you didn't understand,
In the past, kind-hearted individuals may have given in to your lack of understanding, allowing you to proceed with things that were unclear to you.
conquest of the night that ended holding you with trembling hands.
Perhaps there was a moment of fear or uncertainty that overcame you during a past nighttime adventure, leaving you trembling.
In a book a fall leaf-clover marks the day you said hello,
A leaf clover that fell inside a book serves as a reminder of the day you met someone new and first said hello.
till she found that it was over long ago.
However, it seems that this relationship has ended a long time ago, leaving only memories and shadows behind.
Little things have lost their meaning leaving only emptiness,
Small details that once had great significance to you may have now lost their impact, leaving behind a feeling of emptiness.
tender words and simple feelings never eased your hungriness.
Even though you have experienced kind and affectionate moments, they have failed to satisfy your deeper emotional needs.
Yesterdays remain so certain and tomorrow's round the bend,
The past feels certain and tangible, while the future remains uncertain, just around the corner.
can you read the line that darkens on your hand.
There may be a subtle change, symbolized by a darkening line on your hand, that you may be able to read and interpret as a sign of things to come.
Both ends of a candle burning shine so brightly for a while,
Like a candle that burns brightly at both ends for a short time, some moments in life are characterized by intense passion and excitement that do not last.
wrinkles of a life reflecting in your smile.
The experiences and challenges of life are reflected in your smile, as tiny wrinkles reveal the wisdom and depth that comes with age.
Lyrics © ALLO MUSIC EDITIONS
Written by: Robert CONSTANDINOS, Stylianos VLAVIANOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind