THE GREEK PRESSINGS VOL. I

THE GREEK PRESSINGS VOL. I

Welcome friends to the new series of FILTHY DOGS OF METAL with the title ''Digging - Finding - Learning''. Here, we’ll talk about all the topics concerning the music we love - forgotten gems lost in the oblivion of time, releases, rare records, CDs, and so on. In this article, we’ll focus on the country I live in: Greece. I won’t talk about the Greek metal scene - at least not in this article. However, I’d like to write a few things about Greek pressings and Greek releases in general from the past.

In many conversations I’ve had with different people, most say there was no information in the heavy metal scene, no records came to our country, and generally (especially in the ’80s), vinyls were like gold dust. In other words, we were thirsty for heavy metal. Yes, okay, I understand that to some extent, but friends… there is a big “but”! We may not have had so many “import” releases (we’re still talking about the ’80s), and what was available then was expensive, but we had our own Greek pressings for the local market. A record was pressed in Greece (yes, ladies and gentlemen, we had our own factory back then and the machines worked day and night), and the cover was printed here as well, so the retail price was definitely much lower than that of an “import” record. So far, so good...

Now someone might say, “Yeah Steve, okay, we had Greek pressings but only from multinational companies, and in record stores you only found mainstream bands.” Yes, I agree… but (hahaha, here’s that “but” again) the multinationals also pressed vinyl records from small independent labels - few but respectable and very, very strange bands, especially for Greece, where people only bought mainstream bands back then.

Let’s go back a bit, to the ’70s, and take a look at some very interesting mainstream, non-mainstream, and at the same time “weird” releases for the Greek market.

Let’s start at the beginning!
Black Sabbath, ladies and gentlemen. Their self-titled album was released in England on February 13, 1970 by Vertigo and changed the world of music. The original record came in a gatefold sleeve, and on the label, right under the Vertigo logo, it writes: “A Philips Record Product.” This first English edition would require a deep pocket from the buyer.

In Greece, the record was released for the domestic market one year later (1971) in a single laminated cover. Back then, it was very common for records to be released in laminated covers with black-and-white backs, which unfortunately over time caused heavy ring wear on the back. Well, that’s how it was… Now, the Black Sabbath Greek edition is quite curious because the upside-down cross found in the gatefold of the English version is on the back cover of the Greek version - but it’s compressed so it’s no longer upside down and looks more like a pharmacy cross… hahahaha! Epic, right? You can’t deny it! Check out the corresponding photos. Of course, we mustn’t forget that in 1971 Greece was under the military junta regime, so the fact it was even released here is something to be thankful for!

Once again, ladies and gentlemen, we have Black Sabbath with their second album, ''Paranoid''. “Steve, I thought you said you wouldn’t mention mainstream bands in the introduction? What are you doing now… presenting Black Sabbath? Very underground…” Haha! Patience, dear readers, patience! I hope you’ll find these details interesting.

So, ''Paranoid'' was also released in 1970 (September), like their debut, in a gatefold sleeve where opening it shows the band. On the left side are Iommi, Butler, and Ward lying on the grass. On the right side, Ozzy stands alone, and to his left, you can read the tracklist and credits. All good so far… Now for the Greek edition - here’s where we got creative! It’s as if the gatefold was folded outward and printed as the front cover instead of the normal front cover… hahahaha! Cool, right? So, the Greek edition has the three band members on the front and Ozzy on the back. A worldwide first! Also, I forgot to mention this wasn’t laminated; the paper was quite cheap and had a sort of rough texture! As always, bootleggers pirated this Greek edition, so be careful if you find it.

Now, let’s look at another very interesting Greek release. KISS, ladies and gentlemen, with the fantastic 1976 album ''Rock and Roll Over''. Haha, I know, I know - you’re saying, “Very underground, KISS!” Haha! OK, you’re right, but I really want to present this release. KISS belonged to the American Casablanca Records roster. The Greek pressings (from the ’70s and early ’80s) came out with the same label, but here we have something special, especially for collectors of the band. ''Rock and Roll Over'' was released in Greece via MINOS EMI. A very interesting and strange edition with orange-colored labels and the MINOS sticker. Under the word MINOS, it says in Greek: “ΠΡΟΟΔΟΣ ΣΤΟ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ,” which means “PROGRESS IN THE SONG.” Haha! I’m attaching photos so you can see the record.

Continuing, I have a Greek artist named George Loukas, who released some rare singles during the ’60s and ’70s. In 1981, he returned with the album ''Il Silenzio'' as George Loukas & The Danaïans through VIP Records (a branch of the Venus-Tzina company). The Danaïans were none other than Heaven and Hell, perhaps Greece’s first heavy metal band (formed in 1979), appearing on the classic compilation ''Happening 82'' with the song “Heaven And Hell 1.” What’s special about this release? The album contains 14 tracks, some covers of Nini Rosso, America, The Crystals, and two songs with music by KISS: “Hard Luck Woman” and “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.” The lyrics are by George Loukas, and the music is by KISS… haha! A very special, rare, and collectible album. I’d say it’s a real cult release.

Listen:

Still in 1981, many Greek pressings of big bands like IRON MAIDEN, SAXON, MSG, BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE, etc., were released. Imagine going back in time to your neighborhood record store and seeing among these titles ''Time Tells No Lies'' by PRAYING MANTIS! Shock, right? You might say, “Steve, ''Time Tells No Lies'' came out on the multinational Arista label.” Logical it was released in Greece. But who in Greece would have listened to PRAYING MANTIS back then? That’s another story… The cover was faded, the print quality was poor, and curiously, it had an insert. And - don’t forget to check the typo on the label: “PLAYING MANTIS”...hahaha!

As I mentioned earlier, imagine being in the record store in 1981 and seeing the album ''The Taker'' by CHEVY (a 1980 release on the English Avatar Record & Screenworks Ltd) or the even stranger debut album of LIMELIGHT (originally released in 1980 by English Future Earth Records). This album was released in various European countries in 1981.

Also, one of the weird releases of 1981 in Greece was ''Give 'Em Hell'' by WITCHFYNDE (originally released in 1980 by English Rondelet Music & Records). Aaaarrrggg!! Awesome! That cover surely caused a bit of panic among customers and store owners in 1981 Greece! I would really love to know who was responsible for the rock and metal department in these Greek companies back then and what criteria allowed these records to be released in Greece in 1981!! Hmm, and I’m very curious to know how many copies were pressed (I don’t think more than 500) and how many sold! That would be very interesting.

Listen:

This was Vol. I, ladies and gentlemen. Soon there will be Vol. II as well. I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting. Feel free to write your thoughts or comments below - I’d be happy to get your feedback. Till next time...

By Steve the Filthy Dog.