Spring 1987 the Greek singer Stavros Logaridis, an old friend, sued Vangelis. Stavros had the idea Vangelis copied the theme of "City of Violets" for his own work Chariots of Fire (1981). For his defence, Vangelis set up a pair of synthesizers in court and played a theme the jurors as audience. The jurors were convinced of his innocence, Vangelis was cleared of all accusations and he recieved an indemnification of 2 milion pounds. The friendship of Stavros and Vangelis came to an end. Two months after this terrible time, Vangelis moved to Athens. The old girlsschool at Hampden Gurney street was demolished and was replaced by the new building you can see nowadays.
Click here to see some pictures of Hampden Gurneystreet
Stavros Logaridis
Back in his country of birth he started a new life. First he found himself a new place to work, at the Sound Studios in the old town of Athens. He signed to a new label, Arista, where he released his album "Direct". (1988)
Vangelis stayed in Athens not as long as in Nemo. In 1990, the album "The City" was recorded in Rome and Paris. In Rome he performed his "Caracalla" concert. After Rome, he moved again to Paris, to set up another studio, the famous "Epsylon". This studio, in the centre of Paris, was made of glass. The most famous work what was recorded here is the soundtrack for "1492: Conquest of Paradise". The studio is to be seen in a videoclip of the song and in the French television interview "Musique au Couer".
In these days Vangelis and Fredric Rossif were still working together. Throughout the years they had made several documentaries about wildlife and worldfamous painters, such as Picasso, Morandi and Georges Braque. In 1989 Vangelis scored one of the last colleborations between him and Frederic Rossif. Morandi, a documentary about the painter came out on VHS. The video lasts for fifty minutes, chockfull of unreleased music.
The Maas, the spot where Vangelis played the Event of Exellence.
Rotterdam, the famous Dutch harbour, was the place for a new television appearance. In the evening of July 18th 1991, he gave his "Event of Exellence" concert on the water of the river Maas. Picture taken off the Noordereiland. You are looking at the very spot in the middle of the picture where he was staged. This event was the 5th birthday of a co-operation between several highscools and universities throughout the European Community. This co-operation was called Eureka. During the concert the buildings you can see above were used as screens for laserlights. It was broadcasted live on television by Veronica. Roman Polanski attended the concert backstage. A choir existed of 400 men and women were singing the vocals of e.g. Hymne and Mask. Also, this concert ws relased illegally on CD's and sold on the internet. A Dutch radioreporter tried to get Vangelis' words after the concert. Backstage the reporter asked if he was satisfied with the result.
"Yes, I am. I'm very tired."
"Was it what you expected?"
"It was perfect. Thank you very much, bye!"
In the same year, 1991, Vangelis appeared again on French television. It was a special event, for the host of the programme was no one less than Henry Chapier! In the television interview '"Le Divan", several international known people were interviewed. People known to us made their appearance, such as Jane Birkin (10 October 1987) Francois Reichenbach, Melina Mercouri and Vangelis (August 18th 1991)
Henry Chapier as host of "Le Divan"
At this time, Vangelis made again a soundtrack. For Roman Polanski's Bitter Moon he made the score. Polanski's wife, Emanuelle Seigner, plays a leading role. You can hear Polanski walk and ask for a sandwich and Seigner say "c'est beau" on the 1990 CD The City. Bitter Moon's soundtrack has never been released, just the main theme that you can find on the Reprise CD. Polanski, a long time friend of Vangelis, said in an interview about the movie that he "wanted to give a new vision I want to confront with." In Poland the name of the movie is "Gorzkie Gody". In ex-Yugoslavia it's name is "Gorkie Mesec".
Roman Polanski, the director of Bitter Moon nowadays.
Click here to be taken to the "Bitter Moon Poster Gallery".
Bitter Moon is a 1992 movie about the rather controversial sides of love. In this movie, starring Hugh Grant (Nigel), Kristin Scott Thomas (Fiona), Emmanuelle Seigner (Mimi) and Peter Coyote (Oscar) The script is inspired by the book Lunes de Fiel written by the French author Pascal Bruckner.
Returning back to Paris, Vangelis set up another studio in Neuilly-sur-Seine,in the outskirts of the city. He called it Ypsilon. This building was mainly made of glass. In 1992 he said in an interview, after the reporter asked...
“Why glass?”
“Why glass, is very easy. I would like to feel the change of the days and the seasons. I hate being in studios wich are underground or are, between brackets, extremely well soundproof. All that is tiring. You are cut off completely from nature from everything. Here I can feel when the sun is up, when the sun is down, I can see the birds, the trees and that is fantastic!”
Vangelis in his Ypsilon studio, 1992
In 1993 he had to stop working here in his Ypsilon. The building was demolished, Vangelis had to find another place. Click here to go to "The last decades".