Greece

Greek multi-instrumentalist Vangelis Papathanassiou was a child prodigy, eventually studying music in Athens. He spent his early career with in the beat band Formix, later forming Aphrodite's Child in 1968. By early 70s, he would emigrate to Paris then London to embark on a solo career, alternating between studio recordings and soundtracks. His earliest studio recordings, Hypothesis and The Dragon, are unauthorized releases that reveal jazz improvisation. Earth was released on the heels of the 666 album, and is a great companion. However, Vangelis' RCA recordings are his definitive 70s output. Alternating between symphonic rock and electronics, they are highly original and all worth investigating. Later in the decade he would team up with Yes vocalist Jon Anderson in the highly successful Jon & Vangelis. Yet his soundtrack for Chariots Of Fire would earn him a No. 1 record and single in the US and unfortunately a "new age" tag.