THE FORMINX

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Vangelis Papathanassiou - organ, Vasilis Bakopoulos - rhythm guitar, Sortiris Arnis - bass, Tassos Papastamatis - vocals, Kostas Skokos - drums, Nikos Mastorakis - guest songwriter. From 1965 to 1967, they were The Shadows of Greece. They filled concert halls with screaming fans, all dying to hear something similar to what they knew was going on in England and the USA. The fans wanted their own Beatles experience, and The Forminx gave it to them. Vangelis knew at an early age that for the Greek band to be successful, they needed to sing their hits in English. They were even able to get their music sent to the UK and the USA, and had singles pressed in those countries. Vangelis was in a great position. He had one of the few Hammond organs in Greece during that time. He did a lot of side work. And so he grew apart from the band and eventually formed his own Papathanassiou Set. The famous Greek director Theo Angelopoulos began a documentary film on the band, The Forminx Story, that was never fully realized. I wrote to him recently and he responded that the print has been lost and unlikely to be found. Perhaps Nikos Mastorakis has a copy, and that gives me some hope that we might see this rare footage. In case you happened to run across a roll of film in a Greek warehouse that has this footage, would you write to me?  [Thanks to John Pear for the scan of the Australian 7" of "Jeronimo Yanka", to Andreas Rallis for the scan of "Jeronimo Yanka" Greek multicoloured 7" and the label variation of "Love Without Love", and to Peter Althammer for the scan of the one Greek reissue 7" of "Jeronimo Yanka".]

LPs

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
The Forminx		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16171	1975
The Forminx		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16171	1991

CDs

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
The Forminx		Greece	Pan Vox	CD 16171	1999

10" Records

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
The Forminx		Greece	Music Box International	11073	2005, limited edition of 1000 copies only

Extended Play's (EPs)

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
It's Christmas Time Again/White Christmas/Jingle Bells/The Sound of Music		Greece	Seagull	3E LOK-82	1978, picture sleeve

7" singles

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart		Australia	Decca	Y-7225
Ah! Say Yeah/Elephant Twist		Greece	Decca	PL 8042
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart		Greece	Decca	PL 8049	Picture sleeve
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart		Greece	Decca	PL 8049	Multicoloured splatter vinyl!
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart		Greece	Decca	PL 8049	reissue, center insert, unique font
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart		Greece	Decca	PL 8049	reissue, center insert, unique font
Jenka Beat/A Hard Night's Day		Greece	Decca	PL 8055	Picture sleeve
Say You Love Me/Somebody Sent Me Love		Greece	Decca	PL 8068	Picture sleeve
School Is Over/Greek Holidays		Greece	Decca	PL 8071	Picture sleeve
Il Peperone/A Precious White Rose		Greece	Decca	PL 8099	Black vinyl, large center hole
Il Peperone/A Precious White Rose		Greece	Decca	PL 8099	Black vinyl, center insert
Il Peperone/A Precious White Rose		Greece	Decca	PL 8099	yellow multicoloured splatter vinyl, large center hole
Il Peperone/A Precious White Rose		Greece	Decca	PL 8099	green multicoloured splatter vinyl, large center hole
Our Last September/And May Be More		Greece	Decca	PL 8103
Our Last September/And May Be More		Greece	Decca	PL 8103	Center insert issue!
Mandjourana's Shake/Hello My Love, Salonika		Greece	Pan Vox	PAN 6053
Love Without Love/Until the End		Greece	Pan Vox	PAN 6055
Love Without Love/Until the End		Greece	Pan Vox	PAN 6055	Slight label variation, which includes a line about vocals by T. Papastamatis
Jenka Beat/Geronimo Yanka		United Kingdom	Vocalion	V.9235	Center insert
Jenka Beat/Geronimo Yanka		United Kingdom	Vocalion	V.9235	Promotional, center insert
Jeronimo Yenka/Dream In My Heart		United States	London	LON 9742	Promotional. label variation #1
Jeronimo Yenka/Dream In My Heart		United States	London	LON 9742	Promotional. label variation #2

CD singles

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
Jeronimo Yanka/Dream In My Heart/Ah/ Say Yeah/Elephant Twist		Greece	Music Box	0507	2007, digipack
Jenka Beat/A Hard Night's Day/Somebody Sent Me Love/Say You Love Me		Greece	Music Box	0508	2007, digipack
Love Without Love/Until the End/Hello, My Love Salonica, Mandjourana's Shake		Greece	Music Box	0509	2007, digipack
Our Last September/And Maybe More/School Is Over/Greek Holidays		Greece	Music Box	0510	2007, digipack
Il Peperone/A Precious White Rose/It's Christmas Time Again/White Christmas/Jingle Bells		Greece	Music Box	0511	2007, digipack

Various Artists LPs

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
Oldies But Goodies		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16170	1976, with "Jeronimo Yanka"
Oldies But Goodies No. 2		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16198	1977, with "Jenka Beat"
Oldies But Goodies No. 3		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16241	1978, with "Mandjourana's Shake" and "Il Peperone"
Oldies But Goodies No. 5		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16282	1986, with "A Precious White Rose"
Oldies But Goodies No. 6		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16301	1981, with "Love Without Love"
Oldies But Goodies No. 6		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16301	Reissue, with "Love Without Love", slight cover variation
TA  PRWTA  ELLHNIKA SUGKROTHMATA		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16275	1980, with "Love Without Love", "Jeronimo Yanka" and "Il Peperone"
25 CRONIA Music Box		Greece	Music Box	SMB 14010	1984, with "Jeronimo Yanka"
CRUSH  DEKAETIA  TOU  '60 No. 2		Greece	Music Box Int.	MBI 0448/9	1990, double LP, with "Il Peperone" and "Jenka Beat"
AEWFOREION  H  MELWDIA		Greece	Music Box Int.	MBI 10505.6	1991, double LP, with "Jeronimo Yanka", "Our Last September", "And May Be More", "A Precious White Rose", "Greek Holidays", "Ah! Say Yeah" and "Dream In My Heart"
60's		Greece	MBI	10675/76	1997, with "Jenka Beat", "A Precious White Rose", "Jeronimo Yanka" and "Il Peperone"
Greece - The Very Best of M. Hadjidakis		Greece	MBI	MBI-10391	1990, with "A Hard Night's Day"
Greek Garage Bands of the 60's		Greece	MBI	10682	1997, with "Love Without Love"
Six Miles From the Cage Vol. 2		Greece	Modal Records	MD 102	Insert, with "A Hard Night's Day" and "Until the End"

Various Artists CDs

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
Oldies But Goodies No. 2 and No. 3		Greece	MBI	CD 126	With "Jenka Beat", "Mandjourana's Shake" and "Il Peperone"
Oldies But Goodies		Greece	Pan Vox	16170	1996, with "Jeronimo Yanka"
Oldies But Goodies No. 2		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16198	1996, with "Jenka Beat"
Oldies But Goodies No. 3		Greece	Pan Vox	16241	1996, with "Mandjourana's Shake" and "Il Peperone"
Oldies But Goodies No. 5		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16282	1996, with "A Precious White Rose"
Oldies But Goodies No. 6		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16301	1996, with "Love Without Love"
Oldies But Goodies		Greece	MBI	CD 16170	2004, reissue, in slipcase, with "Jeronimo Yanka"
Oldies But Goodies No. 2		Greece	MBI	CD 16198	2004, reissue, in slipcase, with "Jenka Beat"
Oldies But Goodies No. 3		Greece	MBI	CD 16241	2004, reissue, in slipcase, with "Mandjourana's Shake" and "Il Peperone"
Oldies But Goodies No. 5		Greece	MBI	CD 16282	2004, reissue, in slipcase, with "A Precious White Rose"
Oldies But Goodies No. 6		Greece	MBI	CD 16301	2004, reissue, in slipcase, with "Love Without Love"
Oldies But Goodies No. 9		Greece	MBI	CD 16241	2004, in slipcase, with "Love Without Love"
Oldies But Goodies No. 10		Greece	MBI	CD 16282	2004, in slipcase, with "Somebody Sent Me Love" and "Hello My Love Salonica"
Oldies But Goodies 5		Greece	Bestend A.E.E.	1702159	2010, in sleeve, with "A Precious White Rose", promotional giveaway with magazine purchase
Oldies But Goodies 8		Greece	Bestend A.E.E.	1702162	2010, in sleeve, with "And Maybe More", promotional giveaway with magazine purchase
Oldies But Goodies 9		Greece	Bestend A.E.E.	1702163	2010, in sleeve, with "Say You Love Me" and "Dream In My Heart", promotional giveaway with magazine purchase
Oldies But Goodies 10		Greece	Bestend A.E.E.	1702164	2010, in sleeve, with "Somebody Sent Me Love", promotional giveaway with magazine purchase
CRUSH  DEKAETIA  TOU  '60		Greece	MBI	CD 105	With "Love Without Love"
TA  PRWTA  ELLHNIKA SUGKROTHMATA		Greece	Pan Vox	SPV 16275	1996, with "Love Without Love", "Jeronimo Yanka" and "Il Peperone"
The Songs of Greece No. 3		Greece	MBI	6003	1997, with "A Hard Night's Day"
60's		Greece	MBI	10675/76	1997, double CD, with "Jenka Beat", "A Precious White Rose", "Jeronimo Yanka" and "Il Peperone"
Greece - The Very Best of M. Hadjidakis		Greece	MBI	MBI 10391.2	1990, with "A Hard Night's Day"
Greek Garage Bands of the 60's		Greece	MBI	10682	1997, with "Love Without Love"
MANOS  CATZIDAKIS		Greece	Lyra	CD 99002	1996, with "A Hard Night's Day"

Various Artists CD Box Sets

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Title	Pic?	Country	Label	Catalog No.	Notes
The Ultimate Greek Pop		Greece	MBI	10765~69	5 CD Box set is slip case, inlcudes one full CD of music by the Forminx, some tracks appearing on CD for the first time. CD is called The Formidable Forminx (MBI 17065)

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