Stop the presses... It's Breaking NEWS Time!

If you have found some new discovery, or there is a new Vangelis related release in your country, please write to me. If you can provide a scan, that would be even better! I'll add it here with your credit. Please help build this site! Write to me by clicking here!

This update - June 3, 2008

Hello everybody. By now, you surely know that in Greece, Vangelis has worked with the Greek newspaper "Ta Nea" and has officially released, for the first time ever, his 1972 album "Fais Que Ton Reve Soit Plus Long que la Nuit", retitled "Paris May 1968".  For a couple of euros more, this CD came with the May 31st edition of the newspaper along with a short interview discussing, among other things, Vangelis' thought about the student riots in Paris back in 1968, when his "Rain and Tears" became a massive hit in France and around the world.  Ordering this CD is a bit of a problem, so my initial recommendation is to check out ebay, but also, go to the elsewhere site and read the news there, as Dennis has some links you can check out to order this CD. Do not miss out on this!

On today's date, my friends north of me in Canada will be getting a Canadian-only Demis Roussos CD compilation released titled "40 Ans Succès au Québec" from Universal, which includes two Aphrodite's Child tracks ("Rain and Tears" and "It's Five O'Clock") plus "Mourir aupres de Mon Amour", which of course involves Vangelis. Try ordering this at amazon.ca. There is some confusion over the release date of this CD, but checking the umusic.ca site, they list it as available today, and hopefully, amazon.ca will soon update their site and accept orders.

And the ever reliable company, Shochiku Home Video in Japan, has decided to re-release Alexander on DVD as a two DVD set. Available for order on June 27, 2008 and assigned a new catalog number (DZ-5149), it can be ordered by clicking here!

There is a great new blog about Vangelis that I recently learned about and check almost daily. The link is zyser.blogspot.com, and I highly recommend you check in out. The person running this blog does quite a bit of researching for news and reports are pretty frequent.  The site is awesome!

Just a few words to my fellow collectors about some recent releases.  In Japan, "Blade Runner Trilogy 25th Anniversary" was released by Universal at the end of March. It comes with an obi strip and an insert in Japanese. However, Universal Japan has opted not to manufacture the CD packaging nor the CDs themselves and instead have imported the EU package. I thought this was rather strange, although this has been known to happen in the past (back when CDs were first made, and also, some of the smaller record companies have been known to do this).  I admit I was surprised when my CD arrived and it turned out to be made in the EU, especially since it runs almost 5000 yen! To the right is a scan of the back cover of the "new release" of Spiral in the USA. This was advertised on the Amazon website, CD Universe and some other places as a new release on April 1, 2008 by Sony. Well, as you can see, this is not a new release at all but the old Windham Hill release with a new UPC sticker stuck to the jewel case.  What a rotten trick.

This update - March 30, 2008

Hello again everyone! I am getting back into the site...I finally bought a new scanner and so, I will be scanning many new items for the discography! I have a goal to scan everything in my collection and add it all here to the site. If I am missing something, you can be sure I will be in touch with you for a scan! So, what is news? Not a lot, but an item or two to update you with! In Japan, Francesco has been re-released in the movie theaters! There was a small Liliana Cavani film festival, along with two other non-Vangelis related films. The print was the full-length feature, previously unreleased in Japan. The film will be twenty years old next year! Isn't that incredible? I know there are some who have harshly criticized this film, not due in small part to the horribly re-edited version of the film that most people are stuck with buying.  I LOVE the movie and the Vangelis score.  Is this the answer, a possible future Japanese DVD release? I am not sure.  Check out the website devoted to the theatrical release: www.cavani.jp.  The site is in Japanese but there is a trailer. My only worry? Watching the trailer, the dialogue is the dubbed Italian...

I feel terrible for not reporting this earlier. The February issue of hi fi+ magazine (available in the UK, US and Canada, maybe other countries) had an wonderful article about the re-release of the Blade Runner 25th Anniversary CD, written by Richard Clews.  I highly recommend that you find this magazine.  It may be off the stands now, but back issues can be ordered! Just click here to be taken to a link!!! Bravo, Richard.

One more little piece of information from Japan.  There will be a reissue on Vangelis' Odyssey on June 25, 2008.  This reissue is not a standard item, however.  It appears there is some sort of new CD being promoted by Universal Japan: "SHM-CD digitally remastered reissue. The high quality SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. This release is also part of the 200-album SHM-CD Series Campaign from Universal Music Japan." You can pre-order by clicking here. Sounds interesting! And, guess what else is being re-released in Japan? You guessed it, Chariots of Fire on DVD!!! How many times is this? I have lost count! If you want to keep up, then click here to order it from CD Japan. Great stuff!

This update - January 1, 2008 (HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!)

This news is a bit old (read elsew.com for more information). A surprise was revealed right before Christmas! Vangelis and Universal have released the soundtrack to the new Greek film, El Greco! This release is totally unrelated to the El Greco music releases from 1995 and 1998! The score is divided into 18 parts. At this time, it will only be released in Greece, but can easily be found at a variety of internet sites in Greece and from other dealers of Greek products. You can certainly order your today by visiting my friend Aki at trehantiri.co.uk!

And of course, we have finally seen the release of more Blade Runner music to coincide with the Final Cut DVD around the world! As of this writing, Blade Runner Trilogy 25th Anniversary 3 CD set has been released in the UK, Europe and the USA. There does not appear to be any distinction between the UK and European issues. The USA issue is not an import and is apparently only being sold through amazon.com, although other US dealers are selling it. It is unknown if they are sourcing their copies through amazon, but amazon is promoting this as an amazon exclusive. If you do not know this already, the 1st disc contains the 1994 releases, the 2nd disc contains unreleased cues and the 3rd disc contains all new compositions inspired by Blade Runner! In the UK, there are 3 disc CDR acetate promos floating around, with cover artwork housed in a plastic sleeve. Keep your eyes open!

Speaking of old news...In France, there was a release in 2004 (!) that I just learned out now regarding Nana Mouskouri, a huge 34 CD Box Set that includes her CD, Tu M'oublies, a very rare title that has been quite difficult to find. "Tu M'oublies" is Nana's cover version of Vangelis' "Missing" sung in French! In addition, there are bonus tracks which include, for the very first time on CD, her version of "Missing" sung in Italian, "Ti Ho Perso". Search for this at amazon.fr!

When it is Christmas time, it is time for the box sets! In Greece, two different sets were released. Maria Farandouri has a new 4 CD box set available, titled 40 HRONIA 1965-2000. This contains two compositions composed by Vangelis, "Tora Xero" and "Odi A'". I do not own this yet, and if you are from Greece and reading this, please take a look at this set and make sure these are the only two Vangelis composed tracks. There is a third track he composed on her 17 Songs album titled "San Ilektra", but she has also reported that he composed FIVE songs for her. So two of those songs are unreleased. Are they in this box set? You can order by clicking here. Also, there has been a re-packaging of two Vasilis Saleas albums into a 3 CD set titled From the East to West. Two of the CDs make up the "Live At Constantinople" release, which includes live covers of "Elsewhere", "L'enfant", "Love Theme (Blade Runner)" and "Prelude". This great clarinet player has probably done the best cover versions of Vangelis songs EVER. You can order by clicking here.

This update - November 14, 2007

Hello everybody, just a quick note (yes, I know there plenty of news...a new Blade Runner 3 CD set by Vangelis reported at elsew.com, the new Chrisma CDs being released and available at amazon [just search there]). I need to apologize to my readers. During my last update in September, I reported on a new Frederic Rossif DVD being released in Italy and that my contact there reporting to me that it contained Vangelis music. Well, I am sorry to say now that others who have received it have learned some things. First of all, this is NOT a commercially pressed DVD but a burned DVDR. Second, the music in NOT by Vangelis and it is actually not known who performs the music. Robert Eichelsheim at vangelismovements.com (who just did an EXCELLENT report on Dimitri Tambossis-check it out) indicates that it appears the images are most likely from Opera Sauvage. BUT NOT THE MUSIC. So if you went on this wild goose chase because of me, please accept my apology. Maybe someday, we will get the real thing from some company.

This update - September 19, 2007

Hello! A much overdue update, and I tell you, I will need to get a bank loan to even consider trying to keep up with all the new Vangelis-related material coming out over the next few months! In a way, I am glad that the Vangelis remasters have not been more forthcoming, although I hope Universal won't make us wait forever! My top news comes from my friend Marcello at Krisma Music, who tells me that on October 26, 2007, Universal Italy will finally be releasing the first two Chrisma albums on CD, Chinese Restaurant and Hibernation (and for you Hans Zimmer fans, Cathode Mamma) in a digipack edition! This is fantastic news of course, as Hibernation has never been released on CD and Chinese Restaurant is long out of print on CD. When images and sale links become available, I'll add them here! Now, I won't argue here about Vangelis' involvement on these CDs. The band says he was and the CS-80 work on these albums also says so...so there! I'm a believer! Please support these releases by buying them when they are out!!!

As everybody must surely know by now, Blade Runner-The Final Cut is a reality, and will be draining your bank account in most countries very soon! I've looked around the internet to see which territories have announced this, and in which fashion. This will look very different depending on where you are from, there are so many variations of how this is going to be marketed. It looks huge, I've never seen anything like it before! There will be up to five different versions of the film available, depending on what set you buy. The fabled "Workprint Edition" will only be available in the 5 DVD sets. In the USA, there will be SEVEN different products (release date December 18, 2007: 5 DVD Deluxe Set in Carrying Case, 4 DVD Set, 2 DVD Set, 5 Blu-ray DVD Deluxe Set in Carrying Case, 5 Blu-ray DVD Set, 5 HD-DVD Deluxe Set in Carrying Case and 5 HD-DVD Set).  In Japan, there will be FOUR different products (release date December 14,2007: 5 DVD Deluxe Set in Carrying Case, 5 DVD Set, Blu-ray single disc and HD-DVD single disc). In Australia, there will be FIVE different products (release date December 5, 2007: 5 DVD Deluxe Set in Carrying Case, 5 DVD Set, 2 DVD Set, 2 Disc Blu-ray Set and 2 Disc HD-DVD Set). In Germany, they get it first but they only get ONE product! (release date November 14, 2007: 2 DVD Set). In France, there will be FOUR different products (release date December 5, 2007: 5 DVD Set, 2 DVD Set, Blu-ray single disc and HD-DVD single disc). In the United Kingdom, there will be FOUR different products (release date December 3, 2007: 5 DVD Set, 2 DVD Set, Blu-ray single disc and HD-DVD single disc). I have not checked Holland, maybe Dennis at elsew.com can comment. I checked Greece but found nothing, same with Spain. Not sure about Portugal either. But I imagine this will be released somehow in all of these countries. And the prices vary a great deal! In the USA, they are practically giving them away! So shop around, and say goodbye to your money!!! One more thing. It appears to me that the Deluxe Set with Carrying Case will be simply holding the basic 5 DVD Set (in those countries where that is available) along with other goods, so to buy both the 5 DVD Deluxe Set with Carrying Case and 5 DVD Set may be unnecessary!

Leave it to Bert van Breda at BR Music to dig up a new find! This new Demis Roussos compilation, entitled Greatest Hits, is BR Music's latest CD & DVD combination which includes many Vangelis related tunes we have already seen. However, there does appear to be a new item on this set never released previously. There is a listing for the Vangelis-produced/performed track "Love Me Tender" (yes, the Elvis tune!). This is a first! I have not seen this CD/DVD set for sale on line except at the BR Music website, which you can get to by clicking here!

Our friends in Greece have been busy as well. Universal Greece has released a new Melina Mercouri 2 CD compilation set for 2007, including the Vangelis tracks "Je Te Dirai les Mots" and "Ou Que Me Porte Mon Voyage, La Grece Me Blesse". "Sinefiasmeni Kiriaki" is also on the compilation, but I am not certain that this is the version she did with Vangelis. Also out of Greece is an amazing set of 5 CD singles from Music Box International! Aki Pattalis at Trehantiri Music let me know of these, and on one of the singles, there are appearing for the first time on CD "It's Christmas Time Again", "White Christmas" and "Jingle Bells"! The only Forminx track that is missing is "The Sound of Music", which could be missing due to rights issues. If you're interested in any of these titles, you need to contact Aki at Trehantiri Music!!!

And how could there not be news of Chariots of Fire being re-released yet again on DVD in Japan! This is as predictable as the seasons! CD Japan has this listed for reissue on October 24, 2007 for a mere 1490 yen. Order it here! Also, I see at HMV Japan that Alexander will also be reissued on DVD as well on November 28, 2007 as a single disc edition for 1974 yen. Pretty good price! Check it out by clicking here!

Umberto Calonaci recently wrote to me and told me that in his country of Italy, there is a new Frederic Rossif DVD released entitled A Voyage With Rossif, which includes three 30 minute episodes, titled "The African Dawn", "A Day in India" and "A Voyage in Indonesia". Umberto also indicates that they include Vangelis music! You guys know how much I love that Rossif/Vangelis material. This DVD is released and sold by SD Cinematografica. Be warned, the postage costs outside of Italy are not cheap!!!!! UPDATE-NOVEMBER 14, 2007-THIS INFORMATION HAS TURNED OUT TO BE FALSE-VANGELIS DOES NOT DO THE SCORE-SORRY EVERYBODY!!!!!!

This update - July 12, 2007

Hey everybody! It really does feel like the year for Blade Runner, doesn't it? Everybody is waiting for the new Blade Runner DVD Box Set, and maybe a new Blade Runner music project from Vangelis. And hey, you simply must check out the new issue of "Empire", the UK film magazine, for some totally fantastic articles about Blade Runner. Some of the best I have ever read, including an interview with Harrison Ford, who have never talked about the film like this! And the best part...a two page spread with Vangelis! The article inserts interview snippets as it examines the history of the soundtrack. Worth the price of the magazine alone for the article! And when he is asked about the New American Orchestra version of his score...Vangelis knows how to deftly respond! Get it while its on the news stand! Out now!

One other brief piece of news that is floating around the internet is regarding (finally) the first of the Vangelis-scored films to see release on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. On September 18, 2007, Warner Home Video intends to release Alexander-The Final Cut on both formats, in glorious 1080p resolution. Details are scarce, but it is reported that the Vangelis interview previously available on the US DVD release of Alexander (Theatrical and Director's Cut) will also be on these high definition discs. Now, I really know little about HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, but I have to assume that the supplemental material, such as this interview, won't really look very much different than what we already have. But what do I know? I have not found any USA dealers taking pre-orders yet, but the retail for each is around $28.99.

This update - June 5, 2007

I don't usually duplicate my news, especially since I spoke about these two remasters last time! But there is some additional news about them. By now, you may have heard there were some technical glitches with the first pressings from Greece, but Universal Greece has corrected this now and proper copies are back in Greek stores! Now, it has been difficult to find online sites to order them. But fear not!!! It looks like they are slated for release in the UK on July 2, 2007! (NOTE: Now delayed until the end of July.) That is super news! I do not know if they will be in jewel cases like the Greek issues, or the digipack like the UK remaster of "Chariots of Fire". Right now, I am not sure they are not Greek pressings! I guess we'll find out next month! These titles are available for pre-order from amazon.co.uk for £11.99 each! To pre-order Odes, just click here! To pre-order Rapsodies, just click here! Whether you are in Greece, the UK, or anywhere else, please buy these releases and support the remastering efforts!!!!!

Okay, the next piece of news is really exciting stuff! There has been a lot of chatter on the net in May about Blade Runner. We have waited so long for a definitive DVD box set, and our dreams "might" come true this year! There is some definite news from Warner and a lot of speculation. This much we do know. Warner has announced Blade Runner coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD in October 2007! This was revealed in an advertisement found inside the latest "Ultimate Matrix Collection" DVD set released by Warner last month. I've included a snap of that advert! And on the net, some sources are reporting that a 5 DVD deluxe edition is coming, that will include no less that 5 different cuts of the film! We do know that Joanna Cassidy, who played Zhora in the film, has announced that Ridley Scott recently worked with her re-filming her retirement scenes from the film! Re-filming!!!! It is amazing. This will supposedly be incorporated into a new "Final Cut" by Ridley Scott.  The other rumoured versions in the deluxe box set will include the original 1982 theatrical cut, the so-called international cut, the Director's Cut from 1992, and the fabled "workprint" cut that was screened for test audiences prior to the official release back in 1982. And extras as well. Will it come true? Who knows. I found a couple of scans surfing around, and they appear as if they came from the ezydvd.com.au website. If you look there however, you won't find these. the report is that the website posted these images a bit too soon. Or, the other story is that they are fakes. A deluxe box in a steel briefcase. My head spins at the thought.

Finally, one more little tidbit of information. In Japan, Alexander will see re-release on DVD (2 DVD Special Edition-but not the Final Cut version!) on June 27, 2007. It is at a reduced price at 2839 yen, and can be pre-ordered at CD Japan by clicking here! Get it quick, it goes out of print the end of September!

This update - April 19, 2007

Hi everybody! I hope everybody is doing well! Kees Wolvers sent me an e-mail to tip me off regarding a new DVD box set coming from the UK - The Ultimate Jacques Cousteau Collection from Delta Music (NOTE: July 12, 2007---I fixed the link, it should work now!!!). I have researched this set to what what will be included and learned that both "Indonesia I: The Devil's Orchard" and "Indonesia II: The Heart of the Sea" (aka "Sumatra") will be included in the box set! Good news for those in the UK, as these two episodes contain Vangelis music composed especially for these episodes! Maybe this will lead to other releases, such as "Mirage of the Sea". I am thrilled to see this, because it may mean that other territories will be looking to release a set like this. I hope we'll see something like this where you live soon! The set is available for pre-order at places like sendit.com and other UK e-tailers.

Big news reported at Dennis Lodewijks elsew.com site! The next two Vangelis remasters have been released in Greece! Two great titles as well: "Odes" and "Rapsodies" by Vangelis and Irene Papas! It seems to be somewhat difficult to find them at the moment. Dennis reports that Universal Greece has temporarily removed them from the stores but that they will be back within the month. That's good news-these titles will be fantastic! Once I find links to order these, I will post them here. This is great-now let's hope Universal begins to release all of the other Vangelis titles!

This update - January 15, 2007

Hi everybody, and a late Happy New Year! As usual, I am way behind on updates, and this news has been circulating the net for some time (and thanks to many of you who sent e-mails!). Yes, it is true, Oliver Stone has done it! On February 27, 2007, Warner Bros. Home Video will release Alexander Revisited-The Final Cut, which adds 45 minutes of additional, never-before-seen footage! The movie will be spread across 2 DVDs and will have a new introduction by Oliver himself! So, I wonder what this means for Vangelis music and extended cues??? I know I will be buying this. The movie has grown on me and I am curious to see what Stone has done with this new cut! I am a little concerned though, because although the news was officially put out there by Warner, I have not found a place to pre-order it on the net. Well, I am sure soon enough, it will be out there for ordering! No word yet on its release in other territories, but I am sure, like the Director's Cut, it will make its way around the globe!!!

And there are even more Japanese reissues to report! First of all, the Vangelis compilation Themes has been reissued and is available now for 1886 yen (Universal/Polydor UICY-6678). To order from CD Japan, just click here! On February 21, 2007, east west/Warner will reissue the Blade Runner soundtrack (WPCR-75275) for 1905 yen. To order from CD Japan, just click here! And finally, I kid you not, two more DVDs for Chariots of Fire are on the release schedule for February 16, 2007. Now, the two I reported to you on November 19th are already out-of-print. Oddly, these two new issues are both the standard cut...I think they will have different jacket designs, and they do both have different catalog numbers. Oh well, to order Cat. No. FXBJC-1118 from CD Japan, just click here! To order Cat. No. FXBNL-1118 from CD Japan, just click here! They are both just 1419 yen each!

One more item! My good friends at The Disc Kiosk has licensed another title from Universal for their CD On Demand line, Babylon the Great-An Introduction to Aphrodite's Child! This is a licensed product and when you order a CD from them, instead of having a limited supply of stock, they press your CD "on demand"! And the price is right too, only 6.99 pounds! If you want your copy, just click here and order now! They take Paypal!!!

This update - November 23, 2006

Sorry folks, but I have just been informed that Vangelis will NOT be involved in the Seven Sages of Antiquity project that was discussed on November 19, 2006. Hence, I have removed my references to it from the last news report. Oh well, at least we have the ARGO project to look forward to in 2007!

This update - November 19, 2006

Robert Eichelsheim contacted me and let me know that in France, there is a new DVD release about the history of the now-retired Concorde jet. Titled Un Ciel Signè Concorde, it contains a very special piece of bonus material. Yes indeed, as a bonus, there is a 12 minute short documentary from 1976, directed by Robert Enrico, titled Plus Vite que le Soleil. Why do we care? Because this short film is part of the Vangelis filmography, using music from his "Heaven and Hell" album! An early example of Vangelis music joined with film, I never thought it would see release on DVD. This gives me hope that we will someday see all of the other great French films that contain Vangelis music (Rossif, Chapier, etc.) Oh, you want to order a copy? Try this link! Thanks for the tip, Robert!

Finally, I think that Chariots of Fire must be the most popular film ever released in Japan. Yes indeed, the DVD has been re-released on DVD again! And in both the 2 DVD Special Edition and single DVD formats! Insane! They have been issued new catalog numbers and the prices have been dropped! Also, (thanks Seiya Hirano for the info!) Alexander (single disc edition) and Missing will be reissued on December 22, 2006 and January 25, 2007, respectively. They also have been issued new catalog numbers. In the case of Alexander, it is cheaper than the first issue. Missing, on the other hand, is a little more than the last issue! And one more reissue to speak of...the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe CD (with "Let's Pretend", written with Vangelis), is being reissued for a second time this year, this time with a new catalog number and a lower price, but perhaps without the replica LP-style CD packaging. It will be available on November 22, 2006. Keeping track of these Japanese reissues is a full-time job!

This update - November 6, 2006

Folks, an amazing thing is happening over at jonboxset.com (a site authorized by Jon Anderson). They are beginning to unveil the contents of a special 20 CD (!!!) Box Set of rare Jon Anderson recordings, compiled from Jon Anderson's own tapes and tapes from his fans! So far, three titles have been revealed and two of those titles, The Mother's Day Concert and Live in Sheffield 1980 contain live versions of some Jon and Vangelis songs, such as "I'll Find My Way Home", "Change We Must" and others! Ordering details will be announced there soon. Sounds like something Vangelis collectors will want to keep a close eye on!!!

The day has finally arrived for the first of the newly remastered Vangelis CD by Universal! Chariots of Fire is now released as a "25th Anniversary Edition" CD in the UK...where has the time gone??? Yes, 25 years have passed since the release of this Oscar-winning soundtrack, and the packaging appears to be quite nice to complement this key title from the Vangelis catalog. Buy yours now, and let's hope this is a sign of great things to come with future Universal titles! Check my October 24th news report for ordering links!

Sorry, this is another late addition to the news, but sometimes it takes a while to find these things! In June, a legitimate DVD release of the great Japanese film Antarctica was released in Hong Kong! This single disc edition comes housed in a nice slipcase and with DTS sound (the Vangelis score sounds GREAT)! It is the Japanese theatrical version (just the like Japanese DVD) but the best part (and what was missing from the Japanese DVD)...it has ENGLISH SUBTITLES!!!! Now I can finally understand everything that is being said! I grabbed this image from www.yesasia.com and if you want to order a copy from them, just click here! (NOTE!!!-This is a REGION 3 disc in NTSC! So make sure your DVD player can play it before ordering!!!) (PS. The Vangelis interview is NOT part of the supplemental material on this single disc DVD. If you want that, you need the Japanese 2 DVD edition!)

FOR NEWS REPORTS BETWEEN JUNE 14, 2005 TO OCTOBER 24, 2006, CLICK HERE.

Best viewed with Internet Explorer, 800x600 resolution Vangelis Collector © 2008  Contact Uncle Don