History Socrates Drank the Conium

Socrates Drank the Conium, known also as Socrates, is a Greek rock band that formed in 1969 and achieved success in the 1970s. Influenced by heavy blues and rock bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, the band melded the unorthodox time signatures and orchestration of progressive rock and the intensity of blues and hard rock music, creating a unique sound that distinguished them from other Greek rock acts of that period. Outside Greece, Socrates is best known for Phos, their 1976 landmark collaboration album with Vangelis.

The group has gone through many lineup changes, but the two core members have remained: guitarist Yannis Spathas and bassist/singer Antonis Tourkogiorgis.

Socrates began its career in the clubs of Athens, most prominently the popular Kyttaro. They were present at a number of other locations in and around Victoria Square in Athens. In addition to performing originals, Socrates often covered Jimi Hendrix songs, none of which were featured on any studio releases; a thirteen-minute cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones, however, found its way onto their 1972 album Taste of Conium.

Yannis Spathas favored two sunburst Fender Stratocasters, a Candy Apple Red Roland GR-505 guitar synthesizer, a black Gibson Les Paul Custom and a cherry sunburst Les Paul Standard. Antonis Tourkogiorgis played a mid-1970s natural ash-bodied Fender Jazz Bass, a Warwick Corvette Double Buck bass and sang, while several drummers were used throughout the live shows and recording sessions.

In 1975, Socrates went through a change in stylistic direction with Phos, which featured Vangelis' production and contributions on many tracks.Phos was mostly reworkings of older songs by Socrates. Both LPs On the Wings and Phos were issued in the USA via Neil Kempfer-Stocker's Prog imprint Cosmos.

In 2002 Socrates reunited in an extended form (featuring keyboards and a second singer) to do several shows around Greece. This lineup remains active.

Current lineup (since 2002)

Antonis Tourkogiorgis – bass guitar, vocals

Yannis Spathas – lead guitar, Roland guitar synthesizer

Makis Gioulis – drums

Additional musicians

Asteris Papastamatakis – keyboards

Markella Panagiotou – backing Vocals

Former members

Costas Karamitros – drums

Elias Boukouvalas – drums

George Trantalidis – drums

Nikos Antypas – drums

Yiorgos Zikoyiannis – bass

Pavlos Alexiou – keyboards

Leonidas Alachadamis – drums (1975)

Kostas "Gus" Doukakis – guitar (1973)

Discography

(Appears on) Live at Kyttaro - 1971

Socrates Drank the Conium - 1972

Taste of Conium - 1972

On the Wings - 1973

Phos - 1976

Waiting for Something - 1980

Breaking Through - 1981

Plaza - 1983

Live In Concert - 1999

The Original Singles - 2005 (compilation)

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