For the Princes of the West Bank

by Pavlos Andronikos

 

For the Princes of the West Bank, (Για τους πρίγκιπες της δυτικής όχθης) the fourth album by Pyx Lux, was recorded from June 1993 to March 1994 at the studio IN, Agia Paraskevi, Athens and released in 1994 on the Harvest label by Minos-EMI.

The album was dedicated to “all those who were always satisfied with less, and whose dignity prevented them from ‘begging’ for more. For the real princes of the ‘West Bank’.”[1] Filippos Pliatsikas elaborated on this dedication in interviews: in response to one interviewer’s observation that “there is another categorisation which concerns you: the west bank”, Pliatsikas stated:

We are from the west of Athens and have lived with these ordinary people (such were our parents and our neighbours) who would get up at 6 in the morning and yet have the heart, returning from work, to get together, drink their coffees, and chat. We dedicated the disc to all of these people we marvel at, wherever they are. Since then the idea that we are supporters of western Athens stuck, but other than through our songs, we do not have the means to support anything.[2]

In another interview he said:

In 1994 we released the record For the Princes of the West Bank dedicated to the people of western Athens, where we lived—people who laboured and were wage earners, and whom we saw as princes because they returned to their homes [from work] and had the heart to smile. They kept up their friendships and were civil to one another. That’s how we got stuck with the title “princes of the west bank”.[3]

The album features a number of guest artists. The recording of “Senseless Loves” was a collaboration with the song’s creators Haris and Panos Katsimihas, who share the lead vocals on that track with Bambis Stokas. On “It’s Drizzling in Belgrade”, a recitation in Serbian with a musical backdrop, Pyx Lux collaborated with the Serbian band Bajaga. The music was composed by another Serb, Saša Dragić, who also wrote the music for “What Is It Keeps Us Apart”. Finally, the lead vocals on “A Life on the Edge” are by the guest singer Sotiria Leonardou, and Giorgos Stathos plays clarinet on “They Say About Me”.

 

Track List

       “Title” (Translation) Composer/Lyricist – Track length

  1. “Σαν ψέμα” (Like a lie) Filippos Pliatsikas — 3:25[4]

  2. “Ανόητες αγάπες” (Senseless loves) Charis & Panos Katsimichas — 4:26

  3. “Λένε για μένα” (They say about me) Filippos Pliatsikas, Manos Xydous, Bambis Stokas /Manos Xydous — 4:02

  4. “Σ’ όλους δίνεσαι” (You give yourself to everyone) Bambis Stokas/Manos Xydous — 4:25

  5. “Δεν θα δακρύσω πια για σένα” (I’ll weep for you no more) Filippos Pliatsikas/Manos Xydous — 3:58

  6. “Μια ζωή στο ρίσκο [Ο παράδεισος είναι τόπος για δεύτερους ρόλους]” (A life on the edge [Paradise is a place for secondary roles]) Bambis Stokas, Filippos Pliatsikas/Manos Xydous — 3:50

  7. “Μπορεί” (Perhaps) Manos Xydous — 3:31

  8. “Τι είναι αυτό που μας χωρίζει” (What is it keeps us apart) Saša Dragić/Filippos Pliatsikas — 3:20

  9. “Ατέλειωτα ταξίδια” (Endless journeys) Bambis Stokas/Manos Xydous — 4:29

  10. “Ας γίνει ό,τι θες” (Let whatever you want happen) Filippos Pliatsikas/Nikos Pipinelis — 3:38

  11. “Χωρίς ντροπή” (Without shame) Filippos Pliatsikas/Elena Arvaniti — 3:51

  12. “Άρχισες να ξεθωριάζεις σαν μια παλιά φωτογραφία” (You’ve begun to fade like an old photograph) Manos Xydous — 5:10[5]

  13. “Ψιχαλίζει στο Βελιγράδι” (It’s drizzling in Belgrade) Saša Dragić/Bajaga — 3:37

  14. “Ξημέρωμα” (Dawn) Akis Daoutis, Nikos Pipinelis — 3:09 [Instrumental]

  15. “Δεν θα δακρύσω πια για σένα” (I’ll weep for you no more) Filippos Pliatsikas/Manos Xydous — 5:24[6]

 

Credits

Akis Bogiatzis (Bass)

Akis Daoutis (Electric Guitar, 12-string Guitar, Bass, Keyboards)

Alkis Papadopoulos (Keyboards)

Bambis Stokas (Lead Vocals, Percussion, Acoustic Guitar)

Bajaga (Recitation on “It’s Drizzling In Belgrade”, Acoustic Guitar)

Dimitra Karaberopoulou (Accordion, Piano, Keyboards)

Filippos Pliatsikas (Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Piano, Baglamas)

Giorgos Stathos (Clarinet on “They Say About Me”)

Haris Katsimihas (Vocals on “Senseless Loves”)

Johnny Papadopoulos (Dubek, Percussion)

Konstantinos Zoulas (Bass)

Kostakis Vouros (12-string Guitar, Tzouras)

Louis Karakatsis (Baglamas)

Manos Govatzidakis (Percussion, Keyboards, Programming)

Manos Xydous (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion. Lead vocals on "Let Whatever You Want Happen")

Minos Matsas (Oud on “Perhaps”)

Nikos Panagiotatos (Electric Guitar, Mandolin)

Nikos Pipinelis (Acoustic & Electric Guitar, and “something like a baglamas”)

Panos Katsimihas (Vocals on “Senseless Loves”, Harmonica, Tambourine, Percussion)

Saša Dragić (Acoustic Guitar)

Sotiria Leonardou (Lead Vocals on “A Life On The Edge”)

Tasos Psalidakis (Keyboards, Percussion)

Vangelis Efstathiou (Percussion)

Xavier Pandilla (Bass)

All tracks arranged by Filippos Pliatsikas, Manos Govatzidakis, Bambis Stokas, Akis Daoutis, Dimitra Karaberopoulou, and Manos Xydous, except for track 2 (arranged by Panos Katsimihas), and tracks 8 and 13 (arranged by Filippos Pliatsikas, Akis Daoutis, Saša Dragić, Bayaka, and Bambis Stokas).

Sound engineer: Manos Govatzidakis

Remix: Manos Govatzidakis

Production: Minos-EMI

Head of Production: Manos Xydous

Co-ordination: Maria Parousi

 

Footnotes

  1. From the CD cover booklet. The West Bank is western Athens.

  2. “Είμαστε από τα δυτικά της Αθήνας κι έχουμε ζήσει μ' αυτούς τους απλούς ανθρώπους (έτσι ήταν και οι γονείς μας ή οι γείτονες), που σηκώνονταν στις 6 το πρωί κι όμως είχαν το κουράγιο, γυρίζοντας από τη δουλειά τους, να βρίσκονται, να πίνουν καφεδάκι, να συζητάνε. Με θαυμασμό για όλους αυτούς, όπου κι αν βρίσκονται, τους αφιερώσαμε το δίσκο. Εμεινε έκτοτε ότι είμαστε οι υπερασπιστές της δυτικής Αθήνας. Μα, εκτός από τα τραγούδια μας, δεν έχουμε τον τρόπο να υπερασπιστούμε κάτι.”
    From “Από τους σοβαρούς συνομιλητές, στα ξέκωλα...”, Ελευθεροτυπία 18 February 2002.
    Available at
    http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=113,dt=18.02.2002,id=37510172. My translation.

  3. “Το 1994 βγάλαμε τον δίσκο Για τους πρίγκηπες της δυτικής όχθης για τους ανθρώπους της δυτικής αθήνας, όπου μέναμε και ζούσαμε. Άνθρωποι του μόχθου και του μεροκάματου, που εμείς τους βλέπαμε σαν πρίγκηπες. Γιατί γύριζαν στο σπίτι τους και είχαν το κουράγιο να χαμογελούν. Διατηρούσαν τις φιλίες τους και ήταν ευγενικοί μεταξύ τους. Κάπως έτσι ο κόσμος μας κόλλησε το προσωνύμιο πρίγκηπες της δυτικής όχθης.”
    From “Ούτε όλοι στο Μέγαρο ούτε όλοι στο Σκυλάδικο”, an interview with Filippos Pliatsikas at http://fpliatsikas.googlepages.com/ependytis_fpliatsikas.pdf. My translation.

  4. Dedicated to Danae.

  5. Dedicated to Stavroula.

  6. This is the same song as track 5, but in a different mix. Enigmatically, the sleeve notes credit Manos Govatzidakis: “From the ‘toys/games’ of Govatzidakis”.