Ilias Asvestopoulos – vocals
Yannis (John) Spathas – lead guitar
Antonis Tourkogiortis – rhythm guitar (and bass after 1966)
Antonis Pitsolantis – bass (only for the first single?)
Ilias Boukouvalas – drums

Ηλίας Ασβεστόπουλος: Τραγούδι (-1969)
Γιάννης Σπάθας: Κιθάρα
Αντώνης Πιτσολάντης: Μπάσο (-1966, +Αντώνης Τουρκογιώργης)
Ηλίας Μπουκουβάλας: Ντραμς

The Persons formed in Piraeus, a port city by Athens in 1966. They released three singles, but I’ve only ever heard this, their first, from 1966.

“Drive My Mustang” is a kind of incoherent take on Wilson Pickett. Some listeners consider “Drive My Mustang” to be the best or among the best of all Greek garage singles. I don’t disagree with that assessment, but I prefer the flip side even more.

The Persons – All the World Is Mine

“All the World Is Mine” would make my top ten of all garage songs from any country, any year. From the moment the chiming distorted guitar begins this song is perfect to me. The jumping bass line and fleet drum work, falsetto background vocals and nasal lead vocal are all great, but most of all I love the dissonance of the slightly out of tune lead guitar against the bass and rhythm guitars. The high mark comes during the excellent guitar break after singer Ilias Asvestopoulos shouts “all the world is mine” a couple times when the band really hits a groove.

“Drive My Mustang” was written by Ilias Asvestopoulous and rhythm guitarist Antonis Tourkogiortis (rendered on the label as E. Asvestopoulos and A. Tourkogeorgis). “All the World Is Mine” was written by bassist Antonis Pitsolantis and lead guitarist John Spathas.

Their second release, in 1968, has “John’s Flight” / “Young Girl” (Olympic OE74 004), while their last record covered two Zombies’ songs: “Time of the Season” (titled “Eisai to koritsi p’agapo”) and “Friends of Mine” titled (“Mono mia fora”) (PAN VOX 6146), released in 1969. Anyone have good scans of these 45s?

After their third single, the Persons evolved into Socrates Drank the Conium, one of the major Greek progressive bands of the ’70s.

Sources include: Greek listing of members from Music Heaven.