In 1949 a lute player from Crete named Giorgis Koutsourelis recorded "Kritiko Syrtaki" with vocals by Christos Koroniotakis. This was the inspiration for the second part of Mikis Theodorakis' hit "Zorba's Dance"

Anthony Quinn's memorable steps with Alan Bates in the 1964 motion picture "Zorba the Greek" and "Zorba's Dance" (Theodorakis) are now precious memories. Following the hit, Koutsourelis and Theodorakis ended up disputing the rights and settled out of court.

Herb Alpert began playing trumpet at the age of eight and went on to become one of the most successful instrumentalists and businessmen in the entertainment industry. The Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 1965 version of "Zorba the Greek" hit the number eleven spot on Billboard and number two Adult Contemporary. This was the final track on the album "Going Places".