Édition Spéciale -

Édition Spéciale was a French jazz-rock band that debuted with the 1976 UA title Allée des Tilleuls, followed by the 1977–78 RCA albums Aliquante and Horizon Digital.

Members: Ann Ballester (keyboards, vocals), Mimi Lorenzini (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), Josquin des Prés (bass, vocals), Jean-Francois Bouchet d’Angely (drums), Alain Gouillard (drums), François Grillot (bass), Mireille Bauer (vibraphone, percussion)

Background

Édition Spéciale formed in 1975 when guitarist Martial “Mimi” Lorenzini, singer/keyboardist Ann Ballester, bassist Josquin Turenne des Prés, and drummer Jean-François Bouchet D’Angely united.

Lorenzini came to prominence as a guitarist in the Canterbury band Triangle, appearing on their albums Vol. 1 and Homonymie, and also contributed to albums by Barney Wilen and René Urtreger. Bouchet D’Angely previously drummed on Larry Martin’s 1975 album, Do Not Lean Out Of The Window – Rockin´On the Radio.

The newly formed quartet fused post-psych and jazz-rock into a signature sound comparable to Cortex and Cos.

Allée des Tilleuls

Édition Spéciale released their debut album, Allée des Tilleuls, in 1976 on United Artists.

The album introduces the French quartet’s vibrant mix of funk-inflected jazz-rock with progressive and vocal elements, bridging instrumental fusion and accessible pop forms. Guitarist–vocalist Marius “Mimi” Lorenzini, keyboardist–vocalist Ann Ballester, bassist–vocalist Josquin Turenne des Prés, and drummer Jean-François Bouchet d’Angélis combine tight rhythmic interplay with agile harmonic changes and fluid instrumental exchanges.

Lorenzini wrote two songs and co-wrote two others with Ballester, who penned three additional numbers (two of them jointly with Lorenzini). Turenne des Prés contributed one composition and co-wrote the title track with Lorenzini. The writing reflects a collaborative effort that balances concise vocal numbers with extended instrumental sections.

The first side emphasizes funk-driven material and ensemble vocal arrangements. “Rock & Roll” opens the album with brisk syncopation and call-and-response refrains anchored by interlocking rhythm guitar and bass figures. “Rêve, Rêve” extends that template with layered harmonies and a synthesizer passage that complements Bouchet d’Angélis’s dynamic drumming. “Tomorrow Mourning,” the lone English-language track, merges bright harmonies and show-tune pacing in a light jazz-pop frame. “Un Coup Je Te Vois” shifts through contrasting sections that highlight the group’s arranging range and Ballester’s electric piano textures.

Side two features “Tu Naîtras Demain,” a reflective piece where Ballester sings over modal piano patterns and subdued percussion, followed by “Marie Qui Te Maries” and “Mr Business,” two concise funk-oriented songs with brisk rhythmic precision. The closing instrumental, “Allée des Tilleuls,” moves at a rapid pace with unison synth–guitar lines, elastic bass phrasing, and shifting time signatures that preview the heavier fusion direction of their next work.

A1. “Rock & Roll” (3:40) – Written by Marius Lorenzini. The rhythm section locks in with bolting energy as bass and rhythm guitar converse. Gandil’s lead guitar surfaces briefly with sharp, angular turns, while group vocals layer over Jean-François Bouchet-d’Angélis’ steady drumming.

A2. “Rêve, Rêve” [Dream, Dream] (5:56) – Lorenzini. Group vocals weave with Lorenzini’s lead lines atop syncopated rhythm and subtle synth accents. Drums respond with streaking fills, and textures shift with smooth, gliding transitions.

A3. “Tomorrow Mourning” (4:25) – Josquin Turenne Des Prés. English lyrics float over jazzy chord sequences, Broadway-style harmonies, and restrained synth swells. Piano and rhythm guitar provide a sleek, velvety backdrop while vocals soar atop clear instrumental layers.

A4. “Un Coup Je Te Vois” [One Glance I See You] (6:32) – Ann Ballester. Multi-part sections alternate theatrical ensemble vocals with dashing funk rhythms. Guitar and keyboard motifs interlock with abrupt shifts, creating misty, angular transitions across the piece.

B1. “Tu Naîtras Demain” [You Will Be Born Tomorrow] (5:28) – Ballester. Jazz-inflected piano chords underpin Ann’s smooth vocals as subtle percussion glides beneath. Small, gusty instrumental flourishes punctuate the measured, lustrous pace.

B2. “Marie Qui Te Maries” [Mary, Who Marries You] (4:25) – Ballester, Lorenzini. Group vocals flutter over playful rhythms while guitar and keys interact with sleek, angular lines. The ensemble navigates sudden, dashing tempo shifts and crisp accents.

B3. “Mr Business” (2:58) – Ballester, Lorenzini. Funk-inflected bass and percussion maintain a bolting pulse as rhythm guitar and keys cut contoured, angular passages. Vocals and lead guitar punctuate the brisk, velvety textures.

B4. “Allée des Tilleuls” [Linden Alley] (3:45) – Prés, Lorenzini. Instrumental interplay dominates, with bass streaking underwater-like lines and keyboards dashing in counterpoint. Guitar solos soar in brief, contoured bursts before the ensemble coalesces into a smooth, gliding finale.

Sessions occurred at Studio Frémontel with producers Eddie Adamis and Frédéric Leibovitz and engineer Michel Roy. André Harwood handled mixing. Percussionist Michel Delaporte contributed auxiliary parts.

Allée des Tilleuls features cover photography by Fernando Viamonte. Its clear, balanced mix and rhythmic focus positioned Édition Spéciale among the foremost French jazz-rock ensembles of the mid-1970s. Musea reissued the album in 2002 with three bonus tracks from the same sessions.

Aliquante

Édition Spéciale released their second album, Aliquante, in 1977 on RCA Victor.

The quartet deepens its jazz-rock fusion approach with denser instrumental interplay, nearly abandoning vocals in favor of extended, high-energy compositions. Guitarist–vocalist Marius Lorenzini, keyboardist–vocalist Ann Ballester, bassist–vocalist Josquin Turenne des Prés, and new drummer Alain Gouillard navigate intricate arrangements with virtuosic precision and agile rhythmic shifts.

Turenne des Prés wrote three compositions, including the opener and a mid-album instrumental, and co-wrote “Alone, Completely Unknown” with Lorenzini. Ballester contributed two pieces, including a collaboration with Lorenzini on “La Ville en Béton.” Lorenzini composed one track independently and co-wrote two others with Turenne des Prés and Ballester. The album maintains a largely instrumental focus, with vocals appearing on only a few tracks.

The first side features expansive, multi-section instrumentals. “Vedra” layers Fender Rhodes lines atop precise bass and drum foundations, trading solos between guitar and synth. “À la Source du Rêve” channels Jean-Luc Ponty influences with buoyant synthesizer work, agile acoustic guitar motifs, and Gouillard’s dynamic drumming. “So Deep Inside” merges angular jazz-rock phrasing with prog-inflected tempo shifts, nodding to early UK fusion experiments. “Le Temps d’un Solo” builds on a two-chord structure to allow expansive interplay among all musicians.

Side two balances rhythmically complex instrumentals with limited vocal content. “La Ville en Béton” introduces male vocals over a lucid arrangement, while “La Fille du Ruisseau” integrates Ballester’s voice with layered synth and guitar solos, advancing harmonic density. The closing track, “Alone, Completely Unknown,” blends male–female vocal dialogue with dynamic fusion motifs, signaling the band’s emerging direction.

A1. “Vedra” (6:36) – Written by Josquin Turenne Des Prés. Wind and bass introduce a velvety, gusty foundation, while Lorenzini’s guitar cuts angular, streaking lines against Ballester’s electric piano and ARP synth. Solos trade between piano and guitar in dashing, layered textures before closing in smooth, gliding interaction.

A2. “À La Source du Rêve” [At the Source of the Dream] (7:45) – Ann Ballester. Drums and bass pulse with a bolting syncopation as Lorenzini’s acoustic guitar weaves streaking motifs. Ballester adds lustrous synth and gliding piano, trading dashing solos over stormy rhythm patterns before drifting into misty, contoured harmonic passages.

A3. “So Deep Inside” (5:45) – Prés. Angular, streaking guitar riffs ride over bolting bass and drums, with swirling piano and synth producing velvety harmonic fields. Stormy pulses allow dashing solos and contoured improvisations before the ensemble converges into smooth, streaking lines.

A4. “Le Temps D’un Solo” [The Time of a Solo] (5:43) – Marius Lorenzini. Drums punctuate gusty rudiments as guitar executes precise, streaking lines over angular motifs. Ballester’s synth and piano layers shift from stormy flourishes to gliding textures, while bass alternates between punctuated patterns and contoured runs, concluding in a sleek resolution.

B1. “La Ville en Béton” [The Concrete City] (5:00) – Ballester, Lorenzini. Bass and drums establish a smooth base for angular, streaking guitar and synth motifs. Male vocals punctuate briefly, then instrumentals return in dashing, layered interplay with lustrous piano overlays and subtle gusty variations, closing in sleek interweaving lines.

B2. “La Fille du Ruisseau” [The Girl of the Stream] (6:45) – Ballester. Bolting guitar and drum motifs open as female vocals glide over dense harmonic textures. Streaking solos and velvety synth/piano passages alternate with stormy bass, building to a dashing ensemble convergence before a sleek, sustained close.

B3. “Alone, Completely Unknown” (6:55) – Prés, Lorenzini. Angular bass and bolting drums anchor stormy rhythms while guitar and synth interlock in dashing, contoured patterns. Vocals alternate smoothly over layered textures, with gusty rhythmic shifts allowing streaking piano and guitar lines, finishing in seamless, improvisatory interplay.

Sessions occurred at Studio Geneix between February 28 and March 12, 1977, with the band producing and Patrice Cramer recording. Alain Migliaccio mixed the album at Studio Aquarium.

Aliquante features front and back photography by Fernando Viamonte, with back photography credited to Jacques Dequeant. Turenne des Prés also contributed artwork.

RCA Victor supported the release, though no singles were issued. Musea reissued the album on CD with two bonus tracks that later appeared on Horizon Digital.

Horizon Digital

Édition Spéciale released their third album, Horizon Digital, in 1978 on RCA Victor.

The album continues the band’s exploration of French Jazz-Rock Fusion while introducing new personnel. Guitarist Marius Lorenzini, keyboardist/synth player Ann Ballester, and drummer Alain Gouillard form the core, joined by bassist François Grillot and guest percussionist/vibraphonist Mireille Bauer (Gong) on marimba and vibes. The ensemble blends virtuosic interplay with structured compositions, integrating Zeuhl-influenced passages and occasional French-language vocals.

Lorenzini wrote three tracks, Ballester contributed one, and compositions co-written with Alain Giri include two pieces. Vocals appear primarily on Ballester-led tracks, while Bauer’s vibraphone and marimba accentuate instrumental sections.

The music divides into high-energy fusion, off-kilter Canterbury-style passages, and contemplative instrumental explorations. “Aurore” and “Camara” feature interweaving melodies and prominent vibraphone solos, with “Camara” incorporating Latin percussion and choral-style vocals. “Ma Vie Dégénère” delivers a simpler rock structure, while “Daisy” and “Jungle’s Jingle” mix avant-garde textures with complex, circular motifs and syncopated rhythm patterns. “Confluence” begins as a deliberate, slow construction before merging into layered, chaotic instrumental passages, concluding with sudden silence and a final Zeuhl-influenced motif.

A1. “Aurore” [Dawn] (5:42) – Written by Marius Lorenzini. Drums and Mireille Bauer’s vibraphone open with bolting textures, while Lorenzini’s guitar and Ballester’s keys weave angular, competing lines. Layers interlock as vocals and synths glide through the intricate arrangement.

A2. “Camara” (9:25) – Alain Giri, Ann Ballester. French choral vocals float above a sleek rhythm track as percussion streaks in Latin-tinged patterns. Synth and piano motifs arc and twist through sudden stops and smooth transitions, creating a misty, multi-layered tapestry.

A3. “Ma Vie Dégénère” [My Life Degenerates] (2:58) – Giri, Ballester, Lorenzini. Choral vocals carry the song over a bolting rhythm, punctuated by concise guitar and keyboard lines. The structure is compact, with angular interplay driving the brief, controlled form.

B1. “Daisy” (7:04) – Giri, Ballester, Lorenzini. Electric guitar and vibraphone repeat arpeggiated sequences as keys and bass streak in counterpoint. Rhythms swirl with gusty syncopation, punctuated by angular synth and percussion flourishes.

B2. “Jungle’s Jingle” (6:32) – Alain Gouillard. Circular motifs twist and shift as guitar and synths trace contoured patterns. Brief pauses reset the textures, allowing vibraphone and piano to glide over the whirling ensemble, creating an aerial, off-kilter movement.

B3. “Confluence” (4:46) – Ballester. A deliberate piano-led introduction gives way to a layered, Latin-tinged weave of marimba, synth, and percussion. Vocals enter amid sudden a cappella passages before the ensemble resumes in smooth, streaking bursts toward a dynamic close.

Sessions occurred at Le Château d’Hérouville with Laurent Thibault producing and engineering, assisted by Christophe Bonno. Mixing also took place on-site with Thibault.

The album’s cover art was designed by Marc Monty. Photography by Jean-Claude Haldric and Michel Colin documents the band’s lineup.

Postlude

Alain Gouillard joined Ocean for their 1980/81 albums “A” Live + B and Ocean (their third). He later appeared on mid-80s titles by Hubert Félix Thiéfaine.

Discography: