Ergo Sum -

Ergo Sum was a French jam-rock/psych band that released two singles and the album Mexico on AZ and Thélème between 1970 and 1972.

Members: Lionel Ledissez (vocals, percussion, sleigh bells), Jean Guerin (flute, electric piano, piano, Rhodes, Hammond organ, whistling), Michel Leonardi (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, 1968-71), Roland Meynet (violin, electric violin, acoustic guitar), Max Touat (bass, double bass, acoustic guitar, 1968-71), B.B. Brutus (drums, congas, maracas, percussion), Marc Perru (guitar, xylophone, 1971-72), Edouard Magnani (bass, 1971-72)

Background

Singer/guitarist Ledissez and keyboardist Guerin formed Ergo Sum in 1968, initially under the name Lemon Pie. Both musicians had cultivated local reputations in Parisian rock circles, where Guerin developed keyboard and flute skills through formal study and early ensemble work, while Ledissez honed his vocals and guitar technique at club shows. They recruited violinist Meynet, bassist Perru, and percussionist Marc Bertaux.

The group’s shows emphasized violin/flute filigree, layered percussion, and rhythmic keyboard motifs that complemented Ledissez’s gruff vocal tone. Early demos and live sessions earned them a contract with Laurent Thibault’s fledgling Theleme label.

Their first pre-album single, “Give You My Name” b/w “Everyday” (1970), featured the original lineup and showcased the band’s hybrid approach, blending rock structures with jazz-tinged flourishes.

Later live shows saw an expanded lineup with François Bréant and Perru (ex-Cruciferius), multi-instrumentalist JM Truong (pre-Zao), and Marc Bertaux.

Mexico

Ergo Sum released their singular album, Mexico, in November 1971 on AZ.

The album presents a hybrid of English-language progressive rock, jazz, and blues filtered through a French sensibility, with pastoral flute passages, textured violin lines, and dynamic vocal delivery by singer Lionel Ledissez, whose expressive tone recalls Roger Chapman of Family. Their sound draws clear reference points from early Traffic and East of Eden, combining acoustic and electric interplay with subtle Latin and psychedelic touches.

Bassist Max Touat composed six of the album’s nine tracks with lyrics by Ledissez. Guitarist Michel Leonardi and violinist Roland Meynet each contributed one composition, while keyboardist Jean Guérin arranged several instrumental passages.

The opening track, “Night Road,” builds from gentle acoustic textures into an ensemble surge of violin, saxophone, and bass under Ledissez’s throaty vocal. “Unparalleled Embrace” moves at a measured pace with alternating violin and flute motifs over a supple rhythm pattern. “John’s Nightmare” rides an uptempo progression with strummed guitar, electric leads, and light woodwind phrasing. “Faces” extends across six minutes with shifting moods and a late electric guitar spotlight by Leonardi. “Second Rebirth” opens on a violin–drum dialogue that quickens into syncopated rock momentum.

Side two begins with the title song “Mexico,” a compact piece sung in Spanish that fuses acoustic strumming with a light rhythmic pulse. “I Know Your Mother” unfolds across nearly nine minutes of instrumental development with piano, violin, and electric bass weaving a slow-building jazz-fusion texture. “Albion Impressions,” sung and written by Leonardi, contrasts in tone with subdued vocal phrasing and restrained acoustic accompaniment. The brief closer “Lydie,” written by Meynet, is an instrumental coda for acoustic guitar and flute.

A1. “Night Road” (3:05)
A2. “Unparalleled Embrace” (2:44)
A3. “John’s Nightmare” (4:31)
A4. “Faces” (6:37)
A5. “Second Rebirth” (4:06)

B1. “Mexico” (3:36)
B2. “I Know Your Mother” (8:40)
B3. “Albion Impressions” (5:24)
B4. “Lydie” (1:00)

Sessions occurred at Michel Magne Studios in Hérouville during August–September 1971 with producer Laurent Thibault and engineer Dominique Blanc-Francard.

Mexico features cover art by painter Duncan, whose textured image adorns the gatefold sleeve.

Ergo followed Mexico with the non-album single “Tijuana” (b/w “It’s Me”), issued in 1972. Both sides, along with the earlier sampler contribution “All’s So Comic,” were later appended to CD reissues.

Postlude

Drummer B.B. Brutus was later replaced by Jean-My Truong, who played on Ergo Sum’s final sessions before joining Zao. Ledissez went on to appear on releases by Universia Zekt, Nadavati, and Laurent Thibault.

Bréant and Perru formed Nemo, which made two albums in 1973/74 and helped launch the career of Albert Marcœur.

Discography: