Laurent Thibault

Laurent Thibault is a French studio musician and producer who co-founded Magma. In 1979, he released the album Mais on ne Peut pas Rêver Tout le Temps on Ballon Noir.

Background

Laurent Thibault was born June 24, 1946, in Paris. His father was Belgian, and his French mother sang in cabarets. He met Francis Moze at school at age twelve and taught himself piano and guitar with Moze. Thibault attended Lycée Janson-de-Sailly and Lycée Carnot, then studied sociology at Nanterre and journalism at EFAP. He played drums with Les Jets in the mid-1960s, then moved to bass.

Thibault next joined singer Lucien “Zabu” Zabuski and guitarist Yves-Michel Dargent in the Pives, a Paris rhythm-and-blues group. Francis Moze joined on organ as the musicians moved from covers into original material and adopted the name Zorgones. The Zorgones cut a four-song demo amid the May 1968 unrest. Philips producer Lee Hallyday heard the tape and brought the group into the studio. Hallyday shelved the album from the June sessions, while Mercury issued “Herr Doktor Reich” (b/w “Mon vélo est bleu”) in 1969 as the lone release. Thibault, Zabu, and Moze continued as a core trio.

In spring 1969, Thibault assembled a band for a summer casino tour and recruited drummer Christian Vander. Zabu sang with Moze on organ. Guitarists Jean-Jacques Ferry and Erik Goger completed the Carnaby Street Swingers. Thibault and Vander reorganized the unit as Magma on their return to Paris. Thibault brought Magma to Lee Hallyday, and Philips signed the group for a double album. He shifted from bass to production as Francis Moze took the recorded bass chair. Thibault produced the Magma debut at Europa Sonor in April and May 1970 and contributed his composition “Naü Ektila” to the program.

Thibault next joined Barclay as an artistic director. He produced Le son tombé du ciel by Alain Markusfeld at Château d’Hérouville and played electric piano on the title piece. Thibault founded Thélème through Philips in 1971 as an outlet for French progressive-rock groups. He produced releases by Ergo Sum, Zabu, Mor, and Univeria Zekt through the label.

In June 1974, Michel Magne asked Thibault to take over Château d’Hérouville. Thibault and his partners restored the studio across three months and reopened the facility with sessions for Alain Kan. David Bowie recruited Thibault as bassist and engineer on the 1976 Hérouville sessions for the Iggy Pop comeback album The Idiot. Thibault later produced and engineered the sixth Magma studio album, Attahk, at Hérouville. He used a brief break in the studio schedule in spring 1978 to start his first solo album with keyboardist Jacqueline Thibault and a circle of musician friends. Thibault built the recordings from separate overdubs and based the project on paintings by Henri Rousseau for Mais on ne peut pas rêver tout le temps.

Discography:

• Mais on ne Peut pas Rêver Tout le Temps (1979)

References and notes

• Bibliothèque nationale de France — Laurent Thibault authority record: June 24, 1946 birth date; bassist, drummer, engineer, and artistic-director roles; memberships in Les Jets, the Pives, Zorgones, Carnaby Street Swingers, and Magma. (BnF Catalogue)
• BnF, 2014 Laurent Thibault oral-history interview: the first 3h44m interview specifically covers his youth and studies, first listening and musical practice, Janson-de-Sailly, Les Jets, the Pives, Zorgones, Magma, Barclay, Thélème, Hérouville, and the solo album. (BnF Catalogue)
• Laurent Thibault profile: Janson-de-Sailly, Lycée Carnot, sociology at Nanterre, and EFAP. (LinkedIn)
• Jacques Guiton / MagmaFan, based on meetings with Thibault: Paris birth, Belgian father, French cabaret-singer mother, childhood friendship with Francis Moze, early instruments, Les Jets, Pives, Zorgones, the four-song 1968 demo, Lee Hallyday, the unreleased album, and the Mercury single. It also states explicitly that Thibault appears on no Magma recording as a performer. (Magma Fan)
• Born Bad Records, Wizzz French Psychorama 1966–1970, Vol. 2 notes: Zabu, Dargent, Thibault, Moze, the Pives/Zorgones development, early R&B repertoire, Mercury connection, and the shelved Zorgones album. (Born Bad Records)
• Magma interview archive / Universal Music France: Thibault moved from the Magma bass chair into production and helped secure the Philips contract; Francis Moze played bass on the debut. (robert.guillerault.free.fr)
• Franck Ernould, Château d’Hérouville history: Michel Magne selected Thibault to take over Hérouville in 1974; the new team restored the facility and reopened with Alain Kan sessions, followed by Christopher Bell and other clients. (Ernould)
• Adrian Hope, Studio Sound, July 1978: with Hérouville briefly free following the Magma Attahk work, Thibault began the long-planned solo album, assembled musician friends, and constructed the recordings through extensive overdubs. This is the strongest contemporary source for the immediate album lead-in. (World Radio History)
• MagmaFan album chronology: Thibault began Mais on ne peut pas rêver tout le temps in 1978 with Jacqueline Thibault, Francis Moze, Richard Raux, Lisa Bois, and other associates; the project took Henri Rousseau paintings as its visual and musical premise. (Magma Fan)