Les Séguin -

Les Séguin was a Québécois folk-rock duo comprised of the brother/sister team of Richard Séguin and Marie-Claire Séguin. The pair released two albums on Warner Bros. in 1973 and 1974, followed by two further albums on Kot’ai and CBS during the mid-1970s.

Members: Richard Séguin, Marie-Claire Séguin

Background

Les Séguin formed in Montréal in 1971 when guitarist-singer Richard Séguin resumed a duo with twin sister Marie-Claire Séguin following the breakup of La Nouvelle Frontière.

Richard and Marie-Claire were born on March 27, 1952, in the working-class district of Pointe-aux-Trembles. Their mother sang and kept a piano in the family home. Their father sang in a church choir and played accordion, while their grandfather played violin at family gatherings. Richard received his first guitar from his father at age fourteen. Marie-Claire played the family piano from childhood.

The twins began performing in Montréal boîtes à chansons as Les Nochers in 1966, then worked as Marie et Richard. A 1968 contest at Le Patriote gave Marie et Richard a two-week opening engagement for Gilles Vigneault. At sixteen, Richard and Marie-Claire wrote their first song, “Som Séguin.”

The twins formed La Nouvelle Frontière in 1969 with drummer Denis Chénier, bassist-guitarist André Brault, keyboardist Normand Théroux, and guitarist-singer Robert Letendre. La Nouvelle Frontière played evenings at Centre Monchanin and recorded two albums for Gamma Records. The group dissolved in 1971, when Letendre encouraged Richard and Marie-Claire to continue as a duo. Gilles Valiquette subsequently suggested the name Les Séguin.

In 1971, Warner Bros. Montréal branch manager Jacques Chénier signed Les Séguin. Warner issued the Félix Leclerc song “Le Train du Nord” in 1972 (b/w “À qui de droit”), with Gilles Valiquette on guitar for the A-side session at Tony Roman’s studio in Montréal East. The single sold strongly enough for Warner to book album sessions at Studio Six with producer René Letarte, arranger Richard Grégoire, and engineer Quentin Meek.

Discography:

Séguin (1973)
En Attendant (1974)
Récolte de Rêves (1975 • Séguin)
Festin d’amour (1976)

References and notes

Richard Séguin official biography / Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame — birth date and place, first guitar at fourteen, La Nouvelle Frontière, “Som Séguin” at sixteen, dissolution chronology. (Richard Séguin)
Marie-Claire Séguin interview, La Séguinière, March 1993 — four-child working-class household; mother sang; father sang in a choir; grandfather played violin; piano in the home; college-era group activity with Richard. (Les Équins d’Amérique)
Richard Séguin interview, Juste entre toi et moi — father played accordion and sang; grandfather played violin; mother kept a piano in the home; Richard received a guitar at fourteen. (PodScripts)
Richard Séguin interview, 7 Jours — the 1968 Le Patriote contest and the resulting two-week opening engagement for Gilles Vigneault. (7 Jours)
Museum of Canadian Music / Canadian encyclopedia-derived chronology — Les Nochers in 1966, Marie et Richard, 1968 recognition at Le Patriote, La Nouvelle Frontière formation. (Museum of Canadian Music)
InTempo Musique — Centre Monchanin appearances and early La Nouvelle Frontière activity. (InTempo Musique)
Voir — Gilles Valiquette suggested the Les Séguin name. (Voir.ca)
Warner Music Canada corporate history — the 1971 Warner signing through Montréal branch manager Jacques Chénier and the 1973 debut-album chronology. (Warner Music Canada)
Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia — 1972 “Le Train du Nord” / “À qui de droit” single, Warner D16-216. (The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia)
Musée des ondes Émile Berliner, Studio Six history — Warner’s single-first arrangement, Tony Roman studio session, Gilles Valiquette guitar, single response, and subsequent album sessions with René Letarte, Richard Grégoire, and Quentin Meek. (Musée des ondes Emile Berliner)