Magical Ring -

Magical Ring was a French electro/space-funk project headed by library musician Jean-Pierre Decerf. The project yielded the album Light Flight / More and More, released in 1977 on Chicago 2000.

Members: Jean-Pierre Decerf

Background

Magical Ring formed in France in 1976 when keyboardist-composer Jean-Pierre Decerf teamed with singer-songwriter Clarel Betsy and guitarist Gérard Zajd, a childhood friend of Decerf. Chicago 2000 director Renaldo Cerri introduced Decerf to Betsy, and the musicians developed a concept album under the Magical Ring name.

Decerf was born July 11, 1948, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, outside Paris. His father worked as a sound engineer and made amateur films; as a child, Decerf synchronized records to tape for those home productions. Decerf taught himself guitar at age fourteen or fifteen and formed the Witchers with school friends. The band spent roughly three years on Paris-area club dates, including Centaur Club in Enghien, and entered the Golf Drouot tremplin.

Betsy was born Jean Desire Clarel Edouard Betsy in Curepipe, Mauritius, and settled in Paris in the 1970s. He recorded his composition “Mo Amelie” at Studio Davout in Paris in 1975 for Mauritian label Do Re Mi. Zajd joined Magical Ring as guitarist and co-composer alongside Decerf.

Decerf entered Pathé Cinéma circa 1972/73 as an assistant soundman and moved into the company production-music department, where he managed catalog and client requests. Director Carlos Vilardebó commissioned him to improvise solo guitar for the corporate film Les Trois Vallées. Decerf expanded into electroacoustic work with Revox tape equipment and Australian composer Lawrence Whiffin. Montparnasse 2000 subsequently commissioned a library record. Decerf equipped himself with a Korg 700 synthesizer and Yamaha rhythm box, plus a four-track recorder and Revox mastering deck.

Decerf left Pathé for Gaumont in 1975 and met Cerri through Gaumont. Decerf and Whiffin offered their self-financed experimental album Thèmes Médicaux to Cerri, who issued the recording on Chicago 2000. Cerri also wanted Decerf production-music compositions repackaged for a retail album. Decerf accepted on condition that Cerri finance his separate group project, Open Air.

Decerf recorded Magical Ring basic tracks at home on four-track and transferred them to a 24-track studio system. Guitarist Zajd and singer Betsy joined the studio sessions. The album also repurposed selections from the Decerf library albums Univers Spatial Pop and Out of the Way. Decerf and Cerri took “Light Flight” to Olympic Sound Studio in London, where engineer Keith Grant prepared a mix that Cerri rejected. Decerf revised the track in France and returned to Grant for a second Olympic mix ahead of Light Flight / More and More.

Discography: