Rockets -

Rockets was a French electro/space-funk band whose 1976–84 run produced On the Road Again, Plasteroid, Galaxy, π 3,14, and Atomic, with singles including “On the Road Again,” “Electric Delight,” “Galactica,” and “Ideomatic.”

Members: “Little” Gerard L’Her (bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1969-?), Christian Le Bartz (vocals, vocoder, synthesizer, electronic percussion, 1969-83), Guy Maratrat (guitar, 1969-75), Gérard Barth (drums, 1970-71), Patrick Mallet (drums, 1971-74), Alain Maratrat (guitar, keyboards, vocals, talk box, 1972-92), Alain Groetzinger (drums, electronic drums, drum machine, 1974-83), Jean Louis Delanoux (keyboards, 1974), André Thus (keyboards, 1974-75), Bernard Torelli (guitar, 1975-76), Michel Goubet (keyboards, 1976-77), Louis-François Bertin-Hugault (keyboards, 1977), Fabrice Pascal Quagliotti (keyboards, synthesizer, Minimoog, Rhodes, vocoder, vocals, 1977-92, 2000-present), Sal Solo (vocals, 1983-92)

Background

Rockets formed in 1974 from Crystal, a Burgundy group based in Vincelles, after producer and talent scout Claude Lemoine proposed a futuristic recording and stage concept to singer Christian Le Bartz, bassist-singer Gérard “Little” L’Her, guitarists Guy and Alain Maratrat, and drummer Patrick Mallet.

Le Bartz was born April 25, 1951, in Montreuil-sous-Bois and first sang with a school group called Blues, followed by the Paris-area Blues Fire. Gérard André L’Her was born Sept. 25, 1952, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris and joined Les Petits Chanteurs de l’Île-de-France at age ten. The choir toured Britain in 1963 and brought L’Her into recording sessions for French singers the following year. L’Her also took classical-guitar lessons and switched at age fourteen to double bass.

L’Her played bass and sang with Trouble when he met Blues Fire singer Le Bartz in Sens in 1969. L’Her joined Blues Fire, then moved with Le Bartz to an apartment in Sens around the turn of the decade. Guitarist Guy Maratrat answered their advertisement at Sens Music, and the trio moved to a house in Villechétive. A trip to London supplied the musicians with amplifiers and microphones, while L’Her returned with a used Rickenbacker bass. Drummer Gérard Barth joined after their return to France, and Patrick Mallet replaced Barth in 1971.

Guy Maratrat taught guitar to his younger brother Alain, who was born April 19, 1956, in Tonnerre and joined the group at age sixteen. The musicians adopted the name Crystal in 1972 and played provincial towns and dance halls. Crystal moved into a villa in Vincelles the following year, where the musicians rehearsed, composed, and maintained a base for regional gigs.

In 1973, Lemoine saw Crystal at a performance in Troyes. Former Trouble drummer Jean-François “Jeff” Simon, then connected with the Lemoine-managed Papoose, also told L’Her about the producer’s proposed project after Papoose rejected the idea. Crystal met Lemoine at his Paris home and accepted the concept after several days of discussion.

In early 1974, photographer George Spitzer held a photo-shoot of Le Bartz, L’Her, Mallet, and both Maratrat brothers with shaved heads and silver-painted skin. Drummer Alain Groetzinger replaced Mallet soon afterward. Groetzinger was born May 18, 1955, in Auxerre, started drumming as a child, and studied at Kenny Clarke’s drum school. Keyboardist Jean Louis Delanoux joined briefly after earlier work with Groetzinger in Chaps.

Crystal adopted the name Rocket Men, also styled the Rocketters, as Lemoine developed the new presentation. Disc’Az issued “Rocket Man” in May 1974 with an instrumental version on the reverse. Philippe Renaux wrote and performed the recording, Larry Martin sang the lead part, and none of the group members played on the single. Lemoine nevertheless used the record for a press and radio campaign built around Rocket Men.

The musicians continued dance-hall work under the Crystal name while developing “Don’t Be Sad” and “Le Chemin” at Vincelles. Crystal also worked up versions of King Set song “Apesanteur” and the Shadows instrumental “Apache.” Keyboardist André Thus answered an advertisement and joined the group in December.

Lemoine moved the group toward the name Les Rockets in 1975 and issued “Future Woman” (b/w “Sexy Planet”) on Decca in May. Renaux composed and performed the original “Future Woman” recording with Alain Maratrat contributing talk box. Les Rockets promoted the single with an appearance on Yves Mourousi’s France-Inter program and their first French television spot on Albert Raisner’s Point Chaud.

Les Rockets undertook a French tour of roughly thirty dates that summer and carried their own lights, mixer, speakers, and stage equipment between clubs. Lemoine sent the musicians to martial-arts training after the tour as part of the stage concept. Jacky Chalard then wrote “Samouraï,” which Le Bartz and L’Her recorded with additional chorus singers. Decca issued “Samouraï” (b/w “Fils du ciel”) in September, with the sleeve carrying the Rockets name.

Promoter Henry Leproux booked Les Rockets for three consecutive appearances at the reopening of Golf Drouot in Paris that autumn. Guy Maratrat left near year-end and guitarist Bernard Torelli took his place. Torelli had played on the 1974 Visitors studio project produced by Jean-Pierre Massiera and Lemoine; Massiera was Torelli’s brother. André Thus left after a Christmas engagement at Golf Drouot.

Les Rockets played several January 1976 dates at the Play Girl Club in Cannes in connection with MIDEM, where the group met CGD talent scout Maurizio Cannici. The five-piece continued a second French tour while Lemoine supervised recording work at Decca studios and Studio Saint Jérôme in Paris. Keyboardist Michel Goubet joined in April, completing the six-member lineup for the self-titled debut album.

Discography: