Sunhouse

Sunhouse was a Belgian jazz-rock band behind a 1977 self-titled album on JW’s Records. Bassist Alain Gouthier played concurrently in Cos and later backed Tuxedomoon mainstay Blaine L. Reininger.

Members: Alain Gouthier (bass, fretless bass, backing vocals), Roger Wollaert (drums, percussion), Michel Clement (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Jean-Jacques Lhoest (electric piano, piano, backing vocals), Bob De Marco (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone)

Background

Sunhouse emerged in Belgium by 1976 around guitarist Michel Clément, bassist Alain Gouthier, and keyboardist Jean-Jacques Lhoest. An early performing lineup included a saxophonist and drummer identified as Jean-Luc.

Gouthier played bass in Cos, the Brussels jazz-rock group led by guitarist Daniel Schell and singer Pascale Son. He appeared on the 1974 IBC debut Postaeolian Train Robbery and the 1976 follow-up Viva Boma, produced by Marc Moulin. The latter also featured cellist Denis Van Hecke, who later accompanied Gouthier on the Sunhouse album.

In 1976, Kleptomania bassist Charly Deraedemaeker recruited Sunhouse for the farewell concert of his band at Théâtre 140 in Brussels. Drummer Roger Wollaert and singer-guitarist Wim Hombergen withdrew from the engagement. Sunhouse played selections from their own repertoire, then joined Deraedemaeker and guitarist Dany Lademacher for an extended jam.

Wollaert came from Four of a Kind, a Brussels beat group with Hombergen. The two entered Kleptomania in 1969 alongside Deraedemaeker and Lademacher. Kleptomania cut the 1970 MCA singles “Kept Woman” and “I’ve Got My Woman by My Side” and pursued an album for Dutch label Flame. 

Wollaert joined Sunhouse along with saxophonist Bob De Marco. The musicians augmented their instrumental jazz-rock arrangements with conguero Aziz Bourdoud and keyboardist Frank Wuyts, who came from Waterloo and Pazop. Sunhouse made their self-titled 1977 album for JW’s Records, issued under catalogue number JW 771.

Discography:

• Sunhouse (1977)

References and notes

• Charly Deraedemaeker — Kleptomania memoir, April 16, 1980; published by Jean Jième. Firsthand account of the Théâtre 140 farewell performance, original Sunhouse personnel, group repertoire, and jam with Deraedemaeker and Lademacher. (Original memoir and historical commentary)
• Belgian Metal History — Belgian rock recordings of the 1970s. Identifies the early 1977 Sunhouse LP, JW 771, Michel Clément, and recruitment of former Kleptomania drummer Roger Wollaert. (Belgian rock discography)
• Belgian Metal History — Kleptomania. Four of a Kind connection, 1969 personnel, original MCA singles, concerts, and 1976 breakup. (Group biography and discography)
• Cos — Viva Boma, official artist catalogue. Confirms Goutier on bass and Denis Van Hecke on cello, with Marc Moulin producing the 1976 album. (Artist release documentation)
• Cos — Postaeolian Train Robbery and Viva Boma, Musicbase. Documents the 1974/76 Cos credits and shared personnel with Sunhouse. (Bassist discography)
• JazzRockSoul — Pazop and Waterloo. Traces Frank Wuyts through the 1971 Waterloo singles and the 1972 Barclay recordings of Pazop. (Pazop history)
• Musicbase — Frank Wuyts. Documents Sunhouse alongside earlier Waterloo and Pazop credits and later work with Aksak Maboul. (Musician discography)
• Miguel Ángel Godoy — Sunhouse retrospective, February 15, 2009. Identifies the eight musicians associated with the 1977 album, including Bourdoud, Wuyts, and Van Hecke. (Album personnel account)