Trust -

Trust was a French art-rock/psych band that released the album Le Mutant on Philips in 1970.

Members: Charles Benarroch, Denys Lable, Jacky Chalard, Jean Schultheis

Background

Trust assembled in Paris in 1969 when percussionist Charles Benarroch and bassist Jacky Chalard teamed with guitarist Denys Lable and keyboardist Jean Schultheis.

Benarroch (b. 1944) first recorded in the early 1960s as a member of instrumental rockers Les Fantômes and rock ‘n’ rollers El Toro et les Cyclones. Lable (b. 1947) hailed from beatsters Les Sharks, which issued multiple singles on RCA Victor between 1966 and 1968.

Schultheis played on late-’60s albums by jazz pianist Jef Gilson and chanson-folk singer Hugues Aufray. He was also part of psych-rockers Balthazar, which issued the 1968 Barclay single “La Marche des Travailleurs” (b/w “C’Est Bon”).

1970: Le Mutant

Trust released their singular album, Le Mutant, on Philips in 1970. It features nine songs, all written by Schultheis, including “Le Mammouth,” “Les Blés,” “Hip Hip Hip,” and “Cité Renoir.” The titles-track features vocals by Suzie Hallyday. Guitarist Alain Markusfeld contributes on select passages.

Le Mutant was produced by Bernard Ricci (Performance) and engineered by Dominique Poncet (Santa Esmeralda). The cover features tarot cards on the front, lyrics on the back, but no member credits.

Post-Trust

Schultheis played drums, vibes, organ, and piano on Markusfeld’s 1970 debut album Le Monde en Etages (which also features Lable on “La Terre se Dévore! (Partie 1)“). In 1971, he played on the A&M release Wings by Michel Colombier, plus two RCA titles by Jean-Claude Petit. He then partook in Janko Nilovic‘s big band alongside percussionist André Ceccarelli on the 1972 Z International Records release Giant (later issued as Rythmes Contemporains).

Between 1975 and 1979, Schultheis played on albums by Michel Ripoche (Equinoxe), Olivier Bloch-Lainé (Des Mots), Edwige Nisenboim (Energie, Lumière, Amour), Richard Gilly (Richard Gilly), Emmanuel Booz (Dans Quel État J’erre), and Markusfeld (Platock). As a solo artist, he cut the 1976 album Hot Time on Tele Music, followed by a string of chanson albums on Flamophone.

Lable teamed with drummer Pierre-Alain Dahan in the post-psych trio Mat 3, which issued a self-titled album on Studio 10 in 1971. He then cut an album with the funk-psych Abrax and played on titles by Françoise Hardy, Mayumi Itsuwa, Teddy Lasry (Seven Stones), and (with Schultheis) the aforementioned Edwige and Gilly titles.

Chalard concurrently played in Dynastie Crisis. As Roger Glubo, he cut a 1974 single on Epic. He also played on albums by Gilbert Deflez (Je Suis Vivant, Mais J’Ai Peur), Magnum (Coq’Rock), and cut a 1977 solo album, Avec Un Pied Dans Le Rock ‘N Roll.

Benarroch had peripheral involvement in Zoo and played on albums by Jacques Higelin (Bbh 75), Julien Clerc, and the 1977 Atlantic release Contes Musicaux by Ripoche & André Demay.

Discography: