Luis Gasca (born March 23, 1940) is an American Latin/spiritual-jazz trumpeter and fluegelhorn player from Houston. He played with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Mongo Santamaría, Santana, and Malo across the 1960s and 1970s. As a leader, Gasca made the 1968–74 albums Little Giant, For Those Who Chant, Born to Love You, and Collage. Background Luis […]
Stanley Turrentine (April 5, 1934 — September 12, 2000) was an American post-bop/jazz-funk tenor saxophonist. He emerged from Pittsburgh’s hard-bop scene in the 1950s, first gaining notice with Earl Bostic, Max Roach, and Horace Silver before making his Blue Note debut in 1960. Through the 1960s he recorded a string of organ-combo soul-jazz classics with […]
Tom Browne (born Oct. 30, 1954) is an American jazz-funk trumpeter from Queens. He emerged behind Sonny Fortune and made his bandleader debut with the 1979 GRP release Browne Sugar. His 1980 single “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.)” topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached No. 10 in the U.K.; Browne followed with “Thighs High (Grip […]
Michel Polnareff is a French singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer who emerged in 1966 with “La Poupée qui fait non” and “Love Me, Please Love Me,” followed by hits including “Le Bal des Laze,” “On ira tous au paradis,” “Lettre à France,” and “Goodbye Marylou.” His Disc’AZ run culminated with the 1971 song-cycle “Polnareff’s”. He […]
Michel Moulinié is a French multi-instrumentalist and composer who released the 1978 Crypto album Chrysalide. Background Michel Moulinié was born on November 1, 1945, in Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France. His family ran a local plumbing and heating business. Moulinié taught himself guitar by ear. In 1967, he formed Les Gaulois with Nérac musicians Violette Maestro, Christian […]
Michel Pierre Henri Gonet is a French composer, arranger, and conductor who released numerous library recordings on Tele Music and Crea Sound Ltd. between the early 1970s and mid-’80s. Discography: Suggestions For Title Music (1972) T.V. News (1975) Mondial Scoop (1976) Phasing News Vol. 1 (1976) Phasing News Vol. 2 (1976) TV Evocations (Volume 1) […]
Michel Colombier (May 23, 1939 — Nov. 14, 2004) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor who scored numerous soundtracks over a 40-year period, starting in the early 1960s. In 1971, he headed the big-band/jazz-pop project Wings – Générique D’Antenne 2, produced by Herb Alpert and released on A&M. Discography: Messe pour le temps présent […]
Metal Urbain was a French synth-punk band, active between 1977 and 1979 with one single per-label on Cobra, Rough Trade, and Radar. Celluloid collected the band’s tracks on the 1981 comp Les Hommes Morts Sont Dangereux. Members: Eric Débris (vocals, rhythm guitar, drum machine, 1976-present), Jean-Louis Boulanger [aka Hermann Schwartz] (bass, guitar, synthesizer, vocals, 1977-present), […]
Mémoriance was a French symphonic-rock band that released two albums and a standalone single between 1976 and 1981 on Eurodisc and Philips. Members: Didier Guillaumat (vocals, guitar), Jean-Pierre Boulais (guitar), Jean-François Périer (keyboards), Michel Aze (bass), Didier Busson (drums, 1975-79), Christophe Boulanger (drums, 1979-81), Pascal Liberge (keyboards, 1979-81) Background Mémoriance formed in Le Havre in […]
Mar-Vista were a French electronic combo that released the album Visions of Sodal Ye on Le Kiosque d’Orphée in 1976. Members: Jean Skowron (vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, electronic percussion, organ), Claude Cuvelier (synthesizer, keyboards, electronics) Discography: Visions of Sodal Ye (1976)
Martin Dupont was a French new wave/coldwave trio from Marseille that debuted with a self-pressed 1982 single, followed by three albums and a cassette-only title over the following half-decade on Facteurs d’Ambiance. Members: Alain Seghir (keyboards, vocals), Brigitte Balland (lead vocals, guitar), Beverley Jane Crew (clarinet, saxophone) Background Martin Dupont formed in 1980 in Marseille […]
Martin Circus was a French post-psych rock band that debuted with a 1969 live disc, followed by nine studio albums through 1980 on Vogue. After the ambitious two-record set Acte II, the band’s music veered toward comedy pop. Members: Gérard Blanc (guitar, vocals, 1969-?), Bob Brault (bass), Gérard Pisani (saxophone), Alain Pewzner (guitar, 1969-?), Sylvain […]
Marie-Paule Graffard (born June 4, 1945) is a French folk-psych singer/songwriter who performed under the moniker Maripol. Between 1969 and 1978, she released four albums on Le Chant Du Monde and Kelenn. Background Maripol was born Marie-Paule Subié on June 4, 1945, in Plurien, Côtes-du-Nord, France. She first sang in church choir as a child. […]
Marc Seberg was a French new wave/coldwave band that released five albums and accompanying singles between 1983 and 1991 on Virgin. Members: Philippe Pascal (vocals), Gilles Anzia (guitar), Pierre Thomas (drums), Pierre Corneau (bass), Pascale Le Berre (keyboards, vocals, 1983-present), Daniel Paboeuf (saxophone), Sergeï Papail, Philippe Rérolle Background Marc Seberg formed in 1981 in Rennes […]
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 […]
Madrigal was a French art-rock band that self-released the 1977 album School of Time. Members: Michel Chavarria (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, vocals), Bruno de Gaulejac (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Nicolas de Gaulejac (drums, percussion, vocals), Jean-Noël Nomico (guitar, flute, vocals), Paul Saurat (bass, cello, vocals) Background Madrigal emerged in Toulouse in 1975 when guitarist-singer Michel […]
Machin was a French folk band that debuted with the 1976 album Moi, je suis un Folkeux… on Disques Festival, followed with Tout Folkant and the 1978 Sterne release Râles Folk. Members: Tony Carbonare (vocals, bass, synthesizer, psaltery), Jean-Pierre Robert (guitar, clarinet, flute, keyboards), Alain Carbonare (piano, lyra, guitar, psaltery, 1975-76), Jean-Paul Simonin (drums, percussion, […]
Mike d’Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the second vocalist of Manfred Mann. He fronted the band for three albums and multiple singles, including their 1968 transatlantic hit “Mighty Quinn.” He went solo with the 1970 MCA/Uni release d’Abo, followed by the 1972–74 A&M albums Down at Rachel’s Place and Broken […]
Mike Heron is a Scottish singer and songwriter, best known as the co-founder and mastermind of the Incredible String Band. While still a member of ISB, he debuted as a solo artist with the 1971 release Smiling Men With Bad Reputations. His 1977 album Diamond of Dreams features two songs (“Don’t Kill It Carol,” “Stranded […]
Paul Jones is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the original vocalist of Manfred Mann. He fronted the band for two albums and multiple singles, including their 1964 British Invasion hit “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.” He went solo with a string of late ’60s titles on His Master’s Voice, culminating with the 1971 […]
Rough Diamond was an English hard-rock band that released a self-titled album in 1977 on Island Records. Singer David Byron formed the band after his dismissal from Uriah Heep. They included guitarist Clem Clempson (Colosseum, Humble Pie) and drummer Geoff Britton (East of Eden, Wings). After Bryon left for a solo career, the others carried […]
Blerta — short for Bruno Lawrence’s Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition — were a New Zealander musical troupe that was active under assorted iterations between 1971 and 1976. The band released three singles in 1972 on His Master’s Voice, followed by the 1974 album This Is the Life. Members: Beaver (vocals), Corben Simpson (guitar, vocals), […]
Mike Harvey is a Kiwi keyboardist and composer who fronted the New Zealand band Salty Dogg during the late 1970s. As a solo artist, he released the album Great Expectations on EMI in 1979. Discography: Great Expectations (1979)
Lili Drop was a French new wave band that debuted with a 1979 Eurodisc single, followed by the 1980–82 Arabella albums Monde Animal and N. Members: Olive (vocal, guitar), Violaine (drums), Korïn (bass, 1978-81), Lionel Lumbroso (guitar, 1978), Léonie (bass, 1982-83), Plume (percussion, 1982-83), Cat (saxophone, 1982-83) Background Lili Drop formed in Paris in 1978 […]
Jean-Claude Pelletier (Aug. 11, 1928) was a French pianist, composer, and conductor who lead numerous easy listening ensembles between the 1950s and 1980s. Discography: Black and White Cocktail (1966) From Jean-Claude Pelletier with Love (1970) For Dance Lovers (1972) Intimement Vôtre (1973) Boogie Woogie (1974) Streaking! (1974) Vive la biguine! (1975)
Lievaux-Transfo was a French new wave art-rock combo that made the 1980/81 Trema albums Passage Public and Porte 50. Their frontman, Jean-Yves Lievaux, made a 1976 folk-psych solo album. Members: Patrick Dattas (bass), Philippe Juteau (drums), Jean-Claude Touzet (guitar), Jean-Yves Lievaux (vocals, guitar), Yves Marquette (keyboards) Background Liévaux-Transfo formed in 1978 when singer-guitarist Jean-Yves Liévaux […]
Laurent Thibault is a French studio musician and producer who co-founded Magma. In 1979, he released the album Mais on ne Peut pas Rêver Tout le Temps on Ballon Noir. Background Laurent Thibault was born June 24, 1946, in Paris. His father was Belgian, and his French mother sang in cabarets. He met Francis Moze […]
Les Variations were a French psychedelic hard-rock band of Moroccan origin. Between 1970 and 1974, they released the albums Nador, Take It or Leave It, and Moroccan Roll. With singer Robert Fitoussi, they cut the 1975 international release Cafe de Paris. Fitoussi resurfaced with “Words,” an Eighties synthpop classic under the name F.R. David. Members: […]
Laurent Petitgirard (born June 10, 1950) is a French composer and conductor who released instrumental albums through Alberti and other labels in the 1970s and ’80s and composed extensively for film and television. He founded the Orchestre Symphonique Français in 1988 and served as music director through 1996, followed by a 2005–18 tenure with the […]
Laurence Vanay is a French keyboardist and composer who made the 1974 album Galaxies on SFP. In 1975, she led Gate Way on the Galloway release Evening Colours. Background Laurence Vanay is the recording name of French composer, keyboardist, and multi-instrumentalist Jacqueline Thibault. At age four, Thibault gave her first public concert. Her father gave […]
Lard Free was a French improve/electroacoustic band that released three albums through 1977 on Vamp and Cobra. Material from their original 1971/72 lineup later appeared on the Unnamed disc, courtesy of Spalax. Members: Gilbert Artman (drums, piano, vibraphone, organ, percussion, tenor saxophone, clarinet, 1970-78, 2009), François Mativet (guitar, 1970-75), Jean-Jacques Miette (bass, double bass, 1970-73), […]
Komintern was a French avant-psych/trad band behind the 1971 Harvest album Le Bal du Rat Mort. Members: Francis Lemonnier (saxophone, vocal), Serge Catalano (drums, percussion 1970-75), Michel Musac (guitar), Olivier Zdrzalik (bass, piano), Pascal Chassin (guitar 1970-75), Richard Aubert (violin, cello, 1971) Background Komintern formed in Paris in May 1970 when saxophonist-vocalist Francis Lemonnier and […]
Jox was a French symphonic-folk band that released the 1982 album Joxifications on F.L.V.M. Members: Thiery Flajoliet (flute, oboe, electric guitar, vocals), Jean-Michel Grosgurin (piano, synthesizer), Jean-Claude Larrieu (bass, vocals), Jean-Francois Quinchon (electric-acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, vocals) Background Jox formed at École Polytechnique in Palaiseau among four students of the 1979 promotion: flutist-oboist Thierry Flajolet, […]
Joël Dugrenot is a French bassist who played in the 1970s bands Clearlight, Speed Limit, and Zao. He went solo with the 1982 Spalax release Boomerang, followed by the 1984 Eurorock title See. His earlier tracks from the 1976–78 period constitute the archival disc Mosaïques. Backgrounds Joël Dugrenot was born Joël René Henri Dugrenot on […]
Jef Gilson (July 25, 1926 — Feb 5, 2012) was a French pianist, composer, and arranger; active as a bandleader for a quarter century. He proliferated in the 1970s with albums on Palm and other labels in lead and collaborative configurations. Background Jef Gilson was born Jean-François Quiévreux on July 25, 1926, in Guebwiller, Haut-Rhin, […]
Jean-Yves Liévaux is a French chanson-folk/psych musician who recorded three albums for Pathé and Trema between 1976 and 1984. He also fronted the New Wave five-piece Lievaux-Transfo for two albums at the start of the 1980s. Jean-Yves Liévaux is a French singer-songwriter whose 1970s and 1980s catalog includes solo records and two albums with Liévaux-Transfo. […]
Jean-Pierre Massiera (born July 10, 1947) is a French library musician, composer, and producer who partook in various avant-psych and space-funk projects during the late 1960s and 1970s, including Les Maledictus Sound, Visitors, Horrific Child, and Human Egg. In 1976, he played with symphonic-rockers Atlantide and teamed with the band’s guitarist on the Marcy Music […]
Jean-Pierre Decerf is a French electronic musician and composer. Between 1976 and 1981, he made six library albums, both solo and collaborative, on CAM, Patchwork, and Pema Music. In 1978, he partook in the one-off project Open Air with guitarist Gérard Zajd and vocalist Clarel Betsy. Background Jean-Pierre Decerf was born on July 11, 1948, […]
Jean-Pierre Debarbat (May 4, 1952) is a French saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer who released three studio albums and two live discs in solo and collaborative form between 1977 and 1982, mostly on RCA. Discography: Prologue (1977 • Jean-Pierre Debarbat & Dolphin Orchestra) Be-bop? (1979 • Pepper Adams & Barry Altschul Meet Jean-Pierre Debarbat, Siegfried Kessler, […]
Jean-Pierre Alarcen is a French symphonic/jazz-rock guitarist and composer who played in the bands Eden Rose and Sandrose during the early 1970s. Later that decade, he released back-to-back solo albums on L’Escargot and Scoppuzzle. Background Jean-Pierre Alarcen was born in 1944 in France. His earliest documented groups included Les Murator’s and Les Guitares du Dimanche, […]
Jean-Philippe Goude (born 1952) is a French keyboardist and composer who recorded collaborative jazz and library music and partook in Zeuhl super-group Weidorje during the mid-to-late 1970s. In 1980, he released his first proper solo album on Polydor/Ramses with backing by assorted Magma personnel. Discography: Jeunes Années (1975 • Jean-Philippe Goude & Olivier Colé) Sur […]
Jean-Louis Bucchi is a French keyboardist, composer, and conductor who released the 1978 jazz-rock album Sunflower on De l’autre côté. During the 1980s, he released three library albums on RCA and Koka. Backgrounds Jean-Louis Bucchi joined the Paris ensemble Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language in late 1971 on a recommendation from drummer Eddy Gaumont. Martiniquan bassist […]
Jean-Claude Pognant (born 1943) is a French author and label founder best known as the manager of Ange during the 1970s. Performing under the name Jean-Claude Vincent, he released the 1977 album Lettre au Passé on Crypto, one of the labels he headed during the second half of the decade. Discography: Lettre au Passé (1977)
Jean-Claude Petit (Nov. 14, 1943) is a French pianist and composer who released a string of library/easy listening albums on RCA and WEA during the 1970s. Discography: Jean-Claude Petit (1970) + 35 (1971) Chez Jean-Claude Petit (1974) Jean-Claude Petit (1976) The Best of All Possible Worlds (1980)
Pierre Moerlen’s Gong was a French jazz-rock band that functioned as a continuation of Gong following the departure of Daevid Allen, with percussionist Moerlen assuming the reigns. This iteration of the band released six albums between 1975 and 1981, the last three of which bear the affixed nameplate. Members: Pierre Moerlen (drums), Benoit Moerlen (percussion, […]
Mike Nock (born Sept. 7, 1940) is a New Zealander jazz pianist with an international career in music dating back to the early 1960s. At the turn of the 1970s, he recorded three album with stateside jazz-rock pioneers the Fourth Way. In 1971, he debuted as a bandleader with the MPS release Between or Beyond. […]
Mother Goose was a New Zealander art-rock band that released two albums on Mushroom Records between 1977 and 1979, followed by a third album on Parole in 1982. Members: Craig Johnston (vocals), Marcel Rodeka (drums), Pete Dickson (lead guitar, 1975-79, 1983-85), Justin McCarthy (lead guitar,1979-83), Kevin Collings (rhythm guitar), Steve Young (keyboards, 1975-82), Neil Shilkin […]
Fusion was a French jazz-rock supergroup comprised of core Magma personnel Christian Vander, Benoît Widemann, Didier Lockwood, and Jannick Top. In 1981, they released the album Fusion on JMS. Their earlier live set constitutes the Utopic archival disc Paris 80. Members: Didier Lockwood (violin), Jannick Top (bass), Christian Vander (drums), Benoît Widemann (Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, […]
Jacky Giordano — aka Joachim Sherylee, Jacky Nodaro, and José Pharos — is a French library musician who released albums in solo and combo configurations on Sonimage, Freesound, MP 2000, and L’Illustration Musicale during the 1970s. Discography: Rythmes & Mélodies (1973 • Jacky Giordano & Francis Personne) Challenger (1974) Schifters (1974 • Jacky Giordano & […]
Indochine are a French new wave band that released five studio albums and a live disc between 1982 and 1990 on Ariola, followed by nine further albums into the 2020s. Members: Nicola Sirkis (vocals, guitar), Dominik Nicolas (guitar, 1981-95), Stéphane Sirkis (keyboards, 1981-99), Dimitri Bodianski (saxophone, 1981-89), Alexandre Azaria (guitar, 1996) Background Indochine formed on […]
Human Egg were a French space-funk band that released a self-titled album on Lizard Records in 1979. Members: Tony Bonfils (vocals), Jean Claude Chanavat (guitar), Bernard Torelli (guitar, keyboards), D’Antonio Sauveur (bass), Jean Luc Crema (percussion), Daniel Goyonne (piano), Gerard Pontieux (electric piano), Michel Goubet (keyboards), Jean Faure (drums) Discography: Human Egg (1978)
Honeyelk was a French Zeuhl band that released the album Stoyz vi Dozévéloy on Oxygène in 1979. Members: Gérard Blanc (bass, guitar, synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, vocals), Christian Blanc (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Pierre-Yves Maury (clarinet, saxophone), William Grandordy (grand piano, Fender Rhodes, piano), Frank Lovisolo (guitar), Fabien Giacchi (bass), Eric Rieuvernet (synthesizer), Jean Cortes (violin) […]
H-Bomb was a French hard-rock/metal band behind the 1983 Coup de Métal EP, followed by the 1984 Race-On release Attaque and the 1985 Axe Killer single “To Feel Is Pain.” Members: Philippe “Philty” Garcia (bass), Gerhard “Metal” Michel (drums), Armando “Mando” Ferreira (guitars), Christian “Kriss” Martin (guitar, 1982-84), Didier “Dizzy” Izard (vocals 1982-85), Paul Fereirra […]
The Harlem Pop Trotters were a French studio/library ensemble that issued two albums on MPI and Les Tréteaux between 1972 and 1975. Members: Jean-Claude Pierric, François Rolland Discography: N°39 – Harlem Pop Trotters (1972) Harlem Pop Trotters (1975)
Guy Skornik (born 1947) is a French art-pop musician and songwriter who released two EPs on in 1967 Polydor, followed by a stint in the band Popera Cosmic with François Wertheimer and William Sheller. At the start of the 1970s, Skornik issued three singles and a debut solo album on Pathé. Between 1973 and 1980, […]
Gérard Manset is a French chanson and art-pop singer-songwriter who emerged with a 1968 self-titled album on Odéon, followed by twenty-four albums through 2026 on Pathé, EMI, Capitol, and Parlophone. His 1975 single “Il voyage en solitaire” sold more than 300,000 copies in France. Background Gérard Manset was born Gérard Henri Manset on August 21, […]
Gérard Entremont was a French chanson-pop singer who released numerous shortplayers, starting in the mid-1960s. In 1975, a jazz-rock ensemble dubbed “Co” were assembled to back him for one eponymous album on Pathé Marconi EMI. That same year, the musicians cut an album as So & Co with Entremont at the console. Members: Gérard Entremont […]
Georges Rodi (born Feb. 12, 1948) is a French studio musician who released numerous library recordings on Crea Sound between the mid-1970s and late 1980s. Discography: Actual – Effets spéciaux – Sound Effects (1975) Space (1979) Sound Power (1980) Kaleidoscope (1984) Spaciology (1984) Synthesis (1985) Hot Shots (1987) Actual 2 – Structure musicales – Musical […]
Georges Grunblatt is a French keyboardist, guitarist, and saxist who was a member of Heldon between 1974 and 1976, playing on the band’s first four albums. In 1980, he released the album K-Priss on Ramsès. Background Georges Grünblatt was born in November 1951 and later studied medicine and philosophy in Paris. He began classical piano […]
Jean-Baptiste Barrière (Jan. 2, 1958) is a French electronic musician who released two albums on Atem in 1979. Discography: Pandémonium : Non, jamais l’espérance – Perspective pour une politique païenne (1979) Pandémonium: Ville Ouverte – Esquisses pour une descente aux enfers (1979)
Jazz Impression were a French jazz-rock band that released two albums on J.A.M. between 1978 and 1981. Members: François Couturier (piano, electric piano, clavinet), Roland Merle (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Jean-Jacques Ruhlmann (soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, flute), Christian Gentet (cello), Bertrand Maillot (percussion) Discography: Le Vice et la Paresse (1978) L’énigme infinie (1981)
Janko Nilovic (born May 20, 1941) is a Turkish-born French composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist who settled in Paris in 1960. He worked in French pop and library music before establishing a prolific run on Montparnasse 2000, where albums from Psyc’ Impressions onward combined jazz, funk, rock, orchestral composition, and studio experimentation. Nilović continued recording under […]
The Wurzels were an English comedy-folk band from Nailsea, Somerset, originally formed in 1966 as a four-piece with vocalist Adge Cutler. In this configuration, the band released four albums on Columbia between 1967 and 1969, plus a 1972 fifth on Starline. Trimmed to a trio, the band released six proper albums between 1975 and 1983, […]
Vision were an English synthpop band from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, formed in 1981 as Spiral Visions. In 1982, the band self-released the EP Danse Macabre and the cassette-album Insight, followed by the Italian chart single “Lucifer’s Friend.” A further round of singles appeared on MVM/PRT during the ensuing five-year period. Members: Andy Beaumont (keyboards), Russell […]
François Wertheimer is a French chanson-folk singer/songwriter who emerged in the pop-psych combo Popera Cosmic, which also featured Guy Skornik and William Sheller. Between 1971 and 1977, Wertheimer released two solo albums on BYG and Philips. Background François Wertheimer was born May 4, 1947, in Paris, France. He attended Lycée Michelet in Vanves, where he […]
François Jeanneau (born 1935) is a French saxophonist, keyboardist, and composer who played in the bands Experience and Triangle in the early 1970s. During the second half of the decade, he released three solo albums on Palm and Owl. Background François Jeanneau was born June 15, 1935, in Paris, France. His mother played piano at […]
François “Faton” Cahen (July 24, 1944 — July 13, 2011) was a French keyboardist who played on the first two Magma albums and co-founded Zao. Between 1975 and 1979, he made three solo albums and Thank You Friends, a collaborative disc with Didier Lockwood. Backgrounds François “Faton” Cahen was born on July 24, 1944, in […]
François Bréant is a French keyboardist, vocalist, and composer who played in the bands Cruciferius, Ergo Sum, and Nemo in the early 1970s. During the second half of the decade, he worked on albums by Albert Marcœur and Bernard Lavilliers. In 1979, Bréant released two solo albums of electronic music on Barclay-subsidiary Egg. Background François […]
Francis Moze is a French bassist, keyboardist, and composer who played in the bands Magma, Rhésus O, Troc, and Gong during the 1970s. In 1982, he released the solo album Naissance on keyboardist Andy Elmer’s one-off label Harps Prod. Background Francis Moze was born on February 2, 1946, and trained for about ten years as […]
Francis Décamps (born May 17, 1952) is a French musician who first emerged as the keyboardist of popular symphonic-rock band Ange, a band he co-founded in 1969 with older brother Christian Décamps. In 1979, the younger Décamps issued the solo album Histoire de Fou on Philips. Discography: Histoire de Fou (1979) Vie en positif (1990) […]
Francis Cabrel (born Nov. 23, 1953) is a French chanson-folk singer/songwriter who premiered with the CBS release Les Murs de Poussière in 1977. Discography: Les Murs de Poussière (1977) Les Chemins de Traverse (1979) Fragile (1980) Carte Postale (1981) Quelqu’un de l’intérieur (1983) Cabrel Public (live, 1984) Photos de Voyages (1985) Sarbacane (1989) Samedi soir sur […]
Foehn were a French Zeuhl/jazz-rock band that released the album Faëria on self-press CLC in 1985. Members: Anou Belliard (vocals), Alain Blesing (guitar), Philippe François (keyboards), Sylvain Beuf (saxophone), Michel Boussiard (bass), Marcel Beaudry-Gal (drums), Jean-Manuel Belliard (percussion) Discography: Faëria (1985)
Fluence was the initial performance moniker of French avant-garde musician Pascal Comelade, who released one album under the name on Pôle Records in 1976. During the next two decades, he recorded a lengthy string of albums under his own name. Discography: Fluence (1976)
Flamen Dialis was a French electro-symphonic/folk project headed by Didier Le Gallic, responsible for the 1978 single “Découverte” and the 1979 concept album Symptome-Dei on F.L.V.M. Members: Y.H. Le Gallic (keyboards, vocals), Didier Le Gallic (guitar, percussion, keyboards, drums), L. Le Clech (harmonica), M. Le Saout (guitar), A. Ernouf (flute), B.B. L’Helgouach (vocals), J.J. Crenn […]
Fernand Péna et Puzzle were a French folk/psych band behind a 1977 album on the self-operated Centaur Records. Members: Fernand Péna (vocals, bass), Bernard Coutelan (guitar), Jean-Jacques Barbette (drums) Background Puzzle emerged in 1976 around singer-guitarist Fernand Péna, guitarist-singer Henri Espéjo, and singer Patricia Laidet. Péna began playing in 1964 on a homemade guitar. He […]
Ferdinand Richard (June 25, 1950) is a French bassist and vocalist who fronted the avant-rock/proto-zolo band Etron Fou Leloublan between 1973 and 1986. In 1981, he debuted as a solo artists with the Celluloid release En Forme!! During the early ’90s, he fronted Les Philosophes for one album and cut a collaborative disc with Fred […]
Falstaff was a French jazz-rock band that self-released the 1981 album Prononcez g. Members: Jérôme Halbout (percussion), Laurent Labouret (guitar), Stéphane Joly (keyboard), Eric Mallet (bass) Background Falstaff comprised bassist Eric Mallet, percussionist Jérôme Halbout, guitarist Laurent Labouret, and keyboardist Stéphane Joly. Halbout entered the École normale supérieure in Paris in 1978 for doctoral study […]
Est-ce bien Raisonnable? was a French avant-garde/proto-zolo trio that released a 1981 self-titled album on Revolum. Members: Thierry Maucci (saxophone, clarinet), Bernard Mourier (piano, vocals, composition), Marc Simon (drums, xylophone, trombone, cornet, vocals) Background Est-ce bien Raisonnable? (Is it really reasonable?) coalesced by late 1980 as the trio of pianist-composer Bernard Mourier, saxophonist-clarinetist Thierry Maucci, […]
End of Data was a French coldwave band that made the 1984/85 Divine albums Sahrah and Dans votre monde. Members: Ert [aka Eric Trochu] (vocals), Ae [aka Thierry Leray] (guitar, bass), Pascal Des A (bass), Pascal Normal [Pascal Bence] (drums), Didier Perichon (keyboards) Background End of Data formed in spring 1983 in Rennes when self-taught […]
Emmanuelle Parrenin is a French multi-instrumentalist and composer who played in the Seventies folk bands Gentiane, Mélusine, and La Confrérie des Fous. Between 1974 and 1976, she recorded four collaborative albums, including two with then-husband Phil Fromont. Her singular solo album of the era, Maison Rose, appeared in 1977 on Ballon Noir. Background Emmanuelle Parrenin […]
The Spiders From Mars were an English hard-rock band formed in 1971 as the backing band for David Bowie. Guitarist Mick Ronson and drummer Mick “Woody” Woodmansey backed the singer on the 1969–70 albums Man of Words, Man of Music and The Man Who Sold the World. With the addition of bassist Trevor Bolder, they […]
