Gong was a French–Anglo musical collective that existed through numerous iterations over a four-decade period, starting in 1969. During the first half of the 1970s, the band operated as a space-rock performance act under the leadership of Australian-born guitarist–vocalist Daevid Allen. Later in the decade, Gong steered toward jazz-rock with drummer–percussionist Pierre Moerlen affixed to […]
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French violinist, active since the early 1960s and best known for his twelve-album run of jazz-rock titles on Atlantic Records. He began recording as a leader with Jazz Long Playing (1964) and Sunday Walk (1967), establishing a technically precise, rhythmically adventurous style that integrated violin into modern jazz ensembles. His early […]
Magma are a French avant-garde rock band from Paris, formed in 1969 by drummer and keyboardist Christian Vander. During the 1970s, they released six proper studio albums and a live disc on the Philips, Vertigo, Utopia, and Eurodisc labels. Their debut, Kobaïa (1970), introduced the Kobaïan language and ritualized vocal arrangements. 1001° Centigrades (1971) and […]
Jean-Michel Jarre is a French keyboardist and sound technician who emerged in the early 1970s, first as a soundtrack composer. He gained global prominence with his 1976 release Oxygène, which brought electronic music to a wider audience. During the ensuing quarter-century, he released fifteen-plus titles on Disques Dreyfus. Background Jean-Michel Jarre was born in Lyon, […]
Ange are a French symphonic-rock band that released ten studio albums between 1972 and 1983 on Philips, followed by a round of titles on Trema and Marianne. Formed by brothers Christian and Francis Décamps, Ange emerged from the French progressive-rock scene with a theatrical, narrative-driven style that combined intricate keyboards, layered vocals, and extended compositions. […]
Art Zoyd was a French chamber-rock band that self-pressed their 1976 debut album, Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les cités. In 1978, they joined the Rock In Opposition network of Continental acts organized by Henry Cow. On Atem, Art Zoyd released the 1979/80 albums Musique pour l’Odyssée and Génération sans Futur, followed by the […]
Heldon was a French avant-garde/electronic band that released three albums in 1974/75 on Disjuncta, followed by four further titles (1976–79) on Urus, Cobra, and Egg. Concurrently, mastermind Richard Pinhas made synth-based solo albums. Heldon’s sound combined elements of free-psych Krautrock and the Berlin School with the looped minimalism of Brian Eno‘s work with Robert Fripp. […]
Clearlight was a French space-rock ensemble that released the 1975 Virgin albums Clearlight Symphony and Forever Blowing Bubbles. Group mastermind Cyrille Verdeaux also co-led the soundtrack project Delired Cameleon Family and continued Clearlight with the 1976–78 albums Les Contes du Singe Fou and Visions. Members: Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, keyboards) Background Cyrille Verdeaux was born in […]
Mona Lisa was a French symphonic-rock band that released the 1974/75 Arcane albums L’escapade and Grimaces, followed by the 1976–79 Crypto titles Le petit violon de Mr. Grégoire, Avant qu’il ne soit trop tard, and Vers demain. Members: Christian Gallas (guitar, violin), Jean-Luc Martin (bass), Jean-Paul Pierson (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Francis Poulet (drums, percussion, […]
Atoll was a French symphonic/space-rock band that released the 1974 Eurodisc album Musiciens-Magiciens. With the addition of ex-Komintern violinist Richard Aubert, they released L’araignée-mal in 1975. After further lineup changes, they issued the 1977–79 albums Tertio and Rock Puzzle. Their music is often compared to countrymen Ange and Mona Lisa. Members: Jean-Luc Thillot (bass, 12-string […]
Pulsar was a French space-rock band that released the albums Pollen (1975) and The Strands of the Future (1976) on Kingdom Records, followed by the 1977 CBS release Halloween. Adopting a minimal-wave sound, they issued the 1981 album Bienvenue au conseil d’administration! on self-press Compagnie du Théâtre de la Satire. Members: Jacques Roman (keyboards, Hammond […]
Cortex was a French samba-jazz/funk combo that released two albums and a standalone single between 1975 and 1977 on Espérance, followed by a 1978 third album on Crypto. A 54-minute disc of material for a shelved 1979 album appeared in 2006 on Underdog Records. Members: Alain Labib (alto saxophone), Alain Mion (keyboards, vocals), Jean Grevet […]
Zao was a French Zeuhl ensemble, active during the 1970s and later sporadic intervals. Between 1973 and 1977, they released five albums on Vertigo, Urus, and RCA, beginning with their debut Z=7L, which featured François “Faton” Cahen on keyboards, Yochk’o Seffer on saxophones, and Mauricia Platon on vocals. Their second album, Osiris (1974), saw Seffer […]
Carpe Diem was a French space-rock band that released the 1975–77 Crypto albums En Regardant Passer le Temps and Cueille le Jour. Members: Christian Truchi (organ, synthesizer, piano, lead vocals), Gilbert Abbenanti (guitar, 1970-77), Alain Bergé (bass, 1970-77), Claude Méchard (drums, 1970-74), Claude “Marius” David (soprano saxophone, flute, percussion, 1974-79), Alain Faraut (drums, percussion, 1974-79), […]
Patrick Forgas (born 1951) is a French multi-instrumentalist and composer who released the popular 1977 jazz-rock album Cocktail on Gratte-Ciel. Starting in 1990, he proliferated with discs under his surname and the Forgas Band Phenomena banner on Musea, Cosmos, and Cuneiform. Background Patrick Forgas took up drums as a teenager, inspired by Soft Machine and […]
Etron Fou Leloublan was a French avant-rock band that released the 1977/78 albums Batelages and Les Trois Fous Perdégagnent (Au pays des…) on Gratte-Ciel and 9H 17 Productions. The 1980 live album En Public aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique documented the group’s US tour, followed by the studio albums Les Poumons Gonflés, Les Sillons de la Terre, […]
ZNR was a French avant-garde/electro-classical duo that released the popular album Barricade 3 on Isadora in 1976, followed by Traité de Mécanique Populaire on SCOPA Invisible in 1978. Members: Hector Zazou, Joseph Racaille Background ZNR had its roots in Barricade, a Marseille jazz-psych group with bassist Hector Zazou (Z) and pianist Joseph Racaille (R). Zazou […]
Shylock was a French symphonic-rock trio that self-released the Crimson-esque 1976 album Gialorgues, followed by the 1978 CBS release Île de Fièvre. Members: André Fisichella (drums, percussion), Frédéric L’Épée (guitars), Didier Lustig (keyboards), Serge Summa (bass guitar) Background Self-taught drummer André Fisichella founded the instrumental progressive rock trio Shylock in Nice, France, in 1974. Fisichella […]
Zanov is the performance name of French electronic musician Pierre Salkazanov, who released two albums in the Berlin School-vein in 1976 and 1977. A third album followed in 1983, after which he went quiet until the 2010s when a growing cult around his reissued works prompted a comeback. Since 2014, he has released two CDs […]
Alain Markusfeld is a French classical/rock guitarist who released the 1970/71 Barclay folk/psych albums Le monde en étages and Le son tombé du ciel, followed by the 1977–79 symphonic instrumental trilogy Le désert noir, Platock, and Contemporus. Background Alain Markusfeld was born April 6, 1950, in Paris. He began two years of classical piano lessons […]
Albert Marcœur is a French musician, composer, and arranger who released ten albums between 1974 and 2008. His first four albums — Albert Marcœur, Album à Colorier, Armes & Cycles, and Celui où y’a Joseph — contain Zappa-esque fusions of avant-garde rock, big band, and zolo music. Along with Etron Fou Leloublan, he foreshadowed the 1980s […]
Arachnoïd was a French symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album on Divox in 1979. It was later reissued by archivists Musea and has since become a holy grail of the nation’s ’70s scene, alongside releases by Ange, Atoll, Carpe Diem, Mona Lisa, Pulsar, and Shylock. Members: Patrick Woindrich (bass, guitar, vocals), Michel Pilot (rhythm […]
Jane Birkin (Dec. 14, 1946 – July 13, 2023) was a French-based chanson-pop singer and actress, originally from England. She scored an international hit with her 1969 debut single “Je t’aime… moi non plus,” written by her longtime partner and musical mentor Serge Gainsbourg, who wrote her 1973–78 Fontana albums Di Doo Dah, Lolita Go […]
Malicorne was a French folk band from the namesake commune of Malicorne in Auvergne, formed in 1973 by Gabriel Yacoub, Marie Sauvet, Hughes de Courson, and Laurent Vercambre. The group adapted French-language traditional songs through multipart vocals, electric amplification, and instruments drawn from regional European repertories. Malicorne released eight studio albums between 1974 and 1986, […]
Weidorje was a French Zeuhl band that released a self-titled album on Cobra in 1978. The project was headed by once-and-future Magma members Bernard Paganotti and Patrick Gauthier, who both played on the 1976 album Üdü Ẁüdü, which featured a song called “Weidorje.” Members: Bernard Paganotti (bass, vocals), Patrick Gauthier (keyboards), Kirt Rust (drums), Jean-Philippe […]
Patrick Vian (April 12, 1942 – February 24, 2023) was a French guitarist and keyboardist who played in the avant-psych band Red Noise during the early 1970s. In 1976, he released the popular electronic album Bruits et Temps Analogues on Barclay-subsidiary Egg. Background Patrick Vian was born on April 12, 1942, in Paris and raised […]
Alpha Ralpha was a French symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album in 1977 on Warner Bros. Members: Claude Alvarez-Pereyre (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, violin, electric violin, organ, marimba, vibraphone), Michel Mareska (electric guitar), Charlie Charriras (bass), Jean-Alain Gardet (piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer), Emmanuel Lacordaire (drums, percussion, marimba, vibraphone) Background Alpha Ralpha formed in […]
Transit Express was a French jazz-rock quartet that released three albums on RCA Victor during the mid-1970s. On the third album — Couleurs Naturelles (1977) — the band were joined by American violinist David Rose, who plied a similar vein of music on his subsequent solo releases. Members: Dominique Bouvier (drums, vibraphone, percussion), Jean-Claude Guselli […]
Jacques Thollot (October 9, 1946 — Oct. 2, 2014) was a French keyboardist, percussionist, and composer who emerged in the Sixties groups of jazz bandleaders Jef Gilson and Barney Wilen. Thollot made his solo debut with an avant 1971 Futura album, followed by the 1975 Palm release Watch Devil Go and the Zeuhl-tinged 1977–79 titles Résurgence […]
The Moving Gelatine Plates were a French jazz-rock band that released the 1971/72 albums Moving Gelatine Plates and The World of Genius Hans on CBS. A partial regrouping as Moving yielded a further album in 1980. Along with Supersister and Pazop, they were one of the first Continental bands to appropriate the rhythmic figures and […]
KaS Product was a French post-punk/minimal wave duo that released two 1980 EPs on self-press Punk Records, followed by the 1982/83 RCA albums Try Out and By Pass and their 1986 swan song Ego Eye. Members: Mona Soyoc (vocals, guitar, piano), Spatsz (electronics, electronic drums, synthesizer) Background KaS Product assembled in January 1980 in Nancy […]
Chute Libre was a French jazz-rock band that released the 1977/78 EMI albums Chute Libre and Ali Baba. Members: Gilles Douïeb (bass), Olivier Hutman (keyboards), Umberto Pagnini (drums), Mino Cinélu (vocals, percussion), Denis Barbier (flute), Patrice Cinélu (guitar), Pierre-Jean Gidon (saxophone), Eric Letoumeux (saxophone) Background Chute Libre (Free Fall) formed in 1975 in Boulogne-Billancourt when […]
Wapassou was a French chamber-rock band that released six albums between 1974 and 1986, including the large-scale neo-classical works Messe en ré Mineur and Salammbô. Members: Freddy Brua (keyboards), Jacques Lichti (violin), Karen Nickerl (guitar) Background Wapassou formed in 1972 in Strasbourg with keyboardist Freddy Brua, guitarist/bassist Karin Nickerl, violinist Jacques Lichti, and sound engineer […]
Gwendal was a French Celtic-folk instrumental ensemble that combined Breton and Irish traditional material with original compositions across seven studio albums and the 1981 live release En Concert. Members: Youenn Le Berre (flute, bombard, bagpipe), Bruno Barré (violin, 1972-?), Patrice Grupallo (mandolin, 1972-?), J-M Renard (guitar, 1972-?), Roger Schaub (bass, 1972-?), Ricky Caust (guitar, 1976-?), […]
Space was a French electro/space-funk band that released four albums between 1977 and 1980 on Vogue. Members: Didier Marouani [aka “Ecama”] (synthesizers, 1977-79, 1982-present), Roland Romanelli (synthesizers, 1977-80), Joe Hammer (drums, percussion, 1977-78), Cissy Stone (vocals, 1980), Jannik Top [aka Yannick Top] (bass, 1980), Patrice Tison (guitar, 1980) Background Space formed in France in 1977 […]
Marquis de Sade was a French New Wave/art-punk band from Rennes that issued a pair of shortplayers on Terrapin in 1978, followed by two albums and a standalone single on Pathé between 1979 and 1981. Members: Philippe Pascal (vocals), Frank Darcel (guitar), Anzia (guitar, 1977-78), Christian Dargelos (bass, vocals, 1977-78), Pierre Thomas (drums, 1977-78), Thierry […]
Ocean was a French hard-rock band that released the album God’s Clown on Crypto in 1976, followed by three albums on Barclay at the turn of the 1980s. Members: Georges Bodossian (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), Robert Belmonte (vocals, percussion, 1976-2004), Noël Alberola (bass, vocals, 1976-?), Bernard Leroy (drums, percussion, 1976-79), Jean-Pierre Guichard (drums, 1979), Alain Gouillard […]
Zoo was a French brass-rock band that released three albums between 1969 and 1972 on Riviera. Members: Michel Bonnecarrère (guitar), Tony Canal (trumpet), Daniel Carlet (saxophone, violin), Joël Daydé (vocals, 1968-70), Christian Devaux (drums), Pierre Fanen (guitar, 1968-70), André Hervé (keyboards), Michel Hervé (bass), Michel Ripoche (saxophone, violin, trombone), Ian Bellamy (vocals, 1970-72) Background Zoo […]
Emmanuel Booz (born 1943) is a French symphonic/folk singer and composer who released four albums and six singles on Barclay, Atlantic, and Polydor during the 1970s. Background Emmanuel Booz was born in 1943 in Versailles, Île-de-France, France. Little is known about his childhood, but he was reportedly taken in by members of the French Resistance […]
Ma Banlieue Flasque was a French jazz-rock/Zeuhl band that released a self-titled album on Celluloid in 1979. Members: Philippe Maugars (guitar, vocals), Marc Ledevedec (guitar), Philippe Botta (flute, saxophone), Loïc Gautier (bass), Christian “Chypo” Cheype (drums, vocals) Background Ma Banlieue Flasque (“My Flabby Suburb”) formed in Ermont, Île-de-France, in 1978 as a continuation of Nova […]
Ripaille was a French symphonic-folk band that recorded the album La Vieille que l’on Brûla in 1977. Members: Gérard Duchemann (lead vocals, keyboards), Patrick Audouin (keyboards, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Patrick Droguet (guitar), Michel Munoz (drums), Jacquy [aka Jacky] Thomas (bass, percussion, backing vocals), Michel Santangelli (drums) Background Ripaille (Feast) formed in 1976 in Nantes, […]
Triode was a French jazz-rock and folk band that released the 1971 album On n’a pas fini d’avoir tout vu on Futura. Their sound combined flute-driven psych-jazz with bluesy guitar, improvisational interplay, and brisk rhythmic undercurrents. They formed in 1970 and disbanded two years later. Members: Michel Edelin (flute), Pierre Chérèze (guitar), Pierre-Yves Sorin (bass), […]
Space Art was a French electronic music duo formed in Paris by keyboardist Dominique Perrier and drummer Roger “Bunny” Rizzitelli. Between 1977 and 1980, Space Art released three albums and three singles, selling more than three million records worldwide. In 1981, they joined Jean-Michel Jarre on his groundbreaking tour of China. Members: Dominique Perrier (keyboards), […]
Rhésus O was a French jazz-rock/psych band that cut a self-titled 1971 album on Epic. They featured three bassists, including Francis Moze, who played on the 1970/71 albums Magma and 1001° Centigrades by chamber-rock heavyweights Magma. Members: Serge Lenoir (Bass), Francis Moze (Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Xylophone), Guy Pedersen (Double Bass, Bass), Thierry Blanchard (Drums, Percussion), […]
Rahmann was a French Zeuhl band that released a self-titled album in 1980 on Ramsès. Members: Mahamad Hadi (guitar synth, electric guitar, fretless guitar, oud, bouzouki), Amar Mecharaf (drums, percussion), Michel Rutigliano (piano, grand piano, synthesizer), Gérard Prevost (acoustic bass, bass), Louis-César Ewande (percussion), Nadia Yamina Hadi (vocal), Didier Lockwood (violin), Sylvain Marc (bass), Richard […]
Sandrose was a French symphonic/psych band that released a self-titled album on Polydor in 1972. Members: Jean-Pierre Alarcen (guitar), Rose Podwojny (vocals), Christian Clairefond (bass), Henri Garella (organ, Mellotron), Michel Jullien (drums, percussion) Background Sandrose formed as a follow-through to Eden Rose, a post-psychedelic instrumental quartet that released the 1970 album On the Way to […]
Potemkine was a French jazz-rock/Zeuhl band that released three albums between 1976 and 1978: Fœtus (Pôle), Triton (Voxiegrave), and Nicolas II (Phaeton). Members: Michel Goubin (piano), Charles Goubin (guitar, piano, vocals, 1971-79), Xavier Vidal (violin, 1971-79), Gilles Goubin (bass, 1971-73), Maurice Bataille (drums, 1971-73), Philippe Goubin (drums, 1974-82), Dominique Dubuisson (bass, 1974-79), Rémy Sarrazin (bass, […]
Benoît Widemann (born 1957) is a French pianist and composer who emerged at age 18 in a mid-1970s lineup of Magma, serving two stints with the band between 1975 and 1981. Under his own name, he released two albums between 1977 and 1979 on Ballon Noir, followed by a third title in 1984 on CY […]
Asia Minor was a French-Turkish symphonic-rock band that released the 1979 album Crossing the Line, followed in 1980 with Between Flesh and Divine, both on self-press W.A.M. Members: Setrak Bakirel (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Eril Tekeli (flute, guitar, bass), Can Kozlu (drums, 1976-77), Jean-Philippe Bottier (bass, 1976-77), Lionel Beltrami (drums, percussion, 1977-82), Paul Levy (bass, […]
Eskaton was a French Zeuhl/chamber-rock band that self-released three albums and a standalone single between 1979 and 1983. Members: Marc Rozenberg (bass, keyboards), Gérard Konig (drums, 1970-84), Alain Blesing (guitar, 1970-79), Xavier de Raymond (keyboards, 1970-79), André Bernardi (guitar, bass, 1973-present), Eric Guillaume (keyboards, 1973-79), Paule Kleynnaert (vocals, 1973-84), Amara Tahir-Konig (vocals, 1973-84), Gilles Rozenberg […]
Édition Spéciale was a French jazz-rock band that debuted with the 1976 UA title Allée des Tilleuls, followed by the 1977–78 RCA albums Aliquante and Horizon Digital. Members: Ann Ballester (keyboards, vocals), Mimi Lorenzini (guitar, synthesizer, vocals), Josquin des Prés (bass, vocals), Jean-Francois Bouchet d’Angely (drums), Alain Gouillard (drums), François Grillot (bass), Mireille Bauer (vibraphone, […]
Christian Boulé (1951 – 2002) was a French space-rock guitarist and composer who played on the first three Clearlight albums and toured with Steve Hillage. As a solo artist, Boulé made the 1978/79 Polydor albums Photo Musik and Non-Fiction. Background Christian Boulé was born on February 12, 1951, in Clichy, France. He grew up in […]
Triangle was a French sax-rock/psych band that debuted with a pair of singles on Odeon in 1969, followed by three albums with accompanying shortplayers on Pathé between 1970 and 1973. Members: Papillon [Gérard Fournier] (bass, vocals, 1967-73), Pierre Fanen (guitar, 1967-69), Jean-Pierre Prevotat (drums), Alain Renaud (guitar, 1969), François Jeanneau (saxophone, keyboards, 1970-74), Paul Farges […]
Richard Pinhas (born May 7, 1951) is a French guitarist, keyboardist, and composer who headed the experimental combo Heldon during the 1970s. Between 1977 and 1982, he released five solo albums on Cobra and Pulse. Background Richard Pinhas is a French guitarist, keyboardist, and composer who emerged in the early 1970s through the psych-rock group […]
Besombes-Rizet were a French electronic/experimental duo that released the 1975 double-album Pôle on namesake Pôle Records. Members: Philippe Besombes, Jean-Louis Rizet Background Besombes-Rizet began as a Paris collaboration in 1974 when composer-keyboardist Philippe Besombes met multi-instrumentalist Jean-Louis Rizet during work for a ballet. Besombes was born Philippe Pierre Dominique Besombes in 1946 and grew up […]
Mathématiques Modernes were a French minimal wave duo behind the 1981 Celluloid album Les Visiteurs du Soir. Members: Edwige Braun-Belmore (vocals), Claude Arto (keyboards), Hervé Zenouda (drums) Background Mathématiques Modernes formed in 1979 when singer Edwige Braun-Belmore and keyboardist Claude Arto met through the Parisian punk and post-punk circles. Edwige Braun-Belmore (b. February 26, 1957; […]
Eider Stellaire was a French Zeuhl/jazz-rock band that self-released two eponymous albums between 1981 and 1986, followed by a third album on Musea in 1987. Members: Michel Le Bars (drums), Jean-Claude Delachat (guitar), Patrick Singery (bass), Pierre Gérard-Hirne (piano, organ), Véronique Perrault (vocals), Pierre Minvielle-Sébastia (synthesizer), Ann Stewart (vocals), Marie-Anne Le Bars (flute), Michel Moindron […]
Robert Wood is an English vibraphonist and singer who also worked as a guitarist and producer. He recorded in France during the 1970s with the early Lard Free lineup and under his own name. Edici issued Tarot and Sonabular before Wood moved to Polydor for Vibrarock and Tombac Vibe. Background Robert Wood was born in […]
The Bonaparte’s were a French post-punk band that issued the 1985 mini-album Shiny Battles and the 1986 full-length Welcome to the Isle of Dogs. Guitarist–singer Ruben Azca formed the group with former Baroque Bordello rhythm partners Gilles Bourgues and Gilles Pradinas; saxophonist Laszlo Kovacks completed the quartet. Members: Ruben Azca (vocals, guitar), Gilles Bourgues aka […]
Hydravion was a French electronic combo that made a 1977 album on Cobra Records, followed by the 1979 Carrère release Stratos Airlines. Members: Philippe Besombes (Moog, synthesizers, Mellotron, electric piano, guitar, vocals), Cooky Rhinosceros (guitar), Patrick Verbeke (guitar), Christ Saint Roch (bass), Pierre Battaillet (drums), Dominique Esnault (drums) Background Hydravion began as a Paris studio […]
Tangerine was a French folk-rock band that debuted with the album De l’autre côté de la forêt on Arcane in 1975, followed by Mémoire on Crypto in 1976. Members: Valéry Btech (vocals, guitar, piano), Marc Donahue (guitar, flute, keyboards, saxophone, bongos, vocals), Gabriel Malka (guitar, vocals), Charlie Sabban (guitar, vocals), Francis Lockwood (keyboards), Jean My […]
Ophiucus was a French folk/psych band that released two albums and three singles between 1971 and 1973 on Barclay. Members: Michel Bonnecarrère (guitar, vocals), Alain Labacci (guitar, percussion, vocals), Bernard Labacci (drums, percussion, vocals), Jean-Pierre “Chinois” Pouret (bass, guitar, vocals) Background Ophiucus formed in Flagy, Seine-et-Marne, in 1971 when musician-actor Emmanuel Booz brought together guitarist-flautist […]
Nadavati was a French jazz-rock band that released the 1978 IPG album Le Vent de l’esprit Souffle où il Veut. Members: Jaques Liot (guitar, percussion), Patrice Freequentin (alto saxophone, flute), Mico Nissim (piano, synthesizer), Alain Lecointe (bass, percussion), Didier Hauck (drums, percussion) Background Nadavati formed in Paris after guitarist Jacky Liot left Hechetu Welo, an […]
Rialzu was a French jazz-rock and Zeuhl band that released a 1978 self-titled album on Ricordu. Members: Christophe Mac-Daniel (organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominique Gallet (violin, vocals), Gilles Renne (guitar), François Daniel (bass, backing vocals), Olivier Renne (drums, percussion), Jean-Philippe Gallet (backing vocals), Françoisû Auge (backing vocals) Background Rialzu (Raise) formed in Corsica during 1976 […]
Plat du Jour was a French jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album on Speedball in 1977. Members: Vincent Denis (vocals, guitar), Rodolphe Moulin (bass), Oliver Pedron (percussion), François Ovide (percussion), Alain Potier (saxophone), Jacques Staub (keyboards, percussion), François Maze (vocals) Background Plat du Jour (Dish of the Day) hailed from Rouen, the capital of […]
Orchestre Rouge was a French post-punk band that released the 1982/83 RCA albums Yellow Laughter and More Passion Fodder. Members: Théo Hakola (vocals), Denis Goulag (guitar), Pascal des A (bass), Pierre Colombo (guitar) , Pascal Normal (drums) Background Singer/multi-instrumentalist Théo Hakola grew up in Spokane, Washington, where he absorbed politics, literature, and local music before […]
Pentacle was a French symphonic-rock band that released the album La Clef des Songes on Arcane in 1975. Members: Claude Ménétrier (organ, Moog, synthesizer, piano), Michel Roy (drums, backing vocals), Gérard Reuz (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals), Richard Treiber (bass, acoustic guitar) Background Pentacle formed in 1971 in Belfort, Franche-Comté, when keyboardist Claude Ménétrier, […]
Cœur Magique was a French hard-rock band that released the 1971 album Wakan Tanka on BYG. Members: Didier Lessage (bass), Laurent Marino (drums, percussion), Claude Olmos (guitar, percussion, marimba), Harry Seur (vocals) Background Cœur Magique (“Magic Heart”) formed in Paris in 1970 when singer Harry Seur teamed with guitarist/percussionist Claude Olmos, bassist Didier Batard (aka […]
Artcane was a French symphonic-rock band that released the album Odyssée on Philips in 1977. Members: Alain Coupel (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals), Jack Mlynski (guitar, vocals), Stanislas Belloc (bass, vocals), Daniel Locci (drums, percussion) Background Artcane assembled in 1973 in Clermont-Ferrand, a city/commune in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Guitarist Jack Mlynski drew from the […]
Travelling was a French jazz-rock trio that released the 1973 Futura album Voici la nuit Tombée. Members: Yves Hasselmann (piano, Hammond organ, vocals), Jacques Goure (bass), Roger Gremillot (drums) Background Travelling emerged in Besançon in 1970 from Le Point, a 1969 group with keyboardist and vocalist Yves Hasselmann, bassist Jacques-Edmond Gouré, drummer Daniel Tissot, an […]
Synthesis was a French jazz-rock ensemble that released a 1976 self-titled album on Arc. Members: André Cazalet, André Ceccarelli, Annie Wystraete, Chantal Alexandre, Chantal Curtis, Christian Lété, Didier Lockwood, Francis Cournet, François Jeanneau, Frédérique Gegembach, Guy Khalifa, Hamid Belhocine, Ivan Jullien, Jacques Bolognesi, Kako Bessot, Marc Chantereau, Marc Steckar, Marianne Mille, Paul-Jean Borowsky, Paula Moore, […]
Taï Phong was a French symphonic/art-rock band that released three albums and six singles between 1975 and 1979 on Warner Bros. Members: Khanh Maï (vocals, guitar), Taï Sinh (bass, vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards, 1972-77), Less (keyboards, 1972), John (guitar, vocals, 1972), Philippe (drums, 1972-73), Jean-Jacques Goldman (vocals, guitar, violin, 1973-80), Jean-Alain Gardet (keyboards, 1973-77), Stephan […]
Metabolisme was a French symphonic-rock band that released the album Tempus Fugit on Crypto in 1977, followed by a standalone single on F.L.V.M. in 1979. Members: Robert Durantet (guitar, vocals), Jackie Poillot (bass), Carmine Versace (drums), Thierry Scaduto (keyboards, vocals, 1971-79) Background Metabolisme formed in Menton, the coastal town wedged between the Mediterranean and the […]
Red Noise was a French post-psychedelic musique concrète band that released the 1971 album Sarcelles – Lochères on Futura. Guitarist Patrick Vian later released the seminal electronic album Bruits et Temps Analogues. Saxophonist Francis Lemonnier and drummer Serge Catalano formed Komintern. Members: Patrick Vian (guitar, 1968-72), Serge Catalano (drums, 1968-70), Daniel Geoffroy (bass, 1968-71), Francis […]
Nyl was a French psych-rock and Zeuhl band that released a 1976 self-titled album on Urus. Members: Michel Peteau (guitar), Stéphane Rossini (drums, vocals) Background Nyl formed in 1974 when guitarist Michel Peteau and drummer-vocalist Stéphane Rossini continued after Cheval Fou, their early-Seventies trio with guitarist-vocalist Jean-Max Peteau. Michel Peteau grew up in a Paris […]
Eden Rose was a French organ-rock band that released the album On the Way to Eden on Katema in 1970. The band morphed into Sandrose and released an album under that name in 1972. Members: Jean-Pierre Alarcen (guitar), Christian Clairefond (bass), Henri Garella (Hammond organ), Michel Jullien (drums) Background Eden Rose sprung from the ambition […]
Manu Lann Huel (born 1949) is a French folk-psych singer/songwriter who released a 1977 self-titled album on Disques Iris. Further albums appeared on assorted labels at sporadic intervals in the decades that followed. Background He was born Manuel Lann-Huel ar Reun in 1949 in Le Juch, a Finistère commune near Douarnenez. As a child in […]
Bedjabetch was a French jazz-rock band that released the album Subrepticement on self-press A.W.A. Records in 1979. Members: Patricia Hue (keyboards), Marcel Merino (guitar), Branko Miljevic (bass), Michel Olivieri (saxophone), Gilles Petri (drums) Inception Bedjabetch formed when guitarist Marcel Merino and keyboardist Patricia Hue teamed with saxophonist Michel Olivieri and the rhythm section of Branko […]
Treponem Pal was a French art-rock band that debuted a 1976 single on self-press Calista, followed by a 1977 album on Gratte-Ciel. Members: Laurent De Gasperis (bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals), Serge Baumer (drums, percussion), Alain Berquez (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals), Gary Picketson (piano, electric piano, lead vocals), Pierre Delas (keyboards, synthesizer, […]
Ose was a French electronic project formed by multi-instrumentalist Hervé Picart along with the core of Heldon. The project yielded the album Adonia, released in 1978 on Barclay-subsidiary Egg. Members: Hervé Picart (Moog, Hammond organ, guitar, bass), Richard Pinhas (Moog, synthesizer, sequencer, guitar), François Auger (drums) Background Ose formed in Paris in 1978 when French […]
Vertø was a French electronic/Zeuhl project headed by guitarist Jean-Pierre Grasset and featuring contributions by Benoît Widemann and members of Potemkine. The project yielded two albums on the experimental small-press labels Pôle and Fléau between 1976 and 1978. Members: Jean-Pierre Grasset Background Vertø emerged in 1974 as an experimental outlet for multi-instrumentalist Jean-Pierre Grasset (guitarist, […]
