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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Supercharge was an English R&B big band from Liverpool led by saxophonist Albie Donnelly. They debuted with the 1974 album Between Music and Madness on Stag Music, followed by five albums through 1979 on Virgin. Donnelly guested on albums by City Boy, Graham Parker, The Boomtown Rats, and The Members. After their 1977 release Horizontal […]
Emergency Exit was a French jazz-rock band behind the 1977 album Sortie de Secours on Pôle. Members: Robert Latxague (guitar, vocals), Pierre Maggioni (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals), Roger Levy (drums, percussion), Michel Lacrouts (electric piano, percussion) Background Emergency Exit formed in 1974 in Bayonne when guitarist-singer Robert Latxague, bassist Pierre Maggioni, and drummer Roger Lévy […]
Didier Lockwood (Feb. 11, 1956 — Feb. 18, 2018) was a French violinist with Seventies stints in Magma, Surya, Synthesis, Visitors, and Zao. Starting with the 1976 Music-Zag release Jazz Rock, he made thirty-plus albums for MPS, JMS, and other labels. Background Didier Lockwood was born Didier André Paul Lockwood on February 11, 1956, in […]
Didier Bocquet is a French electronic musician who released the 1977 album Eclipse on Le Kiosque D’Orphée, followed by three further titles through 1983 on F.L.V.M. and Pulse. Background Didier Bocquet was born in 1957 and began playing drums with local groups in Bourges at age twelve. In 1976, Bocquet sold his drum kit and […]
Dan Ar Braz is a French guitarist and vocalist who backed Alan Stivell on eight albums and played in the Seventies folk groups Mor and Gabriel et Marie Yacoub. After a brief stint with Fairport Convention, Braz released three solo albums (1977–79) on Hexagon, followed by three Eighties titles on Keltia. Background Dan Ar Braz […]
Confluence was a French avant-garde jazz-rock band that debuted with the 1976 live album 4 Voyages on RCA Victor, followed by the 1977–79 titles Arkham and Chroniques Terrestres. Members: Jean-Charles Capon (cello), Didier Levallet (double bass), Jean Querlier (oboe, english horn, flute, saxophone), Christian Escoudé (guitars), Armand Lemal (percussion), Christian Lété (drums) Background Confluence formed […]
Coïncidence was a French jazz-rock band that made a 1977 self-titled album on Disques Tromblas, followed by the 1979 Village disc Clef de Ciel. Members: Jean-Pierre Llabador (guitar), Jean-Claude Llabador (keyboards, guitar), Michel Montoyat (bass), Joël Allouche (drums, percussion), Olivier Chabrol (saxophone, piano) Background Coïncidence formed in spring 1974 in Montpellier when guitarist Jean-Pierre Llabador […]
The Pyramids are an American spiritual-jazz ensemble from Yellow Springs, Ohio, that released the 1973–76 albums Lalibela, King of Kings, and Birth / Speed / Merging on the self-operated Pyramid Records. They reactivated in the 2010s for a further round of titles on Cultural Odyssey, Strut, and Philophon. Members: Idris Ackamoor [Bruce Baker] (saxophone), Margo […]
Random was an American avant-rock band from Illinois that self-released the album Nothin’ Tricky in 1977. Members: Ralph Athey (clarinet, saxophone, vocals), Jerry Fiddler (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, vocals), Sam Kolmodin (bass guitar, contrabass, vocals), Sandy Robinson (violin, viola, vocals), Paul Shimandle (12-string guitar, percussion, vocals) Background Random formed circa 1977 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, […]
So & Co were a French avant-psych band that released a self-titled album on Pathé in 1975. That same year, the band backed veteran singer/songwriter Gérard Entremont on his first full-length album, released on Pathé as Gérard Entremont & Co. Saxophonist Alain Potier subsequently appeared in Plat du Jour and Urban Sax. Members: Jacques Brely […]
Schtüng was a New Zealander symphonic-rock band that released a self-titled album in 1977 on Polydor. Members: David Bowater (saxophone, flute), Geoff Bowdler (percussion), Andrew Hagen (keyboards, vocals, guitar), Paul Jeffery (keyboards, vocals), Rob Sinclair (bass, vocals), Morton Wilson (guitar, vocals) Discography: Schtüng (1977)
Space Waltz was a New Zealander art-rock band that released a self-titled album on EMI in 1975. Members: Alastair Riddell (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Eddie Rayner (piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesizer), Greg Clark (electric guitar), Peter Cuddihy (bass), Brent Eccles (drums) Background Riddell (b. 1952; Auckland) got his musical start as the guitarist and singer of […]
Think were a New Zealander art-rock band that released the album We’ll Give You a Buzz on Atlantic in 1976. Members: Alan Badger (bass), Phil Whitehead (guitar), Neville Jess (drums), Don Mills (keyboards), Ritchie Pickett (vocals), Kevin Stanton Discography: We’ll Give You a Buzz (1976)
Joe Vitale (born April 2, 1949) is an American drummer, keyboardist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist from Canton, Ohio, who played in the garage-psych bands The Chylds and The Echos during the late 1960s. During the 1970s, he played on albums by Rick Derringer, Michael Stanley, Stephen Stills, Bill Wyman, the Outlaws, Jay Ferguson, and Dan […]
