Marie et les Garçons
Encyclopedia
Marie et les Garçons were a French
new wave
band formed in Lyon
in 1976. After Marie Girard left, the remaining members continued as Garçons.
, The Seeds
and others. The band members were Marie Girard (1956 - 6 August 1996) (vocals), Patrick Vidal (b. 1957) (bass, vocals), Erik Fitoussi (guitar), Christian Faye (guitar) and Philippe Girard (drums). After a few months, Philippe Girard left, and was replaced on drums by his sister Marie. Vidal took over as lead singer, Jean-Marc Vallod (bass) joined the band, and, on the advice of Marc Zermati of Skydog Records, they changed their name to Marie et les Garçons. Faye left soon afterwards.
In June 1977, the band performed at the Mont de Marsan Festival at Zermati's invitation. Their demo
records were heard by Michel Esteban
, founder of the leading Paris rock merchandise shop Harry Cover, who soon signed them to his new label Rebel Records. Vallod then left the band, being replaced by bassist Jean-Pierre Charriau. The band's first single, "Rien à dire", produced by Esteban and, like most of their material, written by Vidal and Fitoussi, was released in December 1977. Esteban played demos of the band to John Cale
, who offered to produce the band in New York
. In March 1978, they recorded another single, "Attitudes" / "Re-Bop", in New York; Cale played piano and marimba
on the record. The record was released on Esteban's Rebel
label in France, and then on Cale's SPY
label in the US. The band also played at CBGB
, supporting X-Ray Spex
, before returning to Paris
where they supported Patti Smith
and, later in the year, Talking Heads
. Later in 1978, "Re-Bop", coupled with the band's version of the Village People
's "Macho Man
", was issued as a single on ZE Records
, the new label formed in New York by Esteban with Michael Zilkha.
The band were on hold for several months while Fitoussi and Charriau undertook national service
, and on their return Esteban and Vidal sought to lead their music more towards the mutant disco style of other ZE artists. While recording their first album in New York, Marie Girard left the group and returned to France, and the band became "Garçons". Their album, Divorce, was released in March 1979, together with a single "French Boy", but neither were commercially successful; a re-recorded version of "Re-Bop" was also released. The band toured in 1979, with an augmented line-up including Jimmy Young (drums), Eric Melon (guitar), Allan Wentz (keyboards), Milton Cardona (percussion), three horn players and two singers, as well as Vidal, Fitoussi and Charriau. Fitoussi also played on the debut album by Lizzy Mercier Descloux
. Vidal then left the band, and Fitoussi, Charriau and Melon, plus Chris Levrat (keyboards), undertook a final short tour in Europe in early 1980.
Patrick Vidal recorded an album, Paolino Park, in 1983, with Franck Darcel and the band Octobre, and a single with Darcel, "L'Océan", in 1987, under the name Senso. He then formed Discotique and Sutra with Thomas Bourdeau, before becoming resident DJ in various clubs in Paris and London. He has also composed music for fashion shows and shops.
Marie et les Garçons reunited in 1987 to re-record "Re-Bop", and performed on stage together in 1988 and again in 1990. A compilation album, 76-77, was issued in 1989.
Marie Girard died of an aneurysm
in 1996, aged 40.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band formed in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 1976. After Marie Girard left, the remaining members continued as Garçons.
History
In 1975, students leaving the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Lyon formed a band, Femme Fatale, playing songs by the Velvet Underground, Roxy MusicRoxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, The Seeds
The Seeds
The Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...
and others. The band members were Marie Girard (1956 - 6 August 1996) (vocals), Patrick Vidal (b. 1957) (bass, vocals), Erik Fitoussi (guitar), Christian Faye (guitar) and Philippe Girard (drums). After a few months, Philippe Girard left, and was replaced on drums by his sister Marie. Vidal took over as lead singer, Jean-Marc Vallod (bass) joined the band, and, on the advice of Marc Zermati of Skydog Records, they changed their name to Marie et les Garçons. Faye left soon afterwards.
In June 1977, the band performed at the Mont de Marsan Festival at Zermati's invitation. Their demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
records were heard by Michel Esteban
Michel Esteban
Michel Antoine Gaston Esteban is a French record producer, record company executive, cultural center director and former magazine editor, who founded the influential Paris shop Harry Cover in 1973, was influential in the early development of punk rock, and, together with Michael Zilkha,...
, founder of the leading Paris rock merchandise shop Harry Cover, who soon signed them to his new label Rebel Records. Vallod then left the band, being replaced by bassist Jean-Pierre Charriau. The band's first single, "Rien à dire", produced by Esteban and, like most of their material, written by Vidal and Fitoussi, was released in December 1977. Esteban played demos of the band to John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, who offered to produce the band in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In March 1978, they recorded another single, "Attitudes" / "Re-Bop", in New York; Cale played piano and marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
on the record. The record was released on Esteban's Rebel
Rebel Records (France)
Rebel Records was a Paris based independent music label created in 1977 by Michel Esteban.The office of the label was in Paris, 12 rue des Halles, above the rock concept store "Harry Cover" founded by Esteban.The label closed in 1978...
label in France, and then on Cale's SPY
SPY Records
SPY Records was a New York based independent music label created in 1977 by John Cale and Jane Friedman.-History:The label was created in 1977 by John Cale and Jane Friedman, who was the manager of Patti Smith, and Cale's girlfriend at the time. It was housed in Cale's 250 West 57th Street...
label in the US. The band also played at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, supporting X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
, before returning to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where they supported Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
and, later in the year, Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
. Later in 1978, "Re-Bop", coupled with the band's version of the Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
's "Macho Man
Macho Man (song)
"Macho Man" is the seond single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August...
", was issued as a single on ZE Records
ZE Records
ZE Records was originally a New York-based record label, started in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban. It has been re-established by Esteban since 2003.-History:Michael Zilkha ZE Records (always written with two capital letters) was originally a New York-based record label, started in...
, the new label formed in New York by Esteban with Michael Zilkha.
The band were on hold for several months while Fitoussi and Charriau undertook national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
, and on their return Esteban and Vidal sought to lead their music more towards the mutant disco style of other ZE artists. While recording their first album in New York, Marie Girard left the group and returned to France, and the band became "Garçons". Their album, Divorce, was released in March 1979, together with a single "French Boy", but neither were commercially successful; a re-recorded version of "Re-Bop" was also released. The band toured in 1979, with an augmented line-up including Jimmy Young (drums), Eric Melon (guitar), Allan Wentz (keyboards), Milton Cardona (percussion), three horn players and two singers, as well as Vidal, Fitoussi and Charriau. Fitoussi also played on the debut album by Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a French singer and musician, a pioneer in the worldbeat genre, as well as a writer and painter....
. Vidal then left the band, and Fitoussi, Charriau and Melon, plus Chris Levrat (keyboards), undertook a final short tour in Europe in early 1980.
Later careers and reunions
Marie Girard joined the band Electric Callas, and also released a solo single, "Les Indiens", in 1983. She later worked as a fashion designer. Fitoussi and Charriau formed a band, Tabou.Patrick Vidal recorded an album, Paolino Park, in 1983, with Franck Darcel and the band Octobre, and a single with Darcel, "L'Océan", in 1987, under the name Senso. He then formed Discotique and Sutra with Thomas Bourdeau, before becoming resident DJ in various clubs in Paris and London. He has also composed music for fashion shows and shops.
Marie et les Garçons reunited in 1987 to re-record "Re-Bop", and performed on stage together in 1988 and again in 1990. A compilation album, 76-77, was issued in 1989.
Marie Girard died of an aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
in 1996, aged 40.
Singles
- "Rien A Dire" / "A Bout De Souffle" / "Mardi Soir" (1977, Rebel)
- "Attitudes" / "Re-Bop" (1978, Spy)
- "Re-Bop" / "Attitudes" / "Rien A Dire" (1979, ZE)
- "French Boy" / "French Boy (reprise)" (Garçons) (1979, ZE)
- "Re-Bop" / "Bop electronique" (Garçons) (1979, ZE)
- "Re-Bop (Electronique)" / "P4 n°1" (Garçons) (1980, ZE-Island)
- "Les Deux Amants" / "Dans Quelques Minutes" (Garçons) (1980, ZE-Cel)
- "Amicalement Vôtre" / "Les Globetrotters" (Garçons) (1980, ZE-Cel)