Marie et les Garçons: Difference between revisions

|Name name = Marie et les Garçons

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|Background origin = group_or_band[[Lyon]], [[France]]

|Origin genre = [[Lyon]],New [[Francewave music|New wave]]

|Alias website =

'''Marie et les Garçons''' were a [[France|French]] [[punk rock|punk]] and [[New wave music|new wave]] band formed in [[Lyon]] in 1976. After Marie Girard left, the remaining members continued as the '''Garçons'''.

In 1975, students leaving the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Lyon formed a band, Femme Fatale, playing songs by the [[Velvet Underground]], [[Roxy Music]], [[The Seeds]] and others. The band members were Marie Girard (1956 - 6 August 1996) (vocals), Patrick Vidal (b. 1957)<ref name=vidal>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Patrick+Vidal Discogs: Patrick Vidal]</ref> (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, underon managerthe advice of Marc Zermati of Skydog Records, they changed their name to Marie et les Garçons. Faye left soon afterwards.<ref name=rockalyon>[http://www.steviedixon.com/Rockalyon/MarieEtG.html Rock à Lyon: Marie et les Garçons] (in French)</ref>

In June 1977, the band performed at the [[Mont de Marsan]] Festival at Zermati's invitation. There,Their they[[Demo (music)|demo]] records were seenheard 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. TheEsteban recordplayed wasdemos heardof bythe band to [[John Cale]], who offered to produce the band in [[New York City]] for his own SPY label. 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 Records (France)|Rebel]] label in France, and then on Cale's [[SPY Records|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 (song)|Macho Man]]", was issued as a single on [[ZE Records]], the new label formed in New York by Esteban with Michael Zilkha.<ref name=rockalyon/><ref name=larousse>[http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/groupe-musical/Marie_et_les_Gar%C3%A7ons/155452 Larousse Encyclopedie: Marie et les Garçons] (in French)</ref><ref name=rockinfrance>[http://rockmadeinfrance.canalblog.com/archives/2009/03/19/13036221.html Rock In France: Marie et les Garçons] (in French)</ref>

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 the "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), AllanAllen 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.<ref name=rockalyon/><ref name=rockinfrance/>

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.<ref name=rockalyon/>

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.<ref name=rockalyon/> 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.<ref name=vidal/><ref>[http://www.plaque-or.fr/140-17719-Detail-Artist.php?id_artiste=8 Plaqué Or: Patrick Vidal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302060117/http://www.plaque-or.fr/140-17719-Detail-Artist.php?id_artiste=8 |date=2010-03-02 }}</ref>

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.

* "Rien Aà Dire" / "A Bout De Souffle" / "Mardi Soir" (1977, Rebel)