French (Quebec) Progressive Rock

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
51
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Calgary, AB
I was lucky enough to live in Montreal during the sixties and seventies when the local progressive, folk and rock scene was very vibrant. Artists like Robert Charlebois, Gilles Vignault to name but 2 were making an impression and were appealing to both French and English youngsters. There was a lot of tension during those days, culminated by the "October Crisis" in 1970. There was anger, frustration and confusion in the air. People of French and English descent who had been living in harmony for years were now forced and thrust into opposing sides of a policital ideology. Tanks rolled down the streets daily and a curfew was in place. But the music never stopped.

Quebec`s most famous native may be Celine Dion (yes, she was already on the scene back then) , it was bands like Harmonium and the Ville Emard Blues Band that united people and let them forget (at least for a little while) the ridiculousness that is political agenda. They brought the 2 founding peoples together and created some magical music, music I would like to share with you today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib3eTzr9dms&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG9EkGo5u7k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL1ICG2_UBk&a=GxdCwVVULXdaxvgr4PvOMUfQpswjQNFK&list=ML&playnext=1

John
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
I thought that Quebec's most famous musical native was Oscar Peterson, but when I was there recently, none of the Quebecois even knew that he was born there.

Thanks for sharing.

Not progressive rock, but my favorite Quebecois band is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMc-6MVEHF8
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
51
38
Calgary, AB
I thought that Quebec's most famous musical native was Oscar Peterson, but when I was there recently, none of the Quebecois even knew that he was born there.

Thanks for sharing.

Not progressive rock, but my favorite Quebecois band is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMc-6MVEHF8

You would be wrong in that Oscar is regarded as the most famous of Quebec musicians, because he's not. When people talk of Celine Dion they know she is from Quebec, because she makes it a point to let people know. Unless you're a Jazz fan, do people really know that Oscar Peterson is even from Canada, much less Quebec?

Interesting link ...never heard of them.
 

The Deacon

New Member
Nov 16, 2018
6
0
1
71
Ville Emard Blues Band could be as big as 25 members . Contraction and Vos Voisins connections. Also Harmonium and Troubabou. Frank Dervieux (who had a great solo prog lp) and Yves Laferriere also (Im needing his lp!)

At their worst they could be world-music and funk but at the best (most of the 2 lps) they were fusion.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Ville Emard Blues Band, I saw them live in the town where I was born, roughly 3 miles from that hospital, @ the local arena.

La Bottine Souriante are from my town, I know Bébêrt (Yves Lambert) since around 14, we jammed together.

Oscar Peterson, the piano player in le vieux Montréal.

Charleboix, Ferland, Gerry, Louise, Gilles, ...thousand more chansonniers, poets, monologues, from Québec, from my native land in heart and spirit, an héritage of magnificence and power.

Artists from France too, from UK...Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Beatles, from Ireland, from Africa, from South America, from all over the world...artist musicians, singers, poets, writers, dancers, theaters, ...all that jazz.

Gerry from Quebec, Rock-and-Roll man. ...Five feet from him, on stage.
Robert, after the show, in the lodge behind the stage.

Traditional Quebec music...spoons, harmonica, accordion, violins, guitars, saxophone, xylophone, tuba, trombone, flutes, voice. ...And Oscar's piano.

Progressive Rock, Quebec, all the small summer bands we grew up with, in the villages across the Appalachians, names we forgot but immortal memories.

Harmonium, soft poetic rock. The Floyd of Quebec, Cano, Beau Dommage. Etc.

From 1965 to 2010 and 2018...Québec progressive rock is still alive, just most of the names have changed, few remain, very few. French is alive.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
51
38
Calgary, AB
Ville Emard was my stomping ground as a youth. I lived next door in Lasalle, but my ex lived in Ville Emard so we tended to hang out there. Friday nights eating a greasy burger at DiLallo's is a food experience I still long to have again, although it probably wouldn't be the same.

Harmonium reissued l'heptade on vinyl as L'Heptade XL with a remix and remaster to celebrate the release of that album 40 years ago. I'm not normally a fan of remixed albums, but Serge Fiori did a very nice job with this.
Harmonium - l'heptade XL 2.jpg Harmonium - l'heptade XL 3.jpg
 

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