Genre: psych
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: C Cool
Company: CANUSA
Catalog: CLJ-33-112
Year: 1968
Country/State: Montreal, Canada
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: minor ring and edge wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5651
Price: $100.00
Singer Francois Guy quit Les Sinners in October,1968. His next move was to form La Revolution Francaise with fellow Sinners guitar player Jean-Guy Cossette, bassist Georges Marchant, and drummer Louis Parizeau. Signed by singer/producer Tony Roman's small CANUSA label the group debuted with the 1968 single ' Pierre-Paul Ladouceaur' b/w 'Isabelle' (CANUSA catalog number C 372).
The single sold well enough for CANUSA to finance a supporting album - 1969's "C. Cool". Produced by drummer Parizeau, the set showcased Guy in the role of front man, handling lead vocals and responsible for all of the material. Compared to the Les Sinners catalog these tracks were clearly an attempt to adapt to changing audience tastes. Not exactly lysergic drenched wildness, but clearly more experimental than previous releases, tracks like 'Et La Terre Tournera' and '' incorporated a tasty hard rock edge while retaining the earlier group's commercial sound. Even more conventional ballads like 'Coule L'Amour' and the Baroque-tinged 'Pierre-Paul Ladouceaur' reflected a modest psychy feel complete with pounding keyboards and drifty, acidy atmospherics. Yeah, 'Bingo' was little more than a studio throwaway, but having one loser on side one wasn't a major crime. The side long title track was a different story. Set against strumming acoustic guitars with occasional sound effects, isolated electric guitar runs, and even a sitar interlude, the song featured a weird, meandering mix of spoken word narrative and song fragments. Guy sounded pretty intense (or perhaps simply stoned). Anyone out there who speaks French want to enlighten me on what was going on? Certainly weird and not something you were likely to want to hear on a regular basis. By the way all six songs were performed in French.
"C Cool" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Et La Terre Tournera (Francois Guy) -
2.) Coule L'Amour (Francois Guy) -
3.) Pierre-Paul Ladouceaur (Francois Guy) -
4.) Ta Famille (Francois Guy) -
5.) Bingo (Francois Guy) -
(side
2)
1.) C. Cool (Francois Guy) -
Guy and company then ended their relationship with CANUSA, taking the then-rare step of setting up their own Revolution and releasing their own follow-up single:
- 1968's 'C-Cool' b/w 'Et La Terre Tournera' (Revolution catalog number R-2003)
The original line-up then fell apart with Cossette, Marchant, and Parizeau restarting Les Sinners with vocalist Alain Jodoin. Guy decided to keep La Revolution Francois alive recruiting former Trixie & the In-Mates guitarist Angelo Finaldi and ex-Les Merseys drummer Richard Tate for what was La Revolution Francaise Mark II. The trio went on to release a string of four singles over the next two years.
La Revolution Francaise MK II
(left to right Angelo Finaldi - Richard Tate - Franoise Guy)
- 1969's 'Quebecois' b/w 'Shoo-Doo-Bee-Do' (Revolution catalog number R-2010) - Singing the praises of independence for Quebec, the revamped band's first single proved a major hit and cultural event. The 45 reportedly sold over 100,000 copies throughout Quebec, effectively becoming the province's national anthem.
- 1969's ' Le Temps de la Révolution' b/w ' Au Clair de la Lune' (RCA catalog number 75-5055)
- 1970's 'Gele' b/w 'Chante Rossignol' (RCA Victor catalog number 75-5070)
- 1971's 'Y'Mouille A Sciaux' b/w 'J'Aime Une Fille Aux Yeux D'or' (Revolution catalog number 2022)
A compilation of singles and material off of the debut LP, I've been looking for the band's sophomore album "Québécois" (Trans-Canada catalog number TSF-769), but haven't found one yet.
"Québécois" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Québécois (Francois Guy) -
2.) Isabelle (Francois Guy) -
3.) L'amour (Francois Guy) -
4.) Bingo (Francois Guy) -
5.) Shoo Doo Be Doo (Francois Guy) -
(side 2)
1.) Et la terre tournera (Francois Guy) -
2.) Pierre-Paul Ladouceur (Francois Guy) -
3.) Ta Famille (Francois Guy) -
4.) C-Cool (Francois Guy) -
5.) Americas (Francois Guy) -
In attempt to appeal to the English speaking audience they released a couple of 45s as The French Revolution:
- 1969's 'Nine Till Five' b/w 'Why' (London catalog number M
17367)
- 1969's 'America' b/w 'Shoo-Doo-Bee-Do' (Capitol catalog 72588)
- 1970's 'Dawn of the Revolution' b/w 'I Do Believe In Magic' (RCA Victor catalog number 75-1032)
There's also a rare 45 by the side project The Kids:
- 1969's 'America' b/w 'Shoo-Doo-Bee-Do' (Capitol catalog 72580)
After La Revolution Francaise called it quits Guy formed another trio John, James and Francis with original Sinners guitarist Jay Boivin and Jean-Guy Durocher. The trio managed to release one single for the small Aquarius label 'Six O'Clock In the Morning' b/w 'I Do Believe In Music' (Aquarius catalog number ?). Guy then went solo.
Finaldi and Tates became members of Johnny Halliday's touring band. Tate later hooked up with Les Sinners.