In 1961 there were a big number of rock bands starting to play in the line of Les Chaussetes Noires and others like Les Chats Sauvages. In Paris a band, which line up featured real teenagers, the youngest one was 16 years, got a recording contract with the Decca label. They have an unusual name les pingouins (the penguins). Gérard hugé is on drums, Christian gus Prunier and Alain Fournier are on lead and rhythm, dominique blanc francard is on bass and thierry Lou Vincent is the singer. The Algerain was to take them their singer, who had to join the army. It was in july 1962 when the band became an instrumental group.
Eddie Vartan, Sylvie’s brother, a jazz conductor and talent scout had discovered les Pingouins. He knew Gerard Hugé who was a jazz drummer and happened to play with Eddy’s band. Eddie was a good friend of another jazz specialist Daniel Filippachi who was also a disc jockey on one of the biggest radio Europe 1, where he has his own daily radio show salut les copains. The most heard teenager show at that time. Daniel wanted to set up a band for the Decca label. He was the one who had selected the songs they recorded; he was their real manager behind the scene. He would choose songs of other singers than the one who shot the charts in America and then in Europe.
Gerard huge was to be replaced when they made their third record, which was their first instrumental record. Michel Santangelli was on drums. Les Pingouins have a good musical background and could cut instrumental tracks. They issued two records in 1962 and in 1963. In 1962 they backed Danny Boy replacing les penitents during the last two months of the Cirque Pinder tour. Then they backed Sylvie Vartan.
Unfortunately in 1964 the army was going to draft them and this meant the end of this good and friendly band.
Gerard Hugé became an A & R man, who passed away in the mid nineties. Alain Fournier and Christian Prunier have left the showbusiness and are still playing jazz from time to time just for fun. Dominique Blanc Francard is a high in demand sound engineer, he owns recording studios in Paris.
Jean BACHELERIE
Discographie (60)
- (Pas de titre) (Big Beat Records BBR 00037)
Groenland / Sylvie / Iceberg / Alaska / Bach / Tamara Delhi / Shuffle / Yeti.