Genre: garage
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Les Jaguars
Company: Tournsel
Catalog: TL-6002
Year: 1964
Country/State: Lake St-Jean, Quebec, Canada
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4852
Price: $50.00
Given the unique marketplace, I'm continually amazed at the number of mid-1960s bands out of Quebec, Canada who managed to record.
Hailing from Lake-St-Jean, Quebec, singer/guitarist Gilles Morissette, brother/drummer Reynald Morissette and bass player Dory Thibault started out performing under the name Harnos. With the 1962 addition of lead guitarist Jean-Guy 'Arthur' Cossette the band opted to change their name to sexier Les Jaguars. Cossette's unique guitar sound (he apparently pierced his speaker cones to get a then-weird distorted sound), and cheetah-print suits helped the quartet become staples at local dances, hotels and clubs. Their surf combo sound also attracted the attention of the Quebec-based Tournesol label, which signed them to a contract in 1963.
Over the next year the group released two singles for Tournesol:
- 1963's 'Mer Morte' b/w 'Supersonic Twist' (Tournesol catalog number TL-17)
- 1963's 'Solitude' b/w 'Jaguar Shake' (Tournesol catalog number TL-29)
Additionally an Anglicized version of the debut was reissued by the small REO label.
- 1963's 'Dead Sea' b/w 'Supersonic Twist' (REO catalog number ???).
With the group's singles selling well, Tournseol decided to cash in on the opportunity, rushing the group into the studio to record an album. 1964's cleverly titled "Les Jaguars" offered up an all instrumental collection that included their two earlier singles along with sight similar sounding numbers. To be perfectly honest, material like 'Berceuse Twist', 'N'ais Pas Peur' and 'Attaque' has a somewhat dated sound, but propelled by Cossette's guitar, it's a sound that's suddenly back in vogue. It's actually pretty easy to see why they were popular in their native Quebec and anyone who is into groups like The Shadows, The Ventures or even Link Wray will find this stuff pretty irresistible. Had these guys modified their sound to accomodate the public's changing appetite for rock vocals, they could have become major stars.
"Les
Jaguars" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Marie Elena (instrumental)
2.) Supersonic Twist (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
3.) Mer Morte (Dead Sea) (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
4.) Berceuse Twist (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
5.) N'ais Pas Peur (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
6.) Le Marchand de Melons (instrumental)
(side
2)
1.) Parce Que (instrumental)
2.) Attaque (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
3.) Twist en Chante (instrumental)
4.) Le Repos de Jaguar (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
5.) Arvida, Nous Voici (instrumental) (Gilles Morissette - Reynald Morissette - Doris Thibault - Jean-Guy Cossette) -
6.)
Adventures dan les Iles (instrumental)