Jupiter Sunset
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1970-71) - Francis Auger -- drums, percussion - Jose Bartel -- vocals, keyboards - Jacques Certain -- bass - Dominique Perrier -- keyboards
supporting musicians: - Al Blackins -- - Francis Fourtnet -- guitar, banjo
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- Francois Auger (solo efforts) - Anachronic Jazz Band (Francis Fourtnet) - Bahamas (Dominique Perrier) - Aime Barelli et Son Orchestra (Jose Bartel) - Jose Bartel (solo efforts) - Cockpit (Dominique Perrier and Francis Auger) - College Orchestra (Dominique Perrier and Francis Auger) - Cyril Jazz Band (Francis Fourtnet) - Crystal Grass (Francis Auger) - Fructidor (Jose Bartel) - Heldon (Francis Auger) - J.B. et les Papitas (Jose Bartel) - Jupiter Sunset Disco Band - OSE (Francis Auger) - Nemo (Jose Bartel) - The Outlaws (France) (Dominique Perrier) - Francis Fourtnet (solo efforts) - Perlepinpin (Dominique Perrier and Francis Auger) - Domnique Perrier Project (Dominique Perrier) - Francis Fourtnet (solo efforts) - Perlepinpin (Dominique Perrier and Francis Auger) - Roche (Dominique Perrier and Francis Auger) - Soundforce (Dominique Perrier) - Space Art (Dominique Perrier) - Stone Age (Dominique Perrier) - T.H.X. (Francis Auger) - Time Machine (Al Blackins, Francis Auger, Jacques Certain and Francis Fourtnet) - White Lining
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Genre: progressive Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Back In the Sun Company: Pathe Catalog: 2C
064-11238 Country/State: France Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 30001 Price: $110.00
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Another French band that I know nothing about. Their sole LP "Back In the Sun" was released in 1971 and featured drummer Francis Auger, singer Jose Bartel, bassist Jacques Certain and keyboardist Dominique Perrier. The album was produced by xxx and as far as I can tell, none of the ten songs were band originals.
With Bartel performing all of the material in English, the results should have been quite palatable to American and English listeners. Bartel didn't have the best voice I've ever heard; occasionally sounding shrill, strained and uncomfortable with the English lyrics, but the overall caliber of the songs made up for those occasional shortcomings. Musically there wasn't a great deal of originality in these grooves. I guess there was a progressive orientation to most of the ten songs, but it was at the most commercial end of the spectrum. I hear echoes of The Moody Blues in a couple of the ballads ('Run Peeble Run' and the single 'Two Castles'). The title track was a beautiful performance and one of the album highlights, but be warned it sounded like the band had overdosed on Gary Brooker and Procol Harum. There were also a couple of interesting atypical offerings. 'Starlighter' was a straight ahead top-40 pop tune, while 'Acre of Land' sounded like a '60s English garage band. It was also one of the few songs to feature lead guitar up front and center. Hard to believe it was the same band. The opener 'Novgorod' was the oddest song and probably the most progressive of the lot, but also the standout performance. Strange and haunting lyrics and a melody that kind of crept into your head and would not leave. Certainly not a masterpiece, but it's an album I've happily kept in my collection and pull out from time to time.
"Jupiter
Sunset" track listing: 1.) Novgorod (Boris Bergman - Bryan Deeson) - 3:50 rating: **** stars Admittedly I found it all but impossible to figure out what the hell Jose Bartel was singing ... I'm guessing the lyric had something to do with the namesake medieval Slavic city and State stretching from Finland to the Ural mountains. Regardless of the inspiration, 'Novorod' had a beautiful melody - kind of reminded me of The Moody Blues trying to record something they borrowed out of an epic Russian novel. The song was also tapped as the album's second single:
- 1970's 'Novgorod' b/w 'Starlighter' (Pathe catalog number 2 C 006-11.446)
2.) Starlighter (D. Mackree - Boris Bergman) - 2:40 rating: *** stars Kicked along by Dominique Perrier's synthesizers, I've always been surprised by what a poppy sound 'Starlighter' exhibits. Top-40 ready and quite unlike most of the album. 3.) Highway Man (Bryan Deeson - D. Mackree - Boris Bergman) - 1:50 rating: *** stars 'Highway Man' was another pretty acoustic ballad that lost a little of its edge as a result of Bartel's high, shrill, operatic vocals. Shame it was such a short performance. 4.) Run Peeble Run (Al Backins - Boris Bergman) - 3:55 rating: *** stars The lyrics were certain enigmatic, but then if I had to write a song in French the results wouldn't be much better ... 'Run Peeble Run' was another big ballad with a Francophile Moody Blues vibe. 5.) Acre of Land (Boris Bergman - H. Giraud) - 3:05 rating: **** stars Cluttered with dubbed in audience noise, 'Acre of Land' was another atypical performance - in this case an interesting '60s garage tune. It's so different I've always wondered if it was the same band as recorded the rest of the album.
(side
2) Folks say there's nothing original in music and 'Back In the Sun' maybe a perfect example of that adage. Admittedly the song sports a breathtaking melody, but the underlying inspiration seems to have been lifted from Handel's Baroque opera "Serse" as interpreted and modernized by Gary Brooker and Procol Harum. In fact, the resemblance to classic Procol Harum is hard to overlook. Check out Bartel's powerful vocals and Dominique Perrier's organ fills. The song was released throughout Europe and even in the States as a single in advance of the namesake album:
French pressing - 1970's 'Back In the Sun' b/w 'Back In the Sun' (instrumental) (Pathe catalog number 2 C 006-10894M) US pressing - 1970's 'Back In the Sun' b/w 'Back In the Sun' (instrumental) (Juno catalog number 5011)
2.) Monte-Carlo (Armand Fedinand Antoine Canfora - Boris Bergman) - 2:20 rating: *** stars Sporting a Baroque arrangement, complete with harpsichord and a pounding, poundng lysergic keyboard figure, 'Monte-Carlo' has always reminded me of Paul McCartney trying to adapt 'Yesterday' for a progressive audience. 3.) Don't Slam the Door When You Leave (D. Mackree - Boris Bergman ) - 3:10 rating: *** stars 'Don't Slam the Door When You Leave' started out sounding like it might be a James Taylor ballad. Pretty ballad with a great title, but Bartel's vocal was kind of shrill on this one and the song would have been better with less orchestration. A slightly edited version was used as the "B" side to their final 1972 single 'Shadow In the Moonlight'. 4.) So Long Lorraine (J. Ghirardello - Boris Bergman) - 3:00 rating: **** stars Another big, pretty ballad - this one showcasing Dominique Perrier's keyboards. Francis Fourtnet also turned in one of the album's rare guitar solos. Wish he'd been given more time in the spotlight. 5.) Two Castles (Armand Fedinand Antoine Canfora - Boris Bergman - Michael Jourdan) - 3:30 rating: *** stars The third album's third and final single. Probably not a surprise, but it offered up another Moody Blues-styled ballad. Francis Auger's drums were prominently featured.
- 1971's 'Two Castles' b/w 'Monte Carlo' (Pathe catalog number 2 C 006-11181 M )
There are at least two non-LP singles:
- 1971's 'A Friend' b/w 'Forgive Me the Bad Things (an Mistakes I've Made) (Pathe catalog number 2 C 006-11227 - 1972's 'Shadow In the Moonlight' b/w 'Don't Slam the Door When You Leave' (Pathe catalog number 2 C 006-93485)
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