lockdown : vinyl find #10.

Back in 2009, I spent a few months in a confined area with a few guys. One of them happened to be obsessed with a French singer, Jean-Jacques Goldman. See, Goldman, now almost reclusive and not producing anything, seems to have lived many lives. First a band member, capable of playing several instruments as well as singing, he then acquired fame as a solo act, before launching a pop trio, and wrote and produced for others (Céline Dion anyone ?) to be successfull thanks to his talent. A true genius. 

This Goldman-loving guy had no preference about his career, and he talked a lot about Goldman's days among the group Taï Phong. Of course, I knew about Goldman (I mean, who wouldn't know him in France ? He's often ranked as the favorite French personality even though he almost disappeared from the news radars), and vaguely knew he had been a member of a band called Taï Phong. 

Little did I know about the type of music Taï Phong played. Well, it was progressive rock, in a very good and refined fashion ; think something like The Moody Blues. The vocals are not memorable, as Goldman's voice can turn to be unbearable at times (but he wasn't the only singer), but the quality of the music remains. Although not the frontman of the band (Taï Phong was founded by two Vietnamese brothers, Khanh and Taï), Goldman was a key member of the band. 

In December 2017, I was digging records at the Brussels Records Fair, held at the Ravenstein Gallery. The fair happens every 6 months, and it's a very good one. I used to have my little habits over there, always going to the same booths and knowing what I could find and for how much. On this day, I bought Taï Phong's first album, released in 1975, out of curiosity, because I remembered what that old friend had told me almost a decade before. The cover, displaying a samurai in a cartoon way, was pleasant, and the info inside the gatefold sleeve was straight to the point. It confirmed Goldman's role in the band : vocals, guitars and a bit of violin.

The influence of British pop and prog rock is obvious. There's nothing about the Vietnamese roots of the band founders. The arrangements are great though : the guys know their stuff on the guitars, and Jean-Alain Gardet brings some well crafted keyboard parts, especially on the organ. The production has everything you would expect from a mid-1970's record in terms of effects and sound. 

Did I mention that they sing in English ? The record is indeed intended at a wider audience than the usual French pop (which is also why Goldman left the band later on). With only three songs per side, including the hit "Sister Jane", songs are long enough to mentally escape, with long instrumental parts... the ideal record for lockdown. 

Taï Phong - Taï Phong.

Here's the album, as a YouTube playlist.

On that day, at the record fair, I did not only found records. I also, and above all, found love.