In January 1960 Johnny succeeded to get a record contract with the Vogue label. In March Vogue released the first ep, with the usual four tracks, as it was the use in France. Th record with laisse les filles, a French rock song , did well enough. Lucien Salle , who is managing tours on the French Riviera hired Johnny for a couple of dates and a stay in Juan Les Pins , at le vieux Colombier night club. Johnny went there alone, because Jacques and Haddy’s parents did not agree to this summer tour.
Anyway our young and eager musicians kept on rehearsing having in mind to get their own recording contract. They also tried with vogue, a well known label, very popular in the Jazz scene. They got their chance, André Bernot is the A & R man, the same as for Johnny Hallyday. André is impressed enough to go and recommend them to the Vogue ‘s manager Jacques Wolfson. He told him that’s pure R & r! Our four guys had found a new singer Daniel Dray, whose name would be changed in the more trendy El Toro. The young school boys were very proud to go with their parents to the signing of the record contract.
Vogue offered them a place to rehearse and an office they shared with another young band Les Fantômes. We were in 1961, the A & R man named them El Toro and les Cyclones, because they were full of energy. They are billed in one of the Paris spot: le Tabarin, then they appeared au Theatre de l’Etoile, in the first part of the show whose stars were Les Chaussettes Noires, the most popular rock band. They were close friends of Les Fantômes, so close that their new drummer Charles Bennarosch joined them. He was replaced by André Crudo, a young assistant at Vogue, who was a well trained drummer. He learnt Piano, music and loved Jazz, specially Sydney Bechet, who he listened to at la maison du Jazz, rue Victor Massé. There he got acquainted with a talented jazz drummer Maurice Blanche who taught him the basics of drums.
Jacques Dutronc the lead guitar, was the son of high ranked engineer, fond of piano. He was happy that his son Jacques loved so much the music. Jacques penned some tunes for his friends les Fantômes, whose lead guitar comes from an English upper class family. Fort Chabrol and twist guitar were some small Fantômes ‘s hits.
Les Cyclones recorded two eps wit their singer at the end 1961 ( French cover of long tall Sally in the first , and twenty flight rock in the second). Then the first line up disbanded in 1962 and les cyclones reappeared in 1963 with two instrumental eps. The line up was Haddy Kalafate on bass, Bernard Ferraro, on lead, Bernard Pholtzer on rythm, Jean Pierre Delva on harmonica, and Michel Pele on drums. The sales were disappointing and the time of les Cyclones was over.
Haddy would join Les Fingers, one of the best instrumental band in France, they were all professional musicians coming from the jazz scene. Then Haddy went bach to vogue and played as session bassist on some Jacques Dutronc hits like et moi et moi et and les playboys.
Bernard Ferraro would become Françoise Hardy’s guitarist, a top French female singer, and then marry another songtress Micky Amline.
Jean BACHELERIE
Discographie (60)
- (Pas de titre) (VOGUE EPL 7910)
Comme un tigre / Vivre sa vie / Oncle John / Je l’aime telle qu’elle est.
Avec El Toro - (Pas de titre) (VOGUE EPL 7954)
Le vagabond / Elle est tout / Vingtième étage / Qui te le dira.
Avec El Toro - (Pas de titre) (VOGUE EPL 8117)
Firewater / Lucky Luke / On dit de lui / Let’s go. - (Pas de titre) (VOGUE EPL 8159)
A tombeau ouvert / Teddy girl / J’ai tout oublié / Tu sais bien que je t’aime.
Discographie (CD)
- (Pas de titre) (Magic Records 3930510)
Avec El TORO (chansons) : Oncle John / Je l’aime telle qu’elle est / Comme un tigre / Vivre sa vie / Le vagabond / Elle est tout / VingtiŠme ‚tage / Qui te dira.
Instrumentaux : Firewater / Lucky Luke / On dit de lui / Let’s go / A tombeau ouvert / Teddy girl / J’ai tout oublié / Tu sais bien que je t’aime / I got to tell it / Hold my body down / The little black train / Standing in the safety zone.