This band from Rouen , the Seine harbour in Normandy, started to play in 1959 under the name of tinetts band. Half the band (Alain Renaud, rhythm and Marc Perrier, drums) joined in 1962 two members of another band called less Vagabonds, who were an instrumental group set up by Paul Goury, bass and Rémy Lavisse, lead guitar.
The group has chosen another name, as a tribute to Duane eddy and the shadows, Shazam., which also was their favoured piece.
They used to play in a local club Renaissance where they got more and more popular with heir set including such tracks like FBI, apache, Sleepwalk,36-24-36 and WDR. Les Shazams listened to Lonnie Donnegan as well as Sandy Nelson or Gene Vincent and Presley and Marty Wilde.
In June 1963 it was the hour to go to Golf Drouot, the line up is a bit different since Jean Paul and Rémy have gone to the French army and were replaced by the brothers Opsal, who came from Norway but were living in Rouen.
In the meantime they cut a record for a small label DMF with the usual four tracks: Brigitte, Gonzalès, Foot Tapper and Memphis. The line up was still : Rémy Lavisse on lead, Mick Renaud, on rhythm, S. Ducret, on bass and J.P. Costa on drums; The record is selling well enough, so that they cut an album with self penned tunes and diamonds, pipeline, move it, ten over…Unfortunately this album has never been issued and got lost when the company went bankrupt.
The band was a good stage act , had the chance even to be broadcasted in the most popular radio program Salut les copains, and to appear on the same bill as Leny Escudero in a big popular show in Rouen. But everything was over in 1964 when they left the brothers Opsal who went away with all the guitars and amps.
Jean BACHELERIE
Discographie (60)
- (Pas de titre) (DMF 26445)
Brigitte / Memphis / Gonzales / Foot tapper.