ARTIST SPOTLIGHT #2 - VOYAGE

[efunk_adelic]

Here are some FAST FACTS for this spotlight....

1. Debut Self Titled LP on 2/11/78 on the Marlin Label.

2. Disco group from Europe: Sylvia Mason (vocals), Slim Pezin (guitar), Marc Chantereau (keyboards), Sauver Mallin (bass)


Now this group I can't believe I liked since I grew up liking more funk oriented music, but they were so different... the different sound effects that they put on each song made them unique enough for me to enjoy.... I remember when I first heard FROM EAST TO WEST[i] omfg!!!!! :o :D :D when SOUVENIRS came out.... I was in heaven!!! :D :D


Allrighty then.... to round out my favorites:

Kechak Fantasy
Point Zero
I Love You Dancer

I totally want to hear your first experience with this group...

[MAN]

Since 1978 till now I listened to this 2 LP's maybe hundreds or thousands of time with the same happy feeling as first time, they are one of the best ever , I love them. :D

[QUINNY]

I don't really remember Voyage's records. That's how little an impact they had on me.

To be fair, their first two 12"s had quite an impact on the dancefloor, but their star waned very quickly with me and my audience. Yes, their records were well produced, they were solid, but overall for lil' ol' me, they just quite didn't cut the mustard enough to be a well loved, fondly remembered, often revisited act.

For me, From East To West was their best track.

I loved the first minute of Souvenirs and the break was solid, but when the piano comes in and then the girlies a minute later, oh puhleeeeeze!!! (reaches for the sick bag). The four parts just don't seem connected. Pure Europop. No emotion, no excitement, no groove....just a pounding beat and that wore very quickly.

Kechak Fantasy was kinda interesting.

I have just the two 12" in my collection and maybe their first LP. I never played either of these as an oldie and haven't been bothered with 'em in 26 years. That tells you something I guess. Yes, I am a Eurodisco philistine.

Imagine my shock and horror when I first looked at the original DiscoMusic Top 500! I couldn't believe it!!! In fact I still can't.

sorreeeeeeee. :oops:

[Karlos]

Quinny,

Could not disagree with you more..!!

"Souvenirs" is my all time favourite Disco record..the intro..Sylvia Mason's lilting and fabulously catchy vocals...quite rightly Number 1 in the first top 500....!!

"From East to West" is also right up there but to be honest don't care for much else (Voyage 3 LP is absolute *@$!) but "Let's get Started" from 1982 isn't too bad.

As far as collecting goes I have all three Voyage LP's (although I use Voyage 3 for an ash tray!), the best of Voyage CD, 2 copies of From East to West on 12 inch (one runs to about 5 1/2 mins and is edited the other is the full 7 mins) and also 2 copies of "Souvenirs" (UK and USA release).

[Forrrce]

I really liked 'Let's Fly Away' at the time and even had it, but 'From East To West' was the killer. I hadn't heard it since the late '70s, until someone posted a clip for identification a few months ago. I'd completely forgotten about the track.

I recently heard what was identified on the forum as 'I Love You, Dancer', which I really took to. I have one of their LPs somewhere, but can only picture the cover.

[Bernie]

To this day I can play most Voyage records and still get that feeling of, "wow, what great music."

Could very well be that since Roger Tokarz and the others were jingle writers back in France they knew what clciked in people's minds. Take :Souvenirs" for example... strip it all down and it's a few notes on the piano repeated over and over and oh so catchy.

My faves:
Souvenirs
From East to West
Kerchuk Fantasy
I Love You Dancer
...and for something quite different do check out the Hot Tracks remix of "Souvenirs." It's slowed down to about 122 BPM and even more instrumental in nature.

Here are all the entries for Voyage on the site
http://www.discomusic.com/search/?we...ll&where=title

[efunk_adelic]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

I don't really remember Voyage's records. That's how little an impact they had on me.

To be fair, their first two 12"s had quite an impact on the dancefloor, but their star waned very quickly with me and my audience. Yes, their records were well produced, they were solid, but overall for lil' ol' me, they just quite didn't cut the mustard enough to be a well loved, fondly remembered, often revisited act.

For me, From East To West was their best track.

I loved the first minute of Souvenirs and the break was solid, but when the piano comes in and then the girlies a minute later, oh puhleeeeeze!!! (reaches for the sick bag). The four parts just don't seem connected. Pure Europop. No emotion, no excitement, no groove....just a pounding beat and that wore very quickly.

Kechak Fantasy was kinda interesting.

I have just the two 12" in my collection and maybe their first LP. I never played either of these as an oldie and haven't been bothered with 'em in 26 years. That tells you something I guess. Yes, I am a Eurodisco philistine.

Imagine my shock and horror when I first looked at the original DiscoMusic Top 500! I couldn't believe it!!! In fact I still can't.

sorreeeeeeee. :oops:

Quinny, I picked this act just for your enjoyment :P :lol:

Forrrce, one of my favorite disco LP covers.... it's a picture of the Earth.... remember!!! :roll:

[Forrrce]

Originally Posted by efunk_adelic

Forrrce, one of my favorite disco LP covers.... it's a picture of the Earth.... remember!!! :roll:

Touche, efunk - this is the one I mean!

[paul]

Like Quinny, I had completely forgotten about this group. Where we part company is I loved and still do like Souvenirs. I have no problems with it being #1 in the original and in my opinion best DiscoMusic Top 500. It's one of those songs that just makes you feel good.

[BrunoRepublic]

I second that!

[Videoskooter]

Voyage is heavenly!

When I hear those records and especially "Souvenirs" I get instant visions of Citroën DS, Champagne, Champs Elysées, Sexy mademoiselles, Crazy Horse, Bijoux, Oh La La, tout court "Les nuits de Paris", or ze nights of Paris.

Class, finesse, a whole lot of style.

Make me a cocktail with El Coco, Space,Cerrone,Don Ray, Costandinos, Chocolats and take me to heaven!

The Voyage records can be found in that section of my vault which can only be entered by moi-même!

Merci bien.

[Svend]

When the percussion intro on Souvenirs glides up into that gorgeous melody, it can make my hair tingle! Voyage was certainly eurodisco, but I always thought they toughened it up with those really sturdy beats. On the other hand, some things just shouldn't be tried, such as Scotch Machine. I always wanted them to do more with Middle Eastern sounds.

Favorites:
Souvenirs
From East To West
Orient Express
Lady America
Latin Odyssey

[NickNack]

Voyage,

Instant classic for Euro disco lovers in the American gay scene. Those first two albums NEVER left the dj's crates. And whenever they were played, the crowd reaction never lessened. Awesome and lasting impact on the dance floor.

My faves:
From East To West - that intro when first heard was mesmerizing
Souvenirs - vocal and instrumental - just gorgeous!
Lady America - what a floor packer
I Love You Dancer - totally different style, but it worked
Latin Odyssey - should have been longer :roll:

This group gets the same gut reaction from me it did back in '78. Fierce disco music.

[Mixmachine]

Yes, those first two LP’s were instant hit in Miami with the 'Hustle' crowd too, and they were popular for years, you could play the complete side and watch the floor full of dancers, beautiful, This albums were also really good for DJs to mix and play with, one could ride a mix for a long while and really get creative, “Point Zero” and “Kechak Fantasy” were particularly good to lay over other records.

By the way in Miami (I’m sure many other cities too) the original Polydor French pressing of the first LP “Voyage” was available in '77 as an import, it was a club hit way before the Marlin release.

[Marcio**]

Obviously...

From East to West (specially the keyboards)
Souvenirs


8) Let's find a place where celebration and song
with souvenirs come along
let's keepon movin
let's find a place...
let's find a place...
let's find a place, let's keepon movin 8)


I also like the voyagerized songs "The Grand Tour" by Grand Tour, "Fly Away" by Dance People, "Voyage Voyage" by Desireless...


:)