EPIC off Quartiers Nord...

Born round 1977 :

Robert Rossi (called 'Rock') lyrics,
Alain Chiarazzo ( 'Loïse') guitar,
Philippe Troïsï guitar,

Quartiers Nord is 'The' Marseillans Rock Band.

The ultimate fat, heavy metal (who leaves stains...) played by musicians who could occasionnaly play also Mac Laughlin just for fun,exotics lyrics (Glossary needed for French people). The complete shopping list to Enter the legend of R&R.... The first record was out early 80' and used 10 million's of needle. Every single song became an hymn, from "I wasfound in a bin 'a la belle de mai" to "Sex party at 6 to about 10 to midnight",from "Quartiers Nord" to "Sadness of suburbs "....The fine poetry ( "The neighbor girl above, I dream her under, but the guy under is already on her" , "Since my Mum put me at school, I'm beating my pals and break cars",...) encounter the musculars improvisations,from the two hairy guitar players (the small nervous and the tall soft). Don't try to find that gem ! It's sold out since ages, even in the second hand shops next to music school (the blue schacks or stalls....) I've lost mine also, and the tape is worn out,however it's Paugam' s tape. I am very unhappy...

Great fun in 81, "SUSPECT", 2nd LP, was crapped in recording studio "Des Grottes Loubières" famous place in North Part of Marseille, where actually a real grotto full of bats (a bit like in the studio,where it's been recorded the fancy "aguinte-moi les alibofis" from John Milton& his street meter!). On the jacket a nice pair of ... Cowboy Boots, answer to the leather jackets from the 1th LP. Inside the sound is better, the lyrics arrangements greats! But after a lot of work "Rock" still does not have the "Parisian" accent! This time I've been wise and bought 2 LP's,one to listen to, the other one tolook at (I keep on listening to it and started to use the one to look at!). Easely influenced by ZAPPA, Quartiers Nord produce few new marvels, "Incrusté dans un WC"(Glued in a loo), "PréHu"...And of course a peculiar blues "qu'j'appelle le Blues du Plâtrier"( Plasterer Blues) !

1983, Troïsi leaves the band, and Rock & Loïse wander through Paris in order to recording the 3rd "opus" BANCAL. Unfortunately, it's been raining all the time,and this LP was half-disaster. Half because songs like "Rébellion d'un Pébron" we want more, but a third due to bad sound and style much scattered...QN meets Michel Isnard lead guitarist (today member of a trio called "Guitares en Trio" with Loïse & Troïsi) and adopts him. Then Quartiers Nord performed in and around Marseille, and dead silence...

And then, we loosed faith. When you start to think you're too old (and it's probably worse for the band) then we did not even think to search in the ads in the local "Le 13" : " Quartiers Nord look for a keyboard player",and we found a bitch, dressed in Black&White : "MAMAN MARSEILLE",with a superb "Jacket" which nagged the record's shop displays, gave us back the faith in 1988! After a fast ride to the shop on my "scooter", 2 minutes & 07 seconds to be precise, I put this unexpected LP on my Player and...Surprise! The Band was sounding a lot better, thanks to the keyboards !(Mr O.Stalla). Loïse is gone to sign the best hours of Léda Atomica ("Marseille Bouche de Vieille"), and it's Troïsi who came back. Great Rhythms : Christian Magro, (Bass Player) & Christian Bini (Drums). The dirty "Hard Rock" and proud of it is now replaced by a more elaborated Music, well performed, with some regrets for the "madness" of the 2 first LP's. Several years after,a serial of "Shows" reminded us the reality of "Quartiers Nord". 1991 first release on CD : "FOU MAIS PAS FADA" (Crazy but not nuts). same musicians as the previous LP,some very good songs "Raymond" , "Paulette" & of course "La nuit des Chapacans", we started to dream about a new CD ,once a year.

But 2 years after nothing... "nothing really" ? At the end of 1994 , "Taktik", another local Newspaper, declared a new release, "BASILIC INSTINCT". Frenzy, agitation...,arthritis and sciatics forgotten, and we hobbled to the records shop to beg the 6th wonder. Surprise : Rock is the only one left from the original Band, it's the first LP without Troïsi nor Loise. In spite of this disappointement wich sends a great number of "olders" on their motorbikes to go and hide their tears near the sea, the courageous ones who pressed the button " Play" on their players ,enjoyed a mix of Hard as good as the first day Reggae ( a sublime "Algarade aux Aygalades", Thank's to JO Corbeau!) and even songs "a capella", tuned from the rares shows played recently. The record is well made, more musicians : Patrick " garage", Hadji Guitar/Bass/arrangement/writer, who signed few songs, Fabrice "Boule"Baud guitar soloist, and 2 fanatics singers, knowed from then on, as stage managers/agitators, Donna/Hervé Donnadieu & Mr Jacques/Jacques Huygevelde. The "New Look" band offers a formula Aïoli (say Hi, ho, lee; in cooking it's a mix of mayonnaise & garlic)/Rock/ Reggae/Hard/Big Party for several "Shows", wich dragged "Fans" and "lambs", then "silence" again... short appearances...

It's only to make better "A l'EST DE L'ESTAQUE", out in 1997. New staff, exit Garage Hadji, replaced at the bass guitar by Etienne Jesel, Fabrice Baud now irremplaceable. The CD is exellent: great sound,(from Hell!) super guest-stars: Juan Carmona, Jan-Maria Carlotti & Loise... A good blend between distinctive styles. And even more, yes I say, the first appearance of the national Hymn dedicated to the ancient, who owned a "Simca 1000" and tremulously, took the famous bend in the "Arnavaux": "Autoroute Nord", masterpiece played with Loise guitar, gave the best sounds of the best times from the first band!!! It's so good, so much, once the record finishes, after one minute of silence, restarts with another song not mentionned on the jacket: "Half wit of Rock&Roll".

A regular production of quality, a well tuned band, there is enough to see calmly approaching the cape of the 20th springs: the show "we don't have 20 years every days" set ablase "L'Espace Julien" (a concert hall in Marseille) the engineers from the recording studio "Nerves" where there to capture this great happening. June 1998, first Live was released, proudly called : "ANTHOLOGIE LIVE", a mix of the "cult" songs & some rarity, played by 3 distinctive bands ( year '85 Loise/Troïsi, year '92, in quartet with Loise - a really great time - and at last the 97's concert various performances). Superb CD, wonderfull photos, to keep you nostalgic. Nostalgia? Sure, 1999 started with the re-issue, eighteen years after of "SUSPECT" in CD format limited edition, and the same adventure occured to the first record "QUARTIERS NORD" at the end of the year.

And be carefull 2000 it's full of projects (Opérette...)! So DANGER !!!!

Adaptation Pierre-Charles leloup