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Baba Scholae is a legendary psychedelic/early progressive rock band from England that included one Jean-Yves Labat on keyboards. Labat is better known as M Frog, the synthesist and keyboard maestro on Todd Rungren's early Utopia albums. As well, he had a solo album under the name M Frog. And as it turns out, Baba Scholae was even given consideration to be released on Bearsville Records back in the day. Labat also went on to release two electronic albums in the late 1970s that coincidentally SF provided for me, and I had heard only a couple of weeks ago. There's been a lot of synchronicity regarding this release, I'll tell you that.
In 1967, at age 20, Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi founded the group Baba Scholae. In 1969, the musicians recorded an album in London progressive rock. Officially, this album does not exist. However, the website 'The Strange Experience of Music "did not hesitate to consider this album as one of the cornerstones of the year 1969, and expect an edition can therefore only be encouraged.
The wildest rumors were circulating about the group led by Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi, who became Mr. Frog few years later across the Atlantic. The disc was burned in triplicate ... You will agree, the adventure had from the beginning, the beginning of a fantastic story.
Today, finally released the disc Scholae Baba, "69"! Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi we explained the genesis and countless adventures. So let's go back to the sixties ...
LT: How did the group?
J.-YL R. : The first training in 1967. At the time I was a student at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, and I wanted to fully live my passion for rock'n'roll. Gradually, over the meetings, the first group was formed with Jules (guitar), Pears (drums), another guitarist (Alain?), A bassist (Gerard?) And a saxophonist I've forgotten Our headquarters ... name was Bonaparte coffee and our rehearsal a wet basement of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. Thus was born the Baba Scholae ...
LT: First feat of arms?
JY L. R. : And not least, a show-case at the Marquee in London, a mythical place where the best musicians occurred! We got this gig through a friend, producer Tommy Weber, near Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and close to Charlotte Rampling (laughs) ... Anyway, a man "key" for us, moreover, enjoyed our musical approach. After some difficulties during customs clearance in Southend, where Tommy came to me back in jail (misdemeanor "dirty mouth"), we finally arrive in London. Everything was going well, when we fell on the tile: the two vans containing our instruments and our stage equipment are robbed in a parking lot of Piccadilly Circus on the eve of the concert. We had nothing, and yet we could not pass up such an opportunity. Fortunately, very friendly musicians have lent their instruments. Needless to say, we were still not at our best form (laughs), and to make matters worse, we spent just after Traffic (the first group of Steve Winwood) before a captivated audience in advance . It was a little hard for us, and the dream was transformed gradually into a nightmare. With that, we return to France, demoralized, unmotivated, and we separate. Exit the first training Scholae Baba!
LT: But that does not stop you, you leave the attack?
J.-YL R. Yes, it must be in my genes (laughs). There was no question of giving up, especially as Jules Vigh (guitarist unavoidable) remained faithful to me and still believed. We decide to continue.
LT: But you had the means of production?
J.-YL R. : Of course! One day told me about Jules Olivier Mosset in terms that led me to meet him. At the time he was in Zanzibar Productions, which supported projects underground. I met him and then shortly after, at his request, Jules and I spent a hearing in the studio under very rock'n'roll, with the means at hand: having no instrument, j ' used it as a rhythm guitar violin (the only instrument that we had not been stolen in London), which I inherited from one of my uncles. I now regret not to have this record improvisations, which I fondly remember.
LT: And it worked?
J.-YL R. : Yes! On the recommendations of Olivier Mosset, Zanzibar Productions decided to fund the Baba Scholae. So I went back to England (London and Liverpool), looking for new musicians (those who appear on the disc except Christian Piat, who left for health reasons) to reform the group. We buy equipment, rent a house in the Valley of Chevreuse and after a few months of rehearsals, we are ready to register. We will in London, IBC studios, John Holbrook had left to join the Baba Scholae.
LT: Everything was going like clockwork ...
J.-YL R. : Not so much. In London, remake, one of our "roadies" has stolen money intended for recording. Fortunately Olivier Mosset is once again intervened (it was limited) and we were able to finish the disc. We the masters (acetates at the time), but we have not been able to squeeze lack of resources.
LT: After the drive, the tour?
J.-YL R. : Last tour and late Baba Scholae! Strong disagreements, personal and musical, and Alan Woody opposed to Jules, Steve, John and myself. It became impossible to continue to work together. So I decided to put an end to our adventure. At this point I had to be incorporated (termination of suspension "Because" May 68 ...). Unwilling to submit to me, I returned to England and from there to Woodstock with my pregnant wife, John Holbrook, two suitcases and my masters.
LT: So the disc falls to oblivion?
J.-YL R. : Not immediately. After a slump, it is by listening to those masters that I could start a career as a musician in the U.S., which has allowed me to meet Todd Rundgren and eventually become the group Utopia synth.
LT: On "69", the sound quality is surprisingly clean and modern for a disc recorded 43 years ago.
J.-YL R. John Holbrook has a way for him to answer this question, and I quote: "British Studio & Staff, U.S. tape machines, tape German and French madness! "Seriously the sound was at the center of our concerns, and has also been for John and for me anyway! Remember that before being an excellent guitarist, John Holbrook is an outstanding engineer. We spent our time imagining sound systems for the group. We used an amplification system of our design, made by Van den Hul. We did not Marshall or City Sound like everyone, but flexible speaker boxes, fueled by powerful tube amplifiers. A real wall stereo speakers behind us (I think our "roadies" still remember it!): The quality of the disc, we had virtually on stage.
LT: What are the basic components of your sound, your trademark?
J.-YL R. : At the time, there were no synthesizers, but we were strong supporters of "hacking sound" electronic processing of analog sound. We also used the Melotron much.
LT: Melotron?
J.-YL R. : This is a keyboard that works with bands played in a loop (loop strips) is a little synthesizer ancestor with theremin and ondes Martenot.
LT: You are undeniably marked by all keyboard instruments. Without giving in psychoanalysis, is it the constant reference to the highlight of your childhood?
J.-YL R. : You do not say so: the organ has deeply influenced me (in education requires the Marist Brothers), to the point that I produced and recorded in the 90s an anthology of music for organ and Sony Classical BMG. For me, the synthesizer was the logical continuation of the organ when it takes the path of electronic music or electro-acoustic. The synthesizer was the "shaping" a new sound because on analog synths, we had to create from scratch: not set a synth effect remained silent. Only the synthesizer gave me the freedom to shape the sound material. This is what marked the first disc of Utopia. Progressive rock was very open form of expression, we composed the songs came deliberately beaten track.
LT: And why not drive out there now?
JY L.de R. : The master tapes were considered lost for more than 40 years, but they slept peacefully (too many rows) in the archives of my "partner in crime" John Holbrook, with whom I have never stopped cooperating, both the artistic techniques of the sound recording. He was found during a recent move, and immediately made me a true copy with the resources available today, and we would never have imagined at the time, even in our wildest dreams, that is to say, me burning a CD (laughs).
LT: How did you find 40 years later?
J.-YL R. : Surprisingly fresh and still crazy, a bit like some of my knowledge ... (laughs). I'm still surprised by its reception. It's amazing that so hard to please my grandchildren and their families. But what do you want "Rock'n'roll is here to stay," and believe me, after surviving eleven years in Woodstock, this is not just a word!
Interview by Laurent Thorin. |
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