One of
Quebec's most experimental psychadelic rock bands, Morse Code
Transmission was formed in the late 1960s by Montreal natives guitarist
Michel Vallee and drummer Raymond Roy. Then going by the name of Les
Maitres (The Masters), they released a string of unsuccessful singles in
English before the turn of the decade, though they also incorporated
French songs into roughly half their live sets.
With Christian Simard on vocals and keyboards, and guitarist Jocelyn
Julien, they became a hot commodity on the Quebec bar circuit and after
signing a deal with RCA Records, and on the label's insistence, changed
their name. They also dropped the original French material they'd
written from their playlist, and began work with producer/songwriter
Bill Meisener.
They released their self-titled debut album in the summer of '71, and
although the single, "Oh Lord" b/w "Fire Sign" went nowhere, it was
complimented by other heavy organ vibes and slick guitar solos in songs
like "It's Never Easy To Do," "Souvenirs of Our Days," and "Freedom
Train" still meant decent album sales. Although heavy on the organ and
deep on bass, the music was diverse - from the grungy "Never Easy To Do"
to the Beatlesesque "Today I'm Alive," cello solo compliments of Peter
Schenkman, and a full strings accompaniment to Al Cherney's fiddle in
"Hunting and Laughing."
By the time they were in the studios recording a follow-up, Berny Tapin
had replaced Julien on guitars, and Morse Code Transmission II was
released in '72. Simard was once again the chief writer, and more
crunchy vocals and a pounding backbeat served up the only single, "Cold
Society" b/w "Satan's Song." It failed to make a dent in the charts, but
other cuts like the lead-off "Funk Alley," "Soul Odyssey," and "Sky
Ride" were indicative of the more all-encompassing sound the band was
trying to achieve.
The album was housed in a superbly colourful gatefold sleeve which
pictures a woman lying under a tree. They play a fairly exciting
organ-driven hard rock. Later the band changed their name to Morse Code
and sang in French.
Canadian-bands
Tracks
1. Funk Alley - 8:14
2. Soul Odyssey - 3:34
3. Graveyard Of Man - 4:54
4. Stick The Fork In - 8:39
5. Liberty, Freedom, Man - 9:29
6. Cold Society - 4:40
7. New Woman Kind - 4:33
8. Sky Ride - 4:31
9. Satan Song - 3:24
Songs 1-4 by
Christian Simard
Songs 5-9 by
Christian Simard and
Michel Vallée
Morse Code Transmission
*Raymond Roy - Drums, Percussions
*Michel Vallée - Bass, Vocals
*Berny Tapin - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Christian Simard - Piano, Organ, Tonga, Lead Vocals
~Enjoy~
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