Space

Biography

Space (occasionally Didier Marouani & Space) are a French music band active from 1977 through 1980 and returning with on-stage remake performances since 1982. Their work is associated with the short-lived space disco genre and is a precursor of electronica.

Instant success and breakup

Space was founded in 1977 by Didier Marouani (also known as Ecama). The band consisted of Didier Marouani, arrangers Roland Romanelli and Jannick Top, and singer Madeline Bell. Marouani by that time had some fame as a solo pop singer, but soon focused on his band, whose name was suggested by the song “Magic Fly×Magic Fly1 April 1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1Fasten Seat Belt6:02A2Ballad for Space Lovers2:19A3Tango in Space4:30A4Flying Nightmare3:25B1Magic Fly4:20B2Velvet Rape4:31B3Carry On, Turn Me On8:09”, originally written in 1976 for a television program dedicated to astrology:"Given the words of people who constantly told me that the melody resembles the sounds coming from space, I chose “Space” as the name".
In the early period, musicians strongly emphasized the sci-fi orientation of their group, often performing in stage costumes like spacesuits. Another reason for appearing in public in the form of "astronauts" was the current contract of Didier Marouani with record company Polydor: "The producer and I invited my record company to release 'Magic Fly' under my name, but the label decided that the composition was not good enough to do this ... My producer found another company, but I could not 'light up' under in my own name, since the contract with my company remained in force... The suits appeared also because no one could recognize me in it. I had to come up with a creative pseudonym, and I settled on 'Ecama'".
The first three albums — Magic Fly (1977), Deliverance×DeliveranceDecember 1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Prison6:25A2Let Me Know the Wonder7:10A3Running in the City4:17B1Air Force4:30B2Baby's Paradise5:38B3Deliverance6:45 (1977) and Just Blue×Just Blue1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1Just Blue4:31A2Final Signal4:22A3Secret Dreams4:31A4Symphony4:58B1Save Your Love for Me6:38B2Blue Tears5:27B3My Love Is Music5:45 (1978) — sold over 12 million records globally. After the recording of Magic Fly, American drummer Joe Hammer joined the band.
However, after "Just Blue" was released, a critical moment occurred in the group’s history related to the increasing desire of its leader to perform concerts (previously impossible due to the imperfection of available synthesizer models), which led to a conflict with producer Jean-Philippe Iliesco. Marouani stated: "Everything was going well, but at that time, when I met with my producer, I told him about my desire to perform on stage. At that time, we did not have a single 'live' performance, only television. I managed to get permission for a concert under the Eiffel Tower, with the support of (radio station) 'Europe 1', and the press too, but in the end, my producer decided to cancel everything. And then I said: 'I'm leaving,' because — a group that does not give concerts will die sooner or later".
Didier Marouani left the band in 1979, and Joe Hammer went on to do other projects, Romanelli and Jannick Top continued and released the album Deeper Zone×Deeper Zone1980 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Deeper Zone7:14A2Inner Voices6:53A3Space Media3:30B1Mixed Up5:56B2On the Air5:23B3Love Starring You And Me5:37 in 1980. The band split up in 1981.
From 1982 Marouani and Joe Hammer performed and recorded as "Didier Marouani & Space" with Janny Loseth of Titanic as lead vocalist. The band was later renamed Paris-France-Transit in response to legal action. Hammer left in 1992.

The return of "spAce" and beyond

The name "spAce" was legally re-acquired after copyright disputes around 1990, allowing Didier Marouani to re-release classic albums and give a European live cover tour in 1993. Symphonic Space Dream was produced with collaboration from the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, the S Club Juniors made a remix to their single "New Direction" featuring the backing track of Magic Fly. The band's hit "Magic Fly×Magic Fly1 April 1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1Fasten Seat Belt6:02A2Ballad for Space Lovers2:19A3Tango in Space4:30A4Flying Nightmare3:25B1Magic Fly4:20B2Velvet Rape4:31B3Carry On, Turn Me On8:09" as well as many other songs from the self-named album were remixed in 2003 by the Belgian dance music project Minimalistix. In 2004, their hit "Deliverance×DeliveranceDecember 1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Prison6:25A2Let Me Know the Wonder7:10A3Running in the City4:17B1Air Force4:30B2Baby's Paradise5:38B3Deliverance6:45" was sampled in De La Soul's single Rock Co.Kane Flow featuring MF Doom. In 2007, it was retaken to feature in its entirety in Talib Kweli's two-piece composition Hostile Gospel (Deliver Us). 2011 saw the release of Space's most recent album, From Earth To Mars×From Earth to Mars2011 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Back To The Future4:362Ballad For Papoune4:053On The Moon4:384Back To The Nature4:295From Earth To Mars4:006Baby`s Paradise 20115:487Fishing The Stars5:128After All4:179Back To The Nature (Radio Remix)3:2110Message of Peace From Earth To Mars2:04Disc 21Magic Fly4:202Just Blue4:303Symphony4:574Magic Fly (Video)3:385Space Opera pt.1 (Video)5:346Space Opeta pt.8 (Video)5:28. The last track of this album, Message of Peace From Earth To Mars, features recorded samples of Yuri Gagarin's journey into space in 1961 and is a tribute to fifty years of space exploration.

Current

Didier Marouani: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980, 1982–present)
Jeff Parent (keyboards)
Manu Chambo (keyboards)
Serge Munuera (keyboards)
Marc Hazon (percussions)
Dominque Greffier (vocals, bass)
Jean-françois Bourassin (guitar)
Michel Aymé (guitar)
Julius Tessarech (sound)
Bertin Meynard (sound)
Patrice Richard (lighting, manager)
Richard Ominetti (lighting)
Jean-Louis Lechevallier (lighting)

Past

Roland Romanelli: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980)
Jannick Top: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980)
Joe Hammer: drums, percussion (1977-1979, 1982-1992)
Janny Loseth: lead vocals (1982-1991)
Madeline Bell: lead vocals (1977-1978)
Cissy Stone: lead vocals (1978-1980)
Patrice Tison: guitar (1979-1982)
Yann Benoist: guitar (1983-2007)
Roy Robinson: lead vocals (1991-1992)
Dennis Cottard: keyboards, synthesizers (1982-1985)