Magic fly...
- Nostra Dam
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Space - sometimes referred to as Didier Marouani & Space - was a French band formed in 1977, originally comprising Didier Marouani, Roland Romanelli, Jannick Top, and Madeline Bell. A distinctive feature of the group in its early days was performing in astronaut suits.
They released no fewer than three albums between 1977 and 1978 - "Magic Fly" and "Deliverance" in 1977, followed by "Just Blue" in 1978 - selling nearly 12 million copies in total. The "Magic Fly" album, in particular, remains memorable thanks to the massive hit Single of the same name.
It was a promising journey that came to an abrupt end for Marouani, he wanted the band to perform live, but his producer at the time flatly refused the request. Unwilling to accept this refusal, Marouani left the group prematurely.
The band continued without him for a time but eventually split up in 1981, only to make a comeback in the early 2000s in a most unexpected way.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
Magic fly 1977
Tango in space 1977
Carry on, turn me on 1977
Running in the city 1977
Prison 1977
Deliverance 1977
Just blue 1978
My love is music 1978
Save your love for me 1979
80s Decade :
Deeper zone 1980
On the air 1980
Tender force 1980
Paris France Transit 1982
Paintings 1982
Ego 1982
Space opera (Part 1) 1987
Space opera (Part 5) 1987
Space opera (Part 8) 1987
2000s Decade :
Oye owa 2002
Dancing in space 2002
A symphonyc space dream 2002
2010s Decade :
Back to the future 2011
On the moon 2011
Baby's paradise 2011
Fishing the stars 2011
Tracks :
1977... It took just one track - that track - to bring fame and fortune to this previously unknown group. A track that will stay in history as a landmark of electronic music, simultaneously securing the band’s place in posterity. ICO-NIC !
1977... it was impossible for this follow-up to rival the previous gem, given how high the bar had been set. In fact, the band would never manage to repeat that earlier feat...
1977... the close of the 1970s saw instrumental - and above all, electronic - music projects flourishing across the globe...
1977... a period of incredible creativity in this specific area, which saw the creation of numerous tracks, some of which remain benchmarks to this day...
1977... in the end, the band only managed to make a single hit stick but what a track it was. In any case, plenty of bands would be more than happy with that...
1977... what the band continued to produce was certainly not without interest, but it is clear that they had pretty much poured all their inspiration into that first track...
1978... this new track would fare slightly better than its predecessors, enabling the group to secure another significant, prestigious accolade. The essentials were thus preserved at this stage...
1978... yet another track that stands out from the crowd, demonstrating if nothing else the band's undeniable ability to bounce back...
1979... admittedly, not all the tracks fare equally well, but for the moment, the group manages to hold its own in the middle of the pack without too much difficulty...
1980... the turn of the decade would unfortunately sound the death knell for their hopes of remaining at such a level. The harsh reality of the business...
1980... the adventure would continue, but in terms of success, it would bear no resemblance to the years gone by. That’s life, as they say...
1980... instrumental music had lost a great deal of ground to the competition, and tracks without lyrics no longer held much interest for anyone at that stage...
1982... and yet, you couldn't say they were lacking, far from it, but they failed to reinvent themselves at the start of the 80s, and they would pay a heavy price for it...
1982... in any case, they still believe in it, regardless of whether there is immediate success or not. For how much longer ? That’s a good question...
1982... in music, anything is possible, and a comeback can never be ruled out but unfortunately, in their case, it won't happen...
1987... we find them again three years later, firmly resolved as always not to give an inch. Admirable tenacity...
1987... and even though it won't change the situation, they are holding on for dear life. For how much longer ? That’s a good question...
1987... for the moment, at least, it’s holding up. But it is clear that the ground lost to the competition is now virtually impossible to make up...
2002... it was clear the band wouldn't last much longer like that, and it would disappear for nearly 15 years...
2002... but here he is again, nonetheless, in the hope of picking up the adventure where he left off nearly 15 years earlier...
2002... it was well-intentioned, but that long absence certainly didn't help that much is clear. Consequently, this somewhat unexpected comeback will go all but unnoticed...
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