MICHEL COLOMBIER — Wings

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4.00 | 1 rating | 1 review

Album · 1971

Filed under Third Stream
By MICHEL COLOMBIER

Tracklist

A1 Freedom And Fear
A2 Earth
A3 Thalassa
A4 Doesn't Anybody Know?
A5 Pourquoi Pas?
B1 Morning Is Come Again
B2 For Those Who Cannot Hear
B3 We Could Be Flying
B4 Emmanuel
B5 All In All

Line-up/Musicians

Backing Vocals [Pop Orchestra (U.S.A.)] – Robert Zwirn , Carolyn Willis, Clydie King, Douglas Burnett Gibbs , George Bledsoe, Gerald Charles Garrett, Ginger Blake, Gwen Johnson, Jean Sewell, Jerry Whitman, John Lehman, Len Wyatt, Lewis Morford, Lisa Roberts, Lorna Maxine Willard, Lynette Robinson, Oren Waters, Rita Coolidge, Ronald Hicklin, Sentell Willis Jr., Sherlie Matthews, Thomas D. Kenny, Tyrone Scott, Venetta Fields
Bass [Fender Bass - Pop Orchestra (France)] – Francis Darizcuren
Bassoon – Jean-Pierre Laroque, Paul Hongne, Raymond Droulez
Brass [Pop Orchestra (France)] – André Paquinet, Benny Vasseur, Camille Verdier, Charles Verstraete, Christian Guizien, Fernand Verstraete, Henri Vanhaeke, Ivan Jullien, Maurice Thomas
Cello – Fernand Benedetti, Georges Raffault, Hubert Varron, Jean Huchot, Jean Lamy, Manuel Recasens, Pierre Labadie, Robert Ben, Roland Pidaus
Clarinet – Guy Arnaud, Guy Deplus, Jacques Millon, Pierre Gossez
Composed By, Orchestrated By, Conductor – Michel Colombier
Contrabass [String Bass] – Emmenon Barthelemy, Jacques Rollez, Jean-Pierre Logerot, Paul Amat, René Constant, Robert Andre, Willy Lockwood, Yves Chabert
Drums [Pop Orchestra (France)] – André Arpino
Flute – Marcel Dubois, Raymond Guiot, Robert Heriche, Yanet Puech
French Horn – André Carradot, Daniel Dubar, Georges Barboteu, Gilbert Coursier, Jacky Magnardi
Guitar [Pop Orchestra (France)] – Raymond Gimenes, Tony Rallo
Harp – Bernard Galais, Jean-Claude Dubois, Madeleine Pedon
Oboe – Claude Maisonneuve, Michel Descarsin, Robert Jeannoutot
Organ [Pop Orchestra (France)] – Eddie Louiss
Percussion – Guy Cipriani, Gerard Perotin, Jean Garon, Jean Schultheis, Marc Chantereau, Michel Lorin, Michel Zanlonghi, Vincent Geminiani
Percussion [Pop Orchestra (France)] – Bernard Lubat, Jean Schultheis, Marc Chantereau, Michel Lorin
Piano – Alfred Farrugia
Saxophone [Pop Orchestra (U.S.A.)], Woodwind [Pop Orchestra (U.S.A.)] – Don Menza, Lanny Morgan, Pete Christlieb, Tom Scott
Strings [String Trio - Pop Orchestra (France)] – Jean-Charles Capon, Jean-Luc Ponty, Paul Hadjaje
Trombone – André Paquinet, Camille Verdier, Max Fouchet, Raymond Katarzynsky
Trombone [Pop Orchestra (U.S.A.)] – Benny Powell, Bob Edmondson, Dick Hyde, Don Waldrop, Ernie Tack, Kai Winding, Lew McCreary
Trumpet – André Garreau, Bernard Gabel, Fred Gerard, Pierre Thibaud, Roger Delmotte
Trumpet [Pop Orchestra (U.S.A.)] – Buddy Childers, Chuck Findley, Ollie Mitchell, Paul Hubinon
Tuba – Elie Raynaud, Gerard Peresse
Viola – Christian Dufour, Claude Naveau, Gérard Causse, Jean Mayor, Michel Varron, Paul Hadjaje, Pierre Ladhuie, Pierre Linares, René Brisset, Richard Postel, Stéphane Wiener
Violin – André Barthelemy, André Karren, Christian Gentis, Daniel Martinez, Didier Saint Aulaire, Frédéric Geyre, Georges Ales, Georges Balbon, Georges Guerin, Gilbert Brel, Hervé le Floch, Jacques Baume, Jacques Charrier, Jacques Dabat, Jacques Ghestein, Jacques Prat, Jean D'Agostino, Jean Gaunet, Jean Lelier, José Sanchez, Lionel Gali, Lucien Perotin, Léon Bronschwak, Léon Locatelli, Maurice Elkan, Maurice Garon, Michel Cron, Michel Ganot, Michel Noel, Paulette Pinchinat, Pierre Couzinier, Pierre Simon, Raymond D'Asco, René Mascort, Roger Berthier, Roger Savard, Pascal Tortelier
Woodwind [Pop Orchestra (France)] – Georges Grenu, Jacques Noureddine, Michel Portal, Pierre Gossez
Vocals – Bill Medley, Paul Williams, Vermettya Royster, Lani Hall, Herb Alpert

About this release

A&M Records – SPX 4281 (US)

Recorded at:
- Studio Europa Sonor, Paris, France (the pop orchestra section)
- Wagram, Paris (the symphony orchestra section)
- A&M Studios, U.S.A. (additional musical sections)

Thanks to snobb for the addition and js for the updates

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Specialists/collaborators reviews

Atavachron

While most listeners may associate or even confuse Michel Colombier's craggy, soulful voice and compositions with Blood, Sweat & Tears and their famous frontman David Clayton-Thomas (or by way of influence The Buckinghams), Colombier was an artist unto himself as well as a more rounded and realized progressive/jazz musician who not only sung-up a storm, but developed some of the best progressive brass-jazzrock ever recorded. And with some very good help from the brilliant songsmith Paul Williams, singer-lyricist Lani Hall, and a fully orchestrated ensemble that brought the power, his 1971 extravaganza 'Wings' is a shamefully ignored LP.

Brimming with theater and stage-set mellodramatics, the '71 release is a fully realized example of the deep possibilities of what progressive popular music had become, Colombier gingerly reaching out with 'Freedom and Fear's dizzied arrangements hitting on myriad forms, setting the bold tone of this LP, merging seamlessly into instrumentals 'Earth' and 'Thalassa'. Paul Williams' fabulous nasal toy-doll vocals lead the moody & slightly Beatlesesque 'Doesn't Anybody Know?', both a product of its era and yet setting itself apart with unexpected darkness and Herbie Hancock piano play circa '71.

'Pourquoi Pas?' and 'Morning is Come Again' sneaks up on us without warning, has surprising frenetic horn-play and deep chorales, one of the best passages here, and 'For Those Who Cannot Hear' is troubled reflection as is Lani Hall's 'We Could be Flying' putting us squarely in the audience of some experimental theater piece that surely closed the same week hosting tiny but appreciative onlookers. Morose 'Emmanuel' and Herb Alpert's 'All in All' say goodbye with some sweet sentiment and a touch of Hair as our nightcap.

One day almost every fan of symphonic jazz/pop will come around to this sort of rarefied time in merged music, and this effort will hit them suddenly, tragically, surprising them with its startling brilliance and with a moment missed but loved all over again.