Fringes of YeYe and Brushes with Greatness

The Scimitars

Popular music in Quebec in the early 1960s was dominated by chansonniers and yé-yé. Yé-yé was undoubtedly the movement most associated with rock and roll. According to Richard Baillargeon, historian of popular Québécois music, there were in Quebec alone more than 500 yé-yé groups, most made up of young men. The term Yé-yé was derived from the shouts of Yeah! Yeah! by the fans.

The Classels (for "Class Sells"), with lead singer Gilles Girard, performed French versions of hits by Paul Anka, The Platters, and Roy Orbison, as well as original works. Les Baronets, comprising René Angélil (future manager and husband of Céline Dion), Pierre Labelle, and Jean Beaulne, were very popular doing French versions of Beatles songs.

Some solo artists were directly associated with yé-yé. Artists such as Pierre Lalonde, Donald Lautrec, Nanette Workman, Jenny Rock, Joël Denis, Ginette Reno, and Robert Demontigny.

In 1963 or thereabouts, "The Scimitars" became "The Pentagons" and we moved a little more into the mainstream of Montreal music.

The band is shown here with two temporary subs - Stewart Mitchell on bass and Bob Ryan on drums

We were the house band on a Saturday afternoon CJMS radio show at Centre Paul Sauvé, where we shared the stage with Les Baronets, Michel Louvain, Serge Laprade, Donald Lautrec, Georges Tremblé and his Orchestra featuring well known guitarist Aurel Lacombe and host Normand Frechette, who later put out some fairly successful recordings of his own.

We did back-up engagements with Robert Demontigny, Ginette Reno, and other French artists of the day. We played downtown Montreal clubs and evolved more into a pop rock cover band than a dance band which we were initially. We also played many clubs and hotels on the South Shore.