Triangle

Triangle was a French sax-rock/psych band that debuted with a pair of singles on Odeon in 1969, followed by three albums with accompanying shortplayers on Pathé between 1970 and 1973.

Members: Papillon [Gérard Fournier] (bass, vocals, 1967-73), Pierre Fanen (guitar, 1967-69), Jean-Pierre Prevotat (drums), Alain Renaud (guitar, 1969), François Jeanneau (saxophone, keyboards, 1970-74), Paul Farges (guitar, 1970), Mimi Lorenzini (guitar, 1970-74), Denis Duhaze (vocals, 1973-74), René Devaux (bass, 1973-74)

Background

Triangle formed in Paris around 1967 as a trio composed of bassist and vocalist Gérald “Papillon” Fournier, drummer Jean-Pierre Prévotat, and guitarist Pierre Fanen. All three members had experience touring and playing with various French variety singers. Fanen left the group to join the band Zoo and guitarist Alain Renaud replaced him.

Under this lineup, the band signed with Pathé-Marconi and released their debut single, “Listen People” / “Please,” in 1969. Following the commercial failure of the first single and the record company’s rejection of their second single demo, Renaud departed. He cut one single with Tryptique, two Calliope, played in the early Heldon lineup and made three solo albums. 

Triangle hired guitarist Paul Farges and reedist/keyboardist François Jeanneau. The new quartet recorded a second single, “Élégie À Gabrielle” / “Golden Screen” (1969), but Farges soon left. Guitarist Marius “Mimi” Lorenzini (who played in Les Gardians, the root of Eden Rose) replaced Farges, establishing the core quartet that recorded their first two albums. Farges joined Chico Magnetic Band and Century. 

Triangle

Triangle released their self-titled debut album in November 1970 on Pathé.

The album delivers jazz-inspired progressive rock with a hard psychedelic edge, blending French and English lyrics. Guitarist Paul Farges provides sharp, angular leads that recall early Robin Trower-era Procol Harum, while François Jeanneau contributes keyboards and brass textures, Gérard “Papillon” Fournier anchors bass and vocals, and Jean-Pierre Prévotat drives drums with rhythmic precision.

Triangle wrote three tracks themselves, while Cameron Watson penned the lyrics for “Left With My Sorrow,” “Blow Your Cool,” and “Cameron’s Complaint.” The album does not feature covers.

The music divides into dynamic, contrasting pieces. “Peut-Être Demain” opens with extended passages of guitar and keyboard interplay. “Left With My Sorrow” combines contoured guitar lines with vocals recalling Family and Ergo Sum. “Blow Your Cool” emphasizes sharp, hard psychedelic guitar over a propulsive rhythm section. “Guerre et Paix” delivers expansive, jazz-tinged passages, while the brief “M.L.-G.G.” offers a transitional interlude. The closing “Cameron’s Complaint” extends over nine minutes, layering flute, guitar, and keyboards in a style reminiscent of the Canterbury Scene, foreshadowing bands like Moving Gelatine Plates.

A1. “Peut-Être Demain” (4:55)
A2. “Left With My Sorrow” (6:05) — lyrics by Cameron Watson
A3. “Blow Your Cool” (7:20) — lyrics by Cameron Watson

B1. “Guerre et Paix” (9:25)
B2. “M.L.-G.G.” (1:31)
B3. “Cameron’s Complaint” (9:25) — lyrics by Cameron Watson

Sessions occurred at Studio Family Sound in Paris, France, with Triangle handling arrangements. Jean-Pierre Prévotat and assistants Gérard Pernet and Nany engineered the sessions.

Record label Pathé promoted the single “Peut-Être Demain” (b/w “Blow Your Cool”). It featured in the popular film Les Bidasses en folie. This success resulted in heightened media attention and increased touring, with the band often supporting Quebecois singer Robert Charlebois at venues like Bobino and the Olympia in 1972. 

They released the 1971 standalone single “Les Brumes de Chatou” (b/w “Viens Avec Nous”), followed in 1972 with “L’Arbre de Juin” (b/w “Le Temps des Tams-tams”).

2

Triangle released their numerically titled second album in March 1972 on Pathé.

The album blends jazz-influenced progressive rock with pop-oriented passages, alternating experimental textures and more accessible song structures. Jean-Michel Jarre contributes synthesizer on “Récréation” and “Le Matin Du Premier Jour,” François Cahen, Aldo Romano, George Locatelli, and Henri Texier provide additional instrumental support, and Frédérique Gegenbac performs vocals.

Triangle wrote all tracks, with Jarre adding synthesizer lines on two pieces. No covers appear on the album.

Musically, the record shifts between contrasting moods. “J’ai Vu” opens with a brief, pop-inflected structure. “Récréation” develops contoured synthesizer layers and dynamic shifts. “Viens Avec Nous” presents concise, vocal-led phrasing. “Litanies” explores extended jazz-prog textures with complex interplay between percussion, keyboards, and bass. Side B alternates brief, atmospheric pieces like “Cette Longue Nuit” with mid-length compositions including “Le Matin Du Premier Jour,” “La Peine Capitale,” and “Le Retour,” combining angular phrasing and rhythm variations. “La Pate Grise” closes the album with a layered instrumental finale.

A1. “J’ai Vu” (3:30)
A2. “Récréation” (5:50) — synthesizer by Jean-Michel Jarre
A3. “Viens Avec Nous” (3:00)
A4. “Litanies” (5:10) — performers include Aldo Romano, François Cahen, George Locatelli, Henri Texier

B1. “Cette Longue Nuit” (1:00)
B2. “Le Matin du Premier Jour” (3:50) — synthesizer by Jean-Michel Jarre
B3. “La Peine Capitale” (3:15)
B4. “Le Retour” (3:05)
B5. “La Pate Grise” (4:00)

Sessions occurred at Pathé studios in France with Triangle handling arrangements. Photography by P. Roddy documents the album. The single “J’ai Vu” was issued in France (b/w “La Pate Grise”).

The commercial success, however, led to internal tensions, and in 1973, Papillon Fournier left the group. The remaining members recruited bassist René Devaux and guitarist/vocalist Denis Duhazé, hardening the band’s sound while retaining jazz elements from Jeanneau’s brass work. 

Homonymie

Triangle released their third album, Homonymie, in July 1973 on Pathé.

The album retains the band’s jazz-inflected progressive rock while incorporating more pronounced vocal and compositional clarity. François Jeanneau contributes keyboards, synthesizer, and wind instruments; Denis Duhazé performs vocals and guitar; René Devaux plays bass; Jean-Pierre Prévotat handles drums; Marius Lorenzini adds guitar. Additional instrumental support comes from Albert Perez on goblet drum, Stephane Grappelli on violin, and Christian Chevallier arranging strings, brass, and chorus sections.

Musically, the album balances dense, orchestrated pieces with concise vocal tracks. Side A opens with “La Voyante,” a rhythmic, contoured composition, and “La Route Infernale,” driven by percussive textures. “Terre” layers strings, brass, and chorus over extended, shifting patterns, while “Mama, Tu Ne Sais Pas” emphasizes lyrical phrasing and guitar lines. Side B features compact, dynamic tracks like “L’incomprise” and “La Dune-Fée,” and showcases violin-led interplay on “Eloge De La Folie.” “Auroville” and “Le Chemin De Vie” close the album with balanced instrumentals integrating wind, synth, and guitar textures.

A1. “La Voyante” (4:18)
A2. “La Route Infernale” (4:40) — goblet drum by Albert Perez
A3. “Terre” (7:56) — strings, brass, and chorus arranged by Christian Chevallier
A4. “Mama, Tu Ne Sais Pas” (3:19)

B1. “L’incomprise” (2:30) — strings and brass arranged by Christian Chevallier
B2. “La Dune-Fée” (4:42)
B3. “Eloge de la Folie” (4:57) — violin by Stephane Grappelli
B4. “Auroville” (4:00)
B5. “Le Chemin de Vie” (3:26)

Sessions occurred in March and April 1973 at Studio Pathé Marconi EMI, with B4 and B5 mixed at EMI, Abbey Road, London.

Art direction by Jacques Ameniaze and layout by Jacques Combet, with photography by Didier Duval. The single “Bungalow” (b/w “Banc Du Square”) was released in France in 1973.

The album demonstrates a return to the band’s progressive strengths, blending orchestrated textures with more assertive writing and maintaining cohesion despite the introduction of a new vocalist/bassist. Remastered editions provide added value with bonus tracks in mono and stereo.

Postlude

The band began work on a fourth album until Pathé-Marconi canceled the recording sessions, leading the group to self-produce their final single and ultimately split in 1974. Following the split, the band’s members pursued various projects.

Guitarist Marius “Mimi” Lorenzini formed Édition Spéciale.

Multi-instrumentalist François Jeanneau played with Clearlight and Synthesis, contributed to Mama Bea’s LP La Folle, and recorded numerous jazz albums.

Bassist Gérald “Papillon” Fournier recorded a solo album.

Drummer Jean-Pierre Prévotat joined Magnum, Au Bonheur Des Dames, and Titanic.

Discography:

• Triangle (1970)
• 2 (1972)
• Homonymie (1973)

Sources:

• Discogs: Triangle
• RYM: Triangle
• 45cat: Triangle
• ProgArchives: Triangle