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Originally an instrumental group formed in 1958, Les Bourgeois de Calais consisted of brothers Pierre and Claude Lachèvre on guitars, Patrick Legros (bass) and Jean Guiguet aka "Bambino", before the arrival of singer André Vasseur in 1961. Hailing from the Pas-de-Calais region, the group, who appeared on the TV show Âge tendre et têtes de bois, were signed by the Pathé label, and it was with another singer, the British Jeff Parker, that they recorded the Nut Rocker EP (1962), a mix of instrumental tracks and original songs by Jean-Raoul Champion (Les Météores). After accompanying Long Chris and releasing the adaptation EP Round and Round (1963), Les Bourgeois de Calais moved towards the yé-yé trend of the moment with the Rue de Tristesse EP (1963), then English rock beat with Talking About My Girl (1966), including an adaptation of the ballad "Michelle " (The Beatles). During these years, the band toured France and had to change musicians due to compulsory military service. Arriving in 1965, Joël Parmentier (drums), Jacques Gressier (organ) and Jean-Pierre Castelain (guitar) were recruited for a recording session in London that remained unpublished until 1995, when the compilation French 60's EP Collection was released. In 1967, Claude Lachèvre, Patrick Legros and the three new musicians changed their name to Les Fleurs de Pavot, at a time when psychedelic rock was in full swing. Re-formed by Jeff Parker under the name Jeff et ses Bourgeois, the band recorded the album Souvenirs (1997), without Jacques Gressier, who died that year. Another self-produced album, Héritage, was released in 2012. Jean-Pierre Castelain died on August 3, 2019.
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