Space (French band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Didier Marouani |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Electronic music, space disco |
Space—sometimes referred to as Didier Marouani & Space—is a French electronic music ensemble established in 1977 by Didier Marouani, who is also known by the alias Ecama. The band played a pivotal role in the space disco movement and served as forerunners of electronica. The original lineup featured arrangers Roland Romanelli and Jannick Top, alongside vocalist Madeline Bell. Initially pursuing a solo career in pop music, Marouani shifted his attention to the group, naming it after their successful 1976 track "Magic Fly," which was notable for its cosmic soundscape.
In their early shows, the group embraced a science fiction motif, donning costumes such as spacesuits—a creative decision influenced partly by Marouani's contractual limitations with Polydor. Since he was prohibited from releasing "Magic Fly" under his own name, Marouani adopted the stage name "Ecama" and performed incognito.
The band's first three records—Magic Fly (1977), Deliverance (1977), and Just Blue (1978)—achieved combined sales exceeding 12 million copies internationally. Following Magic Fly, American drummer Joe Hammer joined the lineup. However, conflicts arose when Marouani advocated for live concert performances, which producer Jean-Philippe Iliesco opposed, resulting in Marouani's exit in 1979. Subsequently, Romanelli and Top released Deeper Zone in 1980 before the group dissolved in 1981.
Beginning in 1982, Marouani and Hammer resumed activities under the name "Didier Marouani & Space," with Janny Loseth taking on lead vocal duties. Legal complications later compelled the band to adopt the name Paris-France-Transit; Hammer left the ensemble in 1992.
The revival of "spAce" and subsequent developments
Around 1990, Didier Marouani regained legal rights to use the "spAce" name, allowing him to reissue classic albums and embark on a European tour in 1993. That same year, Symphonic Space Dream was recorded in collaboration with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, S Club Juniors produced a remix of their track "New Direction" utilizing elements from Magic Fly. In 2003, Belgian dance act Minimalistix created remixes of "Magic Fly" along with other selections from the debut album. The 2004 track "Deliverance" was sampled by De La Soul on Rock Co.Kane Flow, featuring MF Doom, and it was fully incorporated into Talib Kweli's 2007 song Hostile Gospel (Deliver Us). The most recent album from Space, From Earth To Mars (2011), features Message of Peace From Earth To Mars, which includes audio excerpts from Yuri Gagarin’s historic 1961 spaceflight as a homage to five decades of space exploration.
Current
- Didier Marouani: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980, 1982–present)
- Jeff Parent: keyboards
- Manu Chambo: keyboards
- Serge Munuera: keyboards
- Marc Hazon: percussion
- Dominque Greffier: vocals, bass
- Jean-françois Bourassin: guitar
- Michel Aymé: guitar
- Julius Tessarech: sound engineer
- Bertin Meynard: sound engineer
- Patrice Richard: lighting technician, manager
- Richard Ominetti: lighting technician
- Jean-Louis Lechevallier: lighting technician
Former
- Roland Romanelli: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980)
- Jannick Top: keyboards, synthesizers (1977-1980)
- Joe Hammer: drums, percussion (1977-1979, 1982-1992)
- Janny Loseth: lead vocals (1982-1991)
- Madeline Bell: lead vocals (1977-1978)
- Cissy Stone: lead vocals (1978-1980)
- Patrice Tison: guitar (1979-1982)
- Yann Benoist: guitar (1983-2007)
- Roy Robinson: lead vocals (1991-1992)
- Dennis Cottard: keyboards, synthesizers (1982-1985)
Albums
| Year | Album | UK | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Magic Fly | 11 |
|
| Deliverance | — | ||
| 1978 | Just Blue | — | |
| 1980 | Deeper Zone | — | |
| 1981 | The Best of Space | — | |
| 1982 | Paris France Transit | — | |
| 1983 | Concerts en URSS | — | |
| 1987 | Space Opera | — | |
| 1994 | Space Magic Concerts | — | |
| 2002 | Symphonic Space Dream | — | |
| 2011 | From Earth to Mars | — | |
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the chart. | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance | US Pop | IRE | NL | UK | |||
| 1977 | "Magic Fly" | ― | ― | 3 | 20 | 2 |
|
| "Tango in Space" | ― | ― | ― | ― | 57 |
||
| 1978 | "Running in the City" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
| "Prison" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ||
| 1979 | "Just Blue" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
| "My Love Is Music" | 59 | 60 | ― | ― | ― | ||
| "Save Your Love for Me" | 73 | ― | ― | ― | ― | ||
| 1980 | "On the Air" | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
"Tender Force"
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- "—" signifies singles that did not chart or were not issued in the respective country.