Voyage (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Disco, pop music |
Voyage was a French ensemble known for disco and pop music, consisting of André "Slim" Pezin (guitar and vocals), Marc Chantereau (keyboards and vocals), Pierre-Alain Dahan (drums and vocals), Sauveur Mallia (bass), along with British lead singer Sylvia Mason-James featured on their initial two albums, Voyage (1977) and Fly Away (1978).
In their subsequent releases, Voyage 3 (1980) and One Step Higher (1982), Dahan assumed lead vocal duties as the group transitioned from disco toward a pop-oriented style.
Overview
Prior to forming Voyage, Pezin, Chantereau, Dahan, and Mallia were members of V.I.P. Connection in 1975, producing early disco tracks such as "Please Love Me Again" and "West Coast Drive," which have since become collector's items.
These musicians were highly sought-after session artists in France, collaborating with a range of performers including Manu Dibango, Cerrone, Alec R. Costandinos, Michel Sardou, Michel Legrand, Jean Musy, Bernard Lavilliers, Léo Ferré, and Johnny Hallyday. Their work spanned various genres from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, covering jazz, French chanson, world music, rock, and pop.
Their only entry on the Billboard Hot 100 was the track "Souvenirs," which peaked at No. 41 in 1979. Nonetheless, they experienced greater acclaim on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, with both Voyage (1978) and Fly Away (1979) reaching the top position.
In the United Kingdom, Voyage charted three singles: the double A-side "From East to West"/"Scotch Machine" climbed to No. 13 in 1978 (with "Scotch Machine" renamed "Scots Machine" for cultural sensitivity), followed by "Souvenirs" at No. 56 and "Let's Fly Away" at No. 38 in 1979. Additionally, "Lady America" enjoyed notable popularity.
Within France, they garnered success primarily within Parisian nightclubs and media outlets but achieved limited chart impact: "From East to West" reached No. 20 in May 1978, "Souvenirs" attained No. 53 in January 1979, and "Tahiti, Tahiti" peaked at No. 43 in May 1979. Later singles did not chart in the U.S., prompting a stylistic shift toward mainstream pop as disco's popularity waned.
In the Netherlands, their 1981 single "Discotch," a remix by DJ Eric Benjamin blending four tracks, secured the No. 18 spot on the Dutch Top 40 and remained on the chart for nine weeks.
Following Voyage's disbandment, members engaged in separate ventures with artists such as Françoise Hardy, Alain Chamfort, Mylène Farmer, Guesch Patti, and Jean-Louis Murat. Pezin contributed to the soundtrack of Betty Blue (1986) and produced the French hit "Caressé Mwen" (1987). Mallia worked on film scores including Moonstruck (1987) and Breakfast of Champions (1999), continuing collaborations with Chantereau and Dahan.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | UK | US | US R&B | |||||||||||
| 1977 | Voyage | 93 | 59 | 40 | 57 | Sirocco | ||||||||
| 1978 | Fly Away | — | — | 47 | — | |||||||||
| 1980 | Voyage 3 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1981 | One Step Higher | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" indicates no chart entry or release in that region. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
- Voyage: The Best Of (1989, Unidisc Music)
- Souvenirs: The Best of Voyage (1991, Sirocco/Hot Productions)
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | UK | US | US R&B | US Dance | |||
| 1978 | "Lady America" | — | — | — | — | 1 | Voyage |
| "From East to West" | 20 | 13 | — | 85 | |||
| "Scots Machine" | — | — | — | ||||
| "Point Zero" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Souvenirs" | — | 56 | 41 | 73 | 1 | Fly Away | |
| 1979 | "Let's Fly Away" | — | 38 | 105 | — | ||
| "Tahiti, Tahiti" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "I Don't Want to Fall in Love Again" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "Voyage 3" |
| "I Love You Dancer" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "17" | ||
| "Do It Again" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Nowhere to Hide" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "One Step Higher" | |
| "I Surrender" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Let's Get Started" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Follow the Brightest Star" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)