Montréal, Friday, June 11th, 1998 Raymond Philippe Folk Singer I traveled back into my good memories and found this great event of my artistic life: recording an album under one of my favourite folk singers, Stan Rogers! The first time I heard Stan, was in 1977 at Mariposa Folk Festival, I was there with some old members of Les Danseurs du Saint-Laurent as "Kins" of Estell Klein who was the artistic director at that time. I was already a fan of John-Allan Cameron, but I didn't know this great, should I say powerful, voice of the young and full of promises Stan Rogers. I was nineteen when I bought his first album, and I played it for years before I became the lead singer of Éritage, a well-known Québecois folk group with whom I was going to perform during four years, from 1981 to 1985. In April 1985, the group disbanded, after a great career on the north-American folk scene. In the spring of 1982 we (Éritage) were looking for a record label who would accept us to sign-up for the fifth album (my first with the band) we wanted to record. The few contacts we had in Québec were not fruitful, and since I loved Stan's productions, I suggested that we write to him, sending him a demo tape and asking him for being recorded under his label, Fogarty's Cove Music. Stan quickly called Marc Benoit (our double-base and guitar player, and our valourous booker at that time!) and told him he had been thinking of Éritage since he saw the group in Owen Sound (!!!) in a previous summer! WOW! I couldn't tell how happy I was. This great folk singer I'd been religiously listening to for years was offering us a contract on his label!!! We rapidly took the arrangement to write a contract that would have legal course in Québec and Ontario as well, and we met in Montréal, in a bar of north Saint-Laurent street, and we all signed the famous contract. Very often, my mother who's now 76 listen to Stan's album and recalls that day she was so proud to hear Stan's voice on the phone, calling me to fix the famous rendezvous. Even if she couldn't understand what he was saying, she could know he was asking for me and was very happy to answer him a very shy "Raymond not here ... call later". She loved his album and still listen to him with great delight even if she doesn't understand a word of English! So, the following October, November and December, we were at Grant Avenue Studio (Daniel Lanois' studio) to record La Ronde des Voyageurs, it was in the same period Brian Eno was recording one of his "ambient" albums (we met him when we quit the studio after our second recording session!!). Greg and Stan at the console of Grant Ave. Studios during the sessions for La Ronde Des Voyageurs. Recording with Stan and sound engineer Greg Robert was a big piece of cake! Always taking care of our wishes, always looking at things to make the sessions a great venture for each of us. I remember a special moment, when I was recording one of the songs, the tone was very low and I had a difficulty to reach the lowest note, Stan came quietly, stood right in front of me and sung to me the very low note I had a hard time to adjust. I still remember the powerful vibration of his voice I fell in my chest and on my vocal cord. It was like student receiving the Power by the master!! I could return it right into the microphone! I had gooseflesh when I listened to the tape just after. We were working hard and Stan was not looking at the clock for the time in studio. He and we were all reasonable and he knew when it was time to do and re-do a take when we, individually, were unhappy. Every night Ariel was cooking a great meal for us all and it was good to sit conformably and talk and laugh with this happy family, especially with the kids who were very young at that time! Ariel was sweetly supporting the venture her man and her new friends were having all together. We laughed so much together. I also remember the visits of mom, dad and brother Garnet during the recording. All of them so proud of what was happening! Finally, December arrived and we put the finishing touch and worked on the final mix of the album! A very religious moment! One month to listen at the rough mix had been a hard exercise. Having to take note of what's good to keep and what needed to be changed, our ears were too close to our product and it took Stan to have the final outside "sight" on it! It was December 23, we were all tired because we had been in studio for a whole night and it was around four or five a.m. when we left Hamilton for Montréal, under a freezing rain. Bringing back so many good experiences and souvenirs for...a life time. I will remember this last time I saw Stan: It was just before we left him on Grant Avenue. He gave me a happy and warm hug, and said "You're a great little boy!" Later, I re-read a little word he wrote me in a greeting card accompanying the pay I got for the recording sessions, the night before. Stan wrote: "Raymond ca n'est pas Pavarotti, c'est Paul Robeson" (Raymond is not Pavarotti, he is Paul Robeson). I knew it was a compliment, but I didn't know who was Paul Robeson, until I heard one of his albums during a tour in Massachusetts, a few weeks before the plane crash which had stolen our friend so suddenly. I heard that he had given a whole box of our albums to the public of Dallas during his last appearance. Stan was proud, happy of this great production, the last album he produced, just before he finished his own two last. Sometime I dream of these great days and thank Life for having brought my road under these blue skies. I sometime think about Stan and fell that I will never meet a greater voice in my life. That is why I still work on mine and wish to use it more and more to give back what I received! Thank you for reading this short memory It was a great moment to recall it!! Sincerely yours, Raymond Philippe Folk Singer (For more on Stan Rogers, see the Stan Rogers web site)