Pollen - 1976 (full album)

In 1972, Tom Rivest (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboard, percussion) and guitarist Richard Lemoyne (guitar, keyboard, percussion) decided to form a progressive rock group. Rivest and Lemoyne were joined the following year by Serge Courchesne (drums, vibraphone, recorder) who suggested that they recruit two keyboardists, Claude "Mego" Lemay (keyboard, vocals, vibraphone, flute, bass) and Serge Locat. It was too late for Locat as he had committed to join Harmonium. The group thus pursued its destiny with four musicians. The name of the band came by chance when, in the kitchen of the house where they lived together, the musicians spotted a jar of flower pollen. It didn¹t take anything more for them to adopt the name and imagine a more creative concept...
In 1973, Pollen gave its first live performance at Cégep Maisonneuve. Thanks to Alain Simard, its agent at the time, and with the help of talented visual designers like Jacques Lamarche and Jean Saro, the group¹s concerts featured sophisticated light shows, and visual elements and scenic effects of rare beauty. In 1974, the group¹s manager, Jean Bertrand, announced that it would tour Quebec with British group Gentle Giant. However, a few weeks prior to the tour, Courchesne quit due to the pressure. It was too late to train a new drummer, and the group, down to a trio comprising Rivest, Lemoyne and Lemay, decided to complete the tour anyway. They divided the drum set among themselves, playing percussions and other instruments simultaneously! In 1975, Sylvain Coutu (drums, vibraphone) joined the group, and Pollen continued performing to sold out shows at venues like Cinéma Outremont, L¹Évêché and Café Campus.

In the spring of 1976, Pollen finally released its long-awaited self-titled album, containing some of the most impressive progressive rock music in North America. By then, Rivest, Lemoyne and Lemay had become proficient multi-instrumentalists, playing pieces with complex arrangements, and with keyboard and guitar duels to leave one breathless. The album was launched during a show at the Grand Théatre de Québec where Pollen shared the headline act with the British group Caravan. Unfortunately, the group split-up towards the end of 1976 as the music industry was rapidly changing. In 1979, Rivest released his first solo album, featuring Pollen¹s original lineup. He continued his career becoming Joe Bocan¹s musical director, winner of a Felix award for best performance of the year. Rivest also penned many songs, such as "Les Femmes voilées", which became a huge hit, and composed soundtracks for theater, film and television. Coutu formed part of jazz group Uzeb`s original line-up, while Lemoyne was musical director for Richard Séguin and other well-known artists."Mego" (Lemay) became Céline Dion`s keyboardist and is currently her musical director.
http://www.progquebec.com/pollen.html