ArtistInfo

Step Ahead

Band, 1980-1984 FR
Rock

Short-lived 80's French band starting in 1972 with its leader/guitarist Christian Robin moving to London in order to pursue a career as a musician. He was overlooked by the local players, but still earned money through various occupations, including composing music for ads. By 1979 he returned to Nice, France and worked at Studio Miraval, where he met with amateur guitarist Aldo Gulino. In 1980 a band took shape with the additions of Jean-Yves Dufournier on drums, Alain Lejeune on keys, Antoine Ferrera on bass and Eric Mathieu on voice. Despite having different musical backgrounds, all musicians loved Classical Music and Step Ahead put up a demo, which Robin gave to RCA in Paris for promotion. First departures come in 1981, Lejeune, Gulino and Mathieu quit and ex-Carpe Diem Gerald Macia joined on guitar, followed by Claudie Truchi on keys (sister of Carpe Diem's Christian Trutchi) and later Englishman Danny Brown, whom Robin convinced to stay in France. RCA financed the band's self-titled debut, recorded in September 1981 and released early in the next year. By the time the album was recorded Ferrera, Dufournier and Truchi had left the band, replaced by the returning Alain Lejeune, 17-years old Manu Requier on drums and Herve Ferrieux on bass. The album was poorly promoted and a 12-inch promo had to be distributed for commercial reasons. Ferrieux was replaced then by Philippe Recht and Step Ahead kept playing live and recording in the studio. Three live pieces from a performance at Theatre De Verdure in November 82' are included in the album's CD reissue by Musea, along with two new pieces, rehearsed by the 1982 line-up. More line-up changes occured after the spring of 1983, Macia, Requier and Recht all quit due to the group taking a more commercial direction, with Norbert Lallemand, Alain Ruart and Phillipe Chayeb replacing them. When Robin met Alan Parsons around the time, hopes for a second work were born, abandoned a bit later, when RCA demanded from Step Ahead to firstly record a single. Robin thought this was a relegation for his band and Step Ahead eventually dissolved in 1984.

Members

	Danny Brown voc, tam
	Claudie Truchi key, p FR
	Antoine Ferrera b
	Christian Robin eg *1947 FR
	Jean-Yves Dufournier dr FR
	Gérald Macia acg FR