The Box

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I was a second year architecture student at UofM, recalls Jean-Marc Pisapia, when a friend of mine, Luc Papineau, later to become sound man and a full member of the band, suggested that I join him at a Genesis concert at the Montreal Forum, my first rock show ever(!!!). I distinctly remember thinking towards the end of the show, Thats it! This is what I want to do for a living! Less than ten years and three albums later, The Box was headlining the Montreal Forum.
Released in 1983 through Alert-Polygram, the bands self-titled debut album teamed Jean-Marc with Guy Florent on guitars and a phantom drummer (beat box!). This release garnered the band its first Félix at lADISQ. It wasnt until the bands second record (All the Time, All the Time, All the Time) released in 1984 that the line-up became definitive (or was it?!) featuring Jean-Pierre Brie on bass, Claude Thibeault on guitars, Guy Pisapia on keyboards, Phil Bernard on drums and Jean-Marc Pisapia on vocals. Also featured intermittently as back-up singers were Sass Jordan, Marie Carmen, Josée Blondin and Ingrid Stitt. In 1987 The Box released Closer Together and raided lADISQ taking home three Félixes, one of which was for video of the year by popular vote, a clip directed by Jean-Marc.
In late 1989, the band flew off to England to record their 4th album The Pleasure and the Pain which was produced by Martin Rushent, then with Human League. The record was born under Capitol-EMI in Los Angeles. After ten years and selling more than 400,000 records, The Box disbanded in 1992 and its members moved on to other things. Jean-Marc recalls, We played our last show in Cannes, France and began to envision more stable lives. I for one had two small daughters and others in the band were making plans along those lines. But 13 years later (my kids are 14 and 16 now) and given that stage fever never left me, I thought The Box would be a perfect platform for this concept album project and subsequent concerts. And what about the former members? A couple of years ago I was approached to do some Box shows and I did submit the idea to two former key members. Their lack of enthusiasm regarding a return to showbiz and the record industry left no doubt in my mind that they were uninterested in pursuing this new project
After a 15-year leave, The Box is back with a 5th album entitled Black Dog There released by Komfy-Universal in March 05. Clearly prog-rock oriented, the concept album tells a story through ten songs and draws from different musical genres in accordance with the themes encountered: Techno-hard in Liftoff depicts the launch of space shuttle mission 122, a waltz carries Round and Round and the never ending dance of parallel universes, Thats the World is straightforward Midwest rock given the central characters birthplace, etc.
I wrote the album I wanted to do when I was 20, admits project leader Jean-Marc Pisapia. That probably explains the surprising enthusiasm I get from kids (25 and under) for this stuff compared to the older material, given its free of constraint and non-conformist style.Non-conformist indeed! The album takes us nonetheless into known territory through avowed influences from Floyd, Giant, Genesis, Yes and other 60s and 70s prog-rock icons.
I was thirteen and in Naples when Pink Floyd filmed their concert in Pompei. It was the talk of the day and I realized this musical genre was the perfect medium to tell a story and suggest a thousand pictures in peoples minds without even having to use video!
VIDEO: Crying out loud for love
VIDEO: Carry On
VIDEO: L'Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me)
VIDEO: Temptation