Rock et Belles Oreilles

Canada's erstwhile musical pranksters Rock et Belles Oreilles (RBO) formed in Montreal in 1981 from the lineup of André Ducharme, Bruno Landry, Guy A. Lepage. Richard Z. Sirois (who quit in 1987), and Yves P. Pelletier. Chantal Francke joined in 1987. The group—who were largely communication students from UQAM (University of Quebec in Montreal)—cut their teeth in community radio and became a presence on Canadian radio, television and in stage comedy. They rose to popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, with their fanbase primarily rooted in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, and in 1986 unleashed their debut album The Disque in 1986 with the support of their manager and friend Jacques K. Primeau. The LP yielded the hit "Arrête de Boisson" with the group parodying blues ("Je Chante le Blues") and heavy metal ("Les Suppositoires de Satan") for their 1987 sophomore effort The Spectacle. After Richard Z. Sirois broke off from the group to focus on his solo career, Chantal Francke stepped in as his replacement and RBO released a third album of new material titled Pourquoi chanter, which was propelled by the success of the singles "Bonjour La Police" and "I Want To Pogne" and was certified gold. RBO closed the curtain on their television career in 1990 following their appearance on the third and final Big Holiday Clearance and toasted their tenth anniversary the next year with the compilation album Anthologie du Plaisir, which brought together songs from various radio and television series. They spent the early 1990s lighting up the Canadian radio waves once again, specifically on the Radio-Mutuel network, and released two albums: Le Gros Cru (1992) and Le Gros Cru 2 (1993). The group halted their activity in 1995 after recording a series of television films grouped under the title Series B. The Sketches, a compilation marking their 20th anniversary, emerged in 2001. They later made their return to television during Radio-Canada's Bye Bye in 2006, 2007, and 2009 and also reunited for two shows in 2014 and 2015, as part of the Just for Laughs Festival.