Les Sultans

My closest friends in high school are Sandra and Lydia, though there are others I spend time with. Ann Vickers is outside this orbit. She is in the "other" Grade Ten class, (We are divided alphabetically), and has different interests than I do. She excels in Algebra and Physics. I concentrate on History, French and English. Still, I like her. She is personable and interesting. One day she tells me about a new group she has begun to go and listen to called, "Les Sultans" - a French "garage band" out of Ste Hyacinthe. Will I go with her to see them perform? Apparently, she has been several times already to their venues - gyms, teen-type clubs all over the Montreal south shore area...I rarely do things like this. I go to the odd high school dance, with other girls, spend time visiting in homes, and occasionally walk across the Richelieu River via the train bridge - something none of our parents know of - to get ice cream at Dairy Queen, but this is about the extent of my social life. Much of my time on the weekends is spent babysitting and preparing to teach Sunday School at our local Anglican church...

Mom and Dad have no problem with my going to hear the group. Dad, as always, is willing to drive us...so on Friday evening I am in Beloeil with Ann. Onto the stage comes this group of five young French Canadian men - Ghislain, Denis, Claude, Pierre, and...Bruce? Yes, Bruce...the lead singer is Bruce - funny! Ann is a Ghislain fan. I quickly determine that I vote for Denis. We stand in front of the stage and watch our heroes perform. They sing some original songs and adaptations of current pop music from the US...Their signature song is "La Poupee Qui Fait Non":

C'est une poupee qui fait non, non, non, non
Toute la journee elle fait non,non, non, non
Elle est, elle est vraiment jolie - e-e-e-e-e
Quand je reve la nuit - e-e-e-e-e

And so on...Fun for a fifteen-year old to listen to...

Than comes a break - and - Denis puts his arm around a beautiful long-haired girl waiting for him....Sigh....Oh, well,...I never wanted to marry a French Canadian anyway...The princess dreams are quickly shattered, but I enjoy the rest of the evening and do become a LEs Sultans fan...

Go to You Tube, type in Les Sultans and the first hit you get will be "La Poupee" - see what your mother did with her time many years ago...