Connexion - ST

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Pas besoin de personne	03:54
	2	Un employe	03:41
	3	Moi je crois en toi	03:52
	4	Tout cela pour nous	03:40
	5	Tu m'as eu	03:32
	6	Elle ne veut plus de moi	02:42

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	J'ai pas le temps	03:45
	2	Comprendre	05:44
	3	Fais-moi Sourire	03:25
	4	Le vieux du coin	04:50
	5	Faut pas lacher	02:33

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

Connexion were a Montréal, Quebec rock band whose brief recorded legacy captures a confident, transitional moment in mid-1970s francophone Canadian rock—when local bands were beginning to marry bar-honed musicianship with major-label production resources, without abandoning grit or identity.

The group had been active for several years before coming to wider attention, developing their sound in small clubs and cabarets around the Montréal metropolitan area. That period of relative obscurity ended when guitarist-turned-producer Dominique Sciscente encountered the band in a modest venue and immediately recognized its potential. Struck by the strength of the material and the chemistry of the lineup, Sciscente set aside his own performing career to focus on shaping and guiding Connexion, becoming the key catalyst behind their first—and ultimately only—album.

That debut, Connexion, was recorded in 1975 at RCA’s Montréal studios and released nationally by RCA Victor. The sessions placed the band in an unusually polished environment for a hard-driving French-language rock group, allowing their sound to be captured with clarity and weight. Guitarist Richard Vézina anchored the band’s instrumental approach with both electric and acoustic textures, while Emidio “Peanut” Verrillo handled guitar and lead vocals, delivering direct, expressive performances rooted in everyday language rather than theatrical affectation. The rhythm section of bassist Michel Barbier and drummer Salvatore “Toto” Sciortino provided a solid, assertive foundation, giving the album its sense of forward momentum and cohesion.

Stylistically, Connexion sits at the intersection of hard rock, blues-inflected rock, and emerging contemporary influences of the era. The band favored extended arrangements and deliberate pacing, allowing songs to unfold organically rather than conforming strictly to radio formulas. Lyrically, the material reflects personal resolve, social observation, and emotional directness—qualities that aligned Connexion with a younger generation of French-Canadian artists seeking authenticity over polish.

Although RCA supported the album with promotional singles and professional presentation, Connexion did not progress beyond this release. The band’s recorded output remains limited to the 1975 LP, yet that scarcity has only added to its reputation over time. Today, Connexion is regarded as a strong document of Québec’s mid-1970s rock underground—an album that reflects both the ambitions of its creators and a moment when francophone rock briefly stood shoulder to shoulder with its anglophone counterparts on major-label terms.
-Robert Williston

Musicians
Richard Vézina: solo guitar
Richard Vézina: acoustic guitar
Emidio “Peanut” Verrillo: guitar, vocals
Michel Barbier: bass
Salvatore “Toto” Sciortino: drums, percussion

Production
Arranged and produced by Dominique Sciscente
Engineered by John Jhondwatt Cul
Produced by Les Industries Carrousel Ltée
Recorded at RCA Studios, Montréal
Published by Les Industries Carrousel Ltée

Artwork
Photography by André Légaré
Cover design by Genesis Art & Les Créations
CLC Clac Design

Notes
Manufactured and distributed in Canada by RCA Limited, Record Division
101 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario

Liner notes
“Connexion,” which has existed for four years, evolved quietly in the shadows until Dominique Sciscente discovered them in a small, dusty cabaret in the metropolitan region. It was love at first sight for the producer. He abandoned his own concept and his career as a guitarist in order to devote himself entirely to the promising future of Connexion. Nothing more was needed to establish a true “connection” with the public.

This first record was recorded in RCA’s ultra-modern studios, and the company decided to take the group under its wing. Enriched by this experience, the musicians of Connexion recorded this debut album, whose sound reflects renewal and, within only a few months, brings them close to success. The members of the group openly align themselves with the young musical movement that reflects the confidence and assurance of the new generation of French-Canadian popular song.

— Monique Matho
Montréal-Matin

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