Miller, Carlyle - We Are All Heroes (Cogne et Gagne)

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	We Are All Heroes (Cogne et Gagne)	04:12

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	We Are All Heroes (Instrumental)	04:08

Photos

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Information/Write-up

Carlyle Miller emerged in the early 1970s as one of Montréal’s most soulful and versatile musicians, a singer and woodwinds player whose career bridged the city’s prog-fusion underground, its modern soul scene, and the high-gloss disco boom that followed. Born and raised in Québec, Miller first came to prominence with Contraction, the adventurous progressive ensemble tied closely to Frank Zappa alumnus Christian St. Roch. On the group’s seminal early recordings, he brought an unmistakable colour to their sound through electric saxophone, flute, and vocal-flute arrangements—textures that helped define the band’s mix of jazz, rock, and Francophone art-song. Contraction’s constantly shifting lineup often blurred the lines between rock band and chamber ensemble, and Miller stood out as one of the few players who could deliver both improvisational firepower and carefully sculpted melodic parts.

It was this same hybrid talent that led him naturally into the orbit of the Ville Émard Blues Band, the sprawling Montréal collective whose dozens of members represented the city’s most accomplished pool of jazz, soul, and rock players. Within VEBB’s horn section, Miller handled alto saxophone, flute, flugelhorn, and vocals, contributing to their celebrated live recordings from 1973 to 1975—performances that demonstrated the group’s ability to move from deep funk to orchestrated jazz-rock within a single piece. His tone, phrasing, and sense of timing placed him among the ensemble’s most expressive players, helping VEBB become one of the defining forces of Québec’s progressive era.

By the mid-1970s, Miller shifted into a more contemporary soul direction as Montréal’s R&B and AOR scenes matured. Working with the W.A.M. Music Corporation, he recorded a remarkable run of modern soul singles that showcased his warm, resonant voice and a sophisticated, radio-ready production style. “Get Back on the Right Track (With You),” “I’m Not a Fool to Love You,” and “Anyone Who Wants (Can Play With My Heart)” all appeared between 1976 and 1978, each release reflecting the growing influence of American smooth soul and the lush arrangements favoured by Montréal producers of the period. His 1977 single “Put Your Hand on My Heart,” produced by Leon Aronson, became his best-known solo release and remains a sought-after 45 for collectors worldwide.

Around the same time, Miller also became a reliable and in-demand studio vocalist and horn player, contributing to Montréal’s thriving disco infrastructure. His most visible work from this era came with Gino Soccio, the internationally successful producer behind hits such as “Try It Out” and “Dancer.” Miller’s backing-vocal contributions to Soccio’s 1981 Atlantic Records album Closer helped situate him within the elite corps of local session singers who powered the city’s disco and boogie recordings at the dawn of the 1980s. His ability to move fluidly between lead vocals, backing harmonies, and brass section work made him invaluable in an environment where efficiency and musical precision were paramount.

In 1981 he stepped out front again for a full-length studio album, Paul McCartney’s Medley (As Sung by Carlyle Miller with Mirrors of Genius), released by Pro-Culture/Trans-Canada. The project was an ambitious, studio-crafted tribute conceived by Michel Brouillette, and it allowed Miller to reinterpret McCartney’s melodic catalogue through his own soulful phrasing and the polished sheen of early-1980s Montréal production. The album generated a promotional 7-inch of the medley, further broadening his reach at a time when tribute projects were becoming increasingly popular in the Canadian market.

Miller’s later success arrived unexpectedly in the world of television drama, where his stirring performance of “We Are All Heroes” became the theme song for the wildly popular Québec hockey series Lance et compte. Released first in 1986 on a split 7-inch with Nathalie Carsen and then in 1987 as a standalone French-market single under the title “Cogne et gagne,” the track captured the emotional tone of the series and introduced his voice to a new, province-wide audience. The song’s anthemic quality and Miller’s passionate delivery ensure it remains one of the most memorable Québec TV themes of the decade.
-Robert Williston

Written and produced by Guy Trépanier, Normand Dubé

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