Les Sauterelles(The Grasshoppers) were formed in Zurich, Switzerland in 1962 by Toni Vescoli and Françoise Garzoni, the two started as a cover band performing Shadows music. They cycled through many members, including Vescoli’s sister; Vera at one point. Garzoni soon left as well.
They eventually played their first professional show in January 1964 and held a steady slot at a club in Zurich known as “Bagatelle” which earned them enough momentum and a following to record their first single “Hong Kong” quickly selling out within a half hour and staying at the top of the Swiss Hitparade.
Finally securing a steady lineup of: Toni Vescoli(rhythm guitar/vocals), Rolf Atner(lead guitar/vocals), Heinz Ernst(bass/vocals) and Kurt Dürst(drums/vocals)
The band was able to record this full length album as their debut in 1966 on Columbia Records. By this point, like many other bands at this time, their Beatles influence was really shining through. Many have sited Les Sauterelles as being the closest Beat group to sounding like The Beatles.
The band released a subsequent album in July 1968 in a much more Psychedelic vein borrowing heavily from the U.K. Psychedelic scene titled: “View To Heaven” the original album featured a full length poster of the band and was released on the Blick label. This album did gain the band a small amount of success throughout the world. However, the hectic tour schedule of 300 shows per year had a profound effect on Durst and Antener causing them to quit. Leaving Vescoli on his own, therefore ending the initial career of Les Sauterelles.
Vescoli did try to reform another version of the group in 1968 under a different name. The new and “improved” version of the band proved to be a failure in Switzerland and never reached the same success as the original incarnation.
Since 1971, Vescoli has released numerous solo albums and is still active in the Swiss music scene today with another reformed version of Les Sauterelles featuring Durst on drums again, usually playing local Beatles festivals and Oldies festivals in Switzerland.
The 1968 single titled “Dream Machine” was featured on a few Psychedelic Rock compilations and was a hit in Switzerland. However, Les Sauterelles as a whole have not achieved the level of success they deserved.
If you enjoyed the album, these are the following copies available:
