Gibson Brothers
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"In 1978 the Gibson Brothers recorded "Cuba". The mix of disco beats, Latin percussion, soulful vocals and a catchy tune propelled the song to #1 in several countries. Like their other hits, it was written and produced by Daniel Vangarde and Jean Kluger, who also recorded hits by Ottawan, Sheila B. Devotion and others." --Sholem Stein |
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The Gibson Brothers are a France-based musical group, who had their greatest success during the disco boom of the late 1970s. Their best known hit singles included "Cuba" and "Que Sera Mi Vida".
They were managed and produced by Jean Kluger and Daniel Vangarde.
Career
The three brothers, Chris (born 20 June 1954), (lead vocals, percussion), Patrick (vocals, drums) and Alex (vocals, keyboards), were born in Lamentin Acajou on Martinique in the West Indies. They traveled to Paris, and formed the group Martinique Express, who appeared on French television alongside Guy Lux. They were seen by record producer Daniel Vangarde, who changed their name - originally Francfort - to become The Gibson Brothers.
They recorded their first single "Come to America" in Paris in 1976, and both it and its follow-up "Non Stop Dance" made the charts in Europe, where they toured successfully. The following year they released "Heaven", which was picked up by TK Records in the U.S.
In 1978 they recorded "Cuba". The mix of disco beats, Latin percussion, soulful vocals and a catchy tune propelled the song to #1 in several countries, and earned them four gold records worldwide. In the UK it made #41 on its initial release, and #12 when reissued in 1980. Like their other hits, it was written and produced by Vangarde, and the Belgian producer Jean Kluger. The Gibson Brothers had three further big hits in 1979 and 1980, "Ooh! What a Life", "Que Sera Mi Vida" (a Jean Kluger/Nelly Byl-penned song which sold over 5 million copies worldwide), and "Mariana". They continued to record and tour worldwide.
Patrick Francfort, known as Patrick Gibson, died on April 4, 2020, from the COVID-19 virus. He was in his sixties.
