Information/Write-up
In the summer of 1976, as Montréal prepared to host the Olympic Games, a curious 45 appeared on the local Magali label. Credited to Emilhenco Pop, the single paired “Québec 2000” with “Olympique 76,” two fiery instrumental tracks that sounded more like the soundtrack to a sports documentary than a conventional pop release. Built on fuzz guitar, brass, and funky rhythm breaks, the record carried the unmistakable stamp of French library and jazz-funk styles then popular among cineastes and DJs, yet it was a uniquely Québécois artifact, released only in Canada during the Olympic year.
The project was a collaboration between Jean-Bernard Raiteux, the French composer behind the cult group Harlem Pop Trotters, and Emilhenco, a singer from France who had previously issued a string of modest 1960s singles and EPs in Europe. For this one-off Canadian venture, the pair operated under the banner Emilhenco Pop. Raiteux, known for his library music output (Musique pour l’image No. 39) and a knack for cinematic grooves, brought the same sensibility here. “Québec 2000” opens with fuzz-drenched guitar before launching into a soaring, almost psychedelic jam that seems tailor-made for slow-motion footage of Olympic athletes. The B-side, “Olympique 76,” eases into brass-driven funk, accented by piccolo flute and tight grooves—less bombastic but equally evocative.
Although no documentation has surfaced to confirm whether the single was officially tied to the Games, its timing and thematic titles strongly suggest an intended Olympic connection. Other Montreal artists, including René Simard and Serge Laprade, attempted official Olympic songs that year, but Québec 2000 and Olympique 76 remained an underground response—music as explosive and cinematic as the Games themselves.
Released on Magali MAG 7025, the disc is extremely rare today, with no evidence of reissue or compilation appearances. To collectors of Canadian funk and rare library-style 45s, it stands as an obscure but electrifying curiosity: a French-Canadian cross-Atlantic collaboration that briefly captured the Olympic spirit in a haze of funk, soul, and rock energy.
-Robert Williston
Emilhenco: composition, concept
Jean-Bernard Raiteux: composition, arrangements (likely keyboards, production guidance)
Jacky Devenais: composition (Olympique 76)
Uncredited session musicians: fuzz guitar, brass, piccolo flute, bass, drums
Written by Emilhenco, J. Raiteux (Quebec 2000); and Emilhenco, Jacky Devenais (Olympique 76)
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