Teasers

Websites:  https://citizenfreak.com/artists/104616-tzar
Origin: Orleans, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The Teasers were a New Wave–inspired rock band from Orléans, Ontario, formed in the late 1970s by the Tahan brothers — Frank, John, and Peter — together with drummer and longtime friend Guy Morin. The group was the direct predecessor to the melodic hard rock band Tzar, active between 1983 and 1986.

The Tahans grew up in a deeply musical household. Their parents, Henri and Christiane, fostered an open-door environment at their Queenswood Heights home in Orléans — equal parts family gathering place, rehearsal space, and neighborhood hangout. With guitars, a piano, and a steady soundtrack of Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Edith Piaf, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, the brothers began performing informally on their front lawn for friends and neighbors, setting the foundation for what would become their lifelong musical partnership.

After early experiments under the name Slyck, the brothers formed The Teasers, blending New Wave and melodic rock influences. Early lineups featured a rotation of local musicians, including cousin Gilbert Rostand on bass and high school friend Paul André Cyr on drums, before solidifying with Guy Morin behind the kit. In 1981, the group recorded a demo at 10th Line Productions Studio in Orléans with engineer Bill Griffiths, followed by their debut single “Love Me Like You Did Last Night” b/w “I Love You,” recorded at Studio Marc in East Ottawa’s industrial park.

The single received regional airplay, local television exposure, and led to performances at Ottawa and Carleton Universities, as well as a sold-out appearance at Hull’s Bob Guertin Arena opening for Harlequin. By 1983, the band had begun moving toward a heavier sound, and rebranded as Tzar.
-Robert Williston

Pete Tahan: vocals
John Tahan: guitar
Frank Tahan: guitar
Gilbert Rostand: bass
Guy Morlin: drums