In the 60s, my brother Bob was the leader, guitarist and singer in a rock group with which I took my first steps as a musician at the age of 15. My brother liked Gerry and the Pacemakers so we were called Robbie and the Trendsetters, later on simply The
Trend. Even though my life went in different directions than that of my brother’s, we were always very close. Now, after all these years, we want to reconnect with the music of our youth and present you with some new recordings. Also in The Trend was guitarist Tom Butterworth, who lent us his Wendover studio to record my brother’s voice.

The 60s decade was a period of great and tumultuous socio-cultural changes and the new popular music was at the forefront of those changes. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance and breadth The Beatles had in the everyday lives of us all at that time. As the music of the Beatles matured from the innocence of their early years to the sophistication of their masterpieces, young people followed in their tracks and emerged as adults. Beatles music was part of the repertoire of many amateur groups like ours and we marvelled at their exotic chords and their inspired melodies.

I remember the morning of the 9th of December, 1980. I was driving to work when I heard on the radio that John Lennon had been assassinated in New York the previous evening. There is little to say about this senseless tragedy, just another chapter in the endless book of human folly.

In the following weeks, we will present you with a series of recordings of songs we like, some accompanied by guest musicians. Looking back, my brother and I both feel that the only place to start is with The Beatles and we’ve chosen “Across the Universe” from the eventful year of 1969 – it was the best of times (Woodstock), it was the worst of times (Charlie Manson). Firmly in the Beatles’ repertoire, the song will nevertheless always be associated with its author, John Lennon, the man who sings that nothing’s going to change his world, the man who really did change the world.

Bob & Richard

Here is our version of John Lennon’s classic “Across the Universe.”

Bob Séguin: voice

Richard Séguin: acoustic guitars, MIDI guitar (cellos, synthesizer), mandolin.

 
Across the Universe