Space , formally Didier Marouani & Space , are a French electronic music band from the city of Marseille active from 1977 through 1980 and returning with on-stage remake performances since 1992. They are considered one of the most notable artists of the short-lived space disco music scene, and early pioneers of notable post-disco subgenres of electronica.

Instant success and breakup

Space was founded in 1977 by Didier Marouani (also known as Ecama), Roland Romanelli, and Jannick Top. The first three albums — Magic Fly, Deliverance and Just Blue — were an immediate success (they sold over 12 million records all over the world). The album Magic Fly, which is widely considered to be their best work, was released in audio cd in 2001, 24 years after its original release. Although Didier Marouani left the band in 1979, the other two members Roland Romanelli and Jannick Top released in 1980 the album Deeper Zone under the name of Space. Then Space officially split up in 1981.

In early 1980s Marouani, with Janny Loseth of Titanic as lead vocalist, continued to perform and record under the titles of Didier Marouani & Space, and Paris-France-Transit due to release lawsuits.

The return of "spAce" and beyond

The name "spAce" was legally re-acquired after some artistic copyright disputes around 1990, allowing musicians to re-release classic albums and give a European live cover tour in 1993. Symphonic Space Dream was produced with collaboration from the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, the S Club Juniors made a remix to their single New Direction featuring the backing track of Magic Fly. The band's hit "Magic Fly" as well as many other songs from the self-named album were remixed in 2003 by the Belgian dance music project Minimalistix. In 2004, their hit deliverance was sampled in De La Soul's single Rock Co.Kane Flow featuring MF DOOM. In 2007, it was retaken to feature in its entirety in Talib Kweli's two-piece composition Hostile Gospel (Deliver Us). 2010 saw the release of Space's latest album: From Earth To Mars. It was the fist reunion of Marouani and Top in over twenty years. The last track of this album, Message of Peace From Earth To Mars, features recorded samples of 1961 Yuri Gagarin's journey into space and is itself a tribute to fifty years of human space exploration.

Albums

Magic Fly (1977)

Deliverance (1977)

Just Blue (1978)

Deeper Zone (1980)

The Best of Space (1981)

Paris France Transit (1982)

Concerts en URSS (1983)

Space Opera (1987)

Space Magic Concerts (1994)

Symphonic Space Dream (2002)

From Earth to Mars (2010)

Singles

"Magic Fly" (September 1977 / Pye International) UK #2, IRE #3, NL #20

"Tango in Space" (1977)

"Running in the City" (1978)

"Prison" (1978)

"Just Blue" (1979)

"Save Your Love for Me" (1979) U.S. Club Play #73

"On the Air" (1980)

"Tender Force" (1980)