Jacno

Tributes Continue

Posted on 27/07/2011
/Under Musique

It’s de rigueur nowadays: You are not an artist if there’s no tribute album made for you. In recent months we saw a Jacno tribute, a Boby Lapointe tribute and a tribute to Bashung. And now there is a Maxim Le Forestier tribute album, called “La Maison Bleue”. Le Forestier never gained popularity outside France (as far as I know), but in France he is respected for his chansons for almost 40 years. In 1971 he spent some time in the hippie scene of San Francisco, writing a song about it with the same name, but everyone knows it as “La Maison Bleue“. So that explains the title of this tribute, with only tracks of Le Forestier’s debut album from 1972, “Mon Frère”.
It includes reprises by Salvatore Adamo and Calogero, Filles Sourires-fans should rejoice over contributions by Daphné and Emily Loizeau. But for the Filles Sourires I choose a song by our beloved La Fiancée.

La Fiancée – La Rouille
Maxime Le Forestier – La Rouille

Erika Spring

Posted on 11/07/2011
/Under Musique

Erika Spring (Erika Forster-Spring, apparently) is one-third of Au Revoir Simone. For Jacno Future, a tribute to the late and great Jacno, she and Devonte Hynes (Lightspeed Champion) recorded a version of the Elli & Jacno song Les nuits de la pleine lune from 1984. Together with a remixed version of Etienne Daho’s Amoureux Solitaire-cover and Arthur H & Neïmo’s Libellule dans un rectangle, Erika’s version is one of the extra tracks on a special edition of Jacno Future. Gawd, how I hate those extra-tracks-editions, especially when they’re released a few weeks after the non-bonus edition. Vintage old major record company thinking. Anyhoo, on the web, everything is to be found. As far as I know, this is the first time Erika sang in French. Not really sure, but I think I’ve read somewhere that she was born in Zürich. Figures.
Oh, and the original song is of course from the Eric Rohmer film of the same name.

Erika Spring & Devonte Hynes – Les nuits de la pleine lune
Elli & Jacno – Les nuits de la pleine lune

Oh La La!

Posted on 05/05/2011
/Under Musique

I’m surprised Oh La La! is the first French band (former A.S. Dragon-singer Natasha Le Jeune, Clément Fonio and Antoine Boistelle) to actually name themselves after one of France’s best known catchphrases. I’m not surprised professional weirdo Philippe Katerine pops up on the OLL!-album, for a duet. Their music is an update of A.S. Dragon and Elli & Jacno/Catherine Ringer & Fred ChinChin-styled new wave-pop, with electronic touches, heavy bass and sometimes lyrics in English. Single Oser has a great video (see here, and while you’re at it, see a riotious RUN-DMC cover here), but I’m more in favour of the RitaMitsouko-fied Nu Dans Ton Jeans. This waaaaaaay better than the disappointing solo-effort by Catherine Ringer. As Natasha stated on my Facebook, Catherine without Fred is like Serge without Jane. Sad, but true.

~~Oh La La! – Nu dans ton jeans~~

Posted on 18/03/2011
/Under Musique

Etienne Daho is one of the impressive list of French performers who are paying tribute to Denis Quilliard, best known to the world als Jacno. Once part of the Stinky Toys, later Elli & Jacno and writer of several French classics like Amoureux Solitaires and Je t’aime tant. The album is called Jacno Future, it will be released June 6 and sports covers by Daho, Thomas Dutronc, Dominique A, Miossec and Stereo Total, among others. The first single is Amoureux Solitaires, a duet between Daho and Calypso Valois, Jacno’s daughter. Who made her recording debut last year on an EP by Alexandre Chatelard, who sounds a lot like Daho and Jacno. With added Gainsbourg and Francis Lai-touches. Ssso seductive.

Listen to a remix van Daho and Valois’ version of Amoureux Solitaire HERE. See the video HERE.

~~Alexandre Chatelard & Calypso Valois – Reconstitution~~

Carly Sings (Elli & Jacno)

Posted on 07/10/2010
/Under Musique

Everytime I see pictures of Carly Blackman (aka Carly Sings), I think: girl, interrupted. She’s gorgeous, but in a fatalistic way. She exploits this quality in her slightly disturbing songs. That breathy voice, described before as a cross between El Perro del Mar and Inara George, makes the picture perfect, but with sharp edges. Carly was born in Ireland, went to school in Lyon and works from Paris, she writes songs in English and French. And sings the latter with a sensual, Blossom Dearie-like accent. She discovered the work of Elli & Jacno last november, she told me in an email, and decided to record the happy/sad Je t’aime tant (see video here). A new album is coming up, and should include songs arranged by J-C Vannier. A new song is out now, see the very beautiful video here. There will be French songs on that new album as well.

Carly Sings – Je t’aime tant
Elli & Jacno – Je t’aime tant