Lovely Salomé adds French vocals to a song by Vancouver neo-folkster Joshua Hyslop. On his album, one Anna Scouten is Joshua’s English duet partner. Switching between English and French duet partners is common practice for Canadian artists (I guess it has something to do with gaining radioplay this way), for instance, Simple Plan duetted with Natasha Bedingfield and Marie-Mai. It’s that stupid Jetlag song, by the way, so click at your own risk.
Sandra Nkake, the dark, Cameroon-born beauty with her deep voice, was featured before on this blog when she sang a terrific Georges Brassens cover on her first album. Alas, no French songs on her new one, but Nkake (who lives in Paris) did at some French touches to her songs. Listen to reggae-fied Rock You Well. You know that sample, don’t you? It’s from the Modulor Mix off of Air’s first EP, Premiers Symptomes (also a Serge Gainsbourg-track, the Air-guys are big SG-fans). That Air-song also had a sample, from Gil Scott-Heron’s We Almost Lost Detroit.
See Sandra Nkake’s new single here.
Sandra Nkake – Rock You Well
Air – Modulor Mix
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – We Almost Lost Detroit
On July 14th, I’m dj-ing in Maastricht (Holland), from 12-19h at the ‘plage’ of Café Sjiek, later on across the street in Café Forum, together with Pat le Ket and Mr Perry. See also this (Dutch) site.
If you have a Spotify account, and want to keep up with what’s new in French pop music, go HERE. This playlist features songs that were posted on this blog, plus songs that we could’ve posted but didn’t. Because we can’t post everything. It’s that simple.
A favourite past time is to follow the progress of supersweet singer Celine Mastrorelli. She first popped up on our rader in 2008. Every now and then, there’s a new song on her YouTube-channel. Tracks from her upcoming album Elle était une fois. Good songs, sexy songs, husky songs. With Gainsbourgian influences (I mean, watch this!) This week, Robe de Cocktail (video) is out as a single. FS-reader Gary (who keeps track of CM’s activities even more than I do) compared it to “early Loane”, which is apt. Album’s out 21 September. Something to look forward to. Very much. In the meantime, keep us up to date, Celine. Please.
Celine Mastrorelli – Robe de cocktail
They made just three (vinyl-)singles in the late 80s, they sounded like a French Propaganda, and they made a videoclip that’s unintentionally hilarious (this one). I do wonder if Jacques le Honsec can watch himself in that video without cringing, or using the facepalm. The story behind Gouts de Luxe (yep, two 7-inch singles from Patrick’s stash again, earlier postings here and here) is kinda funny as well: ‘Jacques Le Honsec’s employment in the record industry allowed him to meet producers in Paris. Thus, a contract was signed. But while recording the first single, “Les Yeux de Laura”, Jean-Éric Montfort was unable to record the parts played on guitar. A studio musician, Kamil Rustam, did it. As a result, Montfort decided to refuse promoting the single as he did not play on it and left the group. In the meantime, Marianna Kliska, who had married Jacques le Honsec, replaced the guitarist.” (From Wikipedia, obviously).
From the three singles, the first was a minor hit, the rest hardly dented the hitparade. They never found the success of, say, Niagara. GdL’s hard-driving Dans un autre pays is the best. High-energy, raucous, thunderous. Omaha Beach came with a cover of Visage’s Fade to Grey (probably ’cause the songs are very similar), you can hear/watch that here. If you have a good mp3 of the long version of Les yeux de Laura (remixed by Dimitri from Paris, apparently), please let me know! Got it!
Gouts de Luxe – Les yeux de Laura
Gouts de Luxe – Dans un autre pays
Gouts de Luxe – Omaha beach
EXTRA:
Gouts de Luxe – Les yeux de Laura (long version)
Tour de France started yesterday. Usually an opportunity to post a bicycle-mix on this blog (like we did here, and here). It’s a little different this year. If you’re Dutch, you might want to check out the 25 Bestest French Bicycle Songs that FransS and me chose for literary cycling magazine De Muur. Every day during this Tour, website Het is Koers will post one of the tracks. The Spotify-list that goes with it, is here. The pictures was taken from this page.
Another great track from the French 80s, taken from Patrick’s stash (who gave me a whole bunch of great French 80s singles, all sung by filles). Beautiful brunette Elisabeth Anaïs had a Lolita-voice, and wrote songs about great novels by great authors. She admired (or admires, for she is still alive) John Fante, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Rimbaud, and named herself after Henry Miller’s muse. She loved wordplay (one single was called ‘Canaille go with you’), so now wonder she worked with Serge Gainsbourg. She sang Mon père est catholique, apparently a very funny song. You can hear a snippet here , I haven’t been able to find the full track as an mp3. Some singles were released on cd, but they’re hard to find. Which is odd, for they were big hits, Anaïs was a juror in 2002 on French Popstars (a tv-talenthunt) and she sang duets with Sanseverino and a track for a movie. On Wikipedia is her most complete discography, even Bide et Musique is incomplete. See/hear tracks on Youtube here, here and here.
I ripped Toutes les mêmes from vinyl, love those breathy vocals, the funky bassline and those typical 80s soundeffects. Plus it’s a catchy song.
Elisabeth Anaïs – Toutes les mêmes
