Remember Mathilde Forget? Wrote about the Parisienne exactly one year ago. Her EP was a nice introduction, new single Les Détours is upping the ante a whole lot. Impressive.
50 French Songs You Need To Hear – The Alternative
So, Buzzfeed published a list (duh) lining up 50 French Songs You Need To Hear Before You Die (HERE). I agree with it to some extent; if you haven’t heard Brel’s Ne me quitte pas or Trenet’s La Mer, you really need some catching up. But Ophélie Winter? For Me…Formidable by Aznavour? Mireille Mathieu?! I think we can do better. So I’ve made a collaborative Spotify list, 50 French Songs You Need To Hear – The Alternative. You can add as well. If you don’t have Spotify, drop suggestions in the comments. Biolay, Dominique A, Frehel, Gillian Hills, Niagara, Air… please add!
Exciting new video by The Limiñanas
After a more than exciting gig (Thanks C.) by The Limiñanas at Ekko about two weeks ago, I bumped upon this – slightly NSFW – video. Enjoy.
Françoise 70 (16): Marianne Dissard sings Hardy
To end our series of Françoise Hardy-posts, to mark her 70th birthday, here’s a cover of Mon Amie La Rose, especially recorded for this blog by the charming Marianne Dissard. She translated the song herself, it’s Matt Mitchell on guitar and Pascal Parisot engineered. By the way, Marianne’s brand new album is highly recommended!
Marianne Dissard – Mon amie la rose/My friend the rose
Françoise 70 (15): Francoise au Pays-Bas
The television broadcast in which Françoise Hardy made her first appearance (well as far as we know) on Dutch television, has gained a mythical status.
Unfortunately not because of Françoise….
It was on October 12, 1963 when she received an Edison in Scheveningen. The television registration of this “Grand Gala du Disque” as it was called is still known in the minds of viewers (and those who only heard about it). That was mainly because of the presenter, writer and comedian Godfried Bomans. Not only did he look drunk (or at least tipsy), it was especially what he said to the award winners that made it legendary.
Especially the remark he made before the star of the evening Marlene Dietrich came on stage: “ Oh how I wish my wife had only one leg like that”. In the following days this became the talk of the town. People were talking about it, newspapers writing articles about what happened and even serious editorials comments appeared in the papers.
But what about Françoise?
I couldn’t find any references to whether she actually performed that night. Couldn’t find the complete show, and the papers don’t mention it, so I guess she only showed up to accept her award. I did find this picture in which she sings with the same dress, she wears in the show, but that was dated October 1964…
In his speech Bomans starts by staring at here saying: “my dad used to say that it is OK to stare”. Françoise seems to be at ease, and surprised but during the talk she seems pretty much a relaxed 19 year old girl.
After some chit chat about her name and the non pronunciation of the “H” in “Ardy, he gives her the Edison in the category youth, by saying: “And why, mademoiselle? Because you are an idol for the youth in France, but it is mainly because you had the courage not to imitate the Americans in your genre. You kept your original style; you write your own texts, compose your own melodies and you are a creative artist. That’s rare. It is for all that that I have the honour to present to you our sincere tribute”.
Here you can see the whole show (FH entering at 9:50)
Françoise is 70
Joyeux anniversaire, chère Françoise!