TISH! That's FRENCH! - Gomez Addams' Babymaking Music

TISH! That’s FRENCH Volume 1 was well-received & readers suggested tons of great tracks for inclusion.  Volume 2 was already done, but reader’s suggestions will be incorporated in the next two entries in the series.

During my early obsession with songs with French lyrics BLONDIE’s French Version of Sunday Girl definitely supplied some wind for my sails.  I don’t think I realized ABBA recorded Waterloo in French until much later.  Nous Non Plus sing L'Amant in their traditional bastardized French, but I only know that from a review I read.  Being an average American, I’m barely unilingual.

This sort of undertaking wouldn’t be worth much if it didn’t include Plastic Bertrand’s Ça Plane Pour Moi—the second ever French language single in the Billboard Top 100 (where it peaked at number 47).  There’s a lot of controversy over whether or not Plastic Bertrand even sang on the track. Some say he didn’t show up to the recording studio on time, and the producer Lou Deprijck laid his vocal down over the existing track.  But, the song’s been covered many times, and in many ways.  Elton Motello released it as Jet Boy, Jet Girl which was later Captain Sensible’s first single (released during a Damned hiatus).

I’ve mentioned my nephew in regards to how he was instrumental in the evolution of my LOOSE! series.  But sharing music is never a one-way street. He turned me onto three great bands: Sigur Rós, Fountains Of Wayne, & Stereolab who supply Pop Quiz.  They’ll almost certainly be represented on every installment, as will Franciose Hardy—even her husband Jacques Dutronc makes an appearance on Volume 2.  

Other chanteuses include Sylvie Vartan, Lesley Gore, & Charlotte Leslie, who croons Les Filles C'est Fait.  She had a pre-fame release Tu es pris au piège under the pseudonym Catherine Alfa that’ll probably pop up on a future comp.  That’s not to say that all the French artists enclosed are from days gone by.  Les Negresses Vertes (which translates to “Green Black Girls”) recorded throughout the 90’s, and Juliette Armanet’s A La Folie is from 2017, as is Sara’h’s French language version of The Cranberries’ Zombie that’s a real treat.

French artists love recording English language hits in their love language. Probably the leading exporter of was “The French Elvis” Johnny Hallyday, who kicks ass like a six legged goat on his version of Chuck Berry’s Carol.  Other entries include the Eddy Mitchell vehicle Les Chaussettes Noires, Ronny Bird, & Les Lionceaux (The Lion Cubs).

After seeing Les Rita Mitsouko on MTV’s 120 Minutes, I grabbed everything I found by them. The last track on this edition; Marcia Balla is maybe my second-favorite song by them.