TISH! That's FRENCH! Vol. 3 - Songs En Francais!

TISH! That's French! Vol. 3

My unrelenting fascination with songs that contain passages in French, are entirely in French, or are covers of hit songs sung in French continues!

This third volume (through the fifth) contain a lot of suggestions from regular JOKONKY visitors/commenters, so thanks to everyone who suggested a track or a group (Merci pour le partage).  Bucephalus went as far as to generously send me tons of great stuff—but I haven’t sorted through it all yet—so they’ll probably start popping up in Volume 6. 

Psycho Killer is simply a great way to start off any comp, in my opinion, and right on Talking Heads’ heels are one of the groups that set my fixation in motion; Les Rita Mitsouko.  Another combo that really “set the hook” was Stereolab, with their briskly hypnotic Speedy Car.

One can always count on The Stranglers, & Debbie Harry to dabble in French.  Sunday Girl was on an earlier volume, & here she sets her sights on French Kissin' In The USA.  

There are lots of French artists on this installment, from Halo Maud (who has a LOT of aliases) to Serge Gainsbourg, and of course ye ye girls galore like France Gall, Sylvie Vartan, and the queen of them all Francoise Hardy.  

As suggested by a friend of the blog, Claude Francois' Comme D'Habitude makes an appearance--which I'm told is far superior to the Paul Anka-ized reworking that became one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs: My Way.  I'll have to take his word for it.  Just because I enjoy songs in French, doesn't mean I can understand what they're singing about.  I know what I like, but I don't know what I like.

I'm entranced by Anne Issermann's minimalistic rendition of Ca Plane Pour Moi--a song that pops up on most of the volumes.  I've embedded the video below.  It's her only video on YouTube, & I can't find anything more about her online, but she claims to be the king of the divan, & I believe her.

Sonny & Cher’s C’est La Vie might offend some people of French descent because of Sonny’s unimaginative stereotyping—but I feel like it was all in fun—& I loved the song as a kid (and I'm half French).  You couldn’t escape them for a few years in the seventies, & I didn’t want to.

Bringing it all home are The Beatles, who were the first artists I was aware of who recorded versions of their songs in other languages.  Here they stir some French, & German, into an run-through of Get Back.

 

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.

TISH! That's French! Vol. 1 - Songs With French Lyrics!

TISH!  That's French!  Vol. 1

My top ten film clips would have to include Jessica Pare singing Zoe Bisou Bisou to Jon Hamm in MAD MEN—which really put a pulse in my pants--& starts off this series.  But my love of French lyrics in pop songs started much earlier.  

I’m told Paul McCartney’s French isn’t so great in Michelle, but it's always worked for me.  I’ve also read that Nous Non Plus similarly specialize in singing in bastardized French, and their File Atomique is no exception.  But what do I know, really?  I took a year of French in high school, and the only thing I can say is “My car is blue & white”.

There were a lot of YE YE girls in pop in the sixties—none more lovely, or a more talented singer, than Francois Hardy.  A few of her contemporaries: France Gail, Jacqueline Taieb, & Sylvie Vartan make an appearance here.  Claudine Longet may be more famous for being convicted in the shooting of her boyfriend than her singing at this point—but she cut some great albums.  Sonny & Cher’s Sing C’est La Vie played a part in my fascination, as did Francis Lai’s big hit A Man & A Woman (both of which appear on later volumes).

In the late 80’s I was watching an episode of MTV’s 120 Minutes, and they aired the C’est Comme Ca video by Les Rita Mitsouko which blew me away and furthered my obsession with French lyrics.  It was a good thing I jotted down the name off the song & the artist so I could buy the album—because I never saw the video again (until the rise of YouTube).  If I hadn’t found the album, I’d have thought I dreamed it.  Hey, if Keith Richards can dream the riff to Satisfaction, I can dream up a video by a French pop duo.  

There isn’t much this duo did that isn’t dynamic, but C'est Comme Ca’s still my favorite track of theirs, and it’s included here.  Check out said video; which is like an episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse that’s spun out of control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ROtGdJi6zE

Maybe more than any other culture the French embraced recording versions of songs (that were hits in English) in their native tongue—and they generally did a better job of it than other countries.  Proof exists on Vol. 1 of TISH!  That's French! which contains frog-i-fied versions of Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby, Can't You See That She's Mine, Johnny B. Goode, Shakin’ All Over, and Be Bop A Lula.  Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks) and Les Chats Sauvages (The Wild Cats) are both magnifique!

The most famous example of recording artists laying down a track in another language may be The Beatles releasing She Loves You in German.  But on this installment pop stars Dusty Springfield and Avril Lavigne swing for the French fence, as does Laise who delivers a lovely version of Adele’s Someone Like You.

There’s usually a cheeky entry in my collections, and if you’re keeping track, this one has two.  Both the first appearance of Emerson, Lake & Palmer on JOKONKY, and The Three Degree’s number I’ve included have little more than the phrase C’est La Vie to recommend them.

If this sort of thing rocks your boat, Volume Two is already complete, and Volume Three has been started.  Please check back if you’ve enjoyed the maiden voyage!