Thelonious Monk Trio - "Bemsha Swing" Vinyl, 7", EP, 45 RPM, France, 1960 (Barclay)

I found this slightly battered copy of this French 7" EP at Rockaway Records this evening.   These are four songs that were selected from his 1952 recording with the great drummer Max Roach and bassist Gary Mapp.   This is 7" of magic.  Offhand, I'm having dirty sexual thoughts tying this, but alas, I'm talking about the aural pleasure that comes with the name Thelonious Monk.  

There are four songs on this EP, and they are "Bemsha Swing," Reflections" and then go to side two, for "Trinkle Tinkle" and classic beautiful "These Foolish Things" written by Strackey and Link.  Monk wrote the other three and they are brilliant.   There are three great pianists that I'm aware of, one is Glenn Gould, the other is Ron Mael from Sparks, and then there is Monk.   This is an artist who sees music as a piece of sculpture, and what he does is gently trace the melody as if it was on thin rice paper.   I never heard another pianist who had this approach to melody and treating it like a beautiful lover.   

I'm imaging that this EP was once owned by someone like Juliette Gréco, who played it while drinking wine in a juice glass and looking outside her window and watching the leaves fall from trees.  I imagine a lot of things, but I always have a soundtrack to my fantasies.  Here's one of many. 

Vince Taylor and his Playboys - "Le Rock C'est Ca! Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2015 (Rumble Records)

All serious students of David Bowie know that Vince Taylor had a role in Ziggy Stardust mythology. Vince was an American who moved to England at a young age, became a rock n' roller before the Fab Four hit the radio waves.  Eventually, he became a mega-star in France and had a series of hit songs/EPs.  He also went insane for a while, which at this point, David Bowie met him somewhere in London, and Vince went off about God, and therefore the long link from religion to rocking.  More than his music, Vince Taylor had a strong visual image that was extreme and highly sexual.  Watching old film clips of Vince and band on YouTube, is a combination of a Kenneth Anger film and a visual interpretation of the entrance of hell, through a rock n' roll performance.  Clad in black leather and heavy chains around his neck, Vince even outdid Elvis with his hips, which seems to be more made out of flexible rubber than bone. 

To be honest, his actual singing is just average, but the whole package is the real deal, the real art.  Vince Taylor and the Playboys are a combination of classic Gene Vincent and genius Eddie Cochran. The 18 songs on "Le Rock C'est Ca!" is a snapshot of how a French sensibility eroticizes the rock n' roll imagery.  Mostly a collection of French EP's released in the early 1960s, this is music that will go will with the photographs of Swiss photographer Karlheinz Weinberger, another European sensibility who understood the visual and erotic power of rock n' roll. Musically not as important as Gene Vincent, but visually and presence:  Essential rock n' roll.  

Michel Polnareff - "Âme Caline" EP, Vinyl, 7" 45 RPM, France, 1967 (Disc'Az)

If Lou Christie was French.  This perfect French pop EP is Michel Poinareff at his height, creatively speaking.  Polnareff has the tendency to go over-the-top, in that I suspect his life was one of the great lows and intense highs.  "Ame Caline", the opening song of this EP, is a piano ballad, but sweeping strings, and Polnareff's Lou Christie-like high voice coming in, as a wave hits the beach.  Compared to other French pop at the time there is a bite and a greater music scope or landscape in his work.  A lot of his early work is an odd combination of garage rock meets grandeur arrangements.  "Le Roi des Fourmis" has a lot of percussion, a prominent organ, and is beautifully arranged into a wall of sound.  

Beside this EP, I have a greatest hits collection that I purchased in Fukuoka Japan.  Again, it's not hard to locate Polareff in Japan, it seems he's a well-known figure there compared to the United States, which is not the easiest place to find his recordings (although, not impossible).   Since I don't read French, I'm sure there's information about him that is missed between the languages.  Still, I suspect that he's a very unique figure in the French pop world.  He writes his material, and I sense no one controls his output except himself.  

There are four songs on this EP, besides the two mentioned already there's "Fat Madame" sung in English and co-written by Ray Singer, who worked with the British band Nirvana.  An excellent track which weirdly reminds me of Cockney Rebel.  Or if Steve Harley meets Peter Noone of Herman Hermits fame.  The last track "Le Saule Pleureur" is a sonic soup of various ingredients.  A mixture of flute, unique backup vocal, - in 1967, it was a great year for experimentation in the pop format, and I think Polnareff was very much part of that world. 

Chantal Goya - "Masculin Féminin" CD, EP, French, OST, 1966/2006 (Magic Records)

It's funny that I can recall the day when I found a CD version of the OST EP of Jean-Luc Godard's "Masculin Feminin."  I was shopping in Tower Shinjuku Tokyo and was with a friend, and bingo, this came out of nowhere.  I bought a copy for a friend who was taking me around Tokyo that day, and one for myself.   As an artifact, it's priceless, as art, it's not bad.  What makes it great is that it's the soundtrack to Godard's great film.   In essence, one feels that they own something that is from ground zero on the planet French New Wave.  

Originally the "Masculin Feminin" was released as a 7" EP in 1966.   It has six songs on it, which is unusual because most French 7" EP's had only four songs.  Nevertheless, this is a compact pop history that is even hard for me to write about with respect if it's good or not.   The last three songs (on vinyl, side two) are superb and iconic Yé-Yé recordings.  The first three is good, but for me, it's side two that kicks butt.   

On the other hand, compared to artists like France Gall and of course Hardy, she doesn't come close to their greatness.  Still, this being connected to such a perfection that is Godard's work, it's a must for anyone who has the Jean-Luc bug.   Very difficult to find in any format at the moment.  The French label Sam Records has put out a lot of fascinating (CD) reissues from the 1960s, including British artists as well as French, of course.   They do great packaging as well as preserving essential music that may have fallen through the cracks of time. 

Sacha Distel - "La La Song" 7" 45rpm EP, French, 1964 (RCA)

The Last of the International Playboys, if that were a social club, then surely French singer/guitarist Sacha Distel would have been a member.   I discovered him through my obsession with the world that surrounded Boris Vian, the author I published with my press TamTam Books.  Distel was a guy who was in the right place, Paris, and to be specific, at the Saint-Germain des Prés nightclubs and had an obsession with be-bop jazz.   Studied under and pal with the great Henri Salvador, Distel played guitar with artists like The Modern Jazz Quartet, Dizzy Gillespie, as well as with top French jazz musicians.  In the late 1950s, he became internationally famous for being Brigitte Bardot's lover, which in turn introduced himself into a favourite vocalist.

When I think of Sacha Distel, it is in two separate compartments.  One as a massive French pop singer star, and the other as a great jazz guitarist.  Rarely did the two forms of music met on his recordings.  For the casual fan, he is probably thought of as an entertainer who sings.   It's much harder to locate his work on vinyl/CD of his Jazz-leaning guitar work.  I went to Amoeba yesterday and found this French issued 7" EP, of Sacha singing  "La La Song," which is not fantastic, but nevertheless a good French pop song.  The other three songs on the EP are based on Amerian songs with French lyrics written by Maurice Tézé, who worked a lot as a lyricist with Distel.   The best song on this EP is J'aimerais Être Là (I Wanna Be Around) which is based on a Johnny Mercer tune.   The real stars of these recordings are the arrangers.  Three songs are arranged by the Boris Vian/Serge Gainsbourg associate Alain Gorgaguer (as well as doing the futuristic soundtrack to the animated "La Planète Sauvage) and Michel Colombier, another artist who worked with Gainsbourg.  For those in the know, when you see those names attached to a recording, it is usually a good sign that they're good. 

Franck Barcellini & Alain Romans - "Bande Originale du film de Jacques Tati "Mon Oncle"" Vinyl, 7" EP, France, 1958 (Fontana)

It took me forever but I eventually found a copy of this French EP in Shinjuku Tokyo.  And in good shape!  I already have the music on a long player vinyl that focuses on all of Jacques Tati's soundtracks.  But this one is special, and not only due to the great front cover to this 7".   Boris Vian wrote the liner notes when he was working for the record label.  I never had it translated it into English, but since I'm a Vian freak, I just had to have this copy in my collection. 

The music, of course, is light. It fits in perfectly with the world of Tati and the planet that he lived on which I think is Tati-Land.  Or that should be the name of this planet Earth.  Tati had the ability to understand the nature of the industrial overtures in Europe, especially in France, and his witty commentary on modernism is both profound and of course, hysterical.  But if you dig deeper you can tell Tati had a real hatred or at the very least, a deep suspicion of the modern world.  

I know nothing of the two composers who wrote the soundtrack and researching them online in English comes with very little information.  Nevertheless, once you hear the music, it becomes the natural (almost organic) sounds of Tati and of course, Tati-Land. 

Françoise Hardy - "J'Suis D'Accord"/"Tous Les Garçons et les Filles" Vinyl, 7" EP 45RPM (Disques Vogue)

A very early 1962 recording by Fançoise Hardy.  With that voice, her looks and songwriting talent, how can she possibly go wrong, except the one route to Icon Artist.   I love these recordings because, in their way, they're very raw.   "Oh Oh Cheri" is based on a song by a rockabilly singer Bobby Lee Trammell, which is interesting, because it shows how the French music industry takes something so American and somehow can find French aesthetic or taste in that material.  

For me, "Tous Les Garçons et Les Filles" is classic Hardy.  A beautiful melody but with some sort of pathos involved.   What is unique about Hardy is that she can distance herself from the songs, and in a sense, it's like repeating a joke you hear, but maybe you add your own twist to that narrative.  When Hardy sings her own writing or cover, it is always a Françoise Hardy record.   There is nothing cookie-cutter factory about her.  One of the chief reasons why she stands out among the other Yé-Yé singers of her time and country.   A superb E.P.  I also love the cover of this 7" because it's very toned down and in one's face.  A lack of graphics that makes it more real.  In fact, her portrait here reminds me of an official high school photo of a student.  

Tracklist Hide Credits

A1	Oh Oh Chéri Written-By – Trammel*, Jil Et Jan	2:20
A2	Il Est Parti Un Jour Written-By – Hardy*, Samyn*	1:47
B1	J'Suis D'Accord Written-By – Hardy*, Samyn*	2:00
B2	Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles Written-By – Hardy*, Samyn*

Evariste - "Do You Know The Beast?" LP, Vinyl 45 rpm, Limited Edition (Nosmoke)

I discovered Evariste's music either on YouTube (still there, look) or on someone's website.  My first reaction to this French Ye-Ye singer was 'oh a Jacques Dutronc" type.  Very little information on Evariste in  English.  For one, he's a Ph.D. doctorate in theoretical physics, at the age of 23, and was very much swept up in the May 68 Paris world of politics.  His hairstyle was extreme with one side short and the other very long.   And watching the promotional films he made in 1968 struck me as eccentric.  And that may all be the case, but also his music is great.  

Michel Colombier did the production and musical arrangements, and this is his best work.  That's saying a lot considering Colombier's work with the great Serge Gainsbourg and others, but here his arrangments are out-of-this-world.  Evariste's songs are over-the-top, and his vocal mannerisms are humorous, but re-listening to his work on vinyl  I now find it fascinating.  There is almost a musique concrete aspect to his vocals, in that he uses different tones, voices, and Colombier seemed to have an endless amount of impressions done musically to fit with the songs as well as the character of Evariste. 

The scientist aspect of his work is alluring and very much part of the image of Evariste.  His real name is Joel Sternheimer, and he took the name from Évariste Galois, a brilliant mathematician, who was able to determine a condition for a polynomial math problem when he was a teenager in 1829.   Galois was killed in a dual when he was 20.   The James Dean of Science!

Hearing Evariste's recordings on vinyl is like being in the country air for the first time after being locked up in a smokey room.  This 45 rpm master of 10 songs by Evariste, who only released two French EP's (four songs each) and one 45 rpm single (two songs) is the complete works.  Beautifully arranged and recorded, Evariste needs to be heard in its proper format.  The videos are great as well.  

Evariste, December 2012, photo by David Tinkham

Françoise Hardy - "C'est a l'amour auquel je pense"/"Ca a Rate"/Le Temps de L'Amour"/J'ai jeté mon coeur" (Disques Vogue) EP, 7" 45RPM, 1962

Is there a more perfect recording than "Le Temps de l'Amour?"   I suspect the hand of Jacques Dutronc is part of the songwriting, but it's the Hardy magic that makes it work.  Her iconic coolness slips off the vinyl and she is a unique artist in the French pop music world.  Since I don't understand the French language, her approach to her singing is a mystery to me.  The four song EP is a perfect format, and I'm sorry that it doesn't really exist anymore as an art form for recording artists.  The French seemed to have a thing for that format in the early 1960s.  Hardy had released a lot of her great material as an EP, and it's like a brief time with a great lover.

"Le Temps de l'Amour" and the three other songs on this EP are exceptional.  It's like a well-balanced meal and I'm fully satisfied as a listener.  The orchestration behind her is just guitar, percussion and perhaps an electric bass - it's very simple sound, but it's all there to support her voice. French pop music of this time, like France Gall, is an aural sculpture to me.  I feel I can walk through the sounds and look at it from a distance. 

Jean Dubuffet - "Expériences Musicales 1961" Vinyl (Jeanne Dielman)

I just finished reading a David Toop book called "Into the Maelstrom," regarding the history of improvisational music.  Toop listed two categories: those who are master of their instruments or the very least have a concept to go on as their platform to do such music, and there's the artist Jean Dubuffet.   Who is like a child, and more likely goes with the first thought is the best thought school in music (sound) making.  His "Expériences Musicales 1961" was originally released as four 10" albums in 1961.  With the assistance of the great Asgar Jorn (founder of COBRA and an early member of The Sitauationsts), he made these incredibly charming, yet at times horrifying sounds by using obscure string, percussion, and wind instruments, with the addition of piano.  Mostly instruments that came from the shop of Boris Vian's brother, Alain.  It seemed his shop specialized in instruments from all over the world. 

Both Dubuffet and Jorn were fascinated with the art of the outsider.  Meaning those who made art that is not part of the art academy or schooling.  A lot of the art was produced in various hospitals, and some were made by children.  Dubuffet had a term 'art brut' meaning "raw art."  Musically speaking, Dubuffet and Jorn's work has a mixture of vocal work from the Letterists, as well as at times sounding very African or Moroccan sounding.   Also I suspect that their use of the tape machine was not only to record their music, but is also an additional instrument, among the others. 

Easy listening it ain't.  Still, if you allow yourself be pulled in Dubuffet's world, it's incredibly pleasing aural experience.    For those who are conducting an inquiry into the sounds of the 20th century avant-garde, "Expériences Musicales 1961 is a must. 

Antoine - "un éléphant me regard" EP

Antoine starts off Donovan and goes into Jacques Dutronc land.   So if one looks at his career he went folk to garage rock to psych-garage rock.  And I don’t know what he did in the 1970s but I find his later 60s work really interesting.  “un éléphant me regard” is kind of wacko.  But I like the slowly built up “qu’est-ce que je foes ici” which has sort of an Animals drive.  For those who like their folk music in French with some 60's poison. 

Antoine - "Lolita Lolita" EP

Antoine - Lolita Lolita EP

Download, 1967

Vogue Records

Antoine is hardcore French folk-pop.  The Donovan affect is so strong in his music.  It is almost if you can't get enough of Donovan’s music, then thank god for Antoine.  Like all great folk songs “Madame Laure Messenger, Claude, Jermie et L’Existence de dieu” borrows from the melody of “Hey Joe” but done in a snappy jazzy way - its a great cut.   On this four-song EP, besides the track mentioned, has a big production or big band sound.  He’s an artist who serves his songs with whatever it needs.  My question is, was there any bad songs put out in 1967?

Antoine - "La Guerre" EP

Antoine - La Guerre EP

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Vogue Records

The garage French rock version of classic Donovan.  “La Guerre”  I am going to have to presume that this is either an anti-war song, more likely about Vietnam, which makes it very May 68.  I like his voice, his music, well, everything. “Ne t'en fais pas pour cela, ils revent” (Don’t Worry About, They’re Dreaming) is Bob Dylan if he landed on St Michel sidewalk.  It even has that Al Kooper organ sound.  The beauty of the EP format is that the music, the image, the whole package is compact.   Like a full album, the EP works it magic the same way.  

Antoine - "A Tramontane" EP

Antoine - La Tramontane EP

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Vogue Records

Antoine is totally underrated in the English speaking world, well… more like totally unknown, which is a shame because’s he really good.  On the surface he reminds me of Mickie Most era Donovan.  With a touch of Jacques Dutronc thrown in the mix, with unusual production sounds.   “La Tramontane” is a pysch-pop song with a hint of Nino Rota thrown in.  “Mon auto m’attend” is a relaxed jazzy ballad that goes well with drinking on the patio on a warm day. But really all four songs sounds like a great Donovan b-side.  Truly fab.  

Annie Cordy - "Cigarettes, Whisky et P’tit’s Pépées" EP

Annie Cordy - Cigarettes, Whisky et P’tit’s Pépées EP

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One of the greatest recordings I heard this year, and it came somewhere in the internet and onto my computer.  For the past two years I have been trying to track down French EP’s because I like the format and design of these precious objects of desire.   Nevertheless, and sadly I can only find the music through other’s blogs.  Finding a copy one can hold is not impossible, but takes a great deal of time to track down.  Annie Cordy’s ep Cigarettes, Whisky et P’tit’s Pépées is such a haunted piece of recorded music.   My guess is the recording is from the early 50’s and what stands out is Cordy’s great vocal, but with an understated organ, and a crisp electric guitar.  The other three songs are not that special, but the leading track is a real ‘wow’ to me.