French Retro Pop: Claude François

Claude François (1939--1978)

Imagine the daggiest thing of all time. Then double it. Then put it in a silver suit. Then add dancers! That’s the best way I can describe France’s 60s/70s national treasure Claude François, or “Cloclo” as he is better known to his throngs of adoring (now very old or dead) fans.

His hits are countless. His dance moves, unbeatable. And by “unbeatable”, I of course mean utterly insane. But having been thoroughly converted to the church of Cloclo during my time in France, I can confidently say there is no better way to kick off 2013 than with a little “Cette année-là”!

What’s that you say? This reminds you of another song? That’s because it IS another song! “Cette année-là” was first released by Frankie Valli and the Four Season as “Oh, What a Night”.

French Retro Pop: Michel Sardou J’habite en France

Michel Sardou compte, depuis les années 1970, parmi les chanteurs français les plus populaires. Fils des comédiens Fernand Sardou et Jackie Sardou, est l’héritier d’une longue tradition familiale de spectacle.

Il a enregistré 23 albums studio, plus de 300 chansons et vendu près de 90 millions de disques. “J’habite en France”, sur le ton de l’humour, l’esprit goguenard et chauvin, évoque “la douceur de vivre à la française” et vante au passage quelques qualités “made in France” telles que: l’amour, le bon vin, les jolies femmes, les cafés et autres chansons à boire.

Click “read more” to view les paroles, via chansons-paroles.com.

French Retro Pop: Debut de Soirée’s Nuit de Folie

Possibly the most horrific thing created in any language, “Nuit de Folie” was the highest-selling single in France in 1988.

Despite selling some 1.3 million copies of “Nuit de Folie”, the duo, entitled Début de Soirée, found themselves unable to sustain a career through the nineties, never again achieving a “Nuit de Folie”-grade success.

Nevertheless, the group somehow managed to release a Best of, The Very Best of, Collection Légende, Nuit de Folie (the best of) and Best of de Folie.

Officially dissolving in 2004, the band still exists in the mutated form of William et Ses Danseuses.

Click “read more” to view les paroles, via paroles-chanson.org.

French Retro Pop: Nicolas Peyrac’s Je Pars...

Nicholas Peyrac est né 1949 en Bretagne, dans la petite commune de Saint-Brice-en-Coglès. Lorsque ses parents ont divorcé, il a passé un an à New York avec sa mère, avant de retourner vivre avec son père en Bretagne. Fils de médecins, il a suivi des études de médecine.

Après une période de dépression suite à la disparition de sa mère, en 1993 il s’est éloigné de Paris pour s’est installé en Californie d’abord, puis à Montréal.

Nicolas enjoyed a string of hits in the seventies and eighties, including Je pars..., So far away from LA and Et mon père.

Also a writer, Nicholas’ novels have included Qu’importe le boulevard où tu m’attends and J’ai su dès le premier jour que je la tuerais.

French Retro Pop: Patricia Kaas’ Mon Mec à Moi

Discovered singing in a club in 1985 by Gérard Depardieu, Patricia Kaas had a series of hits off her first album, Mademoiselle chante..., including “Mon Mec à Moi”.

Patricia Kaas’ debut album
Mademoiselle chante...

Born in 1966 in Lorraine to a French father and German mother, Patricia grew up in Stiring-Wendel, a French commune on the German border, where she spoke only “le Platt”, a German dialect, up till the age of six.

Patricia became best known in France, Germany in Russia. Next year she will release an hommage album to Édith Piaf, Kaas chante Piaf, which will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the legend’s death.

Click “read more” to view les paroles (lyrics), courtesy of patriciakaas-online.fr.