The French Way

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The beautiful song ‘Balloon over Paris’ by Elske DeWall that I played in my latest podcast inspired me to make a mix about France. That’s no coincidence, because there runs some French blood in my veins as well. And I was in love with a French girl for quite some time… ;-)

One of the best tracks is ‘Made in Paris’ by Trini Lopez (known for ‘If I had a hammer’). It’s a Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition that is a little bit forgotten (everybody knows their work for Dionne Warwick, of course). It has very cheerful lyrics and the melody stays in your mind immediately. The intro sounds a bit like ‘Needles and pins’ from The Searchers. The song is probably an attempt of Bacharach and David to follow the British beat bands of the mid-sixties. Read more about the track and the movie it comes from.

A movie star we all know is Sylvia Kristel (‘Emanuelle’). She reads the poem ‘La Beauté’ from Beaudelaire. Another movie star in this mix is the very sensual Brigitte Bardot. The (French) connection between St. Tropez and The Coney Island Orchestra is the production team Rinder & Lewis (‘El Coco’).

La Fiancée is a contemporary French artist. You can hear her also in this brand new mix.

Probably the first French song I heard was ‘C’est moi’ by a guy called C. Jérôme in 1974. I still like the track and the very melancholic lyrics about a girl he still thinks about after a very long time. C. Jérôme sadly died of cancer ten years ago.

Tracklist:

Rock Savage – French Ghetto (2010)
Leon Ware – French Waltz (1976)
The Moments – Look At Me [French Version] (1975)
Trini Lopez – Made In Paris (1966)
Cayenne – Tea At The Cafe De Paris (1986)
La Fiancée – On Avait Juré (2010)
Saint Tropez – Femmes Fatales (1982)
Stephen Emmer (avec Sylvia Kristel) – La Beauté (2007)
Alain Delon & Shirley Bassey – Thought I'd Ring You (1982)
Paris Combo – Je Ne Sais Qui Fumer (2004)
Serge Gainsbourg Avec Alain Goraguer – La Nuit D'Octobre (1959)
Rhoda Scott – C’est Si Bon (1978)
Brigitte Bardot – Contact (1967)
Hollywood, Mon Amour Feat. Nancy Danino – Reality (2008)
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – Cherchez La Femme (1976)
Patrick Juvet – The Gay Paris (1979)
The Coney Island Orchestra – French Nights (1977)
Chagrin D’Amour – Au Paradis (1982)
Arthur Baker And The Backbeat Disciples – Paris Sens Interdit (1989)

Enjoy! Picture of the Eiffel Tower by FreeFoto.com

The French Way by Professor Eddy on Mixcloud