After Dinner Dance Party // Le Francais Edition!

The French Edition!

Not that we need an excuse to listen to any of these songs, tonight we're having an extra special After Dinner Dance Party to celebrate Rhi's return from France! It was really hard to narrow it down to our absolute faves - there's a few that didn't make this cut but we'll find a way to get them up soon!

Hope you enjoy...

One of the standout tracks from 'La Belle Epoque: EMI's French Girls 1965-1968', an album we always have spinning in Twee Towers, is Christie Laume's 'Rouge Rouge!' Dubbed Christie Laume by her sister-in-law Edith Piaf, her ever so slightly off-key vocals sit endearingly over the song's garagey, fuzz guitar sound. Cannot. Stop. Dancing.

Not only is she the first lady of France and a former model but she also has Jagger on her list of ex-lovers (swoon)...Carla Bruni's 'Quelqu'un m'a dit' (translated as 'Somebody Told Me') is a heartbreaking tale of life's loves and losses. Slightly melancholy but enchanting all the same. Oh Carla... you melt our hearts.

Would you think any less of us if we told of our guilty love for Eurovision? If only today's artists were still as dreamy as France Gall performing 'Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son' in 1965.

A popular singer in the French yé-yé movement, many of France Gall's hits were penned by none other than the incredible Mr Serge Gainsbourg, who in his notorious lothario style, deliberately toyed with notions of promiscuity and double entendres in his lyrics, to which Gall was naively unaware - such was the innocence of the yé-yé girls! The lyrics are incredibly dark referencing how Gall was simply a puppet for Gainsbourg's return to charts..."I'm just a lonely singing doll."

This song is genuinely amazing... well it was the first Eurovision song to win that was not a ballad! (We know this was the Luxembourg entry but she sings in French so it still counts!)

Speaking of the (divine) devil, next up on the playlist is Serge Gainsbourg with the mind-blowing 'Initials BB' - dedicated to Brigitte Bardot after their brief romance. The intensifying crescendos, created by the stunning, classically-influenced orchestral build-up never fails to excite... even after 100,000 listens. Love, love, love... Can you tell we have a slight crush? :)

Laurent Voulzy, 'Rockollection'. No words. This is without a doubt one of the greatest songs we've ever heard. We won't ruin it by delving into any details but just stay with it, it just keeps on getting better! Sincere silliness, reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords - there may be some recognisable elements...
Well we've thoroughly enjoyed tonight's party... happy dancing nos amis!
Much love, L&R xx