where did it all go wrong for French pop music?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

French pop music in the '60s seems to have been really good - perky girl groups a go-go, etc.

It doesn't seem to have been much cop since then.

What went wrong?

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 1 December 2002 17:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Something went wrong? Or is house not considered "pop"?

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Sunday, 1 December 2002 17:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

no, House is House.

good point, though.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 1 December 2002 17:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

Did France do prog in the 70s? The very idea sounds funny. Frog-Prog!

― Curt (cgould), Sunday, 1 December 2002 17:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

Air's 'Sexy Boy' is a pretty good pop song

as is Daft Punk's 'Digital Love'

oh you want more...er...nah

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 1 December 2002 20:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think it went wrong when they started making it.

― Callum (Callum), Sunday, 1 December 2002 20:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

but both fugu and orwell are making lovely french pop.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 1 December 2002 20:35 (twenty-one years ago) link

I like Mylene Farmer.

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 1 December 2002 21:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

Frog-prog = Magma, Ame Son, probably lots more.

Ame Son, in particular, is pretty good.

― hstencil, Sunday, 1 December 2002 23:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

Alizèe

― Chupa-Cabras (vicc13), Sunday, 1 December 2002 23:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Les Negresses Vertes

― Chupa-Cabras (vicc13), Sunday, 1 December 2002 23:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

Vanessa Paradis! "Tandem", written by Serge Gainsbourg, is fantastic, not to mention causing no small furore on account of its gratuitous topless female guitarist video.

Otherwise, nish except the aforementioned Fugu and, on the hip-hop front, the splendid Benny B featuring Daddy K, whose "Vous Etes Fou!" is worth seeking out.

Stereolab don't count, I suppose...

― Charlie (Charlie), Monday, 2 December 2002 00:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

French radio is fucking amazing...songs on various radio stations: "Speedo" by The Cadillacs, Eve's "Gangster Lovin'", "Asereje", "Out Of Tears", a funky Bossa Nova instrumental version of "Rapper's Delight" and an ace French Hip-Hop tune whose chorus seems to translate as "vote liberal and dance with me!"

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 2 December 2002 00:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

maybe something went wrong with yr buying choices cuz french pop is alive and kicking......

― francesco, Monday, 2 December 2002 01:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

francesco est vrai! while worthy french artists do exist, it seems they fail to garner international press. françoiz breut, for example, is a multi-talented chanteuse (sp?). in my opinion, her 'vingt a trente mille jours' is superb. her ex-beaux, dominique a, is also a talented singer/songwriter. other artists deserving honorable mention, include:
* bertrand burgalat (aux cyclades electronique)
* keren ann (la disparition)
* jean-louis murat (au mont sans-souci)
* sebastien tellier (universe)
* miossec, les tetes-raides, superflu,...

or, perhaps i am completely wrong.

― ton ami, Monday, 2 December 2002 03:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

the Loons are great too, and Bien also but they may be dead?

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 2 December 2002 04:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

That recent comp AIR put out on their label (thru astralwerks here in the US) has some great, ultraweird new French electro
and unclassifiable "proggy" pop stuff much like Sebastien Tellier's music. I recommend it.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 2 December 2002 04:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Did France do prog in the 70s?

Yes, in fact, one of the biggest prog rock labels, Musea Records, is based in France. Here's some of 'em from the 70s: Magma, Art Zoyd, Heldon/Richard Pinhas, Ange, Clearlight, Atoll, Pulsar, Carpe Diem, Ame Son, Lard Free, Moving Gelatine Plates, Catharsis, Mona Lisa, Catherine Ribiero & Alpes, and Wapassou.

As for non-prog, post-60s France still has some great stuff. Try Patricia Kaas or Mylene Farmer, just for starters...

― Joe (Joe), Monday, 2 December 2002 04:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jay Vee, what's it called?

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 2 December 2002 06:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

If DSP / glitch is your chosen face of pop, France is currently ahead of the entire world.

My personal recommendations:

Discom, DAT Politics, O. Lamm, dDamage, Hypo, Gel, My Jazzy Child...

Check out the Evenement 0 Links Page for info on:

Andy Bolus
Anne Laplantine
Chevreuil
Colleen
Concertmate
Darmstadt
Ddamage
Discipline
Emiliano Florès
Encre
Erich Zahn
Erik Minkinnen
Ernesto Carnaval
Eva-Revox
Event10
Fabrique de Couleurs
francoispier
G Toy
Galaxian Poney Folk
Gel:
Gordz
Hypo
Ici même
KÈEK
King Q4
Lori chunberg
Lucky kitchen
Marie Daubert
my old sofa
myjazzychild
nerail roptie
Nicolas Mazda
Noak Katoi
Noak Katoi and Cordero Zahnitas
O.Lamm
organ
Pyjaman a.k.a Snark
Regressive audio
relpot
Salima Tege
Shinsei
ShinSei et Kumi
Steve Roden
Very Ape

and many, many more (as the K-Tel ads used to say)...

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 2 December 2002 08:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha I very much doubt that that's the DV's thing!

As we were implying on this thread -
More great French music - mainstream francophone pop (/chanson) has certainly undergone a revival in the late 90s/00s.

It is my impression too that something did go seriously 'wrong' in the 70s/80s, although I'm sure there are lots of examples to counter even this assertion. But there are plenty of signs that it's recovering nicely now.

― Jeff W, Monday, 2 December 2002 09:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

Indochine was a good 80s band. I don't know any other French bands from the 80s.

― Torstein Dyrnes (Toshy), Monday, 2 December 2002 19:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

you should listen to dominique a, the married monk, erik arnaud, bertrand betsch... all of them sound modern yet part of a tradition of french pop and chanson.

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 16:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

Has no one here heard the new one by Patrick Bruel called Entre-deux? Killer chanson pop, baby.

― Matt C., Tuesday, 3 December 2002 16:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

As a french guy, it's quite funny (even if a bit disturbing)to read this thread.

I mean, reading names like Patricia Kaas (crappy fake-jazz singer), Mylene Farmer (crappy french pop), Patrick Bruel (crappy Chanson Française), or even worse Benny B (crappy sub-Vanilla Ice shit...) has to be at least painful for anyone who has spent the last 29 years in this country, just like I have...

This isn't at all an attack against Charlie's, Matt C's or Joe's tastes... I can fully understand what kind of exotic charm you may find in these singers. When you're visiting a foreign country for a few days, you tend to be more indulgent about everything than you would be if you actually had to live there... And I guess I'm about the same when I'm enjoying some cheesy K-pop that korean guys would spit on...

I'm also quite impressed by Momus knowledge of the french underground electronic music scene, but I'm not sure the people behind Gel: O.lamm or Hypo would be pleased to be listed in a French pop music thread...

Here's a small list of mainstream French pop music songs (you can find them on Soulseek I think) from the last twenty years :

Jacno - Triangle
Christophe - Les mots bleus
Jean-François Coen - La Tour de Pise
Marie et les Garçons - Re-Bop
Elli et Jacno - Anne Carcava l'amore
Alain Bashung - Vertige de l'amour
Nino Ferrer - Le Sud
Les Calamités - Vélomoteur
Taxi Girl - Paris
Mathématiques modernes - Rough Disco

― snowballing from Paris, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 17:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

And I don't think there was anything with French pop Music in the last 20 years. There's only a lack in good compilations...

― snowballing from Paris, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 17:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

Snowballing: great answer! But although you are probably right, I still enjoy my crappy "chanson francaise" (and is there any other kind of chanson?) with M. Bruel, because as long as I am enjoying it I actually prefer it to be crappy so I don't have to worry about its authenticity.

That made no sense. But welcome!

― Matt C., Tuesday, 3 December 2002 17:38 (twenty-one years ago) link

what Matt said. IMHO, Christophe is dreadful, but welcome anyway :)

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 17:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thanks a lot Matt. BTW my username on Soulseek is jamiedel (I'm called Jamie, which isn't really french, but that's a complicated story...).
I'm going to make a french pop folder so you can download some if you want to.

― snowballing from Paris, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 17:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

Les Calamités - Vélomoteur

i used to love this song! a spanish radio dj used to play it over and over when i was a kid... do they have other stuff you can recommend?

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 18:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yay Jamie a.k.a. Snowballing is my new best friend!

Actually, my only friend. Sigh.

― Matt C., Tuesday, 3 December 2002 20:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

You're now the only friend I have too !

― Snowballing, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 21:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

You're now the only friend I have too!

― Snowballing, Tuesday, 3 December 2002 21:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha I very much doubt that that's the DV's thing!

if they're good enough for Momus they're good enough for me.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 21:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

how about Desireless 'Voyage Voyage' - i think they were French - is it any good tho? i cant decide

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 3 December 2002 22:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

a day late and more than a few dollars short, i wish simple to second matt's praise for snowballing's correct critique of kaas, farmer and the rest the aforementioned group - cheap rip off's. don't waste time with 'em. oh, and jay vee, i also own astralwerks recent compilation of french musique, and while a few of tracks are interesting, no particular songs standout as superb hits. boo hoo, too because i was hoping for some good shit. and snowballing, what's up with that french folder which you spoke/typed of?

jason

― jason elliott, Thursday, 5 December 2002 04:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

Stereo Total.

French pop is A-OK.

― David Allen, Thursday, 5 December 2002 04:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

um, they're from Berlin, David

― zebedee, Thursday, 5 December 2002 09:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...

these are the only two mentions of o.lamm on ilm? and both by momus no less. has no-one else heard them?

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 February 2004 16:17 (twenty years ago) link

I'll second the recommendation of Françoiz Breut upthread. She sounds like Francois Hardy produced by Tom Waits.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Sunday, 29 February 2004 16:49 (twenty years ago) link

if the ema derton record ever comes out it will be the most wonderful record ever. arnaud fleurent-didier is a god.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 29 February 2004 17:20 (twenty years ago) link

TRICATEL
Bertrand Burgalat, Valerie Lemercier, Etienne Charry (Coeur Brise!), Mellow ==> http://www.epitonic.com/artists/mellow.html
talking of 80s/90s:
Indochine (they're still up), Niagara, Les Rita Mitsouko.....

― eleki-san (eleki-san), Sunday, 29 February 2004 21:01 (twenty years ago) link

After Jaques Dutronc in the 70's. I mean, Daft Punk are just shite.

― Sasha (sgh), Sunday, 29 February 2004 23:52 (twenty years ago) link

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Monday, 1 March 2004 08:59 (twenty years ago) link

"French pop music in the '60s seems to have been really good "

this seems to be some of kind of kitsch-sustained hipster fantasy

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 1 March 2004 09:43 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, I have to agree. Apart from a couple of Francoise Hardy, France Gall or Gainsbourg singles, "rediscovered" by easy-listening hipsters in '95, most of French 60's pop consisted of covers of US and UK hits in French. Fine and all as exotic novelties, but not really objectively "really good".

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Monday, 1 March 2004 10:11 (twenty years ago) link

I find myself feeling sympathetic to Ams here without really knowing the subject.

One of my favourite singles last year ("Libertine" by Kate Ryan) was in French but she's Belgian.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 1 March 2004 12:38 (twenty years ago) link

seven years pass...

Resurrecting this thread to dump some of my favourite songs/videos that aren't by Lio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anexA8-Sqec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoX-JEb4YNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLDkrus3nB4

― questino (seandalai), Friday, 13 January 2012 01:31 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BggXhzUhZ94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejyKrdWpn6s

― questino (seandalai), Friday, 13 January 2012 01:34 (twelve years ago) link

Good song in French!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCnzxlKguFU

― questino (seandalai), Friday, 13 January 2012 01:36 (twelve years ago) link

France's contribution to the footballer-turned-singer genre, with hilarious results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cYDpuodAFA

― questino (seandalai), Friday, 13 January 2012 01:37 (twelve years ago) link

I regularly have this stuck in my head for days:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4KO3gqN0gg

― questino (seandalai), Friday, 13 January 2012 01:39 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CJrR7nJfss

― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Friday, 13 January 2012 02:39 (twelve years ago) link

three weeks pass...

This album -- which I probably haven't listened to since ca. 2003 -- is sounding fantastic right now:

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/81488195e3e9789cc0fcf0f9848ee50c/711090.jpg

― jaymc, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 06:17 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USMd2Jl8wTc

breaking no new ground, but...

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 07:03 (twelve years ago) link

omg seandalai, je te survivrai !!! thanks a lot, just burst out laughing at work but man that song ...

― Jibe, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 09:23 (twelve years ago) link

nine years pass...

The problem with french pop music is that no one can be as great as Alain Souchon.

― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 18 February 2021 00:15 (three years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKULeBY3wZQ

― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 18 February 2021 02:15 (three years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.