Pas Adieu

Just got myself a copy of the new Fabienne Delsol album, and a beautiful listen it is too! Fabienne is a French chick living in London, she used to be in a band called The Bristols. Nowadays she records albums full of vintage warmth with her hubby Liam Watson at Toe Rag studios. Liam is a kind of latter-day Joe Meek, his studio decked out with all manner of analogue gear: lots of valves and big knobs, echo chambers and tape machines. The sound is rich and authentic, and could almost be mistaken for some lost R.G.M. session tapes recorded at 304 Holloway Rd in the mid-sixties.

The songs are a mixture of covers and originals, sung in English and French (could have done with more French ones in my opinion...). I'd already heard a couple on the wireless, and one in particular jumped out every time: Pas Adieu, it sounds like some of the sweetest of Chantal Goya's output between 1964 and 1967, and has a naggingly brilliant little pause that works its way into your mind and lodges itself there.

Fabienne Delsol - Pas Adieu
[buy Fabienne Delsol from Damaged Goods]

For a while, I thought it was just one of those songs that sounded familiar, because of the handful of influences it wears on its sleeve. But once I'd bought the album and checked the credits, three familiar names were listed: Régo/Rinaldi/Vogue. Of course! Luis Régo and Gérard Rinaldi from Les Problèmes (1er Groupe Authentique de Rhythm and Blues 100% Français). My detective work is done for the day!

Les Problèmes - Pas Adieu
[buy Les Problèmes from Amazon.uk]

As well as Les Problèmes, Fabienne covers Sylvie Vartan's Ce Jour La, and Strange Shadows from Françoise Hardy's 1970 English album One-Nine-Seven-Zero, Fabienne plays a rare show in London on 3rd October at The 100 Club. And I'm gutted, cos I can't go.