L'Amour à la Chaîne pt.13

Right, where were we? Somewhere in the not-too-distant past I posted part 12 of this verrrry slowwwwly progressing Chaîne: It was Jacques Dutronc covers band DUTRONC, but they were covering Les Problèmes - recorded at Toe Rag studios with Liam Watson at the helm, and released on Damaged Goods Records.

I've got multiple linkage for you with this next one >>>>>>>

[image source]

C'est Fabienne Delsol with a candy-coated cover version of Sylvie Vartan's Ce Jour La (written by Micky Jones and Georges Aber).

Now, Fabienne's hubby is one Liam Watson [check], who has of course overseen production duties, making good use of all that vintage valve-powered gear he's got racked up down at Toe Rag [check] - the recording oozes analogue warmth and sounds like it really could have been released back in the early 60s, rather than coming out on Miss Delsol's swoonsome On My Mind album on Damaged Goods [check] in 2010. Oh yeah, the album also includes a cover of Pas Adieu by Les Problèmes [check].

Fabienne Delsol - Ce Jour La

[buy this direct from Damaged Goods Records]

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L'Amour à la Chaîne: what will be the next link in the chain? Leave your suggestions and reasons in the comments.
Jacques Dutronc - L'Amour à la Chaîne > Françoise Hardy - Je Changerais D'Avis > Les 5 Gentlemen – Cara-Lin > Add N To (X) – Monster Bobby > Serge Gainsbourg – Le Poinçonneur des Lilas > Les Shades – Orage Mécanique > Gillian Hills - Rentre Sans Moi > Zombie Zombie - Psychic Harmonia > Michel Polnareff - Qui a Tué Grand'Maman? > Christine Pilzer - L'Horloge De Grand-Père > Violaine - J'ai Des Problèmes Décidement > Dutronc - Dodecaphonie > Fabienne Delsol - Ce Jour La > ?

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.