L'Amour à la Chaîne pt.12

Problèmes, problèmes, we've all got 'em.  Violaine had them decidedly, Antoine had them too.

Here is a cover of Antoine's backing band and "1er Groupe Authentique de Rhythm and Blues 100% Français" Les Problèmes by London's premier defunct Jacques Dutronc covers band, DUTRONC.

Recorded at Toe Rag studios and coming from the same stable as Billy Childish, you just know you're in for a good ol' garage racket. Indeed, producer Liam Watson has done a great job of capturing the sound of a garage band playing in a studio but sounding like they are playing in a garage, and I'd like to imagine it's pretty close to what Les Problèmes sounded like live and in the flesh, back in the day (save a few bad pronunciations in the vocal delivery!)

The album is mostly Dutronc covers, plus a couple of Childish originals and the wonkiest version of/response to Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus I've yet heard.  The sleeve has been authentically set out in the style of a 60s Disques Vogue release, including informations en Français, par example 'Stereo "Watsonique"' and 'Coiffure de Parsley: Gino de Cricklewood' (Parsley is the singer, and this is probably only funny to anyone who, like me, has actually been to Cricklewood. Although there is a rather poignant tribute to Gino, who died in 2006).

Ladies and Gentlemen readers, I give you DUTRONC!

Dutronc - Dodecaphonie

[buy Dutronc! Dutronc! Dutronc! by Dutronc 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 > ?

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.