Category: Music

French Gaul

Hi, again. Oh? You really liked that video with Petula Clark singing in French? Hey, great!

But now what? You want more singing in French? And it has to be from France? And you even want somebody who is actually named France?? This is getting ridiculous! But let me look.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Movies/Wordpress/JAN07/francegall.flv 400 300]

Hmm … How about France Gall? She won the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with ”Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son” (“Wax Doll, Sawdust Doll” — or, as some suggest, Wax Doll, Singing Doll”. Or you could go with my favorite, Google’s toolbar translation — “Headstock of Wax, Headstock of Sound”!).

France had a great face for singing. She seemed very pleased with herself that she got all the way through the song without flubbing it.

Wet Pet

Hi! What? Oh, you want more Petula Clark? Sure! We love Petula Clark.

But … but you want WHAT? Pet singing her 1961 song “Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)”? A video of her singing it? In FRENCH?? AND her original English single, too? Sheesh, you’re asking a lot, you know that?
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Movies/Wordpress/JAN07/Sailor.flv 320 240]

OK! All right! Here. Anything to make you happy.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/JAN07/Sailor.mp3]

Pet Sounds

The mystery girl from the previous post is the lovely and talented Petula Clark! The movie clip with Pet at age 12 is from “I Know Where I’m Going!” Having been well-known in England and France for many years, Petula was 32 when she hit it big in America in 1965.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Movies/Wordpress/JAN07/Downtown.flv 400 300]

The audio player has the studio recording of “Downtown” and, from 1968, Petula’s superb tear-jerker, “Kiss Me Goodbye.”

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/JAN07/Downtown.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/JAN07/KissMeGoodbye.mp3]

Re-recording

Recently, I offered some Beatles studio session outtakes of HELP! , and before that an outtake of I Feel Fine, and in the comments I made mention of “The Beatles Recording Sessions,” by Mark Lewisohn. As pointed out by best buddy Denro, Lewisohn admits his 1988 book is now superceded by “Recording the Beatles,” a $100 tome that is essentially self-published by its authors, Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew.

I had no idea of this book’s existence until today. The first printing of 3000 copies is sold out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the second printing is already spoken for. But I’d better get in line, as this is an irresistable item that, despite the expense, I must have.

Click here to read a New York Times article about Recording the Beatles, and other self-published Beatles books. If that link asks for a registration you don’t want to have, click here instead.

Ross Revisited

The Ross Bagdasarian post was fun, so let’s listen to something else from his label, Liberty Records. In 1956 Ross was handed a demo from a musician friend named Mark McIntyre, featuring his daughters Patience, 11, and Prudence, 14, singing an old song called “Tonight You Belong to Me.”

Bagdasarian loved it, passed it up the chain, and the girls were brought into the studio. They harmonized beautifully, and their voices were perfectly suited to the material. The recordings have an adorable and ethereal quality, and although McIntyre is listed as producer I wouldn’t be surprised if Bagdasarian lent a hand in the production.