How many Belgian singers do you know of? And how many of them have had a huge international SMASH HIT record?
I moved to France in 1972, and five years later there was suddenly ONE SONG that one simply heard everywhere. It seemed to be the biggest hit record that France had ever known!
Belgian singer Plastic Bertrand (Roger Francois Jouret) came from nowhere. Suddenly his hit record 'Ca Plane Pour Moi' (Eng: everything's fine) became the rarest of things; a French international pop-music sensation.
France doesn't normally do 'Pop Music', they don't really understand it. They try, but somehow it never quite works. It always sounds a bit as if the musicians and the singer are reading from different song sheets. La Chanson Francaise is much more their style.
Then along comes the Belgian Mr Plastic, with his 5 chord, monotone, song, and the world goes crazy.
It just goes to show; you should never give up hope!
I still love it. It was the pre-teens anthem for my two older children.
Enjoy (if you can!).
I don't know whether I've heard that before or not. It sounds rather like another couple of tunes, German I think. Maybe from old Euro visions. It's a snazzy tune anyway
ReplyDeleteI never really heard of him again after this song. A one-hit Super Record.
DeleteI prefer another one of his songs - "Stop ou encore" which seems to capture the angst and quiet desperation of existence in an infinite universe where only the strong survive. It always reminded me of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18.
ReplyDeleteStop ou Encore was dreadful. Terrible 'song' and even worse video.
DeleteHa-ha! Gotcha! April Fool!!!
DeleteFor a nasty moment I thought......
DeleteLove that song, they often play it on Tour de France tv coverage. Never knew what it was, I do now. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's still played a lot. People associate it with France.
DeleteIt gave me a headache!
ReplyDeleteIf you play it when you already HAVE a headache; it takes it away.
DeleteI remember that one. I think it was bracketed under 'Novelty Records' and no doubt a one hit wonder.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd be hard pressed to name well known, to the U.K, popular French singing artists. Maybe Sascha Distel, Serge Gainsbourg, Johnny Halliday and of course The Little Sparrow...Non Regrets.
Yes, and the others mostly sing in 'La Chanson Francaise' style. Ballads, not POP. He was a rarity.
DeleteOh, the howling joy of just being alive! I remember.
ReplyDeleteA blast from the past!
DeleteI have never heard this, but 35 years ago, I would have danced to it at the Firestone with Go-Go Boys on plinths around the dance floor.
ReplyDeleteIt was VERY BIG all around Europe. You leave those Go-Go Boys alone!
DeleteI loved (and still love) this record.
ReplyDelete