Excellent rendition of Dirty Old Ann's 'Turn Me On' (2006)
Russ Chimes - Turn Me Out (2013)
UK#40
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'aime (1969)
In 1968, Serge fell in love with English actress Jane Birkin on the set of their film 'Slogan'. After filming, he asked her to record the song with him. Jane had heard Brigitte's version and thought it hot. She said:' only sang it because I didn't want anybody else to sing it', jealous at the thought of his sharing a recording studio with someone else. Serge asked her to sing an octave higher than la B.B. It was recorded in an arrangement by Arthur Greenslade in a studio at Marble Arch. Jane said she 'got a bit carried away with the heavy breathing – so much so, in fact, that I was told to calm down, which meant that at one point I stopped breathing altogether. If you listen to the record now, you can still hear that little gap'.
There was media speculation, as with the Brigitte Bardot version, that they had recorded live sex, to which Serge told Jane: 'Thank goodness it wasn't, otherwise I hope it would have been a long-playing record'. The track was released in February 1969. The single had a plain cover, with the words 'Interdit aux moins de 21 ans' (forbidden to those under 21) - perhaps a predecessor of the modern-day 'Adult Guidance'. Brigitte Bardot regretted not releasing her version, and her friend Jean-Louis Remilleux persuaded her to contact Serge - they released it in 1986. The song has since been covered by many different artists, but obviously has never reached the original...
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'aime,...Moi Non Plus (1969)
UK#1, AT#1, CH#1, NOR#1, NL#2, IRL#2, DE#3, US#69(ahem...)
French Lyrics with English translation:
Je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins*
et je me retiens
I love you, I love you
Oh, yes I love you!
No longer me
Oh, my love…
Like the undecided wave
I go, I go and I come
Between your back
I go and I come
Between your back
And I hold back.
je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
tu es la vague, moi l'île nue
tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins
I love you, I love you
Oh, yes I love you!
no longer me
Oh, my love…
You are the wave, I’m the naked island
You go, you go and you come
Between my back
You go and you come
Between my back
And I rejoin you.
je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens
I love you, I love you
Oh, yes I love you!
no longer me
Oh, my love…
Like the undecided wave
I go, I go and I come
Between your back
I go and I come
Between your back
And I hold back.
tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins
You go, you go and you come
Between my back
You go and you come
Between my back
And I rejoin you.
je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
l'amour physique est sans issue
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
et je me retiens
Non! Maintenant viens!
I love you, I love you
Oh, yes I love you!
No longer me
Oh, my love…
The physical love is without a way out
I go, I go and I come
Between your back
I go and I come back
And I hold back
No! Now come!
Cock Robin (1985-1987)
Cock Robin's 1985 self-titled debut album was largely ignored in their native country, as with the majority of their output, but it was an overnight success in Europe, where the singles 'When Your Heart Is Weak' and 'The Promise You Made' became big hits. 'When Your Heart Is Weak' was the band's only chart single in the US. It also became a radio favorite in South Africa.
Two years later the band, reduced from the original quartet to the duo of Peter Kingsbery and Anna LaCazio, released a second album, After Here Through Midland. As with their debut, Cock Robin's second album attracted much attention in continental Europe, and also scored hits with the singles 'Just Around the Corner' and 'The Biggest Fool of All'.
In 1989, they released a their third album, First Love/Last Rites, and, as with their previous releases, the LP fared well in mainland Europe, but, due to poor management and promotion, failed to make an impact in the USA. The duo went their separate ways shortly after the release of the album and a European Tour, with Kingsbery releasing a string of solo projects in France, most notably a hit single 'Only the Very Best', recorded for the Michel Berger & Luc Plamandon concept musical album 'Tycoon', with English lyrics by Tim Rice in 1992. Anna LaCazio recorded her own solo album Eat Life circa 1992-93 but it was only officially released in its entirety for download in 2009.
The duo reformed in 2006, releasing another two albums, mainly noted in France.
Cock Robin - When Your Heart Is Weak (1985)
DE#8, FR#9, IT#26, US#35, NL#39
Lyrics:
What's the matter with the way we look?
Surely it's not the end
I only meant to make my motions clear
You worry too much if it's understood
Should we be seen as friends?
Seems like a real good beginning right here
'Cause when your heart is weak
I'm gonna pick the lock on it
My fingertips won't fail me
No matter what you do
The love you cannot see yet
Is about to witness a dawning
And you can twist and turn
But you won't get loose
Better forget getting rid of me
I don't see how you can
You put me off and I will hunt you
down...again
I'm mighty patient when I have to be
You have given me that
Still I look forward to the day you let me in
'Cause when your heart is weak
I'm gonna pick the lock on it
My fingertips won't fail me
No matter what you do
The love you cannot see yet
Is about to witness a dawning
And you can twist and turn
But you won't get loose
I'm gonna prove myself worthy
No more just hanging on
Without a prayer of a chance
I'm gonna come without warning
when your defenses are down and you're in
a desperate need
Oh, I bet you you then, you'll welcome me...
Your ol' companion
Your ol' companion
Remember baby,
'Cause when your heart is weak
I'm gonna pick the the lock on it
And you can twist and turn
But you won't get, you won't get
No you won't get loose
Oh no
Cock Robin - The Promise You Made (1986)
NL#1, FR#4, DE#6, CH#7, IT#18, UK#28
Lyrics:
If I laid down my love
To come to your defense
Would you worry for me
With a pain in your chest?
Could I rely on your faith to be strong
To picked me back up and to push me along?
Tell me
You'll be there in my hour of need
You won't turn me away
Help me out of the life I lead
Remember the promise you made
Remember the promise you made
If I gave you my soul
For a piece of your mind
Would you carry me with you
To the far edge of time?
Could you understand if you found me untrue
Would we become one, or divided in two
Please tell me
You'll be there in my hour of need
You won't turn me away
Help me out of the life I lead
Remember the promise you made
Remember the promise you made
Could I rely on your faith to be strong
To pick me back up and to push me along
Please tell me
You'll be there in my hour of need
You won't turn me away
Help me out of the life I lead
Remember the promise you made
Remember the promise you made
Cock Robin - Just Around The Corner (1987)
CH#6, SWE#12, DE#16, IT#17, FR'18, NL#19, AT#28
Lyrics:
Come ease my mind
For my prayers have not been answered in a long time
Things aren't quite as they seem inside my domain
You can't know about everything, only pleasure and pain
You wonder why I come here with head to my hands
Where else can I be cured and the king of your mansion
A thorn in your side
And a child to protect that claims he's free
Just around the corner, half a mile to heaven
Strong enough to hold you, starved for some affection
Darling come quickly, come ease my mind
For my prayers have not been answered in a long time
I've already made my bed, like it or not
As long as there's no regrets, I'll be here when the ride stops
These comforts to me
And these crosses to bear with which we live
Just around the corner, half a mile to heaven
Strong enough to hold you, starved for some affection
Baby, I can't drag you into this mess
I'm the thorn in your side and the child to protect
Yes, yes I'm
Just around the comer, half a mile to heaven
Strong enough to hold you, starved for some affection
Darling come quickly, come ease my worried mind
For my prayers have not been answered in a long time
Just around the comer
Strong enough to hold you
Half a mile to heaven
Just around the comer
Cock Robin - The Biggest Fool Of All
FR#47, DE#50
Lyrics:
My excuse is only human
Like any animal that breathes
Just to find a scent that's soothing
I give you power over me
I'm more weak than strong
And not a stranger to a fall
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you gone
I'm the biggest fool of all
But, I'm the biggest fool of all
There's no path of least resistance
It's a fable that you've heard
Any love that lacks conviction
Is gonna grovel in the dirt, yes it is
God this road is long
And surrounded by a wall
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you gone
I'm the biggest fool of all
I'm the biggest fool of all
I'm the biggest fool of all
Foolish as the prisoner
That listens for the jangling keys
And smart enough to know
That it's crazy I should run
When you've got no claim on me
So before your panic taunts you
To make relations disappear
You could help to ease my conscience
If just for once by standing here
I'm more weak than strong
And surrounded by a wall
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you
But I won't leave you till I turn to find you gone
I'm the biggest fool of all
Oh, yes I am
I'm the biggest fool of all
Oh yeah
I'm the biggest fool of all
Oh, I am
I'm the biggest fool of all
Oh, I am
I'm the biggest fool of all
Hermans Hermits - No Milk Today (1966)
Herman's Hermits - No Milk Today (1966)
Lyrics:
No milk today my love is gone away
The bottle stands forlon a symbol of the dawn
No milk today it seems a common sight
But people passing by don't know the reason why
How could they know just what this message means
The end of all my hopes the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen
No milk today it wasn't always so
The company was gay we turn'd night into day
But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two up to down
No milk today it wasn't always so
The company was gay we turn'd night into day
As music played the faster did we dance
We felt it both at once the start of our romance
How could they know just what this message means
The end of all my hopes the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen
No milk today my love is gone away
The bottle stands forlon a symbol of the dawn
But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Becomes a shrine when I think of you only
Just two up to down
No milk today my love is gone away
The bottle stands forlon a symbol of the dawn
No milk today it seems a common sight
But people passing by don't know the reason why
How could they know just what this message means
The end of all my hopes the end of all my dreams
How could they know a palace there had been
Behind the door where my love reigned as queen
No milk today it wasn't always so
The company was gay we turn'd night into day
But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
But all that's left is a place dark and lonely
A terraced house in a mean street back of town
Mylene Farmer
One thing is for sure: after discovering her tofit my musical taste, I would like to thank my friends Gwen, Florence and Laurent for introducing me to more of her work and making possible for me to attend the best live concert I have ever been to.
Mylène has sold more than 25 million records and is among the most successful recording artists of all time in France, so far landing ten #1s, which constitutes a record in the French Charts.
Her parents moved from France in the late 1950s as her father pursued an engineering contract on a dam. The family returned to France when she was eight, settling in the Parisian suburb of Ville d'Avray. At the age of 17 she discovered acting and took a course at a drama school in Paris. Changing her name to Mylène Farmer as a tribute to her idol, 1930s Hollywood actress Frances Farmer, she began to earn a living as a model acting in several TV ads. In 1984, Mylène met Laurent Boutonnat, a young film student, after replying to a newspaper ad for an actress for a small film he was working on. They became friends and forged a creative partnership, writing and producing the music. Boutonnat, whose ambition was to become a film director, was the force behind Mylène’s videos, which, as you will see, often become epic pieces.
Mylène gained fame with songs featuring shocking yet poetic lyrics, and explicit music videos: 'Maman a tort' was about the love of a young girl for her female hospital nurse. 'Pourvu qu'elles soient douces' contains hints of sodomy: the video, set in the 18th century, featured a caning. 'Libertine' is said to feature the first full frontal nudity appearance by a singer on a major music video. 'Que mon cœur lâche' was about love with condoms in the age of AIDS: the video for the song features a scene in which God tells Jesus he will not send him to Earth again because the last time 'it was a disaster'.
By the turn of the decade Farmer was a full-blown superstar in France, but it wasn't until the release of her third album, L'Autre..., and single 'Désenchantée' that she became iconic. The album's lead single, became a phenomenon in French pop music, striking a universal chord with its political lyrics. The song debuted at #12 in France and hit #1 two weeks later, remaining 9 weeks atop of the charts. Following the phenomenal success of 'Désenchantée', Mylène released three more singles from the album: 'Regrets', 'Je t'aime mélancolie' and 'Beyond My Control', the latter having a blood-and-sex-charged video that was banned from airplay. The success of the singles helped its album sell close to 2 million copies in France alone, having achieved Diamond status in 1992. It spent a then-record 20 weeks at #1 of the French charts, as well as topping the chart in Belgium and making top 10 in Canada. It has become Farmer's best selling studio album. On 14 November 1991 a man, who had been stalking her, entered the Polydor Records HQ in Paris and held employees at gunpoint demanding to talk to her. The man had previously written the singer some fan mail, which she did not respond to. He killed a receptionist and committed suicide. Following this occurrence Mylène shunned media attention and left France to live in Los Angeles for a few weeks.
During her time in California, Mylène started to write her fourth album, Anamorphosée, before inviting Laurent Boutonnat over there to reconcile after the bitter incidents of 1994 and to start making music together again. In summer 1996 she embarked on her second, hugely successful, concert tour, which I was lucky enough to see at Paris Bercy, the French equivalent to Wembley. The corresponding live album, is currently the best-selling French live album ever. Mylène Farmer's Discography
Mylène Farmer - Comme J'ai Mal (1996)
Mylène Farmer - Pourvu qu'elles soient douces (1988)
Mylène Farmer - Rêver (1996)
Live at Bercy, a concert I was very fortunate to experience
Mylène Farmer - Que mon cœur lâche (1992)
Mylène Farmer - Je T'aime Mélancolie (1991)
Mylène Farmer - Sans contrefaçon (1987)
Mylène Farmer - Désenchantée (1991)
Mylène Farmer - L'Âme-stram-gram (1999)
Mylène Farmer & Moby - Slipping Away / Crier La Vie (2006)
Mylène Farmer - California (1996)
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