France Gall

Boy, if they do a bio on France Gall, Sienna Miller could certainly play her based on looks, couldn’t she? In fact, if that ends up happening at some point, I want this blog entry to stand as evidence it was my idea. I want royalties people! Or at least a date with Sienna Miller.

Back on target – My love affair with yé-yé & 60’s French pop extends back many years. I suppose it started with Serge Gainsbourg, and expanded from there. After all, he had many a young nymphet accompanying him over the years and I just had to hear their music too. (I have to think the source of most French male stereotypes here in the States came from good old Serge, bless his filthy, filthy little heart).

My favorite among all of Serge’s various partners/proteges would have to be France Gall. There was just something extraordinary about her voice. Sure, Francoise Hardy (someone I’ll write about another time) had the more soothing voice and Brigitte Bardot was the true sex kitten but there’s just something there in Gall’s vocals. Perhaps I’m a fan of youthful enthusiasm?

She’s probably most famous for her innocent delivery of many a double-entendre, though there’s certainly a great deal more to her catalogue than that. Sure, to deny the coquettish nature of her vocals on songs like ‘Avant La Bagarre’ would be absurd, but her later music went far beyond the typical ingenue. Her collaborations with future husband Michael Berger proved she was more than a one-trick pony.

Deciding which tunes to include on this post was a difficult choice. I’m really fond of her early, ‘immature’ work so I had to include some songs from that period. Two greats from her album 1968 – the aforementiond ‘Avant La Bagarre’ & ‘Chanson Pour Que Tu M’aimes un Peu’ as well as her most infamous Gainsbourg-penned track, ‘Les Sucettes’, from the album of the same name.

Listen:

VIDEO:
France Gall – Avant La Bagarre

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