Francoise Hardy Marathon

Is there anything more beautiful and mood evoking than a Francoise Hardy chanson? Yes, watching her sing!

I only wanted to post "Les temps du souvenirs" because it´s main melody was used by Barry Adamson on "Something wicked this way comes", which was later used in a key scene in Lynch´s "Lost Highway".
But then I realized I had opened a treasure box of fantastic "Scopitone" films and tv-show appearances of this knock-out beauty.
Even live appearances in Monte Carlo, where she plays for Grace Kelly can be found and I was marvelling at her voice, which always sounded like she was living inside a mobile echo-chamber.

So here is a small selection:

Mon amie la rose



Her first hit in 1962, which was actually a b-side.
Tou les garcons et les filles


Now isn´t this fantastic???
tout ce qu'on dit


Well known. Originally penned by Adriano Celentano. The fade-out is goose-bump inducing!
La maison ou j'ai grandi


Les temps du souvenirs


Very 60s pop. A bit like the Walker Brothers.
Non ce n´est pas un reve


Are you still there? Mesmerizing beauty!
Voila

Adriano Celentano: How he invented Hip-Hop (!?)

Allright, here is another post celebrating Italy´s contribution to pop music.

My mother fell in love with everything italian when she returned from her first trip to the boot-shaped country as a teenager. One of the better musical imports she brought to the stereo was Adriano Celentano.
Forget for a moment his horrible films from the eighties and some of the mediocre songs he did.

Despite all of this, Celentano is a superhero! Yes, a superhero!

Not only did he sing "Azzurro", a global consens hit that could end wars if everybody would sing it unisono, he also invented Hip-Hop sometime in 1972!

I present: Evidence A: Prisencolinensinaincusol!

Just listen to this incredible bottom heavy drum-"loop", the chunky brass and grinding bass. Its the most hypnotic, get-down-to-it-groove this side of James Brown.
On top of this Adriano raps a string of gibberish that mocks italians singing english tunes without getting the words. Its a whole song of "mondegreens" (mis-understood lyrics).

Now, if that song wasn´t enough to convince you, look at the video! Just Look at it!!!

I must honestly say that this is one of the best performances set to music I have ever seen! This is everything Gondry, Madonna and Riverdance ever did rolled into 3:30 minutes of AWESOME!

What seems like a set of dozens of dancers is in fact only a handful of people cleverly sandwiched between mirrors and cameras. On top of this you have Celentano dancing like they injected the groove into his veins, and his host Raffaela Carra is shaking her bits to the hits as if her life depended on it. If you wonder why nobody is watching TV anymore, now you know why!

Evidence B-Z: He turned 70 last january, recently released his 56th album, began his musical carreer 50 years ago, his first movie-appearance was in Fellinis "La Dolce Vita" and "Azzurro" was voted the most famous and beloved italian song ever outside of Italy.

I rest my case!

If someone would tell me, that he also invented rock´n roll, I think I would believe him.