Jacqueline Taïeb

Finally managed to download a copy of the The Complete Masterworks Of The French Mademoiselle. There had been a copy on Amazon market place but it was $55 in the US or £55 Sterling in the UK (ie $110) and I didn't manage to get a proxy to buy it and reship it in time.

Still listening away to it -records take longer to sink it when they're not in your native tongue. The song that really gets to me is Ce Soir Je M'En Vais. This is a truly stunning record - one of the greats. Jacqueline brings the song to a series of crunching climaxes, the cycle of frenzy and release leaves you emotionally drained, a trumpet figure floats over the broken wreckage of the song. Absolutely marvelous.

I have had some François Hardy records for forever, but the French Mademoiselle really ignited my interest in ye-ye.

Other stand out tracks are Juste Un Peu D'Amour and Bravo!. The former has a mad Algerian bit to it that just really zings, and the later is all histronics in that effortless way that French girl singers just seem to have.

I have 300 or 400 girl group albums (half vinyl, half CD's - the majority compilations) and I'm just going to noodle on about them.

At the moment I am obsessed with Jacqueline Taieb. Basically I have just bought up girl systematically for about 18 years and have hoovered a little range of record shops in London (Hanway St, Soho, Camden sometimes, Beano's in Croydon but not for a while) and been to The House Of Oldies and even Amoeba (don't bother) but basically shopped out. So the bidie-in orders us a girl CD from Amazon which never comes and swaps it out for a French Girl CD. Ce Soir Je M'En Vais just blew me away.

Anyway whilst looking for more info on Ms Taeib I come across Spiked Candy which not only points out that my French Mademoiselles is rubbish and is ripping of pair of similarly titled complication. And she has put them up for download - which I am listening to now. Once I have got me head around them I will post more - unfortunately neither of them have any Jacqueline Taieb but hey!.