Vive la France

My personal theme this week is French ‘60s pop-star France Gall. Fabulous kitsch item of my heart. She has made her way from horrible eurovision performances to being taken advantage of by the grotty and lecherous Serge Gainsbourg to lasting into the 80s and 90s. In fact, I had not realized until recently that it was she who sang that song Ella, Elle L’a that was a big hit in the 80s, in Europe anyway. Here’s to Mademoiselle Gall, I have got to get a greatest hits album of hers.

• Laisse Tomber les Filles 1968


• Chick Habit: an English cover by April March


• Ella Elle L'a 1987

We could be heroes!

photo by Bruna Kazinoti

I, I will be king

And you, you will be queen

Though nothing will drive them away

We can beat them, just for one day

And you, you can be mean

And I, I'll drink all the time

'Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact

Yes we're lovers, and that is that

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I hadn't realized just how many artists have actually covered Bowie's1977 hit "heroes''. I'm not surprised that it's one of the most covered rock songs of the latter half of the century; it's so BIG, it always finds a way to get stuck in your head and I never get tired of hearing it. Even Nico and Phillip Glass did it.

Here are the versions from my favourite artists:

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The Wallflowers (1998, Godzilla soundtrack)

Blondie (recorded live 1980)

Oasis (1997 B-side)

King Crimson (2000, live recording)

Martha Wainwright with Adrian Belew (live, recently)

Original by David Bowie (Co-written by Brian Eno)

Secret

designed by Luna

In my Secret Life - Leonard Cohen
A cover - by Katie Melua

When the day is short
And the nights are long
It's a different world
Where the rules are wrong

When the Day is Short - Martha Wainwright

Great Expectations

I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened, I'm going to tell it the way I remember it

The 1998 film adaptation of my favourite book, Dickens' Great Expectations is also the most gorgeous film I've ever seen. Number one on my list for years and criticized by many for not following Dickens book precisely and rigorously which was not the goal. You probably don't remember it as it was overshadowed by the Titanic. Now, 10 years later, buy it, be enchanted and watch it as its own entity apart from the novel. Cuaron keeps the themes and the soul of Dicken's classic and paints his own utterly beautiful portrait with a simple script and dazzling cinematography.

The sound track is as brilliant as the film:

• Like a Friend - Pulp
  

• Siren - Tori Amos
• Life in Mono - Mono (theme song)
  
• Walk this Earth Alone - Lauren Christy (Music Video for Great Expectations)
  

So Far Away From Me

People in the south of Croatia (Dalmatia) where I am at the moment have never overlooked Dire Straights. As underrated as they seem to be in Toronto , Knopfler and the homies can count on ardent fandom here where everyone knows who they are. I suppose there's a similarity in Dire Straits' musical style and that of a lot of Croatian rock music.

• So Far Away - Dire Straits
  
• Romeo and Juliet- Dire Straits
  

• 5:15 am - Mark Knopfler (just listen and ignore the video, I had trouble finding a recording)
• Vino Noci - Neno Belan (ignore this video too only because it's terrible)
  

Lingering

Photo by Aubrey

If I could make the world as pure
And strange as what I see
I'd put you in a mirror
I'd put in front of me
Linger on your pale blue eyes

• Pale Blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground
• Linger by The Cranberries