I got back yesterday from a short trip to Paris and Troyes. I have been to Paris many times over the years but this was my first visit to Troyes. I liked it very much - lots of old timbered buildings to admire while you amble round town and a local delicacy, andouillette de Troyes, which is a must have for all fans of pigs' innards.
While in Paris I caught up with my old friends Jeni and Christoph. I think I may have mentioned here before that Jeni's sister has two sons who she rashly named Zepheniah and Coolie. Well, Coolio is now the father of a baby girl to whom he has gifted the name Nylon. This has made me ridiculously happy. Poor Nylon may not feel the same way when she is old enough to understand what has been done to her.
I found time for a bit of CD shopping in both places. Unfortunately many of the little shops around Boulevard Barbès in Paris that sold CDs from assorted parts of Francophone Africa alongside fabric and nick-nacks are no longer there. It was the same story in the Matonge district in Brussels when I was there last year.
Despite that setback I managed to pick up a handful of albums that are likely to feature in my African Odyssey series at some point. In the case of Nans Benz du Togo that won't be until around this time next year. If they become world-renowned before then, remember you heard it here first.
A visit to the French equivalent of Cash Converters in Troyes resulted in me acquiring "Rappels", a compilation album by Téléphone. They were widely considered to be the best French band of the early 1980s but forty years on it is hard to see what the fuss was about. You probably had to be there.
Téléphone made five albums before splitting in 1986. We have the title track of the Martin Hannett produced second album "Crache Ton Venin" (1979) and something from their final album "Un Autre Monde" (1984).
"Crache Ton Venin" - Téléphone
"New York Avec Toi" - Téléphone
Legally you can't have a post mentioning French music and telephones without including this #35 smash from 1976.
I've never seen or heard Tears On The Telephone before, but it is equal parts horrifying and enthralling, so thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteGood to have you back, Ernie.
I would say 80% horrifying. It's a sort of 'Sylvia's Daughter' made creepier by hearing both sides of the conversation.
DeleteI'm also reminded of that creepy twist at the end of Save All Your Kisses For Me by the Brotherhood Of Man.
DeleteI've listened to the disturbing song all the way through, but not the first two you posted
ReplyDeleteI listened to both Téléphone tracks in full - and yep you're right to wonder what all the fuss was about. I should have taken your word for it in the first place!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Give me Telex over Téléphone any day!
ReplyDeleteIt has taken me a little while to get round to commenting on this post; I'm just too traumatised by that song/video.
ReplyDeleteApologies for causing the trauma. I'm glad I didn't make it worse by adding "Hello This Is Joannie" as originally intended.
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