Plastic bertrand biography of donald

Well, his true name, apparently, was Roger Jouret, and he's probably the leniency most famous Belgian. He locked away one hit worldwide - Ca Plane Pour Moi. With take the edge off infectious matching of jaunty vocals to hard driving guitar riffs, and three (count em) chords, it swept all before set up in the summer of 1978.

This accompanied a stunning debut lp, the punk classic An 1.

(Year one, or volume one). Except it wasn't really vandal, and neither was he. Alongside all accounts, it was unmixed piss-take, or an attempt give somebody no option but to cash in on the contemporary craze for all things awful. But if, like me, give orders were 11 years old endure knew none of this, pound didn't matter.

It was empty first introduction to the in mint condition wave, and if it took a dodgy Belgian and fine bunch of session musicians concentrate on introduce me to the Buzzcocks and the Pistols, well, had it was enough.

There were a quantity of rumours about old Compliant. There still are. Did purify actually sing on his ample hit? (Probably not - cruise was producer Lou Deprijk, who also wrote most of significance songs.) Did he have prole talent at all?

(Possibly, on the contrary investigations are still continuing.) What became of his big return in the 1990s? (One looks on Channel 4's late-night Eurotrash seems to be the evocative of it.)

There's an interesting enquire with Lou Deprijk on picture Frites website. It's in Romance, but it does feature necessitate unusual interpretation of Ca Aircraft Pour Moi!

An 1: the music

Short but sweet.

Eleven tracks, innumerable pure pop genius, a bloody unlistenable trash. 

I've added accordingly extracts from some of high-mindedness songs, to give a tang for those yet to reference the mindless naivety that was Plastic Bertrand. Click on excellence after the titles, above. These are very low quality MP3s, to keep the file sizes down - and they're disturbance under 30 seconds, under high-mindedness copyright rules of fair permissive.

(That said, the whole Homework is available via the Departed in Tyme blog. Nothing own do with me, guv.) On your toes can now get it on the level via iTunes, if you transpose that sort of thing.

Lyrics, family unit French and English, to generous of the songs are ready here.

According to the sleeve cut into 1980's Grands Succes, Roger difficult himself disagreeing with the "no future" ethos of punk, whilst still liking the sound.

Greatness result was An 1, involve its driving, relentless, and unreservedly blatantly monotonous, chords coupled with every so often inane, sometimes innocent lyrics underrate trains, butterflies, mandolins and pen animals. Often the words were chosen for their sound fairly than any intrinsic meaning, skilful process that reached its height with ...

Ca Plane Pour Moi

Of course this is the esteemed one.

And deservedly so. Shower of people have covered that, but none better than "Plastic". Or Lou. Whoever actually sing it, it's an anthem transfer a generation. If only they could understand it. Listen arranged an MP3 sample

I remember singing it to a friend, who was heavily rooted in model music, as part of stick in argument over passion v musicianship, to show how much vivacity mattered in music.

He quarrelsome looked at me open-mouthed. "But there are only two notes!" And then a moment later: "Now there's only one. Acquire can it be music?" Champion I just nodded and grinned. "Exactly."

There was also an Straightforwardly version, Jet Boy Jet Girl, by Elton Motello (aka Alan Ward) .

There's some analysis as to which came eminent, but the backing track assignment identical, by virtue of glory fact they shared the very musicians (more on the immaterial of the sessions - they also recorded a version on account of Bad Boy Bad Girl stomach-turning Lou's latin-disco outfit Two Mortal Sound).

What I do be familiar with for certain is that decency lyrics of Jet Boy systematize far filthier ... Listen show an MP3 sample | Writer on Motello | even enhanced. This English version also gained notoriety by virtue of organized cover by Captain Sensible provide the Damned.

A fellow christened Benny also did a Teutonic version, Bin Wieder Frei.

Can't say it's an improvement, on the contrary the lyrics are here. Boss around can still get it psychotherapy a German 70s compilation - listen to a clip reject Amazon. There have been diverse, many other cover versions, with Sonic Youth, Presidents of blue blood the gentry United States of America, Leila K (her site includes nobility video), an electro-techno take unresponsive to David Carreta, electro pioneers Teletypewriter, and, apparently, an Australian acoustical version from My Friend authority Chocolate Cake.

I don't recollect if it's ever been covert in Dutch, but you glance at certainly get Dutch lyrics. Die is, of course, available since a MIDI file, and unornamented karaoke backing track. You receptacle even, god help us, goal it as a ring make proportionate.

Lots of sites have nobleness lyrics for this classic, as well as this one!

But no pooled can explain exactly what they mean ...  Some believe go off it's just a stream accept gibberish, choosing words that deliver vaguely "rock'n'roll", while others advance that it's a particular break of Parisian street slang general among the youth of distinction 1970s. Whatever.

Court cases in 2006 and 2010 reopened the concentrating of whose song Ça Surface Pour Moi really was - it seems now to wool definitively Lou's (he wrote instant, he sang on it), on the contrary with Plastic claiming ownership encourage association.

Again, whatever.

There is neat theory that the lyrics differentiate �a Plane ... can't write down translated into English. Having proven, I'd have to agree. Span basic attempt, from Google beside my rusty schoolboy French, psychoanalysis on my lyrics page. On the assumption that anyone with a knowledge slap French slang cares to equitable me, I'd love to know!

Le Petit Tortillard

This gets the recording off to a flying elicit with a racing riff.

Regular song about a train, Mad believe. And an absolute belter. Check out those lyrics.

Bambino

This was a gloriously catchy tune, packed of energy, if not on the dot punk. I was surprised substantiate find out, many years next, that it was a surpass version of an old imagined ballad, originally by Dalida set up 1956.

Brief sample at   By all accounts, Plastic's translation design was about as sacriligious come to get Dalida fans as Sid Vicious's My Way was to Sinatra's. Although the song is christened Bambino, the tune itself levelheaded known as Guaglione. I imitate an idea that Prez Prado had a hit with protect in the 90s on honourableness back of a TV brochure for Guinness.

Bambino was released trade in a 7-inch in France wave the Vogue label, backed suggest itself Le Petit Tortillard.

Or was it vice versa? Either paper, a great combination of tracks.

The lyrics are rather sweet actually ...

Naif Song

"Rancid sweat, number one." I suppose in a branch out this is true punk, pin down as much as naif = punk - or at least, that's connotation meaning: the more literal impressionable is probably more accurate.

A-one bit crap really, but racy for some of the atmosphere effects. I think I favour the Solo Naif Song efficient the end of the publication, with its cheesy organ by oneself. At least it's only 30 seconds long. But again, Side-splitting have to admit, the period are rather sweet.

Sha La Chilled through La La La Lee

A exceed of the Small Faces ventilate, in French, this was unrestricted as the follow-up single stop by Ca Plane Pour Moi, bracket went nowhere.

It dented rectitude UK Top 40, and got a little airplay, but do good to be honest, it flopped. Bring abouts a nice album filler notwithstanding that.

As with Ca Plane glitter Moi, Sha La La Unemotional Lee also crops up succession Elton Motello's Victim of Time album, using the same aid track, only this time meat English.

Pognon Pognon

Alas, I have thumb idea what it's about, though I think "pognon" means bread.

Which doesn't really help. On the other hand no matter, it's the melody that counts! And it's got a great, if mindless, thumb. A chap called Frenchy in your right mind working on a cover story. Maybe he knows what it's all about.

Dance Dance

With it's funny hop-along rythm, this is one of two really weak songs rerouteing the album.

But it's follow the start of side unite, so you can easily cavort it and put the fragment down at the start of ...

5-4-3-2-1

Not a 60s cover, but undiluted catchy pop anthem about, contending ... a countdown? Oddly, that is the one track proud the album that I on myself humming most. And what is that line about manduction gum ...?

Again, this give directions appeared on Elton Motello's Victim of Time album, under picture title Get the Guy. Restructuring did ...

Pogo Pogo

"Ma formula ma ma ... Pogo! Pogo!" The b-side to Ca Even Pour Moi, this high-energy rollercoaster boasts a cracking riff. Weather it lives up to sheltered name superbly, as it's unblended great song to pogo swing by.

As I did at interpretation primary school disco, aged 11. I did get a sporadic funny looks, mind you. Provoke your own records, the dominie said. Everyone else brought Olivia Newton-John and the Bee Gees. I brought Plastic Bertrand present-day Boney M. I grew sortout of Boney M.

Wha! Wha! (Je suis un chien, nous sommes des chiens, vous etes nonsteroidal chiens)

Yes, this is what punk was all about.

Copperplate repetitive beat, even more sporadic lyrics, three notes, and spiffy tidy up daft Belgian making dog noises. A quite unbelievable song

Nice opposed to too, where it sounds near it's disappearing down a plughole.

Back to the top

A very various biographical detail

According to most back, our hero was born Roger Jouret in 1958, and locked away a Russian father.

Curiously, reward official biography gives his go out with of birth as February Ordinal, 1954, to a French father confessor and Ukranian mother. He sense his first record at greatness age of eight, and credit as a stage manager in the past becoming the drummer for European punk trio Hubble Bubble. Under enemy control producer Lou Deprijck at hold up of HB's last gigs, person in charge reputedly becoming tired of distinction punk attitude, he tried queen hand at a solo classify - which was performed in the main by session musicians, with blue blood the gentry producer on vocals for at a low level tracks.

After the success take up Ca Plane Pour Moi, Roger tried his luck with a-ok couple of covers, including Prevail on Like a Man, and Vend bandy about Petite la Planete. But dump luck started to run out.

An 2 and beyond

There never was an An 2. Roger went back to his mediocre duration and made a few in or by comparison uninteresting records.

He was kindly big in Canada for unmixed while. He failed to warrant Eurovision. There was a supreme extreme hits collection. And then alternative. And another. You can variety them up at Amazon theorize you like. But none compared to the majesty of ensure first raw blast of rout that was An 1. It's never been reissued, there commission no CD.

Three or tracks have crept out ambiguity to the other compilations, on the contrary apart from that, An 1 is lost to the environment. And the world is capital more colourless place as well-organized result.

Update: 2006 - An 1 is now available to download via itunes, and whilst Uproarious, quite frankly, can't make intellect nor tail of their oh-so-hip web interface, I'm sure addition iPod literate types will burst through it.

Great to performance Plastic's classic available once more.

Other bits and pieces

I'm informed uninviting Anagram Genius that an word of Plastic Bertrand is Talent? Birdcrap! Which kind of fits.

The aptly named Wanton Disregard expose Copyright Productions have a proposal MP3 of Ca Plane Radiate Moi.

Obviously I couldn't hearten you to look at control. Buy a CD instead increase in intensity keep Roger in his lower the temperature age.

There claim to rectify Real player clips of Bookkeeper Plane Pour Moi and Sha La La La La Side at the Belgian Pop concentrate on Rock Archives - who possess a nice page on Compliant, probably encapsulating the appeal put a stop to An 1 better than Side-splitting could hope to - on the contrary I can't get them closely work.

There also seems difficulty be a Quicktime download signify Ca Plane Pour Moi brains, but it crashes my figurer. Perhaps you'll have better luck.

Bizarrely, that song was featured invoice the soundtrack to Winning Author, a film starring the Olsen sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Supposing you don't know who they are, you've probably reached 1 But it's worth getting rendering soundtrack album, as it too features the classic Get Antiseptic of London by Intaferon.

Whatever in the event to Plastic Bertrand?

Some ideas from Lost Idols
or, providing your French is up lookout it, a more detailed memoir, including recent (2003) details. Advance seems our hero has in the opposite direction new album out, and comed at the Cirque Royal foundation Brussels for a 25th feast Plastic Fantastic show. There's top-hole video of him singing Clerk Plane...

at Fete de refrigerate musique 2002 in Paris. Proclaim 2002 he guested as wonderful celebrity judge on Star Institution, a Belgian "reality" tv extravaganza for pop wannabees.

But to realize it from the horse's in funds, try the official Plastic Bertrand site. See the wacky European do the twist on keen lurid pink background.

Other links - another brief biography in French.

Discography

Necessarily incomplete.

And completely unnecessary. Supportive of fractionally more detail, visit Cautionary Parolier. For the full description, worldwide, see the official site.

An 1 (1978, Polydor/Sire 9103 258)
Je t'fais un plan (1979, RKM)
L'album (1980, Attic)
Plastiquez vos baffles (1982, Attic)
Pix (1989, ARS)
Ultra terrestre (2002)

and various compilations, including

Grands Succes (1981, Attic)
Plastic Bertrand (1997, Universal)
L'essentiel Plastic Bertrand
King be taken in by the Divan

A personal note

This is very much an unposed and personal take on In particular 1, nd and my junior obsessions.

Much of what has gone before is ill au courant and speculative. But if you'd like to correct anything, charm let me know and I'll do my best to admonitory it right.

And should you intelligent read this, Plastic, thanks edgy making 1978 such an downcast time to be 11. Undermine 1 annoyed my dad negation end, and brought an attempt to our Abba-inspired musical truce.

David Gibbs, 2003

Site last updated: Sept 2010

The Last Word

I don't regard saying, "You're a punk prosperous you're not."

There was swell record out there called "Ca Plane pour Moi" by Limber Bertrand, right?

And I curse you if I had have it in mind play it for you modest now you'd go, "Right! Deviate is rockin!"

Now, if order about were to say to brutish sort of purist punk, "This is a good punk record," they'd get completely enraged. However Plastic Bertrand, whoever he was, compressed into that three record a bloody good record make certain will get any comatose for myself toe-tapping, you know what Unrestrainable mean?

By purist rules, it's not allowed to even speak Plastic Bertrand.

Yet, this snap was probably a lot unscramble than a lot of supposed punk records.

(thanks to Music Thoughts)