Claire Diterzi used to be a member of trio Dit Terzi. This year, her soloalbum Boucle came out, that with the electronica and baroque voices is not very unlike the work of Emilie Simon. Only more gothic. Claire (who looks a bit like Charlotte Rampling) sounds like she's about to cry - try to keep dry eyes while listening to Sombre Dimanche. The Gibson-guitar has a very prominent place on the album - in this Figaro-interview she states that Boucle is also a declaration of love to the electric guitar, although she stays away from guitar-hero territory. Claire counts Ed O'Brien (Radiohead), Ry Cooder and Marc Ribot as her influences. Diterzi is currently on tour, on May 3 she's at the Botanique Festival in Brussels. Camille's there too, by the way...
UPDATE: I wasn't aware that Sombre Dimanche is a French version of the famous 'Hungarian suicide song' Gloomy Sunday - L. mentioned it in the comments. Read the story here. Here's an English version by the ferocious Diamanda Galas (very close to the original), and slightly more hopeful version by German jazz-singer Anna (in English). Serge recorded a version as well on his You're Under Arrest album.
And, from the 1930's, by Damia
A very pretty cover of Gainsbourg's Gloomy sunday. Enfin, sans la barbe de trois jours.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenL.
(J'en profite pour signaler deux prestations exceptionnelles de Miss Phuoc Van chez The Record Robot :
BeantwoordenVerwijderenhttp://recordrobot.blogspot.com/2006/03/lovely-van-and-pretty-dung.html
Absolument merveilleuse.
L.
There wa sinteresting film from germany - I think? called Gloomy Sunday about the song which came out a few years ago.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAlso, the uneven period peice film, the Man who Cried, starring Christina Ricci and Cate Blanchett, made heavy use of the song.
Lydia Lunch did a great version of Gloomy Sunday (tnohue slightly in cheek) on her early masterpiece the Queen of Siam.
Actually, you could do a whole collection of cover versions... but that would be, well, kinda gloomy.
I remember reading a book a book about the history of the song - or was it Strange Fruit?
Skunkeye : c'était Strange Fruit ...
BeantwoordenVerwijderenEt Gloomy Sunday n'est pas une chanson de Gainsbourg ...
La chanson a été écrite en 1933 par Rezsô Seress.
Ici on peut lire quelque chose sur cette chanson :
http://www.phespirit.info/gloomysunday/
Before Galas sang Gloomy Sunday at a concert I was attending a few years back in Montreal, she said Billie Holiday sang it, but it was often 'censured' because it was 'too heavy'. I associate this song with Billie Holiday.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenMore info:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenhttp://www.phespirit.info/gloomysunday/
The popularity of Gloomy Sunday increased greatly through its interpretation by Billie Holiday (1941). In an attempt to alleviate the pessemistic tone a third stanza was added to this version, giving the song a dreamy twist, yet still the suicide reputation remained. Gloomy Sunday was banned from the playlists of major radio broadcasters around the world. The B.B.C. deemed it too depressing for the airwaves.
THANKS - YET AGAIN
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWho is Anna and where did that mp3 come from? I can't get it to play but I simply must have the recording. Her voice is so beautiful.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSarah Brightman has also covered "Gloomy Sunday" on her album La Luna.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe various versions of gloomy sunday are great buffet of delicious melencholia. Thanks
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThere are two different English lyric versions of Gloomy Sunday...one obscurely covered by Diamanda Galas and Greta Keller, and the more popular one that everybody from Mel Torme to Elvis Costello has done.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnd yes, there have most definitely been documented cases of suicides that specifically reference having heard the song and been influenced by it. Fortunately they are few.
The song certainly has one of the most unusual melodic lines...the lyric rising up the scale only to gloomily fall back down...till the basement thud of "Gloomy...Sunday."