More than 25 years after its initial release (1980), Lio's monsterhit Le Banana Split is still as de rigueur among fans of simple but effective synthipop. Elke Brauweiler (pictured right), singer from German band Paula, is the last in a long line of people who covered the song. Her version is taken from a whole album of French covers, that will be released after summer. The first single also sports versions of Birkin's Ex-Fan de Sixties and Jeanette's Pourquoi Tu Vis.
The song was (co-)written by Jacques Duvall, nom de plume of Erik Verwilghen, who wrote a shitload of songs for people like Chamfort, Birkin, Marie France and Charline Rose. In this interview, Duvall/Verwilghen tells that he and co-writer Jay Alanski tried to get the song released for almost two years, until finally one label, without much faith, put it out. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Duvall did his own, jazzy version of the song as well. Most of the people who covered it, stayed close to the original. Kim'Kay (she of the toothachingly sweet Lilali and a whole string of bad Gainsbourg-covers), fellow Belgians Vive La Fête and former Miss World France Sandra Lou only enhanced the beat, orr added a little guitar. French band The Dude added a lot of guitars, their version reminds me of Plastic Bertand. Great to jump around to.
Lio - Marie Antoinette (English version)
Jacques Duvall - Le Banana Split
Kim'Kay - Le Banana Split
Sandra Lou - Le Banana Split
Vive La Fête - Le Banana Split
Elke Brauweiler - Le Banana Split
The Dude - Le Banana Split (merci Tom)
Ofcourse, YouTube offers the Lio-video (click)
Any amigo de derutti is an amigo de me (or is that mi?) Stop by Crossword Bebop sometime and say hello!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenone of my favorite posts of all time :)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenBeen lurking round your site for a while now...thanks for all the MP3s and excellent discoveries. I'm a bit of a Paula fan. I hadn't heard anything of Lio's, but I did watch Les Invisibles recently, in which she starred. Watching the Banana Split video with the film in mind made for quite a few laughs.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnother cray rockin' cover of Lio's Banana Split has been recorded by the FIFTY FOOT COMBO, a belgium band... Sure, one of the best !
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