maandag 11 december 2006

Poupées that go NO


Michel Polnareff's La Poupée qui fait non, a 1966 ode to either a toddler that is in her nay-saying phase, or a beautiful girl who likes to keep all options open, has been covered many times, in many ways. Even by Polnareff himself: he did an Italian and a German version of the song. Best known cover is by Cristina, the wife of ZE Records boss Michael Zilkha. Back in the eighties, ZE was the label that released Lio, John Cale and Kid Creole & The Coconuts. Cristina Monet was a Harvard educated theatrecritic, who made two albums, with enormous stylistic variety. Her Poupée-version was produced by August Darnell (a.k.a Kid Creole), and as Silverlakeblvd once remarked: "It features clichéd calypso steel drums versus clichéd disco cow bell plus skeletonized fragments of fake Gene Krupa, with vocal stylings by the ineffable Cristina, sounding like a lunatic talking to herself in the street."
Saint Etienne did a English language cover for a Polnareff tribute, whilst Italian newwave-disco hero Ivan Cattaneo covered it in Italian. Mylene Farmer did a live version en duo with the king of raï Khaled, American rockband slash francophiles Luna rocked it, and French teen star Danielle made a europoptrash version last year. Ofcourse the song was redone by a Japanese artist, in this case Sonoko.

UPDATE: thanks to Dennis and Frans, this post has grown enormously. Merci guys! If you have more versions, please share (see profile for email).

The Master
Michel Polnareff - La Poupée qui fait non (see on Daily Motion)
Michel Polnareff - Meine Puppe sagt nein (in German) (see on YouTube)
Michel Polnareff - La bambolina che fa no no no (in Italian)

Female French
Cristina - La Poupée qui fait non
Sonoko - La Poupée qui fait non
Elli Medeiros & Jacno - La Poupée qui fait non
Mylene Farmer & Khaled - La Poupée qui fait non (see on YouTube)
Danielle - La Poupée qui fait non

Male French
NEW: Johnny Hallyday - La Poupée qui fait non
Les Sultans - La Poupée qui fait non (see on YouTube)
Luna - La Poupée qui fait non
Florent Pagny & Kad Achouri - La Poupée qui fait non
C. Jerome - La Poupée qui fait non

Female English

Saint Etienne - La Poupée qui fait non
Saint Etienne - La Poupée qui fait non (live) (see on YouTube)

Male English
The Birds - La Poupée qui fait non
Jimi Hendrix - La Poupée qui fait non
The Otherside - La Poupée qui fait non
Finnegans Wake - La Poupée qui fait non
Scott McKenzie - La Poupée qui fait non

Male Italian

Quelli - La Bambolina che fa no no no
Ivan Cattaneo - La Bambolina che fa no no no
Alberto Camorini - La Bambolina che fa no no no

Female Japanese
Nomoto Karia - Non Non Ningyou

NEW: Female Spanish
Los Compays - La muñeca que dice no

8 opmerkingen:

  1. Versions by Jimi Hendrix (no, really) and The Birds (not the Byrds) have been located, and will be uploaded later today!

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  2. "It features clichéd calypso steel drums versus clichéd disco cow bell plus skeletonized fragments of fake Gene Krupa, with vocal stylings by the ineffable Cristina, sounding like a lunatic talking to herself in the street."

    He forgot to mention it all makes for a wonderful, wonderful cocktail. Cristina ROCKS.
    Dennis

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  3. I thought that description was a recommendation that did not need any encouragement any more. But it sure R O C K S

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  4. Other versions in my collection are:
    Beverly Jo Scott - CD "Cut & Run Live" 2004
    Jacno - CD "Un Hommage à Polnareff" 1999
    Florent Pagny - CD "2" 2001
    Johnny Hallyday - CD "A Partir De Maintenant" 1980
    Teddy Laventure - CD "Des Filles Et Des Garçons" 1995

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  5. guuzbourg(a)gmail.com, that's where you could send BJ Scott and Teddy Laventure to, Coates. Please.

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  6. Hola, esta chido este blog, yo tengo esta canción en español si a alguien le interesa escribame a mi correo compay2407@gmail.com ó a compay2407@hotmail.com, yo te haré llegar la cancion en español

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  7. Whao!
    Quelle collection.

    Zou, je prends tout.
    Merci!

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  8. Dear Guuzbourg,

    thanks for your fantastic blog!! My son (7) recently heard the Polnareff version in German and is is enthusiastic about it. Could you pleeeeeaaaaaase re-up the file!!!

    THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

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