If You Become A Bugaloo-The Bugaloos

Bugger,Bugger,Bugger,Bugger,Bugger,Bugger-Bugaloos!

Yep, the immortal line from 'If you become a Bugaloo' by The Bugaloos Now we didn't have this show in the UK(at least not in my region?) but I've checked it out and like many of the great Syd and Marty Krofft kids Tv show's, it's a classic of tripped out weirdness...

...and speaking of tripped out weirdness...here's how Syd Barrett would sound singing the theme...

...and here's the real theme...

...you can make up your own captions for the following pic...

On The Boards-Bruce Forsyth

Bruce Forsyth, (pictured here with Dora Bryan) certainly divides opinion and that's a good thing in my book.

This track is taken from the musical film 'Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?' by one of my favourite artistes, Anthony Newley.

Now I've never seen this film and have had a go at tracking it down with no luck, so if anyone knows where it can be found, let me know. If the film is half as good as the soundtrack then it will be great!

To get back to this track, I love the bit where Brucie goes on and on about being on the boards...particularly in light of his later 'classic' catchphrase...'What's on the boards..etc etc..'

My Pal Skippy-Eric Jupp feat Sonny Hammond

OK pop pickers,leaving France behind and onto my next theme which is going to be TV/Movie related...but not just themes, hopefully something a little more obscure and interesting along the way too!

Any requests for show's,people,themes, let me know and I'll see what I've got.

So, we start with this track from an EP of music from the famous 'Skippy' tv show of the sixties/seventies.

Oh how I loved Skippy...or was it just the theme? No, definitely remember watching re-runs of the show and enjoying it. I mean just the thought of owning a kangaroo...and Australia and all that sun!

Ah! Melody-Serge Gainsbourg

Thought I'd end my French round up pretty much where we began with Serge Gainsbourg.
This track is taken from his seminal 'Histoire de Melody Nelson'... which of course you all should own in some form or other!

A L'appartement-Michel Legrand

An understated piece from 'Les Parapluies de Cherbourg', one of the best known soundtracks not only in France, but the whole wide world I guess.
Quite a divisive film in the way it uses song/lyrics as dialogue but for me it works and the soundtrack is a classic.

Deshominisation(I)-Alain Goraguer

Taken from the excellent animated film, La Planete Sauvage, this track features the main melody which runs throughout the soundtrack.

If you haven't seen the film or heard the soundtrack you can find both on a 'Masters Of Cinema' DVD for ten quid!

I would recommend doing so.

Une Lettre Pour Alpha Diallo-Jean Yves Tourbin

From manufacted hippies to the real thing...maybe? This is taken from the rare album 'Gayan' by Jean Yves Tourbin.
Know next to nothing about him or the record, but it's a good listen...

La Caresse Du Fleuve-Les Fleurs de Pavot

Earlier-ish French psych exploitation album from 1968. Produced Jean Claude Vannier of 'Melody Nelson' fame the tracks on the whole hit the right note, as exemplified here with La Caresse Du Fleuve.

J'ai Je Le Coeur En Joie, J'ai Le Coeur En Peine-Chantal Goya

More Yé-Yé, this time from Chantal Goya. She doesn't do it too much on this track but I really love the way Chantal sings over the melody of the music in an 'off-key' kind of way.

L'Abandon-Jean Le Fennec

This track comes from a much sort after French Psych LP by Jean Le Fennec called Phantastic, which it certainly is.

Chante Avec Moi-Le Petit Prince

Le Petite Prince...or Pascal Krug, in another world, was one of the biggest stars of the French Yé-Yé scene.
Here he is pictured with a couple of pals.
This track is a duet with Frank Alamo, just in case you were wondering whom the deep voice belonged to...worth checking his site out!

L'Amour En Cage-Patricia Carli

Keeping on with the French theme for a little while with this great track from Patricia Carli. Top melody, guitar and organ breaks...not to mention the brass!

Mathilde-Jacques Brel

Jacques Brel wasn't French either, he was Belgian(Flemish), but he sang, lived and sold his work there so that's good enough for me!

This track, Mathilde, first came to my attention through the Scott Walker cover version, though I think I got my first taste of the Brel style through the 70's pop group, Sailor...maybe...?

Le Mannequin-Annie Philippe

Yeah Yeah girl is a term for a particular group of Freanch female singer's from the sixties, of which Annie Phillippe was one. I guess it comes from the tendency to say 'Yeah-Yeah', quite fast on a lot on these tracks... There are some great compilations out there collecting many of these tracks.

Puis Je?-Kevin Ayers

Ok, So he's not french and this is the second Kevin Ayers entry on this blog (well, it is named after one of his songs!), but I love this track in both it's English and French version, the latter of which is presented here.
You can find this on the re-issue of the superb 'Shooting At The Moon' album

Be Quiet-Jan Tregger

Taken from the rare split single 'Hypnose Réelle', is 'Be Quiet', a great funky,psych attempt at actually hypnotizing the listener...let me know if it works for you!

Can't Get The One I Want-Francoise Hardy

Often an artist has so many quality songs it's hard to just pick one...and that is certainly the case here.
So I'm going back to 'Can't Get The One I Want' as a typical example of her work, great melody, great lyrics and a fantastic vocal... Francoise Hardy