I am always on the search for different textures and sounds to add to my DJs sets at the Veneto Lounge.
The “theme(s)” of the Veneto Lounge are Italian (Veneto is a region of Italy) and classic cocktails.
The bartenders try and revive and explore recipes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Great for cocktails but less so musically.
To help set the vibe in the lounge, Motown and early rock have always been a staple of my music sets (with modern indie rock and chillwave).
Trying to think of something more European and mod, I have started exploring the pop music scenes of France and Italy.
The journey led me to discover a few decent Italian singers of the period, but the treasure was a French pop style called “ye-ye.”
Its a very cool and slinky style that will transport you to the Mediterranean circa 1968. I have no idea what these girls are singing about but I want to know all of them more carnally.
A name from the scene that you may of heard of is Serge Gainsbourg. He wrote and/or performed many of the standards of the time. His style was very progressive, dark and sexual.
Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin – “Je t’aime moi non plus”
What a dishy number… Jane Birkin’s simulated sexual breathing? yikes, someone hold me. This song gets me hot and bothered just listening to it.
Gainsbourg was an interesting character. One of the more hilarious stories was his involvement with 16-year-old ye-ye singer France Gall. Gainsbourg helped her early in her career and penned some of her biggest European hits.
The thing with the French pop of the 60s was that it was innocent teenager music. Generally sung by teen girls about finding that first crush and navigating those first awkward years of sexuality.
That’s cool, till you sprinkle in the dark mind of son of Jewish Russian Revolution survivors who then translated there way through Nazi occupied Paris during World War 2.
Enter the too adorable for words France Gall. Serge Gainsbourg wrote a song for her called “Les Sucettes” (lollipops). Long before my ganger Lil Wayne took this delicious candy and made it sinisterly wicked, Serge had an innocent 18-year-old girl on stage singing a song she knew nothing about.
Hilarity ensued, some scandal, a little embarrassment… and a song that Serge Gainsbourg described as the “the most daring song of the century” was born.
France Gall – “Les Sucettes”
Now this is a song you include on your “I like you, but I like you more when you’re getting down” mixtape.
When France discovered the true meaning of “Les Sucettes” she was mortified and sad. She felt that the “adults” around her used her and later in career she was very resentful of the early ye-ye years.
Having read her story and downloading a couple key tracks, I have developed a retro-active crush on this French doll.
It makes the song “Poupee de cire, poupee de son” (doll of wax, doll of song) all the more foretelling.
France Gall – “Poupee de cire, poupee de son”
“Poupee de cire” was a big hit for Gall and it would get an English make-over from English 60s singer Twinkle.
The song will help give you Anglophones a heads up on what the ye-ye songs of the 60s were all about.
Twinkle – “A lonely singing doll”
Its an interesting snap-shot of the “pop-star.” Serge Gainsbourg says of this song (he wrote it): “The songs young people turn to for help in their first attempts at discovering what life and love are about, are sung by people too young and inexperienced to be of much help and condemned by their celebrity to find out.”
The Morning After 