THE PLACE I LOVE by FRENCH BOUTIK (2017)

French Boutik have a new single coming out, a rather elegant version of The Jam’s ‘The Place I Love’. Taken from Gifted, a 4-CD set of Jam covers by bands from 14 countries, it comes as a gatefold sleeve 45 split single with an enchanting ‘Tonight at Noon’ by their keys man and artist in his own right, Popincourt, on the flip.  

All profits from the single and compilation go to Specialized, a musical community concept created in 2012 to raise funds to improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer or who are living in difficult circumstances. Since 2012, Specialized has released tribute albums celebrating The Specials, The Beat, Madness, The Clash, Bob Marley and now The Jam to provide funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Available to pre-order now from Copasetic Records. 
Gifted: A Tribute to The Jam available from Specialized.

FRENCH BOUTIK at the 100 CLUB, LONDON

I like French Boutik. I like how the title of their album, Front Pop, references forward-thinking popular culture and the Front Populaire movement of the 1930s where an alliance of French workers fought for basic rights.  That combination of toe tapping melodies and socio-political comment informs their music, not that I can understand it as I don’t speak French but that’s not the point, is it comrades?

I like how French Boutik sing in French - it’s authentic and natural – rather than a second tongue, it strikes me as uncompromising and, frankly, the right thing to do, unlike so many others. Be yourself, be true.

I like that French Boutik are Mods and my sort of Mods. Mods who look good, dress well, know what’s what and don’t make me flinch from the term. They make Mod appear like a cool thing, which it always should but seldom does these days. They are the only current band I can think of who do Mod well. They aren’t a clichéd Mod band or, if you prefer, band of Mods.

I like how French Boutik’s music has undercurrents of soul and jazz but doesn’t actually sound like either. There’s a 60s grasp of strong melodies, elements of 70s new wave fleck their songs, as does 90s Britpop, and sandwiched between is a clean 80s sheen which, probably unintentionally but not unpleasantly, recall early Everything But The Girl, and Swing Out Sister (no bad thing at all, in case there’s any doubt, Kaleidoscope World is a splendid LP) plus the first couple of Style Council albums.

I like how French Boutik look happy on stage at the 100 Club, relishing the moment, and the way they shoot each other looks and smile knowingly when they’ve just nailed a part of a tune. I like how as a support act they make their set feel like the headline slot. People who’ve come specially to see them and those who’ve never heard of them before are in unison: they’re an enjoyable band. They drink red wine on stage.

I like how French Boutik are spilt along gender lines and have a girl on drums who hardly breaks into a sweat. Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire and ladies gently glow, as my Granpop always used to say.

I like that the vinyl edition of French Boutik’s LP comes with an inner sleeve with lyrics and even a double-sided colour poster. Posters are proper pop group material. It’s a proper pop record.

I like French Boutik. I like them a lot.

Front Pop by French Boutik is out now on LP and CD.

OCTOBER PLAYLIST

1.  Bobby Adams – ‘Sixteen Years In The Making’ (1963)

Bobby, with a voice like the man of the mountains, sings about his delight of girl’s 16^th birthday; a girl he met at the age of two, then four, then eight. Enjoy this big beat mover then call the cops.

2.  Satan’s Breed – ‘Laugh Myself To The Grave’ (1966)

Give a group of Rhode Island kids a cheap organ, a few other instruments and some Animals records, lock them in the garage and wait for the results. Boom!

3.  The Deadly Ones – ‘It’s Monster Surfing Time’ (1964)

The title gives most of this track away. Taut and twangy instrumental with a few hungry monster noises over the top. Stay outta the water kids.

4.  Clara Ward – ‘Hang Your Tears Out To Dry’ (1966)

Primarily a gospel singer of the highest order, Clara rarely ventured into the secular side of the house but Hang Your Tears Out To Dry on Verve is a spectacular exception. A couple of standards, some full blown jazz-soul stompers, some folky-gospel and best-version-ever covers of ‘This Ole House’ and ‘Help’. Not easy to find but what an album.

5.  Betty Harris – ’12 Red Roses’ (1966)

From the new Soul Jazz Records collection, The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul. Although Betty was only ever flown in to New Orleans for recordings, Allen Toussaint’s production and local musicians including the Meters give it that unmistakable gumbo-funk sound.

6.  Them – ‘What’s A Matter Baby’ (1967)

Them’s first post-Van Morrison LP, Now and Them, understandable lacks a bit of direction but the bouncy blue-eyed soul treatment on the Timi Yuro/Small Faces classic works here.

7.  Cilla Black – ‘Help Me Jesus’ (1973)

Now, I’m nothing if not a fair man and while I may usually prefer the sound of a burning zoo to a Cilla record I’ve got to admit liking this. Bittersweet Symphony intro, big sustained guitar chords, tickling piano and ace backing vocals all contribute to an out of the floor gospel soul dancer. If someone else had sung lead it’d be perfect, as it is it’s still pretty damn good. I’m off for a lie down in a dark room to recover from the shock. Nurse!

8.  Lloyd Cole & the Commotions – ‘Charlotte Street’ (1985)

Lloyd Cole at Islington’s Union Chapel this month was magnificent. Playing two sets – one solo and one accompanied by his son on second guitar – he treated the congregation to “the Lloyd Cole Songbook 1983-1996”. Lloyd’s voice was better than I’d ever appreciated, he was warm, funny, self-depreciating and armed with a stunning catalogue of songs from the Commotions period and the first phase of his (neglected by many) solo career. Rattlesnakes remains one of the finest albums ever made in my book, not a note or phrase wasted, so it was a thrill to hear three-quarters of it including a couple of my absolute favourites, ‘2CV’ and ‘Charlotte Street’.

9.  Hooton Tennis Club – ‘Katy-Anne Bellis’ (2016)

I flagged up their ‘Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of Her Favourite Chair’ last year and now off Big Box Of Chocolates comes another toe-tapping Scouse half-60s beat/half-90s indie winner.

10. French Boutik – ‘Le Mac’ (2016)

I’ve no idea what Paris-based French Boutik are singing about most of the time but I like the way they sing it and the cut of their jib. Debut LP Front Pop - bursting with bright melodies and a magpie approach to picking influences be it 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s – is highly recommended. ‘Le Mac’ rips along at a lick with careering guitars and hurtling organ in hot pursuit while singer Gabriela Giacoman is too cool to rush.