greetings!

i am looking to put together a few mix-discs containing songs sung in french
by non-french artists.

e.g.:
GRACE JONES - Pars
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS - Foux du Fafa
FRAZIER CHORUS - Le Change est Magnifique / and Blistered
FEIST - Le Meme Histoire (from the Paris J'taime soundtrack)
SSQ - Ni Importe Quoi (gads i wish they'd release the full SSQ on cd)

any other tidbits of musical info from your personal stashes would be much appreciated.

Ou Est Le Soleil--Paul McCartney
Sunday Girl--Blondie (French version)
Comment Te Dire Adieu--Jimmy Somerville
Hungry for You (J'Aurais Toujours Faim de Toi)--Police (95% French)

Belinda Carlisle's last solo album was entirely in French (w/ a bonus disc of some English versions too)

A few hybrids:

Michelle--Beatles
Hold on Tight--ELO
C'Etait Toi (You Were the One)--Billy Joel

Off the top of my head, there's Belinda Carlisle's Voilà and several tracks on Jonatha Brooke's Steady Pull.

midnight in paris from "illegal stills" has some verses in french.

i think stills was married to veronique sanson at the time, and she was a star in france. then again, i might have that all wrong, but i seem to remember hearing it somewhere.

renny

i also think david crosby's "orleans" is entirely in french. (from "if i could only remember my name").

"Heros"--David Bowie (French version of "Heroes")

Bruce Cockburn has a few French tracks sprinkled among his albums.

sweet! thanks to all - and keep it coming if you can think of any more...

Daniel Lanois has recorded both completely French tracks (O Marie, Mon Beau Petit Chou, Pour Ton Sourire) and songs that freely mix French and English lyrics (Jolie Louise, Under the Stormy Sky, The Collection of Marie Claire).

Lady Marmalade - Labelle
Mais si tu Dois Partir - Fairport Convention (Dylan cover available on Mojo freebie CD)

Waterloo--ABBA (French version)
Feuilles-O--Simon & Garfunkel
Donner Pour Donner--Elton John
Je Veux de la Tendresse--Elton John (French version of "Nobody Wins")
Sadeness--Enigma (Engima are a Romanian duo)

Wasn't there a song by Bill Wyman called "Je Suis un Rock Star"?

Jimbo,
Did you forget the Bill Wyman song? BTW, I couldn't resist in asking and please forgive me for slightly derailing the the thread. Doesn't Elmer Fudd saying "Frwench-Fwied Frwickasees" count?

Tina Arena has a couple of French-only album releases.

Oops.

Kraftwerk recorded French versions of some of their songs, including "Tour de France" (naturally), "Pocket Calculator," and "Les Mannequins" (a.k.a. "Showroom Dummies").

"La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" from Sting's Mercury Falling album.

The Guess Who had a killer garage punker called "Croyez-Moi".

"Fille Comme Toi"--Bob Welch (French version of "Precious Love"--bonus track on the 3 Hearts CD on One Way)

Elton John- "J'veax De La Tendresse" which is the french version of his '81 song "Nobody Wins" from the "The Fox". I think it might be pretty tough to find, since it's never been on CD, and was only issued on the 12" import single of "Cold as Christmas" from '83.

On "Voice," Alison Moyet sings "La Chanson des Vieux Amants" and "Je Crois Entendre Encore." She also has a few b-sides sung in French.
Olivia Newton-John sings "Mon Amour, Mon Impssible Amour," which is "I Honestly Love You," sung in French.

Luna perform Serge Gainsbourg's "Bonnie and Clyde" en francais on the Chinatown ep, also available on the "Lunafied" covers album, or disc 2 of the UK Best of Luna set.


Luna also appear on the quite good "Pop Romantique" various-artists compilation:

1. Pardon - The Hang-Ups
2. L'anamour - Ivy
3. La Poupee Qui Fait Non - Luna
4. Jeanne - Air ft. Francoise Hardy
5. Avril En Mai - The Apples In Stereo
6. Si Tu Dois Partir - Lloyd Cole & His Negatives
7. Nous Ne Somme Pas De Anges - Heavenly
8. Contact - Godzuki
9. Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'en Vais - John Wesley Harding
10. Zoooom! - Sukia
11. Le Tourbillion - Magnetic Fields
12. Puis-Je? - The Ladybug Transistor ft. Kevin Ayers

from Amazon.com
If the notion of indie intelligentsia expounding en français doesn't prompt your gag response, you'll find Pop Romantique a tasty fluff piece. Tunes with true French flavor work best: each note of "L'anamour," written by 1960s icon Serge Gainsbourg (who's covered four times here), is delivered with a no-tongue kiss from Ivy's front-femme, Dominique Durand; meanwhile, Air's delicate guitar suits famed countrywoman and guest vocalist Françoise Hardy--her tones are languid, luxe, and spent as vintage silk. Several unamphibian activities sound swell: Apples in Stereo apply their tweaked, fuzzy signature; Godzuki burble dark as a champagne-absinthe cocktail; and Luna seem positively jaunty. As for faux pas, John Wesley Harding's heart's in the right place (oozing appropriate melancholy, his outro a series of sighs), but he struggles with the accent, as does Lloyd Cole, who has the gall to go Gaul with Bob Dylan. In sum: a pleasant Valentine's spin for kitschy couples.--Nina Malkin

Product Description
Collection of new recordings from sophisticated pop artists singing and performing French pop classics, including Ivy, Air with Francoise Hardy, Lloyd Cole, Heavenly, John Wesley Harding, Magnetic Fields and The Apples In Stereo. 12 tracks total. 1999 release.

Eleanor McEvoy has two French-version DLs (mp3 only) on the "sounds" page of eleanormcevoy.com scroll down to "mp3s"

It's not entirely in French. The chorus is, but there are English lyrics as well, which means Ralph Kramden can enjoy at least part of the song.