La Belle et le Blues

It is impossible to put into words the effect Brigitte Bardot has had on western pop culture over the past 70 years. She was a figure woven into the psyche of her native France even before Vadim’s Et Dieu… Créa La Femme made her an international sensation in 1957. However scandalous the reportage, the phenomenon of “B.B.” kick-started the continental influence upon popular culture that would erupt in the 1960s. Screen goddess, fashion icon, pioneer of female empowerment: La Bardot’s various achievements are fully recognized around the world. Her work as a singer, however, has been less familiar outside of Francophone territories. La Belle Et Les Blues is the first legitimate retrospective of her recording career specifically compiled for the English-speaking market. Spanning the years 1962-1970, it is a glorious confection of smoky jazz, frenetic yé-yé and groovy late 60s pop, all stamped with Bardot’s idiosyncratic vocal approach, as unique as that of her acting. Highlights abound throughout La Belle Et Les Blues, from effervescent early cuts like L’Appareil A Sous and Moi Je Joue, via Bardot’s trademark “tropezian” introspection on Mr Sun and La Madrague, to the Serge Gainsbourg-helmed late 60s apotheosis of Harley-Davidson, Bonnie and Clyde and Brigitte’s raunchy original version of Je T’aime Moi Non Plus, tracks that have since become global club and turntable favourites. The carefully remastered, delightfully illustrated collection comes with extensive liner notes detailing Bardot’s enduring appeal across the decades and, as a special bonus, features fresh musings from B.B. herself on her times as a recording artist – in a rare interview granted especially for this release.