Out to Lunch

Ze French Touch

Some early French disco this time. Many people associate France and dance music with the French Touch of Motorbass, Etienne De Crécy, Air, Daft Punk, … but there has always been great dance music comin’ out of France. As a form of proof some early stuff from the heyday of Disco, somewhere around 1978 and early 80’s.

The opener Got To Have Loving is a major classic, a tour de force of imaginative synth textures, rhythmic variation and hypnotic girl vocals framing Don Ray's powerful voice and bitter lyrics. It’s From the only album from Don Ray (Aka Raymond Donnez and with a significant input by the famous Cerrone). His earliest known work is with Serge Gainsbourg in 1968 and Françoise Hardy in 1971 prior to the disco revolution. His jump into the disco world came with his keyboard work on friend and fellow Frenchman Cerrone's landmark Love In C Minor and Supernature albums.

Got To Have Loving – Don Ray

Next some classics from Cerrone. There’s more than enough info about this guy circulating on the world wide web so I just stick to the music.

Supernature – Cerrone
Give Me Love [original radio edit] – Cerrone
Striptease – Cerrone

* Some of the female backing vocals and lyrics on these tracks by Don Ray and Cerrone are by Lene Lovich.

Timing, Forget the Timing and Follow Me are part of a Rephlex label re-release of a classic disco record by French producers Bernard Fevre and Jackie Giordano from 1978. This EP is one of the most sought-after collector items of all time and a true disco masterpiece, a dark but rewarding piece of electro-disco that inspired both Metro Area and Luke Vibert. Even though this music is from the late 70's it still sounds fresh and new. Some people thought that the re-release was actually a joke and instead a current release of Luke Vibert. Black Devil Disco Club is for real and an all time favourite!

Timing, Forget the Timing – Black Devil Disco Club
Follow Me – Black Devil Disco Club

About the last one I hardly know anything. It’s French and from an album called L`Integrale by Five Letters and it’s from the early 80’s.

Magnifico Mambo – Five Letters