Browse by Label: ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)

Artist:	WHITE, JAMES
Title:	Flaming Demonics
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 009CD

Reissue of this 1983 album, originally issued by Ze. "In the same vein as George Clinton, James becomes James Chance & the Contortions, then James White & the Blacks, and has a third incarnation as James White's Flaming Demonics. In four years, James will record his three best albums on Ze records. A considerable number of musicians participated in the adventure. James experimented the most adventurous combinations, Funk rhythmic sections, arty poseurs, rockers, a kaleidoscope of picturesque characters which we will discover later in many bands directly inherited from this experience: Bush Tetras, Raybeats, Defunk, 8 Eye-Spy, etc..." Includes deluxe 20 page booklet.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Undercover
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 013CD

A compilation of Classic Covers by ZE original artists. "All the artists that record for ZE Records have made at least one cover version. It was a natural step forward to bring them together on this compilation. Coati Mundi has adapted Tropical Hot Dog Night, one of the most joyous songs ever written by Don Van Vliet for his band Captain Beefheart. Rueben Blades is present as a Latino guest star. Alan Vega pays a tribute to Gene Vincent with his version of Be Bop a Lua. Cristina revives her French roots and offers us a highly personal, Latin version of La Poupée qui fait Non produced by August Darnell from Michel Polnareff's first success. Casino Music, whose leader Gilles Riberolles parodies the French Lover on the previous track by Cristina offers an excellent cover of The Beat Goes On, written by Salvatore Bono & Cherilyn LaPiere, better known as Sonny & Cher. Their Frenchy compatriots Suicide Romeo have lent their influence to Needle in a Camel's Eye by Brian Eno, in a version that is cleverly close to the original. James White took up the challenge with a version of (Tropical) Heatwave by Irving Berlin (with Anya Phillips as the platinum blond) made popular by Marilyn Monroe in the film There's No Business Like Show Business. Lili Marlene by Marlene Dietrich is reviewed and adopted by Kid Creole & the Coconuts, sung in German by Adriana, accompanied on the piano by Stony Browder Jr., August Darnell's brother and co-founders of Dr Buzzard's Original Savannha Band. Aural Exciters, Bob Blank's After Hours Party Band offer their version of 'My Boy Lollipop', originally created by Jamaican teenager Millie Small, who brought the first N°1 in the British charts (N°2 in the USA) to a young producer called Chris Blackwell on his then new label, Island Records. 'My Boy Lollipop' is still today one of the top selling Reggae singles in the world. Lizzy Mercier Descloux gives her offbeat version of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get it On', recorded in Rio de Janeiro during sessions for her One for the Soul album. Sweet Pea Atkinson in a duo with Caroll Hall, supported by Was (Not Was), cover Anyone who had a Heart by Burt Bacharach, originally made famous by Dionne Warwick. In 1980 LIO recorded Gillespie and Coots' You go to my Head, also interpreted famously by Billie Holiday, her version though remains fresh and visionary even. The newcomers to ZE in 2004 also rose to the challenge with pleasure. Miss OD backed by Gentleman's League pour out a very smooth version of Dindi by Jobim, originally interpreted by Astrud Gilberto and also sung magnificently by Sinatra. Bohemians Vs Cow Boys featuring Miss OD and Shuuko electrify Money, the Tamla Motown classic by Barret Strong. Finally LISI, a daughter of Cuban exiles in Miami rips into (with great class and style) Johnny Mercer and Harold Harlen's American classic 'Come Rain or Come Shine', made popular by numerous artists including Judy Garland, Sinatra and Billie Holiday. The difficulty in adapting a song lies in the capacity of breaking with its past history, its origins in order to take a hold of it, breathe a different life into it, reinvent it, even revolutionize it?injecting new emotion to a song that has already made its mark: what a challenge!! --Michel Esteban

Artist:	LIO
Title:	Suite Sixtine
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 017CD

Only one year after her hugely successful debut, Lio, the emerging Belgian/Portuguese sexy pop icon went on to record her sophomore project: Suite Sixtine. Ze Records has now remastered this second release, originally released in 1982, which features English versions of her past songs plus various new singles. At the time of this recording, Lio was still divided between schoolrooms and studio sessions and the idea of adapting her songs into English was crucial to launching her '80s digital French pop on a global scale. On top of that, Lio collaborated on this project with Californian producers Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks-fame. It was a genuine challenge for Lio to retain her strong personality while immersing herself in the Mael brothers' very particular musical world view. Lio proved her composure and nerve against the frenetic synths of "Marie Antoinette" and "Housewife Of The Year," and on the hypnotic hook of "I'll Expose You." Alongside the disco-oriented hit single "Sage Comme Une Image" and the more pop (ular) "Mona Lisa," this album is also marked by the apparition of amazing French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg (with the cover of "Baby Lou"), and Alain Chamfort who will produce her next album. Instant child-star in the early eighties, Lio's popularity has never really decreased, whether she's insouciantly smoking out candy-coated Human League-infused pop songs, or whether she's burning up the silver screen.

Artist:	LIO
Title:	Can Can
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 020CD

This is Lio's fifth album, originally released in 1988, now remastered and reissued with four bonus tracks by Ze Records. The incredible success of Pop Model and its four amazing singles repositioned Lio as one of the most important French pop singers of her time. Intense promotion, multiple entreaties, heavy radio airplay, magazine covers, countless numbers of TV appearances without mentioning the three videos constantly broadcasted on musical networks, certainly kept Lio and her producer Michel Esteban busy. Nevertheless, Pop Model needed a worthy successor. With the aid of Jacques Duvall, Guillaume Israel (who wrote two wonderful tracks: "C'est Ça Ma Vie" and "Malaise Sur La Falaise"), Vincent Palmer and Yann Leker, Can Can set out to remold Lio in image and song. At the beginning, the concept behind this album was to be a tribute to the typically French state of mind symbolized by the famous can-can style. Born in the late 19th century at the notorious Moulin Rouge Parisian cabaret, the can-can is an exclusively feminine ritualized and provocative dance. This revolutionary, original, cheerful and politically- incorrect state of mind seemed to be the perfect lineage and the natural evolution of Lio's image initiated with Pop Model. Obviously, Can Can featured potential hits as much as Pop Model, however, the switch from energetic singles to the softer ballades of Can Can (like the single "Seules Les Filles Pleurent") was clearly misunderstood by the audience. Featuring anthemic rock, bubbling synth pop, burlesque-tinged siren songs and morose ballads, Can Can did not sell as well as her previously-released albums. However, Lio clearly remained a compelling personality caught in a marvellous and imaginative visual context, confirmed here by the album artwork done by legendary artist Hugo Pratt.

Artist:	LIO
Title:	Des Fleurs Pour Un Caméléon
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 021CD

This is Lio's sixth album, originally released in 1991, now remastered and reissued with five bonus tracks by Ze Records. The electro-pop Lolita, French chanteuse and can-can diva travelled to London to record Des Fleurs Pour Un Caméléon which was produced under the general direction of famous French singer/producer Etienne Daho. The album is clearly influenced by the English pop-rock style of that time. Lio's performance on this record is tinged with soft and deep intonations, colored by her famous "joyful despair" approach. Without overshadowing her protégée's performance, Daho's universe is omnipresent: keyboards and guitars harmoniously intermingle until they reach a flawless climax and melodies are catchy without being oversweet. Lio's smoother voice perfectly compliments this atmosphere, whether it is on the electric "Je Me Tords," or the cover of "Girl From Ipanema," and the touch of producer Daho is impeccable, along with the collaboration of artists like Gota and Jacques Duvall. Des Fleurs Pour Un Caméléon wasn't as commercially successful as some of its predecessors, but sometimes, the chameleon is doing its job so perfectly that it remains unnoticed.

Artist:	LIO
Title:	Wandatta
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 022CD

Originally released in 1996, Wandatta is one of Lio's most personal albums. After a five-year gap from her previous release, "Wandatta" alludes to her given name, Wanda Maria de Vasconcelos, as the pop icon/actress attempted to shed her nymphette status while still remaining as provocative as ever. Recorded at Studio Musica & Studio de La Grande Armée, Wandatta was initially refused by her major label who did not understand their Lolita's sudden change of style and began complaining that Lio's new songs were far too removed from her media image. After a break from her label, Lio teamed up with renowned French song writer Boris Bergman, and the result is amazing: dark and sometimes disturbing, both the music and the lyrics are often paradoxical. Based upon a hypnotic set of percussions, "Manchette" and "J'te Frappe" are two heavy tracks with experimental touches, while "Cruauté Menthol" and "In Extremis" tackle the dirtier and more frenetic aspect of rock n' roll. Wandatta is an eclectic album fusing influences from Mexico and Japan, also expressing a deep melancholy inspired by Portuguese traditional fado. Lio said of this album: "I didn't want to kill Lio, but we had to find a certain balance." This assertion is exactly what makes this record so malleable and revealing.

Artist:	LIO
Title:	Les Pop Songs: Best Of
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 023CD

2009 repress. Les Pop Songs: Best Of and Les Ballades: Best Of comprise two CD compilations encompassing the very best of Lio's pop songs and ballads. Twenty-five years? From the 17 year-old Wanda, hanging out in her room, listening to Blondie, Chiffons or Jane Birkin, to the established artist in the European music scene with more than eight albums, numerous singles, some amazing videos (with such directors as Jean-Pierre Jeunet), and hundreds of worldwide shows. These compilations are a journey into Lio's universe, filled with delightful images and insolent dreams; from the stirring "Sage Comme Une Image" or "Les Brunes Comptent Pas Pour Des Prunes," to the softer and emotional "L'Autre Joue" and "Je M'ennuie De Toi." Whether it is on Pop Songs or Ballades, you'll find that the songs lie somewhere between cynicism and tenderness, a subtle mix of naïve character and strongly shaped personality. Lio's legendary energy and cheeky enthusiasm are felt all over this compilation, sometimes in a cheerful way, sometimes through poetic melancholy. The cover illustration of Pop Songs and Ballades, by famous artist Guy Peeleart, symbolizes perfectly this artful and sympathic duality, or, to be true to Lio's verbal combinations, this "sweet schizophrenia."

Artist:	DESCLOUX, LIZZY MERCIER
Title:	Zulu Rock
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 026CD

This is the third record Lizzy Mercier Descloux recorded, originally released by CBS Records (France-only) as Gazelles in 1984, now repackaged by Ze Records, including five bonus tracks. After having spent the previous few years promoting the Mambo Nassau album, Lizzy became enamoured of her trips to Africa and its music: highlife, Zairian rumba, Manu Dibango's makossa, King Sunny Adé's Juju music and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat and Julius Levine's African pop. The music you will hear on Zulu Rock is as diverse as the blend of ethnic groups in South Africa itself: it is mbaganga -- which literally means "the poor South-African stew," a musical blend of different local styles and Anglo-Saxon pop. A heavy and emphatic bass line characterizes this sound, with a technique inspired by Zulu guitars. Against all expectations, the record was very well received in France, both by the critics, who awarded it Best Rock Album of the Year, and by the public. "Mais oét Passé Les Gazelles?" went on to be the unlikely hit single of summer 1984. .

Artist:	MICHAEL DRACULA
Title:	In The Red
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 032CD

Michael Dracula is a group led by Emily MacLaren, an American girl living in Glasgow, and this is her debut album. In The Red is a selection of songs Emily MacLaren had composed and been playing live with the various incarnations of Michael Dracula as it has evolved over the past 4 years. Although it was two years in the making, and was first conceived as a sort of obituary to the first four years of Michael Dracula, In The Red (so named due to blighted finances and two weeks spent mixing in a freezing November with no heat due to French utilities supplier's "red days") will always be a sort of work in progress, as much of the recording technique and style was really just a mix of instinct and accident. The idea behind this recording was based on a frustration about what seemed to be standard production for most modern albums: a production where every instrument sounds punchy and powerful, where there is a bland democracy in the mix which renders everything clear and equally present, no mistakes or even happy accidents. So, even though they were recording everything onto computer, the idea was to stay away -- as much as possible -- from using it to clean up any live takes, maximize drums, or add sound effects. Instead, they just placed microphones all over the room -- which, in a 500-year-old villa, was incredibly vast and reflective. Even cardboard boxes and pillows were used as percussion. The result is just what was expected: driving rhythms on an out-of-tune piano, repetitive drums with minimal fills, Motown and dub bass lines played by a white girl from Ohio, five guitar parts all playing the same wrong note while the ghost of an organ hums a tune on the periphery of your hearing, and a chorus of backing vocals chant from the bathroom, all providing the backing track for songs about the complexities of human relationships, and getting fucked up.

Artist:	AURAL EXCITERS
Title:	Emile (Night Rate)
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.50
Catalog #:	ZE 1202

"By the end of the seventies Bob Blank was one of the original respected young Disco producers of N.Y.C. Opening the famed Blank Tape Studios in New York in 1976 and producing hit records (with his wife Lola a former performer with the James Brown revue) such as Over Like A Fat Rat by Fonda Rae. Blank tape was ZE records favorite studio. Bob was going to records there some of the best No wave and Mutant disco albums. First efforts by Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, James White & the Blacks, Lydia Lunch, The Contortions, Cristina, Garcons, Casino Music, everyone was recording at Blank Tapes Studios, with Bob as chief engineer or sometime co-producer. Perhaps more than any other Mutant Disco artifact, the Aural Exciters's record features a special spider's web of links and lineages. Besides, the aforementioned August Darnell connections, who was also one of Aural Exciters's main composer, the gang featured Taana Gardner, who later sang on 'Heartbeat', her awesome West End disco classic. Most of the girls you could find on any Prelude records, like Chris Wiltshire were also invited to the party. August Darnell even used Aural Exciters for experimentation on various material to be founded on future Kid Creole's albums. Songs like 'Mr. Softee', 'Gina, Gina', 'Maladie d'amour', 'Broadway Rhythm', were first recorded by Aural Exciters. August also wrote the avant garde '<< Emile (Night Rate) >>', which was downbeat dub disco ten years before Massive Attack. Not to mention the evident wink to Amyl Nitrate well known by Poppers's fans."

Previous Page Index of Labels Next Page

Artist:	CHANCE & THE CONTORTIONS, JAMES
Title:	Paris 1980 - Live Aux Bains Douches
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$16.00
Catalog #:	ZE 010CD

Artist:	TWITCH
Title:	Contort Yourself
Label:	ZE RECORDS (FRANCE)
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.50
Catalog #:	ZE 1203