My first album was Aqualung and my dear late Mum hated the lyrics to the title track, which probably made me play it even more.

I was aged 10 in 1964 so I was lucky enough to hear all those great 45s which were around at the time. my first long player was best of cream. have not stopped since.

my first vinyl record play was Jailhouse Rock by Elvis which was my sisters

My first real listening experience was Serge Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson while under a strong psychedelic LSD trip. Wow.

Difficult to remember the first one but my mother listened to Radio Luxembourg with a lot of french "variétés" (MOR music) which are my first musical emotions. She also had EPs by Charles Aznavour and Les Compagnons de la Chanson (a 9 male vocal band who backed Edith Piaf in the 40's and had success in France until the 70's) that I listened a lot with her.
My father was a Presley fan (I already have his first french EP I listened 1 000 times...). This was my first experience with beat songs... Then he bought LPs of Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Serge Reggiani (what is called "chanson française"), with the best place given to lyrics.
And, when I was a kid, the older people (as old as 14...) organized parties in the basement of the building I lived and, instead of closing the door, they let us childs come in with the promise to be quiet. I listened there to the Beatles, Equals, Sylvie Vartan, Jacques Dutronc, Brigitte Bardot and of course Johnny Hallyday, the french idol.
So no revelation but a long practice of mixed influences.
The first single I bought was "My year is a day" by Les Irrésistibles, an American band based in Paris who had a hit with this title. And my first LP was Johnny Hallyday's ST (1969) with the Small Faces as backing-band.
Long ago...

Hi Philippe. I'm very into french chanson, especially late 60s and early 70s stuff, so I'd be very interested to hear any recommendations you may have.

I've listed to some of the Jacque Dutronc and I'd recommend some people on here listen to it because it's quite in keeping with the psych-pop music at the time I think. Some of his songs are great, some less so. Have you heard the late-60s stuff from Gerard Manset, Serge Gainsbourg, Nino Ferrer (half-Italian) and Michel Polnareff. It's all good-very good psych pop in my opinion.

I tried that Johnny Halliday album and didn't like it very much.

Have you heard the Pretty Things album for Philippe Debarge (your namesake)?

Hi Skip,

I appreciate artists you mention but there is more and I'll do a topic about french pop in a few days not to disturb this one.

Just a word about Johnny Hallyday: he never produced a whole good album in his long career but a comp of his 60's hits is enjoyable. The 1969 album is not good, I agree, but the hard rock music and the lyrics (as bad as they are) were fascinating for the little boy I was. And it was my first LP...

See you in the new topic.

Thanks Philippe, I'll look forward to that new thread. I've only heard that one album by Hallyday so I'll definitely listen to the singles someday.. We all remember out first albums because they quite often shape musical tastes in the future. Mine was Phil Collins' But Seriously which, although it's not his best album, made me really like Phil Collins to this day! I'm been a big music fan ever since.

Hi guys,theres a Johnny Hallyday collection released by RPM titled"Le Roi De France 1966-1969"which is very worthwhile getting,some fabulous stuff on it and a lot written by State of Micky and Tommy aka Micky Jones and Tommy Brown.As for the self titled 69 album,i've got to disagree with you guys,i like this album,i think its a good rocking and at times psych album,any album that features 3 tracks featuring The Small Faces as backing band cant be all bad.......I too Philippe look forward to your postings on French music from the 60s and early 70s!!

It will take some times because I have to put in order what I think is interesting when you don't speak french, then... write it in english. I'll do my best.

My Dad introduced me to music so my earliest musical memories are blues, ribetika, & folk (what would be called world music) 78s, high brow classical (I hated the opera he played), & bands like Tully, Electric Prunes, Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, & solo acts like Piaf, Joni M, Joan B, Hendrix, Ian A Anderson, etc
Obviously had no influence on me at all
Downside, he used to liberate my vinyl if he took a shine to it.

I've got very fond memories of my late Mim singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow when I was in bed at night.