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LP
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BORNBAD 006LP
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An ultimate testimony to adolescent rage and the spirit of rock n' roll, these eight songs by Les Blousons Noirs (Black Jackets) are essential to understanding what rock music is and what it should always be: determined, primitive and wild. Originally from Bordeaux, Les Blousons Noirs seem to have bought their instruments the morning of their recording session: the singer sings out of time, the drummer is feverish and the guitarist a total whack. Nothing is repressed with Les Blousons Noirs. Their enthusiasm and carefree attitude are such that the songs are delightfully exuberant. Their two unusually unique EPs were released in 1961 (Special Rock) and 1962 (Special Twist) on the Guilain label. And as a French band, they quite naturally decided to cover French rock standards... slaying them with enthusiasm. Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks), Les Chats Sauvages (The Wild Cats), and two of Johnny Hallyday's songs were thus brought to the spotlight. The only original track was "Les Fous Du Twist" (Crazy for the Twist) written by their young producer Claude Ghislain. For the record, their "Eddy Soit Bon" (Eddy be Good) was originally Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Good". The fact that they used the same picture for the cover of both EPs reinforces the feeling of total uselessness and "don't give a fuck" attitude that is so often embraced by rock n' roll. Les Blousons Noirs were forerunners of the French punk and DIY scenes. Remember that it wasn't until 1964 that Hasil Adkins published his "She Said", 1965 that the Peruvians of Los Saicos put out "Demolicion", and 1966 that the Legendary Stardust Cowboy delivered his killer "Paralysed". The Shaggs and their late Philosophy Of The World in '69 were too late to the game. In order to become a band with a cult following, all Les Blousons Noirs had to do was remain anonymous. Our investigations to try and identify these rock n' rollers were futile. The only information regarding the identity of Les Blousons Noirs comes from Marc Liozon (Editor-in-Chief of the club des années 60 fanzine) who found a copy of the second EP dedicated to a certain Minie. This exposed that the band was comprised of Clod on lead guitar, Jo on rhythm guitar, Did on drums, and Samy on vocals -- a nice bunch! In short, no known identities, no concerts, no pictures, two insane EPs out of nowhere.
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CD
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BORNBAD 006CD
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2007 release. A must-have for every fan of weird music and people who dig Hasil Adkins, The Shaggs, Los Saicos and other types of primitive rock n' roll. Taken from the WFMU blog: "I was half-expecting this LP that arrived featuring gobbledy-gook, electric-guitar-played-with-mittens French covers of 'Johnny B Goode' and 'Be Bop A Lula' to be some kind of elaborate prank on the Norton/Crypt crowd, but the Born Bad label's JB Guillot assures us of the bonafide primitive genius of Les Blousons Noirs, whose 1961 and 1962 EPs have just been issued on a single LP. If this is indeed the case, these guys have ascended to the automatic altar of Hasil, King Usniewicz and the U-Turns for pure stupe-rock greatness, and even predate The Shaggs by half a decade. Says JB: 'Maybe it's the first proto punk/DIY in the world ... if I have a good memory, 'Chicken Walk' (Hasil Adkins) is from 1961, too. Even in France, nobody knows Les Blousons Noirs, this band is really the greatest discovery of my life as a record-digger. I have searched for members of this band for five years, but to no avail. I have published want ads in national magazines, talked with all the biggest French '60s collectors, etc.) but never found anything. I met an old guy who worked with '60s bands from Bordeaux, and in his opinion, Les Blousons Noirs were a couple of "pieds noirs" ("black feet" -- French people who lived in Algeria during the French colonization. The studio Guilain where both EPs were recorded was located on a street with a clothing manufacturer on it. The guy thinks the band worked at this manufacturer and that they were only in Bordeaux temporarily. It could be one of the reasons we have never found them.' Wowza." --Brian Turner, WFMU
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