Friday's French music break - Mylène Farmer and Sting, "Stolen car"

It's seldom that Friday's French music break features an artist who needs little or no introduction - let alone two!

But that's the case of this week's choice which combines the talents of a Canadian-born French singer, with sales of more than 30 million records in France alone during her 30 + year career, and a British "legend' (the word is not used lightly) who (according to the kind folk over at Wikipedia) ranks among the "world's best-selling music artists" as both a solo performer and with his former group.

The singers (songwriters) in question are of course Mylène Farmer and Sting.

There's so much material available on the Net about both artists, that it's unnecessary to go into any potted biography.

But just in case you need some more info, here are the links to their official sites: Mylene Farmer,
Sting

The pair have teamed up for a remake of "Stolen car", a track taken from Sting's 2003 album "Sacred love" and given a new lease of life.

Where the original is mellow and mellifluous enough (almost to the point of dull - where did Sting leave his "rock" roots you might wonder), the remake is faster, has that typical Farmer ethereal and slightly over-produced studio touch that has very much become her trademark and benefits from the English-French lyric combination.

It entered the French charts this week, toppling the duo of Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias from the number one slot, even before the release of the official video.

But, once again, thanks to the power of the Net, you can see snippets of the "making of" in which the two "lock lips" (trust the Daily Mail)

And if you cannot wait, there are some rather "tinny" and distant recordings of the song taken from the radio.

For the moment, here's Sting's 2003 version. As soon as the duo's remake becomes available (the first week of October), it'll be posted here

Thierry Henry's €300,000 "dream" aquarium

As reported in Britain's Daily Mail - so you know it must not only must be true, but also completely accurate - the 34-year-old has slapped in an application to remodel his ever-so-modest London pad in the British capital's swanky suburb of Hampstead.

Apparently Henry wants to knock down the 1999-built €6million (or in local currency £7,2 million) house and replace it with something even bigger, better and more clearly suited to his needs.

That includes everything the modern-day man requires of course, such as a bar, a cinema a swimming pool and - the accessory that has tongues-a-wagging and journalists a-writing - a €300,000 mammoth aquarium running the entire height of what would become a humble four-storey home.

You can read the full details of the giant fish tank (although that seems the most inappropriate description) the 34-year old would like to install as well take a look at the plans he has submitted to the local council in the Daily Mail.

They're also available in euros in a report in the French daily Le Parisien and the weekly French celebrity gossip magazine Closer (yes it has attracted the attention of the serious sectors of the media).

But it's hard for anyone of regular means surely to get past some of the financial stats that come, not only with the initial price tag, but also the estimated heating, cleaning, stocking, lighting, feeding and maintenance costs.

Yes we're talking silly figures here.

Henry's application might run into a few problems though from those considering on the council who might consider giving him the green light.

Sir Richard MacCormac is against the project. He's the man who designed the current house that Henry wants to tear down, and whose construction is described by those "in the know" apparently as "one of the finest examples of modern day architecture in the United Kingdom."

And The Twentieth Century Society, a British charity which campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards, is reportedly considering slapping in a request for the building to be listed, which would effectively scupper Henry's application.

The motive behind what would appear to be the most absurd of building projects is apparently Henry's desire to maintain a "pied à terre" in London so that he has somewhere to stay when he's over from the States to visit his daughter Téa who lives with his ex-wife Claire Merry.

Henry currently plays for New York Red Bulls and will be returning Stateside after a short spell on loan for one of his former clubs Arsenal.

Thierry Henry's New York loft (screenshot BFM TV)

Some of you might remember that Henry splashed out a miserly €11 million for a New York apartment when he first left Europe in September 2010.

Clearly the man has more money than sense.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis - to split or shoddy "reporting"

So after 14 years together and two children, French actress-singer Vanessa Paradis and US actor Johnny Depp are on the brink of splitting up.

Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis (screenshot from Gothica940 YouTube video montage)

They're "living sad and separate lives" according to most "reports" and have been doing so for the past year.

Paradis hasn't been attending premiers of Depp's films (even when they're in the same city at the same time).

And goodness, the couple didn't attend last week's Golden Globes award together; Depp was there but apparently Paradis stayed at home with the kids.

The British and American media is "reporting" that it's as good as over and the French is following suit - but with a little more reserve.

It might be waiting for official confirmation but that doesn't stop it from "reporting" the rumours.

Why all those inverted commas?

Well you have to admit it, the term "reporting" has to be used loosely as there's very little demonstration of actual news gathering. You know, find a story, interview some people (preferably those directly involved) and then write or broadcast the material using attributions.

Nope instead "the highly respected publication" People Magazine - as that much revered bastion of quality journalism Britain's Daily Mail calls it - is used as the main source with "some insiders" or "informants" and of course unnamed "sources" providing insight into the couple's relationship and drawing conclusions which might - or might not - be true.

Accuracy, as it does so often, has flown out of the proverbial window to be substituted by rumour and speculation.

Paradis and Depp might well be on the verge of making some sort of announcement about splitting. They wouldn't be the first and they won't be the last.

They could also have been merely "co-habiting" for the past year, as has been suggested by plenty of celebrity journalists - or should that be "informed People watchers".

But come on, give us a break.

The story might sell and make great gossip, but how about doing some proper journalism before telling us all what is "apparently" or "supposedly" happening or about to happen.

Britain's "Super Granny" to the rescue as an elderly lady foils a robbery WITH UPDATE

It was real handbags-at-dawn-type stuff in the East Midlands town of Northampton on Monday morning as an elderly woman attacked a gang of men attempting to rob a jeweller's store.

Screenshot from YouTube video

There were, according to the BBC, six of them armed with sledgehammers.

There was just one of her, armed with...what else, but a handbag.

Video footage of what happened was broadcast on ITV's Anglia Tonight show and, in the way these things are, soon went viral on the Net.

Take a look at the video and you can see exactly what happened; one old lady, dressed in red, rushing across the street and laying into the men without any apparent concern for her own safety.



It was a case of, as the Guardian puts it, once the cavalry arrived "the thugs - twice her size - didn't stand a chance."

Passers-by eventually lost their British reserve and helped hold down one of the men as he fell from the getaway scooter.

Police later arrested three others and were searching for the other two who managed to get away.

Nobody - least of all Super Granny - was hurt, although she wishes to remain anonymous.

"Clearly we will recognise her for her bravery," Peter Chisholm, a local police inspector told the Guardian.

"We won't be releasing her name though," Inspector Peter Chisholm is quoted as saying.

"There might be more members of the gang out there and we wouldn't want to put her in any danger," he added.

UPDATE

The woman has now been named as Ann Timson, who is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying, "My mother’s instinct kicked in and I ran across the road shouting at the lads to stop it. Only then did I realise that they were smashing glass and that it was a raid."

Read more

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy prepares a new album

It's time for music fans to pin back their lugholes once again.

France's multi-gifted first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, has confirmed that she's working on a new album - her fourth - and if reports are to be believed is ready to return to the recording studio early next year.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (source Wikipedia, author - Remi Jouan)

The news came last week as she and her husband, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, hosted the annual Christmas tree ceremony at the official presidential residence, the Elysée palace.

According to the French media, Bruni-Sarkozy has written and composed most, if not all, the songs herself - reports vary.

Although no fixed date has been given either for her return to the studio or the subsequent release of an album, one or other could coincide with a timely announcement from her husband that he's seeking a second mandate.

Rumours have been rife for some time now that Bruni-Sarkozy was preparing to treat her fans to another delightful and delicious dose of her gasping, rasping and breathlessly sensuous ("Get down Shep") voice.

And there were suggestions that advisors to the French president had asked delay her planned musical comeback (Bruni-Sarkozy's last album, "Comme si de rien n'était" was released in July 2008).

That didn't stop her from making a return to the studio earlier this year, albeit as a composer, when she penned "Je chante le blues" on the latest album from one of this country's first "girls of rock 'n roll" and now a long-established star of the French musical scene, Sylvie Vartan.

Bruni-Sarkozy's most recent venture into the studio though was to record a cover version of David Bowie's 1986 hit "Absolute beginners".

She was one of many artists to record Bowie tracks for a double album paying tribute to one of rock and pop's undisputed greats.

Unfortunately for France's first lady her rendition was panned by many (including that arbiter of great taste, Britain's Daily Mail) as "Absolutely awful".

Here's wishing the soon-to-be 43-year-old (whose birthday is on December 23) more favourable (musical) reviews in the New Year.


Carla Bruni - Absolute Beginners
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Carla Bruni-Sarkozy sings David Bowie

Music fans, pin back your ears. France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, has been back in the recording studio.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, screenshot from YouTube video of Top of the Pops performance on France 2 television

She's one of many artists to be found on a new double album to be released next month paying tribute to one of rock and pop's undisputed greats, David Bowie.

The album is due for release next month with all proceeds going to the charity War Child which is a "network of independent organisations, working across the world to help children affected by war".


Bruni-Sarkozy's contribution is a cover of Bowie's 1986 hit "Absolute beginners" and, as Britain's Daily Mail reports, the 42-year-old former model-turned singer and now first lady is being "mocked mercilessly in France after having recorded arguably the most dreadful David Bowie cover of all time".

While that's perhaps being a little harsh and a tad exaggerated (there have been some positive reviews to her interpretation) to be absolutely frank it's not a patch on the original.

But there again Bruni-Sarkozy, with three albums under her belt, isn't exactly in the same category as Bowie.

In her rendition, Bruni-Sarkozy proves to be true to her "style" with the same simple production as can be heard on her previous recordings and of course that delightful rasping, gasping, sensuous voice.

Once again though, perhaps it's best to judge for yourself with this clip, courtesy of Dailymotion.

Enjoy.


Carla Bruni - Absolute Beginners
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And just in case you've forgotten how it really SHOULD sound...here's the master himself.