D
Deleted member 29256
Oh come on. Paroles Paroles is essential Dalida. Like in: top 5!
#bientôt - DALIDA - A Short Highlight Of An Illustrious Career!
- Thread starter berserkboi
- Start date
He/Him
How about......
Neither?
We are still breaking poor Riiiiiiiii's heart though :(
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3153906-1362960682-3637.jpeg.jpg)
#8
Bang Bang
Average Score: 8.621
Potential Voter 11 x 2 (@New Flame @Baby Clyde [if not against any cover of Cher songs altogether])
Highest Score: 10 x 4 (@Maki @Riiiiiiiii @vague Le Berserky)
Lowest Score: 6 x 1 (@Empty Shoebox)
In 8th place we have potentially the most widely known song from our rate due to (obviously) a little known force of nature called Cher! :P Unsurprisingly, familiarity made Bang Bang a very successful track during voting, barely falling any lower than #15 every time I checked on our rate. Though it did not get more than four 10s, the scores overall were high and consistent, with even a (fairly high) low score of only 6 by our Lady Of Shoeboxes!
Let’s start by exploring a bit of the Cher original, which was quite a big moment in her music career (we won’t go too far into the Cher version as there may #soon be a chance to delve further into it, stay tuned!) When released the original Bang Bang was Cher’s first Top 3 Hit in the UK in 1966, showing her extreme marketability as a solo artist and also became her first solo single to exceed sales of one million copies! TALENT!! Cher often revisits this number in her concerts and I had the privilege to hear it live late last year when she came to Melbourne!
Bang Bang is a gorgeous and simple song that broadly mourns the death of our childhood self through a lyric of young love lost. Whether one views the romantic lyric at face value or notices something deeper due to Sonny Bono’s splendid work in the melody – Bang Bang is one of those songs that has the versatility and power to validate both takes. This is where you’ll find Dalida’s take stands apart from Cher’s. Cher’s mourns a first love lost, and the impact it has had on her is heartfelt and gorgeous in her delivery, and although she still feels pain for the events that took place - you get a sense she has moved on!
Dalida’s Italian adaptation involves a lyric that is a fairly faithful translation of the original text, but it is in her delivery that things change for me. Incredibly mournful and resigned to her dejected fate, Dalida’s slower take adds a layer of nostalgia, and yearning for the past in hers, almost like she is still living in the ‘then’ and has not moved on. This may just be due to how the Italian language naturally has more poetry in its sound than the English language – but I get more visuals of the childhood Dalida speaks of and the despair she feels recounting these events than I do by either the English versions by Cher or Nancy, or even the French take by Sheila. The mixture of the power of a theatrical Dalida delivery, and the Italian language!
Le Berserky was not the only one to notice the greatness of this version in Italian either, easily one of Dalida’s biggest hit in Italy – Bang Bang stayed at #1 for two months there, and earned her a GOLD record. Further to this, her take was so influential several Italian acts covered her version - including Mina (who we mentioned as the originator of Paroles Paroles in the last cut) with an eerie connection in the two tracks’ eventual placement.
In 2010, Dalida’s version came back to prominence (and the attention of Riiiiiiiii, New Flame, and many Francophones) through its inclusion in the arthouse classic Les Amours Imaginaires, cementing Dalida’s Gay Icon status even further into our generation considering the content of the movie. We stan a trans-generational legend, still relevant 50 years down the line! Let’s see what the voters had to say about the track we shot down from the top spot (really, it got as far as #5 but was never at top, unlike the next track we will cut…)
@Sprockrooster (9) stans TALENT, whatever the language! - You can't go wrong covering this song. Especially when you do it in Italian. @WowWowWowWow (7) thinks our Ultimate Pop Star suffers from her showboating here – OK now she’s just showing off. Italian covers too?!? @Maki (10) previews his score for another track we will be discussing very #soon! - Same as "Le Temps Des Fleurs" - a cover of a 10/10 song (in any language), in most cases, is 10/10, especially when Dalida is singing.
@Disco Blister (9.5) makes more eerie connections that are just jaw dropping in their foreshadowing! - Oh my, she looks amazing in the video, never seen this before! As for the song it’s nearly as good as Cher’s original, but maybe drags a little, feels slightly too slow. So charming the way she pronounces the title almost as Bank Bank. Oh, I just realised something. I never thought of it before, but she released this in 1966 – and her Italian fiance Luigi Tenco shot himself in 1967. Yikes. @əʊæ (8) sums up what makes the Dalida take special in 10 words or less! - This has never sounded so mournful and heartfelt. Dalida, ha power!
Let’s start by exploring a bit of the Cher original, which was quite a big moment in her music career (we won’t go too far into the Cher version as there may #soon be a chance to delve further into it, stay tuned!) When released the original Bang Bang was Cher’s first Top 3 Hit in the UK in 1966, showing her extreme marketability as a solo artist and also became her first solo single to exceed sales of one million copies! TALENT!! Cher often revisits this number in her concerts and I had the privilege to hear it live late last year when she came to Melbourne!
Bang Bang is a gorgeous and simple song that broadly mourns the death of our childhood self through a lyric of young love lost. Whether one views the romantic lyric at face value or notices something deeper due to Sonny Bono’s splendid work in the melody – Bang Bang is one of those songs that has the versatility and power to validate both takes. This is where you’ll find Dalida’s take stands apart from Cher’s. Cher’s mourns a first love lost, and the impact it has had on her is heartfelt and gorgeous in her delivery, and although she still feels pain for the events that took place - you get a sense she has moved on!
Dalida’s Italian adaptation involves a lyric that is a fairly faithful translation of the original text, but it is in her delivery that things change for me. Incredibly mournful and resigned to her dejected fate, Dalida’s slower take adds a layer of nostalgia, and yearning for the past in hers, almost like she is still living in the ‘then’ and has not moved on. This may just be due to how the Italian language naturally has more poetry in its sound than the English language – but I get more visuals of the childhood Dalida speaks of and the despair she feels recounting these events than I do by either the English versions by Cher or Nancy, or even the French take by Sheila. The mixture of the power of a theatrical Dalida delivery, and the Italian language!
Le Berserky was not the only one to notice the greatness of this version in Italian either, easily one of Dalida’s biggest hit in Italy – Bang Bang stayed at #1 for two months there, and earned her a GOLD record. Further to this, her take was so influential several Italian acts covered her version - including Mina (who we mentioned as the originator of Paroles Paroles in the last cut) with an eerie connection in the two tracks’ eventual placement.
In 2010, Dalida’s version came back to prominence (and the attention of Riiiiiiiii, New Flame, and many Francophones) through its inclusion in the arthouse classic Les Amours Imaginaires, cementing Dalida’s Gay Icon status even further into our generation considering the content of the movie. We stan a trans-generational legend, still relevant 50 years down the line! Let’s see what the voters had to say about the track we shot down from the top spot (really, it got as far as #5 but was never at top, unlike the next track we will cut…)
@Sprockrooster (9) stans TALENT, whatever the language! - You can't go wrong covering this song. Especially when you do it in Italian. @WowWowWowWow (7) thinks our Ultimate Pop Star suffers from her showboating here – OK now she’s just showing off. Italian covers too?!? @Maki (10) previews his score for another track we will be discussing very #soon! - Same as "Le Temps Des Fleurs" - a cover of a 10/10 song (in any language), in most cases, is 10/10, especially when Dalida is singing.
@Disco Blister (9.5) makes more eerie connections that are just jaw dropping in their foreshadowing! - Oh my, she looks amazing in the video, never seen this before! As for the song it’s nearly as good as Cher’s original, but maybe drags a little, feels slightly too slow. So charming the way she pronounces the title almost as Bank Bank. Oh, I just realised something. I never thought of it before, but she released this in 1966 – and her Italian fiance Luigi Tenco shot himself in 1967. Yikes. @əʊæ (8) sums up what makes the Dalida take special in 10 words or less! - This has never sounded so mournful and heartfelt. Dalida, ha power!
A Legend!
The more Cher covers the better, as long as we all accept that none will ever surpass the original.
Of course it's one of my 10's leaving. But I'm not too bothered by this elimination, since it's a pretty obvious cover and isn't made to be a 'discovery of the rate'.
And, wait, the original isn't by Nancy Sinatra!? It's by Cher?
What kind of rock have I been living under???
Wow, who knows how long it would take me to figure that out by myself.
As for the bext elimination, I'll be satisfied with anything except my 10's and 11.
And, wait, the original isn't by Nancy Sinatra!? It's by Cher?
What kind of rock have I been living under???
Wow, who knows how long it would take me to figure that out by myself.
As for the bext elimination, I'll be satisfied with anything except my 10's and 11.
He/Him
Rate Cancelled!!
#7
Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul
Average Score: 8.642
Highest Score: 11 x 2 (@Riiiiiiiii @soratami) 10 x 3 (@əʊæ @Disco Blister Le Berserky)
Lowest Score: 2 x 1 (@Empty Shoebox) <--- QUOI??
#7
Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul
Average Score: 8.642
Highest Score: 11 x 2 (@Riiiiiiiii @soratami) 10 x 3 (@əʊæ @Disco Blister Le Berserky)
Lowest Score: 2 x 1 (@Empty Shoebox) <--- QUOI??
Can we just hold off kicking out potential 11s of mine now, PLEASE!! This is the most painful loss of those so far as Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul was also our deservedly clear winner for the first few ballots received. Soratami voting early and bestowing his 11, with a couple of early voters rating it highly – this was your initial winner and I would have been absolutely fine with that! As it now stands, this is one of those rate injustices I was hoping to avoid – but these things happen at PopJustice, hey?
Continuing the tradition of Dalida having the best B-Sides of any discography (Il Venait D’Avoir Dix Huit Ans, Mourir Sur Scène), Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul was actually the B-Side to Paroles Paroles – can you imagine the talent of Dalida and her collaborators for these gems to not even be main singles?? As Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul was a B-Side, we don’t really have any chart data for our featured song here but let’s take the Paroles Paroles Singles chart impact as a sign of the record buying public getting the single for the strength of both tracks together, okay? I mean, seriously – if you could get a CD single with both those tracks on it, wouldn’t you pay up to 100 its retail price? In Berserky World we all do, and that’s only a small indication of the quality we have here.
Written by S. Balasko and D. Faure, Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul is easily the saddest and most depressingly existential song we have here. The lyric is incredibly insightful and incredibly heartbreaking! It covers in text almost everything we are aware of that reflects the depression Dalida lived with. It mentions failed relationships, children, people trying to find solace in success, money or religion; never overcoming the existential truth that we are always and forever one – a singular being, therefore permanently alone. That is a powerful and depressing topic to take on, and knowing what eventually happens with Dalida and many others in her entourage – it is fairly scary to look back and listen to Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul.
Also relevant to me and many other homosexuals in this little song we already relate to (as we come to terms with the loneliness of admitting our sexuality to ourselves), Dalida makes direct reference to girls loving girls and boys marrying boys in a non-negative way! In 1973! To put this in perspective, that is 46 years ago!! 17 years before the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of diseases! 44 years before Australia had marriage equality! Part of me believes (and there might be proof to corroborate this out there) Dalida may have been very drawn to 'Queer' individuals from early on due to her ability to feel, to emote and she found this reflection of herself in the LGBTIQ+ culture of the time - which suffered many public indignities as they fought for many of the rights we have today (and many we still fight for!).
Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul finds Dalida expressing herself with her bluntest delivery too. There is no mincing of the words as she reveals the content here. The world is a scary lonely place and Dalida tells it like it is, giving you the text in a Crescendo Brelien where she builds and builds her disillusion with life, her discontent until the whole thing explodes in the bravest, sincerest admittance of our existential loneliness in the outro. That is the power of Dalida – technically more than competent to deliver this one to you with vocal artifice, she instead goes for an intense, straight on style to a mind blowing result! Lines that get to me the most in their poetic lyricism and absolute truth translate to – ‘We live for our money, our dreams, our palaces but no one has ever made a coffin for two!’ ‘I am alone with you, you are alone with me… To not live alone, we live with the illusion of not living alone’ Imagine the suffering behind those words!
@əʊæ (10) would have been all for this winning I feel, and I support it too! - Whew, the drama just ramps up and the climax does not disappoint! @pop3blow2 (8) is not too far behind here - Takes a while to get there, but once it does it is pretty good. @WowWowWowWow (8) may be focusing on other things so he doesn’t sob in the corner like I am! – Great brass and instrumentation in this one!
@Maki (7.25) may have picked the wrong song to make this observation on, as I'd contest the old fashioned quality of the instrumental allows the whole thing to sneak up on you the way it does as effectively as it does - This is a bit too old-fashioned, even for a song from early 70's, but the lyrics are ahead of the time (and really sad). I love how the song progresses, and the outro is lovely. @Disco Blister (10) finds even more layers of depth to explore, just wow! - This is such a beautiful, sad song with such great lyrics that I’m lost for words. It also must be among one of the first pop songs to mention homosexuality and do it in a neutral, positive way. Dalida, the Original Queen of Gay Rights!
@Sprockrooster (8.5) may need to rethink this score if this is the effect the song has on him… - Those vocal belts and instrumental outro-masterpiece give my goosebumps goosebumps. @nnnumb (9.5) mentions a presence that has actually been with us this whole time, so strong is his influence on amazing French music! Another new 11, Mr. Numb? - I had to double check this wasn't a Brel cover, which is about as high a compliment as I can give it. From the Jouanest piano intro to the Brelian crescendo; everything screams Brel. Stunning!
Continuing the tradition of Dalida having the best B-Sides of any discography (Il Venait D’Avoir Dix Huit Ans, Mourir Sur Scène), Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul was actually the B-Side to Paroles Paroles – can you imagine the talent of Dalida and her collaborators for these gems to not even be main singles?? As Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul was a B-Side, we don’t really have any chart data for our featured song here but let’s take the Paroles Paroles Singles chart impact as a sign of the record buying public getting the single for the strength of both tracks together, okay? I mean, seriously – if you could get a CD single with both those tracks on it, wouldn’t you pay up to 100 its retail price? In Berserky World we all do, and that’s only a small indication of the quality we have here.
Written by S. Balasko and D. Faure, Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul is easily the saddest and most depressingly existential song we have here. The lyric is incredibly insightful and incredibly heartbreaking! It covers in text almost everything we are aware of that reflects the depression Dalida lived with. It mentions failed relationships, children, people trying to find solace in success, money or religion; never overcoming the existential truth that we are always and forever one – a singular being, therefore permanently alone. That is a powerful and depressing topic to take on, and knowing what eventually happens with Dalida and many others in her entourage – it is fairly scary to look back and listen to Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul.
Also relevant to me and many other homosexuals in this little song we already relate to (as we come to terms with the loneliness of admitting our sexuality to ourselves), Dalida makes direct reference to girls loving girls and boys marrying boys in a non-negative way! In 1973! To put this in perspective, that is 46 years ago!! 17 years before the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of diseases! 44 years before Australia had marriage equality! Part of me believes (and there might be proof to corroborate this out there) Dalida may have been very drawn to 'Queer' individuals from early on due to her ability to feel, to emote and she found this reflection of herself in the LGBTIQ+ culture of the time - which suffered many public indignities as they fought for many of the rights we have today (and many we still fight for!).
Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul finds Dalida expressing herself with her bluntest delivery too. There is no mincing of the words as she reveals the content here. The world is a scary lonely place and Dalida tells it like it is, giving you the text in a Crescendo Brelien where she builds and builds her disillusion with life, her discontent until the whole thing explodes in the bravest, sincerest admittance of our existential loneliness in the outro. That is the power of Dalida – technically more than competent to deliver this one to you with vocal artifice, she instead goes for an intense, straight on style to a mind blowing result! Lines that get to me the most in their poetic lyricism and absolute truth translate to – ‘We live for our money, our dreams, our palaces but no one has ever made a coffin for two!’ ‘I am alone with you, you are alone with me… To not live alone, we live with the illusion of not living alone’ Imagine the suffering behind those words!
@əʊæ (10) would have been all for this winning I feel, and I support it too! - Whew, the drama just ramps up and the climax does not disappoint! @pop3blow2 (8) is not too far behind here - Takes a while to get there, but once it does it is pretty good. @WowWowWowWow (8) may be focusing on other things so he doesn’t sob in the corner like I am! – Great brass and instrumentation in this one!
@Maki (7.25) may have picked the wrong song to make this observation on, as I'd contest the old fashioned quality of the instrumental allows the whole thing to sneak up on you the way it does as effectively as it does - This is a bit too old-fashioned, even for a song from early 70's, but the lyrics are ahead of the time (and really sad). I love how the song progresses, and the outro is lovely. @Disco Blister (10) finds even more layers of depth to explore, just wow! - This is such a beautiful, sad song with such great lyrics that I’m lost for words. It also must be among one of the first pop songs to mention homosexuality and do it in a neutral, positive way. Dalida, the Original Queen of Gay Rights!
@Sprockrooster (8.5) may need to rethink this score if this is the effect the song has on him… - Those vocal belts and instrumental outro-masterpiece give my goosebumps goosebumps. @nnnumb (9.5) mentions a presence that has actually been with us this whole time, so strong is his influence on amazing French music! Another new 11, Mr. Numb? - I had to double check this wasn't a Brel cover, which is about as high a compliment as I can give it. From the Jouanest piano intro to the Brelian crescendo; everything screams Brel. Stunning!
Please check out the lyrics!
A live performance!
A live performance!
What kind of fuckery is this?! And yet Soleil is still hanging on...
In any case I was waiting until Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul had gone to post this. It’s from the amazingly entertaining, stylish, funny yet sad French film 8 Femmes from 2002. The film used French pop classics performed by the 8 women as part of the plot. Yes, I suggest you go and get it immediately, if you’ve yet to see it! I think I’ve watched it about 8 times, which is rare for me, I never get tired of it.
Here’s the trailer to give a better idea of the whole thing and the unbeatable cast.
In any case I was waiting until Pour Ne Pas Vivre Seul had gone to post this. It’s from the amazingly entertaining, stylish, funny yet sad French film 8 Femmes from 2002. The film used French pop classics performed by the 8 women as part of the plot. Yes, I suggest you go and get it immediately, if you’ve yet to see it! I think I’ve watched it about 8 times, which is rare for me, I never get tired of it.
Here’s the trailer to give a better idea of the whole thing and the unbeatable cast.
D
Deleted member 29256
@Empty Shoebox hating me confirmed!
This is my all time favorite movie, no exaggeration, and one of the reasons Pour Ne Pas Vivre is so huge for me. The way they incorporated the song in the movies is just phenomenal!
This is my all time favorite movie, no exaggeration, and one of the reasons Pour Ne Pas Vivre is so huge for me. The way they incorporated the song in the movies is just phenomenal!
@Empty Shoebox hating me confirmed!
This is my all time favorite movie, no exaggeration, and one of the reasons Pour Ne Pas Vivre is so huge for me. The way they incorporated the song in the movies is just phenomenal!
Such good taste you have! I’m sending you my 11 points.
As for @Empty Shoebox...
Sorry @berserkboi and other voters who love this song, but it was just not one of my favorites. But 7,25 isn't a low score for this at all, it's very pleasant to listen to, but nowhere hear the highs that this rate offers.
The lyrics and that outro are 10/10, though.
And now the remaining songs all have a score of at least 9,25 from me.
That's talent winning - good job, voters!
The lyrics and that outro are 10/10, though.
And now the remaining songs all have a score of at least 9,25 from me.
That's talent winning - good job, voters!
He/Him
Sorry about the delay with this cut, I had dinner at a Russian restaurant for the first time yesterday and was a bit busy today too to get it out to you earlier than now. A Russian restaurant, is that a hint of sorts?
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8394230-1460809680-3228.jpeg.jpg)
#6
Parle Plus Bas
Average Score: 8.714
Highest Score: 10 x 5 (@WowWowWowWow @nnnumb @Maki @Disco Blister Le Berserky)
Lowest Score: 7 x 3 (@Empty Shoebox @soratami @andymc35)
Non!
#6
Parle Plus Bas
Average Score: 8.714
Highest Score: 10 x 5 (@WowWowWowWow @nnnumb @Maki @Disco Blister Le Berserky)
Lowest Score: 7 x 3 (@Empty Shoebox @soratami @andymc35)
On we go to the song that performed amazingly and only missed out on a Top 5 finish by a very teenie bit. A steady grower throughout the rate, Parle Plus Bas kept slowly rising into the Top 10, and with some more voters while maintaining the scoring flow – we would be looking at a Top 3 finisher here. As you can also see, this masterful track has only a low score of 7, which isn’t even low at all –unfortunately, at this point in the game getting this score three times can end your chances for the crown!
Parle Plus Bas sees Dalida singing something akin to a James Bond theme in style with the ‘Love Theme From The Godfather’. It was probably a surprising track to find on this playlist for most listeners – but our Queen of Versatility would deliver just that, wouldn't she? The Godfather movie (and eventual franchise) was always slated to be a cultural event even in planning/marketing stages so lyrics to go over the haunting Nino Rota instrumental were written in English, French, Sicilian, Italian and Spanish from the get go for the purposes on localisation, with Dalida chosen for the French take. Evidently Dalida's heritage and high profile made her a no brainer choice when looking at high calibre singers of the era.
On top of those obvious physical attributes and brand co-ordination, Dalida sings and emotes like no other, so one is on to a winning collaboration right there! And what a stunning victory lap Parle Plus Bas is! Giving a haunting vocal which captures the elusive nature of the Godfather character, as well as the ‘shady’ dealings – this is another spectacular moment in Dalida’s discography. Add to that the gripping lyrics which work well in the context of a forbidden love - telling one’s love to ‘speak softly so that no one can hear’ ‘as the world is not prepared for us’ and you have a simple yet effective observation of the tragedy at play. As a 12 year old gay teenager going through puberty, this lyric was very reflective of my feelings towards coming out and has thus always stood out over the years for me (I maintain it still works with that take all these years later). Another impressive aspect of Dalida’s vocal here is the control she has in her breakdown at the end of the song, where the slight key change reads like a reveal of one's true self (or even a defeat) after a pretence throughout the track - again, the coming out connection is palpable to me with that in mind.
Another #1 in France and Luxembourg for Dalida (along with a #5 peak in Belgium) Parle Plus Bas earned GOLD certifications, as did the English version Speak Softly Love for Andy Williams (though it didn't make it to huge peaks in the main UK or US Chart, PJ Retro-ers *hint*). Despite Nino Rota’s composition being credited to The Godfather – it was first used a few years prior in the 1958 film Fortunella. The pleasures of researching Dalida and all the little moments of music history one discovers along the way! We go to the voters, who are all into the idea of Dalida singing a James Bond theme, ah the possibilities!
@Sprockrooster (9) goes first and is all compliments, bar one! - If there was a French James Bond, she would be our Shirley Bassey. I mean that outro is serving vocals, it is a bit sad the build-up to it is a bit weak. @pop3blow2 (9.5) appreciates cinematic grandiosity! - Dramatic. Got my attention. @Disco Blister (10) still has things to make Dalida the Queen of, we stan! - The theme of The Godfather done right. Dalida, the Queen of Movies!
@Maki (10) could potentially be losing his favourite discovery here judging by that commentary! The mastery at play! - Dalida singing over a melody of a classic soundtrack song? Wow! Theme song of "The Godfather" is one of my all-time favorite music pieces and I was astonished to discover this! Oh my, the dramatics, the voice, the instrumental, the buildup... perfection. And when she unexpectedly (and slightly off-key) lifts her voice on the final note, I get chills. Amazing. @WowWowWowWow (10) is all for it when our star goes full throttle in the drama stakes! – LMAO holy moly! Go ahead Dalida with that Godfather theme song interpolation! Points for audacity!! @nnnumb (10) cannot be more concise if he tries! - Showstopper.
Parle Plus Bas sees Dalida singing something akin to a James Bond theme in style with the ‘Love Theme From The Godfather’. It was probably a surprising track to find on this playlist for most listeners – but our Queen of Versatility would deliver just that, wouldn't she? The Godfather movie (and eventual franchise) was always slated to be a cultural event even in planning/marketing stages so lyrics to go over the haunting Nino Rota instrumental were written in English, French, Sicilian, Italian and Spanish from the get go for the purposes on localisation, with Dalida chosen for the French take. Evidently Dalida's heritage and high profile made her a no brainer choice when looking at high calibre singers of the era.
On top of those obvious physical attributes and brand co-ordination, Dalida sings and emotes like no other, so one is on to a winning collaboration right there! And what a stunning victory lap Parle Plus Bas is! Giving a haunting vocal which captures the elusive nature of the Godfather character, as well as the ‘shady’ dealings – this is another spectacular moment in Dalida’s discography. Add to that the gripping lyrics which work well in the context of a forbidden love - telling one’s love to ‘speak softly so that no one can hear’ ‘as the world is not prepared for us’ and you have a simple yet effective observation of the tragedy at play. As a 12 year old gay teenager going through puberty, this lyric was very reflective of my feelings towards coming out and has thus always stood out over the years for me (I maintain it still works with that take all these years later). Another impressive aspect of Dalida’s vocal here is the control she has in her breakdown at the end of the song, where the slight key change reads like a reveal of one's true self (or even a defeat) after a pretence throughout the track - again, the coming out connection is palpable to me with that in mind.
Another #1 in France and Luxembourg for Dalida (along with a #5 peak in Belgium) Parle Plus Bas earned GOLD certifications, as did the English version Speak Softly Love for Andy Williams (though it didn't make it to huge peaks in the main UK or US Chart, PJ Retro-ers *hint*). Despite Nino Rota’s composition being credited to The Godfather – it was first used a few years prior in the 1958 film Fortunella. The pleasures of researching Dalida and all the little moments of music history one discovers along the way! We go to the voters, who are all into the idea of Dalida singing a James Bond theme, ah the possibilities!
@Sprockrooster (9) goes first and is all compliments, bar one! - If there was a French James Bond, she would be our Shirley Bassey. I mean that outro is serving vocals, it is a bit sad the build-up to it is a bit weak. @pop3blow2 (9.5) appreciates cinematic grandiosity! - Dramatic. Got my attention. @Disco Blister (10) still has things to make Dalida the Queen of, we stan! - The theme of The Godfather done right. Dalida, the Queen of Movies!
@Maki (10) could potentially be losing his favourite discovery here judging by that commentary! The mastery at play! - Dalida singing over a melody of a classic soundtrack song? Wow! Theme song of "The Godfather" is one of my all-time favorite music pieces and I was astonished to discover this! Oh my, the dramatics, the voice, the instrumental, the buildup... perfection. And when she unexpectedly (and slightly off-key) lifts her voice on the final note, I get chills. Amazing. @WowWowWowWow (10) is all for it when our star goes full throttle in the drama stakes! – LMAO holy moly! Go ahead Dalida with that Godfather theme song interpolation! Points for audacity!! @nnnumb (10) cannot be more concise if he tries! - Showstopper.
Dalida delivering Wow Factor!
Those words!
Those words!
He/Him
Forgot to mention Parle Plus Bas was my guess for @HollyDunnSomething 's 11 - give it a listen Holly! Top 5 Recap coming at you all in a few hours! :)
Why am I inclined to figure out what you would eat? At the top of my head I can't think of something typically Russian in the cuisine.
she/her
Pirog is the one traditional Russian dish I remember from my two-year course (a mincemeat sorta thing, I believe, only closer to the original meaning.) And my Grandma makes bomb Russian dumplings but they're not even a Russian dish. We call them pierogi. I bet there's plenty of confusion when a Pole enters a Russian restaurant and vice versa.
Ok, this got far too off-topic so lemme post my ideal top 5 to rectify it:
5 Je Suis Malade
4 Laissez Moi Danser
3 Le Temps Des Fleurs
2 Soleil
1 Mourir Sur Scene
Ok, this got far too off-topic so lemme post my ideal top 5 to rectify it:
5 Je Suis Malade
4 Laissez Moi Danser
3 Le Temps Des Fleurs
2 Soleil
1 Mourir Sur Scene
Another 10 of mine falls - and what a 10! Such a pity that it just missed the top 5...
I was afraid that this will be a song that is going to be massively underrated, along with "L'Histoire D'Un Amour" (unfortunately, in that case, I was right) and, luckily, it wasn't. Therefore, I'm so glad that it received universal love that it deserves. I mean, the lowest score is a 7, and one of them is from @Empty Shoebox (is that the highest score by them so far?)
It's haunting in the best way possible, and is one of the best Dalida vocal performances I've heard. The last note kills me every time! I couldn't agree more with @nnnumb's description as 'showstopper' - at the end of the song, I always have the urge to applaud.
If it wasn't for one song, my 11 would've been either for "Parle Plus Bas" or "L'Histoire D'Un Amour"
Confession time: I still haven't watched any of The Godfather film series (this was previously discussed in Destiny's Child discography rate).
As for the remaining songs, I have two 10's and an 11. My ideal next elimination would be "Laissez Moi Danser" (I'm sure @Sprockrooster would agree).
I was afraid that this will be a song that is going to be massively underrated, along with "L'Histoire D'Un Amour" (unfortunately, in that case, I was right) and, luckily, it wasn't. Therefore, I'm so glad that it received universal love that it deserves. I mean, the lowest score is a 7, and one of them is from @Empty Shoebox (is that the highest score by them so far?)
It's haunting in the best way possible, and is one of the best Dalida vocal performances I've heard. The last note kills me every time! I couldn't agree more with @nnnumb's description as 'showstopper' - at the end of the song, I always have the urge to applaud.
If it wasn't for one song, my 11 would've been either for "Parle Plus Bas" or "L'Histoire D'Un Amour"
Confession time: I still haven't watched any of The Godfather film series (this was previously discussed in Destiny's Child discography rate).
As for the remaining songs, I have two 10's and an 11. My ideal next elimination would be "Laissez Moi Danser" (I'm sure @Sprockrooster would agree).
I honestly would have given Laissez bottom 5 instead of top 5. A clear case of appalling taste this rate showcased. If only it was flipped with Buenos Noches Mi Amor I could sleep well tonight.
What a nightmare that would’ve been! Laissez is a not just a Dalida classic but a super camp disco classic in general and it deserves its high placing big time.
she/her
i'm glad to see my 11 is in the top 5
He/Him
@Empty Shoebox does have the lowest voter average here but she did give out some high scores, including being in the highest scorer section for two songs in the Top 5 (hint hint). Beyond that - she also gave an 8 to Pour En Arriver La (so that was in her Top 3, TASTE!).
Top 5
* Je Suis Malade (1973) / Lyric Video
- Laissez Moi Danser (1979)
* Mourir Sur Scene (1983)
* Le Temps Des Fleurs (1968)
* Soleil (1984)
* Je Suis Malade (1973) / Lyric Video
- Laissez Moi Danser (1979)
* Mourir Sur Scene (1983)
* Le Temps Des Fleurs (1968)
* Soleil (1984)
- I have four 10s here and a 9.7, will PopJustice do the right thing and give it to one of my 10s? #bientôt!
- Despite a very strong average with this Top 5 for me, I would have loved a few of Dalida's signature classics to be here including the original Gigi, Paroles, Vivre Seul, Salma etc
- Preferred order to go, my lovelies?
- Any obvious winner emerging for you all?
#bientôt!
I agree with you. Certain songs just should be in the top 5 and top 10, objectively speaking, and some that made it should not. I can’t help but think that Le Temps Des Fleurs is in the top 5 mostly because it’s such a classic song sung by many artists in many languages. It’s simply more familiar as a song than many of the others. The same goes for Bang Bang, of course. Dalida’s version is excellent, no doubt about it, but so are Cher’s and Nancy Sinatra’s and they’re very likely to be more familiar for many of our voters. So in a way Dalida’s version benefits from the other two: Bang Bang may have gotten such high points because it’s an amazing song, not because it’s an amazing Dalida song. Which I think is almost cheating. Maybe the total points of Bang Bang should’ve been divided by three!
So yes, I hope the next ones out are Fleurs and Soleil. I’ve slightly warmed up to Soleil (and Kalimba De Luna!) thanks to this wonderful rate, and I might look more closely into her 80’s material next, but I still don’t think Soleil should be in the top 5. For example Salma, Vivre Seul, 18 Ans and Paroles were all more worthy.