Les Très Bien Ensemble's Blog

Current mood:rockin

Everything starts at the end of 1997, when Philippe and Suzettemet after a show of the band she used to play with at the time (MEDUELE EL CORASSÓN). They discovered they shared a special fondness forFrench pop in its most elegant and seductive form, from Michel Polnareff to Katerine, not to mention the unavoidable Serge Gainsbourg and his entourage of fragile, perverse female voices (France Gall, Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot). They were destined to form a band together. A band that would obviously perform and compose all their songs in French.

Thename of the band comes after the song “Michelle” by THE BEATLES:“Michelle, ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble” -“Michelle, darling, those are words that go together well”, saidMcCartney-. The line-up was completed with Michel and Jacques, who used to play with Philippe in the band PEPITO SEX.

Their set in those first days was mostly based on cover versions: from godlike Gainsbourg they performed “L..anamour” -which was also sung by Françoise Hardy-,and “Les Sucettes”. They also did some Katerine gems -“Samba des joursbenis” and “Le plus beau jour de ma vie”- and they usually closed theirgigs with another big name, Michel Polnareff and his“La poupée qui fait non”. However, the band’s own material was makingits way little by little into their repertoire, in the form of songssuch as “Je veux être un symbol sexuel”, or “La fille la plus douce dumonde”, both courtesy of Suzette. In addition to thegreat composers and the sensual voices mentioned above, other sourcesof inspiration include nouvelle vague film soundtracks and Braziliansixties bossanova.

1999-2000
The band was put apart for some months due to the smashing success of another band involving Michel and Philippe-LOS FRESONES REBELDES-, but on late 98 LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE startpractising and playing live again in a party with HELLO CUCA y THYSURFIN’ EYES, the latter another band Michel plays with. Shortly after that, Paulfrom LOS SOBERANOS comes in to play some organ. This new line-up playslive for the first time at Sidecar club in Barcelona with KRYPTON. Atape containing this gig arrives at Elefant’s headquarters, and theband is signed up inmediately. In May 1999 they record the songs fortheir first single (released both on vinyl and cd): included on it areboth original songs mentioned above, plus their covers of “L’anamour”and “Les Sucettes”. It will finally be released on early July, when theband plays several gigs in Barcelona: on July 2nd they played a shortacoustic set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Radio 3 Cataluña,which would be broadcasted subsequently on the “Disco Grande” show ofthe same station. On July 9th they played in a festival with severalother bands, like fellow Elefant label mates VACACIONES.

During 2000, the band is pretty inactive due to Suzette’s staying in France.

2001
In March 2001 LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE reappear with a new line-up (Michel leaves the band and Serge comes in) and a new single with three new originals plus a cover version of Brigitte Bardot’s “Ça pourrait changer”. In the new songs the bossanova influences are even more present.

InNovember 2001 the band opens for U.S. band THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR inApolo Club, Barcelona. In the same month and city (but this time inSidecar Club) the band appears in Afan Pop Festival, together with Philippe’s new band COLA JET SET, that also features the vocals of Ana (LA MONJA ENANA).

LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE also played at the Purple Weekend, the Mod Festival organized by Alejandro DÍez (COOPER, ex-FLECHAZOS) in León, on Thursday Dec 6th.

2002
OnFebruary 23rd 2002 they played the MiniPop Festival in Barcelona withSING-SING, VACACIONES, THE RELICT, ORLANDO and many others. The band’snew line-up includes Lucien Bulles (guitarist from BUBBLES) on organ and Serge Clavier (from CURIOUS LANE) on drums.

They played an acoustic set in Apolo Club and in a Serge Gainsbourg night in Barcelona's Mond Club.

2003
Theyget into the studio to record the songs in their first album. To makethe waiting easier to bear, there’s a new song by the band on Elefant’scompilation “Modapop”: “En attendant Raskolnikov” (demo version). Theyare still in love with sixties French pop, Brazilian bossanova andAmerican soul-pop from the fifties, not to forget their supreme master Serge Gainsbourg and their inspiring muse Françoise Hardy.

InSeptember they take part in an Elefant MODAPOP night, along with NIZA,LA CASA AZUL and CAMERA OBSCURA, in Barcelona’s Mond Club.

2005
Finally,the debut album by LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE, “Doux-Amer”, is released inApril. An album featuring songs inspired in the sound from the 50’s,but obviously rooted in the classic recordings from the 60’s, withluxuriant orchestral arrangements which seem as if they had beencommissioned to a soundtrack arranger from those years. In fact, onthis recording they used analogic gear, valve microphones and loads ofpatience, needed to recreate those classic sounds and take them to thecurrent days with a new freshness.

In August they perform at theFestival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB) and in September they playthe Lemon Pop Festival in Murcia.
After the summer shows, Paul leaves the band and is replaced on bass by new member Ludovic Vian.

Asthey go on with the promotion of the album, in November 15th theyrecord the live TV shows Conciertos de Radio 3 (aired both on Radio 3and TVE's second channel) and LaOtra's Básico, aired in Madrid'sregional channel Telemadrid.

During December, January and February, the band tours the album all over the country.

Suzettesings on the new forthcoming EP by Swedish band ACID HOUSE KINGS:“Everyone sings along with Acid House Kings” (as the EP will be called,as an in-joke twisting the title of the band’s latest album, “Singalong with Acid House Kings”).
Suzette sings aFrench language version of the song “This heart is a stone” (its newtitle being “Ce coeur est de pierre”) on the record due to be releasedvia Swedish label Labrador on February 8th 2006. Along with her we findother four versions by several well-known names in Scandinavian pop: Magnus Carlson, Lasse Lindh, Montt Mardié y Don Lennon.

2006
Theystart the new year with heavy radio and TV airplay, due to the new adfor the publicity campaign of El Corte Inglés (the biggest chainstorein Spain and Portugal). The ad features the song "À Hélene", taken from"Doux-amer".
The music for the ad is heard in radio and TV stationsnationwide (and also in the speakers of the many stores El Corte Ingléshas all over the country) from January 15th until March 1st.

InFebruary they play Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia with the English cultband THE WOULD-BE-GOODS, and in June they play in England in severaldates (London, Nottingham and Oxford) with the British band. On theother hand, on May 13th they play the Fairfield Café in Toulouse(France).

2007
The "Blancolor" publicitycampaign decides to repeat last year's model, and the song "A Hélène"sounds again on radio and TV from February 15th until March 1st.

2008
InSeptember LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE are back with a new album which shouldmean a peak in their musical career. With the new incorporation of Charles Gasqué, the one and only Carlos Andreu (GASCA), the band from Barcelona hasput out an exquisite piece of work of unique pop, where it is preciselythe time of leitmotif which pushes and inspires the majority of songson this album.
 
"The title, "Rougeole" (“measles” inFrench) makes reference to something that only time can heal. Timemeans life and death all at once, something out of human control whichinexplicably advances to a particular destiny. "Rougeole" talks aboutthe end of a vital stage, from disappointments to obsessions anddesires, from hope to desperation, from excitement to anguish,reliance, nostalgia and indifference”, says Suzette. Working knowingly with references which are so proudly made apparent (Françoise Hardy, Serge Gainsbourg, KATERINE, Keren Ann, Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson,THE BYRDS, THE ZOMBIES, LOVE …), LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE give form to amature piece of work, which finds a curious equilibrium betweenbitterness and vitality, between the definite inherent difficulties inlife and the need of hope which helps to see the light at the end ofthe tunnel. An album which Suzette is amazing at herlyrics- songs such as  "Sahara," "Tahiti n’est pas si loin," "Prière,""Le miroir" and "Un jour" all convert into some amazing pieces ofFrench pop we have not heard in a long time.

Philippe des Fraisons,the lead singer and lead guitarist until now, is leaving the groupafter the recording sessions in order to dedicate more time to hisgroup, COLA JET SET. Alain Roche (GASCA) will fill his shoes as guitarist..