This release on our occasional Ace International imprint comprises an hour of pure pop highlights from the career of Annie Philippe, one of France’s leading yé-yé girls. The collection is available as a 24-track CD and 12-track 180g red vinyl album, both featuring notes by Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, author of the recent book Yé-Yé Girls Of 60s French Pop, who interviewed the lovely Annie specifically for this project.
Annie was launched into a yé-yé world dominated by Sheila, Sylvie Vartan, Françoise Hardy and France Gall. Her debut, a Lulu cover, didn’t fly for the 17 year-old Parisienne, but sales were excellent for her follow-up, a version of the Supremes’ ‘Baby Love’. A year passed before Annie achieved fame at a parallel level to those others girls; her smash hit ‘Ticket De Quai’ paved the way for many others and remains her biggest seller.
Annie’s final chart record came at the end of 1967, following which superstar Claude François signed her to his newly formed label, where she saw out the decade. There were sporadic releases in the ensuing decades but, after a protracted silence, she re-emerged looking as glamorous as ever.
“Even with the passing of time, I’m still proud of my catalogue,” says Annie. “I had great lyricists such as Gilles Thibaut and Jacques Revaux, and arrangers like Paul Mauriat, Jean-Claude Vannier and Christian Gaubert. Back in those days budgets were not a problem. I even had Bashung, who composed ‘Une Petite Croix’ with me in mind. I think a really nice and overlooked song in my repertoire is ‘Bonjour, Bonsoir Et Au Revoir’, composed by Le Système Crapoutchik, a Beatles-influenced act who were Jacques Dutronc’s band. I even had the great drummer Daniel Ceccarelli working with me.”
Mick Patrick
