Midnight Blues: Paris London 1968 - 1972

To say that Fran§oise Hardy is France's leading female singer-songwriter is no overstatement. Of all the female vocalists who emerged from that country during the 1960s, only Fran§oise was afforded the privilege of consistent releases in the UK. Imported copies of her French releases were also readily available in this country. As a result, her recordings helped influence many of that generation's young Britons to learn the French language.

From the start of her career into the early 1970s, Fran§oise also recorded quite extensively in English, Italian, German and Spanish but relatively little of that material is obtainable these days. Midnight Blues - which comprises tracks from her albums En Englais (issued in 1968), One-Nine-Seven-Zero (1969) and Fran§oise Hardy (1972) - offers a welcome opportunity to hear her perform in English. In fact, of the 24 titles, 11 were recorded exclusively in English.

Recorded variously in Paris and London, our collection mixes Fran§oise's own compositions with interpretations of material by contemporaries such as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Neil Young, Beverley Martyn, Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman. Highlights include four beautiful songs written and arranged by noted British session musos Tommy Brown and (later of the group Foreigner) Mick Jones.

Notes have been written by Bob Stanley of St Etienne.