Date: Sat, 6 May 1995 03:04:55 -0500 From: Jeremy L Orr (jeremy@gxl.woodtech.com) Subject: Re: Zazou related question(s) (Since this question was posted to both lists, I'll reply to both.) ---from Dmitri Bender: > Does anybody know anything about this french babe who was on "Sahara > Blue",Barbara Gougan or something like that ? A friend of mine is > infatuated with her. That would be Barbara Gogan. In the 80's she sang in a band called the Passions, who had a minor European hit with a song called "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" (I *think* that was the name, anyway). She resurfaced around the turn of the decade in a band called Sunrise Hammers (a wonderful name, IMHO) with Tim Sommer of Hugo Largo. I never heard exactly what happened to them, but I would assume that music-industry indifference caused them to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, I've never heard anything by either band before; her contributions to the _Sahara_Blue_ CD were the first vocals I'd ever heard by her. And all the information I've related above is culled from earlier issues of Jack Rabid's zine, The Big Takeover, which is an excellent read. And now, MY Zazou-related question: Was a single ever released for HZ's "I'll Strangle You"? I'd really like to hear some remixes of that, and I'd also like to possess it simply so I could sell _Sahara_Blue_, which sucks, for the most part. ---Jeremy Almost got IRC figured out...yeah!!! Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 17:00:09 -0500 From: Michael N Schlesinger (mns6@COLUMBIA.EDU) Subject: Re: Hector Zazou? On Wed, 15 Nov 1995, cz wrote: > >Hector Zazou has made two albums, "Songs From the Cold Seas" and "Sahara > >Blue." > >Both albums are of the compilation sort, but with pretty clear central > >direction from Hector Zazou. Sahara Blue is the first and has a more > >industrial edge, the second album is more ethnically diverse. Take your > >pick, they're both interesting. > > Hector Zazou has several albums, not just two. Unfortunately i only have > these two to compare. I like them both but I find "Sahara Blue" a heck of a > lot better than "Songs from the Cold Seas". I think it is missleading to > say that Sahara Blue is more industrial since neither of them are very > industrial. SB has more haunting songs and i'd say a bit dreamjazzier. SB > has Brendan and Lisa. SftCS has Siouxsie on her continueing crusade for > mediocrity. SB is based on the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud so if you like that > decadent french poetry (which i do!) then i'd recommend getting this album > first. > > -cz > > > I agree that SB is more interesting personally: there's a mixture of male and female voices, the Gerard Depardieu vocal is cool, the Dead Can Dance songs are a bonus. And there's a really cool almost bluesy track at the beginning of side two (the cassette) with just great lyrics. However! Songs From the Cold Seas, while it may have some really boring vocals from Siouxsie and from Suzanne Vega (how could they not be?), it also has a really beautiful vocal from this French woman whose name eludes me, and the album as a whole is one great big tribute to the woman's voice, which I particularly appreciated. It includes some lesser known vocalists singing more ethnically diverse material. Therefore, I stand by my opinion in the first mailing, take your pick, both are interesting. Michael Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:12:35 -0500 From: Christian Hasiewicz (106345.2727@COMPUSERVE.COM) Subject: Hector Zazou In relation to Japan and David Sylvian Lisa Roo mentioned Hector Zazou. - This exceptional musician and producer is worth more attention, I think. The two CDs "Sahara blue" (a hommage to Arthur Rimbaud) and "Songs from the frozen seas" are two of my favourites... On the second you will find the best song Björk has ever sung;(and the clarinet solo lets me shiver each time I hear it...); also there are John Cale, Suzanne Vega, Värttina, Lena Willemark and other musicians you should know. On "Sahara blue" there are two fine songs with Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard (and another with Gerare Depardieu (!) on the vocals)... Hear them, buy them, love them... Christian Hasiewicz Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 16:14:00 +0100 From: "SEBASTIAN.MUNDT" (Sebastian.Mundt@T-ONLINE.DE) Subject: Re: hector zazou/dcd >Be careful, there are two versions of Sahara Blue. The one with the blue >case has the songs by Perry and Gerrard. It is a limited series. The other >with the clear case is available widely, but no DCD. to minimize confusion: the discussed tracks (co-written music by perry/gerrard/zazou) are 'youth' and 'black stream'. you' as bonus track (cat. no. srcs 6979 on crammed/sony). and there's the original cd on crammed discs and ... many others for completists ;-) best wishes, sebastian Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 23:15:58 +0000 From: Subject: Hector Zazou Just bought Hector Zazou's "Chansons Des Mers Froides" from the newly opened HMV here in Singapore. I've never heard HZ's music before, didn't even know what kind of music he plays. I've only heard his name mentioned on this list, even then I didn't pay much attention to those posts. I guess what got me interested was participation from the likes of bjork, john cale, jane siberry, siouxsie...., plus the fact that quite a few of the people of the list enjoy his music = high chance that I would like it too. Played the disc on my way home, managed only 6 tracks, but my mind was already blown!!! Who is this Hector Zezou? What sort of reputation does he carry as a musician/artiste? I understand most of the tracks, if not all, on this album are traditional pieces. What about his other releases? Which release should I get next? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! tytan Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 14:07:05 +0600 From: cz Subject: Re: Hector Zazou I don't know what kind of reputation he carries in the real world but in my mind he is the tops. What you have is "Songs from the Cold Seas." Each of Hector Zazou's albums sounds substantially different from any previous album. I'll briefly summarize what i know. My favorite HZ album is "Sahara Blue." This is another "theme album" based on the life and works of Arthur Rimbaud, French poet extraordinaire. There are several guest musicians on this one too: David Sylvian, Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard, and Anneli Drecker are the most listy these collaborators (others of mention: John Cale, Barbara Gogan, Khaled, Bill Laswell, etc.) One version doesn't have the DCD collaborations so be forewarned. The album is a dark sensual and sad journey through a pastiche of styles that all somehow form a perfect whole. The other one that you should run out and buy is "Glyph"--Hector Zazou's collaboration with Harold Budd. If you know Budd then you won't be too surprised by this brilliant piece of electronic ambiance. Floating piano, looped beats, female vocalists here and there, Budd budding in with some poetry (it's not as obtrusive as Budd's poetry *can* be)--you get the idea. I also have "Geologies" and "Geographies" both of which are postmodern classical music (now there's an oxymoron for ya). The first, primarily instrumental, and the second, primarily choral. I've only seen one other album, "Rev...Bongo" (i don't remember the Title) which was another concept thing which seemed to tell a story of some guy getting chased by a tribal fellow (or maybe it was the other way around). I don't remember the particulars but i didn't end up buying it so it must not have been as brilliant as the other albums. -cz