It was actually the first song I'd ever heard by Nouvelle Vague, thanks to a friend who has inspired and delighted by sharing their musical taste with me via compilation tapes and CDs for many years. Ten years ago, not long after the release of NV's Bande À Part album, a CD arrived which included this one, nestled alongside tracks by the Butthole Surfers, Favourite Sons, Saint Etienne, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, .... see what I mean? I was inspired and delighted indeed.
'Dance With Me' has to be not only one of my bestest most favouritest songs ever ever but also one of the sexiest. I mean proper (improper?) sexy: dirty kinky dark (insert your personal predilection here) sexy.
Let's dance little stranger
Show me secret sins
Love can be like bondage
Seduce me once again
Ohhhhhh! (that's me, not the song lyric)
Credit must go to Lords of the New Church of course for writing it in the first place, but to me their original sounds like the Ramones channeling Duran Duran - nothing against that idea, in fact it could be quite interesting - but once you've heard it stripped back and sung in a female French accent there really is no turning back.
To top it all, some clever person has worked out that it fits one of my bestest most favouritest scenes ever ever in the Jean-Luc Godard nouvelle vague film, 'Bande À Part', where Anna Karina dances between Claude Brasseur and Sami Frey (a scene which influenced the dance scene with Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction). With Nouvelle Vague as its new soundtrack, the circle is so neatly completed. Perfect.
(In the spirit of Swiss Adam's suggestion)
Fuck fascism, dance with me!
Fuck fascism, dance with me!
(Thanks also to TheRobster at Is This The Life? whose post prompted me to listen to some NV again!)
I remember that one, excellent cover. The vocal fits well with Bande à part clip.
ReplyDeleteTheir cover of Making Plans for Nigel is good too, and again, so different from the original by XTC. As with any cover band, a chance to also (re)discover the originals.
Hi Chris, yes I agree, and there have been some NV versions where I didn't know the original first and checked them out on the strength of their cover - always interesting.
DeleteGood one. I haven't listened to this record in ages. Must dig it out. I like the idea of posting feel good tunes to counter the gloom too. I might have to do ten of those soon...
ReplyDeleteHi Rol and thanks for coming by. I reckon we could really do with one of your top tens for this very purpose...look forward to it!
DeleteLoved every word of this post. In the spirit of CC's weekly Dylan duel, this is a cover that tops the original by a wide margin. Thanks to our little community, we are all rediscovering the charms of NV.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian - and what a lovely little community to be part of, I feel lucky. It's interesting too - yes, as in CC's Dylan series as you say! - how often a cover can be better than the original.
DeleteI know this has never been a music blog as such but right now music seems more than ever to provide a much needed escape from grim reality!
Pretty good track, I would say, 'love is like Bondage'
ReplyDeletevery 40 shades!
tie me down with silk ties I'm ready for your love!
Nice to see you again Old Pa. I see this is right up your street!
DeleteI love that song and I adore Nouvelle Vague.
ReplyDeleteYou got good taste!
DeleteWe may be of a similar age C but you have much cooler musical tastes to me! Love this one though and love the clip you shared. I am learning a lot via this virtual world and have found myself in the music blogging world by accident really just because writing about memories invariably means we write about the music that went along with the memory.
ReplyDeleteOh no, not cooler, just different at times, which makes reading each other's blogs all the more interesting :-)
DeleteI agree about the memories and music, they are very much a part of what we remember and the lives we've led; I love the way your blog combines the two.
Just caught up here- thanks for the name checking etc. Love the Nouvelle Vague tune. Trying to keep the ffld theme going.
ReplyDeleteLove the film clip too
ReplyDeleteThanks SA - you started something with the ffld theme.
DeleteI only have Nouvelle Vague's first album and I probably haven't played that in 8 or 9 years, but hearing this little gem has made me wonder how I allowed them to drift off my radar.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the radar. So many songs so little time - glad you enjoyed this one!
DeleteHi C I have gone and done it. My book is out, give me your email and I will send you a copy. You TS and SB have made it all worth while. Send to starrieyed@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThat's great Old Pa! I'll email you shortly, thanks.
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