Search - Sunnyside Cafe Series :: Pop a Paris: Rock & Roll & Mini Skirts 1

During the "Swinging Sixties," London and San Francisco were not the only epicenters of youthful rebellion, psychedelia, and free love. Although initially stunned at losing their centuries-old monopoly on style--and to the Brits of all people--French fashionistas and pop stars embraced the zeitgeist in their own inimitable way. Johnny Hallyday's version of Billy Joe Royal's "Hush," Marie Laforet's take on the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," Eileen's sultry interpretation of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking," and Frank Alamo's treatment of the Turtles' "Happy Together" are at once startling, goofy and touching, but then, so were the originals. Among the home-grown tunes, France Gall's "Dady Da Da" and Serge Gainsbourg's "Marilu" share a tinny-sounding charm typical of the period. Each track recalls a time when sexuality was uninhibited but not salacious and packs of mod-attired boys and girls sashayed through the Latin Quarter looking for fun. --Christina Roden