France Pretty

Montreal ease born in 1963, the singer of Pretty Disco France is one of the many artists of Prelude which accumulated the hits discotheque. She was discovered and produced by Tony Green, specialist in the adolescent singers who discovered Freddie James at the same time, the son of Geraldine Hunt.

France Joli launches its first album at the end of the summer 1979: France Pretty (n°26). The first 45 turns which is drawn from it, “As to” is to me a success: n°1 disco music, n° 36 R &B and n°15 pop (September). This song is a imparable tube of discotheque of 132,9 pulsations per minutes which makes of its youngest interpreter n°1 of the lists of sale in the United States. The second 45 turns of the album is still better: it is about the excellentissime “Don' T stop dance hall”. Faces 2 of simple, “Let go” and “Playboy” are in the same kind. One discovers a singer with the powerful voice and astonishing maturity for his age, on bottom of boom boom quite as powerful and effective. Like the major part of the discs of the label Is a prelude to, it is initially thought for the discotheques: in that the rate/rhythm of the songs is eloquent since it is ideally of 132 pulsations per minute (more precisely of 132,9 for “Like to me”, of 132,8 for “Let go”, of 132,5 for “Don' T stop dance hall” and of 127,3 for “Playboy”). Moreover this album is also available in an double album for the d.j. (both of them 12" makes; for discotheques with a song by face).

To deal with this enormous success, France Pretty fact of many appearances on television of the United States (Merv Griffin Show, Dinah Shore, Midnight Special). It also made the first part of the concert of Peaches & Herb in Las Vegas.

In 1980, it republishes its successes of discotheque with Tonight (n°175) from where “The heart to station-wagon the heart is extracted” (128 bpm). This song takes again the groundwork of “Like to me”: intro slow, crescendo, voice which remains a long time on the notes, and bridge in duet with a man. This song is n°3 disco music in August just like its face 2 “Feel like dance hall” (116 bpm). In this disc, France Pretty also directs itself towards the ballade with the goods “This time” (the first 45 turns), “When coils hurts inside” and the least happy “Tonight”. The remainder of the disc is funk, but more puffing and less succeeded than both hits, like “Tough luck” and “Stoned in coils”. Nevertheless its voice remains superb and that France Pretty is in full possession of its means, whereas it is always very young. The artistic realization, as succeeded as for the preceding album, is again due to Tony Green. The song “The heart to station-wagon the heart” is published in 45 turns in short version of 3:45 with “Feel like dancin'” in version 4:00 on face 2.

At the summer 1981 it launches “Gonna get over you”, its first 12" individual which is limited more only to only the d.j. - and the first 12" of Prelude with a photograph on the small pocket. This excellent title funk of 110 bpm, realized by William Anderson and Raymond Reid de Crown Heights Affair, is n°2 disco music. It contains a long version of 7:15 and a version senza voce of 6:30. At the beginning of 1982, it launches the album, heading Now! . It is the very good album, perhaps its best, with another little brother of “Like to me”, entitled “Edge we fall in coils again”. It will be published besides in 12" individual like face 2 of “Your good lovin'” (both in version album, n°53 dance); it is the only title of the album carried out by Darryl Payne and especially Eric Matthew (who has his credit of successes for Gary' S Gang and Sinammon). These artistic realizers benefit besides with other singers from Prelude: Anderson/Reid for Unlimited Touch and Empress, Matthew/Payne for Sharon Redd and Secret Weapon. The remainder of the album oscillates between the very good funk with the image of the preceding titles (“I wanna take has chance one coils” of 108 bpm and “I need someone”), and an insipid variety aiming at the adult market (“I" m still thinking off you”, “Now” and “Everlasting love"). “Gonna get over you” will know a Spanish version “You olvidaré” of 7:15.

In 1982 always it makes the first part of the concert of the Commodores in Radio operator City Music Hall of New York. Then it leaves Prelude, which saw its last years, and signs a contract at Epic.

The continuation of the career of the singer at Epic is more ambiguous and less filling with enthusiasm: she will make two albums of funk-rock'n'roll FM less better received, Attitude (1983), realized by Pete Bellotte, and Witch off coils (1985), realized by George Duke.

First album, left at the end of August 1983, are hardly detached that the resumption of “Standing in the shadows off coils” with Pips with the choruses and “Nasty coils”. The exit of the album had been preceded by that of the simple “Girl in the 80 ' S”. On the 12" one finds a version lengthened one minute (4: 40) opposite 1 and the version album opposite 2. The second simple one is “Blue-eyed technology”. The 12" propose a long remix (6: 10) and the version 45 turns (3: 15). “Girl in the 80 ' S”/“Standing in the shadows off coils” are classified n°46 dance in November and “Blue-eyed technology” n°61 dance in January 1984.

From the second album alone simple one is detached very the good, “Does He dance”. It besides was remixé in long version by Shep Pettibone (in version 6:20 with a dub of 5:30 opposite 2) and was classified n°40 dance.

How all the stars of the disco music, France Pretty had evil with the music of the Eighties, and this in spite of the great quality of Now! , of the artistic realizers of scale at Epic (Giorgio Moroder is even the executive producer of the first) and a Co-business manager belonging to Weisner-DeMann, which also dealt with the career of Michael Jackson or Madonna (the other Pretty Co-business manager of France is his/her mother, Michelle Joli). Other singers as Gave Summer, Linda Clifford, Chic, Gloria Gaynor, Amii Stewart or Sylvester are also in this case and, like it, do not exceed the occasional hit in the Eighties. The error of Epic also was to direct it towards a variety plus rock'n'roll, at one moment when the dance-music grew rich by new forms like the station-wagon or the house. Moreover popularity of France Pretty was very North-American (Canada, the United States, Mexico). If the Prelude discs are well distributed in Europe, its Epic discs are not available. It thus could not refer on an European market often more faithful than the North-American market, like made Tina Turner, Diana Ross or Amii Stewart.

After the two albums Epic, France Pretty will live on its hits last. Already at the end of 1983 Prelude had remixé “The heart to station-wagon the heart” in a remix of John Morales and Sergio Munzibai available in three versions: short of 4:40, long of 9:20 and senza voce of 6:00. This practice was still rather rare at the time.

In 1988, on compilation Prelude mastermixes , one finds a remix of “Gonna get over you” (7: 10) and another of “I wanna take has chance one coils” (7: 15). These slightly remixées versions had been accompanied by another, a remix of the long version of “Gonna get over you” (6: 35), amputated by sound intro, available on compilation Dancin' memories . This song nevertheless magistralement will magistralement be brought up to date by true a remix of Raymond Cazaux in 1989 (in version 5:40 with 0:30 of happy no-claims bonus in premium and opposite 2 long versions vocal and instrumental original) in the series “History off Prelude”. “Gonna get over you” is in addition available on very many general compilations, in its version of origin.

In 1989 Unidisc leaves a compilation entitled Greatest hits . One finds there the songs in their long versions of the album (“Like to me”, “Let go” renamed “Don' T let go”, “Feel like dance hall”, “I wanna take has chance one coils”, “I' m still thinking off you”, “I need someone” and “Everlasting coils”), the long remixes of “The heart to station-wagon the heart” and “Gonna get over you” and precedes “olvidaré Te of it”.

“As to” is also available for me on two general compilations: Prelude' S greatest hits vol. IV appeared in 1990 (in integral version) or Prelude passion appeared in 1985 (in version 7" - nonsufficient). One will also find “Like to me” in short version on Rhino compilation appeared in 1992 Billboard signal dance hits - 1979 and on other general compilations.

Fine 1992-beginning 1993 leave four remixes “Like to me” at Unidisc, two neo-classics and two house, available with the long original version on simple Unidisc: the “Classy 70 ' S disco music remix”, the “Classic mix” (more succeeded, synthesis of the Seventies and 90), the “Techno dub mix” and the “Vibe mix”. The first and the last are due to Ivan Pavlin and Gino Olivieri while the two others are of Robert Matichak.

In 1993, Prelude/Unidisc republishes France Pretty (under the title Like to me ), Tonight and Now! . On As to me one finds in additional titles “Like to me”, “Let go”, “Playboy” and “Don' T stop dance hall” in short versions then “Like to me” in instrumental version and remix of 1992, the “Classy 70 ' S disco music remix”. On Tonight one has in more the remixes long, short and instrumental of “The heart to station-wagon the heart”. On the republication of Now! one finds in no-claims bonus “Gonna get over you” in remixes long, instrumental and in Spanish.

In 1993 also “Gonna get over you” is republished on compilation Unidisc Dance classics: the hits, volume 2 . One finds also this title on Best disco music album in the universe, volume 4 (Essex). Always in 1993, compilation The hot classics box set (Hot tracks) proposes “The heart to station-wagon the heart” on volume 1 (remix of Stephen Freeman).

In 1996 France Pretty fact a formidable return on the front of the scene at Popular records with an excellent title of music of dance, “Touch”, where it finds Tony Green with the artistic realization. This title, another natural child of “Like to me”, moreover remixé this same year, is available into six remixes on simple Cd of which the very good “Ocean drive house mix”. “Touch” is also proposed into two vinyls, which differs in the choice from mix. The song is classified n°24 dance in January 1997. In 1997 it leaves excel it “Breakaway” in the same vein. Second simple Cd of “Breakaway” proposes also two remixes of “Touch”. Among the remixeurs, one finds Junior Vasquez for the two songs. These titles, originally to Popular records, are followed of an album If you coils me , distributed only to Canada by the label Koch (1998), Popular having gone bankrupt. This album is as a whole rather bad. One is entitled to a unit of stereotypes which function in neutral, as well in the words as in the music. France Pretty participle a little with the writing and a little with arrangements. The two simple ones are the two only salvable songs of this unfortunately missed return.

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