Now playing on the "OurParis" jukebox

[andi]

Just a little fun to add to this section. What music do you have playing in the background when on the forum or drifting off to that secret Paris place in your head? It doesn't have to be french, just reflective of the mood you are in at the time.

Now playing.......Leona Lewis, Spirit. Very soulful and relaxing.

[geordy]

At the moment it is a ringing phone as I am at work!

In the mornings with coffee it is the local Classic Rock Station!

To get in the Paris mood....French cd's, or other cd's with songs I heard in Paris often(I actually have "boybands" because I heard the songs so often there on MTV or another music station and in stores , cafes whatever!

[Happygoin]

At the risk of being labeled a BAH HUMBUG, I turned on my usual classic rock this morning and was astonished to hear the Chipmunks singing about what they want for Christmas.

Aaaarrgghhh! ~blinding headache coming on~

[Penny]

I wish I had some of the typical French music to listen to but would probably give me a bad case of IWTBIP (I want to be in Paris)

However I listen to "First Day of My Life" repeatedly. Have loaded on Media Player.

Sung by Melanie C written by Guy Chambers and Enrique Iglesias. (made in Holland)

I first heard this when I was watching a skating exhibition and fell in love with it. Just by chance an online friend had a second CD which she sent to me.

If you have never heard this particular song, it is the most uplifting, soul stirring, inspirational, etc. song and music I have every heard, which is why I play it repeatedly. Makes even the greyest day bright.

I was told she was one of the Spice Girls but is not Melanie Brown and since I don't know very little about the Spice Girls I really don't know.

Of course come first of December I will play the Nutcracker over and over and over,............., luckily these apartments are almost soundproof or my neighbors would probably be beating on my door after the second day.

[sistereurope]

Happy, don't worry, I hate all of those xmas songs (my fave is "grandma got run over by a reindeer...ugh!!!)

But to get me in the mood for Paris, I listen to a CD of Jacques Brel songs that my friend from Paris made for me. The first time I heard it was standing on the sidewalk outside of a pub in Baltimore where we all used to meet for a beer...he gave me the CD and his portable player and I stepped outside onto the sidewalk so I could hear...it had been raining and the streets were all shiny and it was kind of a misty foggy evening, and Jacques Brel was singing "Ne Me Quitte Pas"in my ears...and I closed my eyes and for a minute I was in Paris!

So now that CD always makes me think of being in Paris in the rain...sigh...what a wonderful thought!

[luckyluc]

Now I am at work. For me that is the Faculty of Music of our local university, there is almost always music in my life.

Depending which doors opens I get a few parts of a student practicing the same variation of Bach's Goldberg (I am about to go and count with him!!!) or our choir repeating "For unto us a Child is born" normally I have the radio (French CBC) or Naxos Music Library playing some baroque music.

I also love youtube.com where you can get a lot of French pop music for free...

[geordy]

Happy, some of the "Light" stations here start playin NOTHING but Christmas songs the day after T-Day thru Christmas.!

My CLASSIC rock station (Q104.3 here)doesn't play that much Christmas stuff and certainly not until closer. Then it is Springstein and other rockers' songs..not chipmunks!!! (well maybe the day before or so...)

[sistereurope]

luc...you have a wonderful job!!

[Anne]

Which French music do you like, Luc ?

[luckyluc]

Ouf there is so much. On top of my head: Fauré, Debussy and Ravel. But also Lully, Boismortier, Gounod, Delibes, Duparc, Messiaen, Jacquet de la Guerre, Brossard, Couperin.

On the popular side, I have old nostalgic tastes: Aznavour, Bécaud, Barbara, Trenet, and Mistinguette (it reminds me of my bonne-maman) and all the 1940's repertoire which remind me of my maman.

[annettecinca]

I'll have to try some of these that I'm not familiar with--sounds like a fun way to while away an afternoon! A cold day and the soundtrack from "Something's Gotta Give" always puts me in a French cooking mood for some reason.

[iank9]

At the moment I have in the car "Feeling Good"- Randy Crawford and Joe Sample, all covers with a strong jazz theme. We were sitting in La Palette one afternoon and the CD was playing, and we certainly were "feeling good"!

French themed we often play Celine Dion "D'eux". There are some truly great tracks, all sung in her native French language.

[rssilverandlight]

It's usually folk music from the 60's and 70's. If not then oldies but goodies followed by Alison Krause, Nora Jones, Sara Evans & Enya.

What a neat subject for a thread.

[suzanne]

I'm crazy about"Pink Martini"

[jsmla]

Well today I listened to Stevie Wonder followed by a little Queen and then Hairspray. I feel a tad inadequate.

I do know every single note of The Nutcracker though. I worked in our ballet company's kid's dressing room every Christmas for nine years. The number entitled "Send the Party Children Down to the Wings" is followed by "Time to Dress the Mice", right? At least that's what I call them.

Jennifer (aka Marge)

[Truffaut]

Luc, you're the first person to mention the name Boismartier in over a decade. I sang the title role in the first production of the critical edition of "Don Quichotte chez la duchesse" in the 80s! Not a bad little piece, actually!

[Truffaut]

So, now my answer to the original question. I'm usually at work when perusing this site, so I have www.radiofg.com running in the background. It's dance music from France's biggest dance music station. It's mindless, and works really well as hyperactive background noise when trying to focus on work and drown out my mindless person in the neighboring office. When that gets boring, I switch to www.frequence3.fr. The music is the same as here, but there is some charming chatter amongst the DJs. Once, I even called in to talk on air with one of them during a call-in period.

[Shoesy]

When I'm on the forum, the room is absolutely silent. As much as I love music, I also love moments of total peace and quiet, such as right now. Well, I should certainly hope it's quiet here since it's now 5:00 A.M.

Re "The Nutcracker", as a ballet lover I can't help but love the music, and I could listen to it over and over again . I adore Tchaikovsky. If I'm lucky, I'll be seeing a local performance of that ballet in two weeks.

[Anne]

I don't listen to any music when on the forum because I need to concentrate to be able to understand or write English well enough .

As far as my favourite music is concerned, I am afraid that I haven't grown up much since my student days : Springsteen, Led Zep, Bowie, Joe Jackson, Clash . I know ... . But then I have added a few new ones (but same style) like Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, White Stripes, ...

I am afraid that don't share your tastes in French singers, Luc . The only two oldies that I like (love) are Brel and Piaf . Less old are Polnareff or Jacques Higelin . Recent ones are Olivia Ruiz or Renan Luce (two members of what is called the "La nouvelle scène française") .

[sistereurope]

Anne - I think you have FABULOUS taste (coming from someone who loves Bowie, the Clash, and of course my "namesake" band the Psychedelic Furs )

Then again I like all sorts of rock music from Los Lobos to Cake, Wilco, the Old 97's and my new boy Paolo Nutini (who is Scottish).

Our house is constantly full of some music - my husband, daughter and stepsons are all fanatics. My husband used to play drums in a rock band and then switched up to jazz sax, and later discovered his roots in bluegrass (Randy, he loves Alison Kraus).
The boys like everything from Frank Zappa to Led Zeppelin (yes!) to G Love. Then there's my daughter, who is hooked on Broadway show tunes.

But getting back to the original question: yes Anne, I'm with you again. Piaf and Brel, they both say Paris to me (or should I say sing?)