I’m not sure how many other people have heard of Mitsou.  Outside of Canada, she’s seems to be virtually unknown.  She’s a Quebecois dance/pop singer whose been recording since the late 80s.  I tend to tell people that she’s like Madonna is Madonna allowed herself to actually have fun. 

I have most of the tracks from Mitsou’s first four release: El Mundo and Terre Des Hommes (mostly in French) and Heading West and Tempted (mostly in English).  If anyone’s interested in expanding their musical boundaries, I’ve linked to a few of her biggest singles.

“Bye Bye Mon Cowboy” was Mitsou’s first big hit, and was actually popular even outside French-language circles.  When I was about 16, I stumbled across the video for the Shep Pettibone house mix of the song on Much Music from Canada (my family had a satellite dish at the time).  The half-naked dancing cowboys caught my eye, but I really dug the song, too.  Sadly, I can’t seem to find an MP3 copy of the house remix, only the original and the extended original.

“Dis-Moi, Dis-Moi” is probably my favorite Mitsou song.  I’m going to be doing a burlesque performance to it at an upcoming show in town.  It came out shortly after Madonna’s “Justify My Love”, and like that song, the video was banned but the song became a big hit.  Unlike the song, though, “Dis-Moi” is playful and fun, not serious, and the video is gorgeous (if you’re not offended by naked male backsides and topless women).

Just thought I would spread the Mitsou love here.  Let me know what you guys think of her.

Are you from Quebec? My favorite Mitsou song is Deep Kiss great dance song by Steinberg and Kelly I believe it has a Shep Pettibone remix as well…I met her once got my cassette of Terre Des Hommes” signed.

troystar - 15 August 2008 09:48 AM

Are you from Quebec? My favorite Mitsou song is Deep Kiss great dance song by Steinberg and Kelly I believe it has a Shep Pettibone remix as well…I met her once got my cassette of Terre Des Hommes” signed.

I’m not from Quebec, sadly.  When I was in high school I stumbled across the remix video for “Bye Bye Mon Cowboy” on Much Music through my parents’ satellite dish.  I watched a lot of MM because they seemed to play much more interesting videos than MTV ever did.  Mitsou kind of stuck in my head for quite a while, and I forgot about it until I found the Mitsou album (containing tracks from Terre Des Hommes and Heading West) for $1 at a used media store. 

I went on a big spree, after that, picking up El Mundo, Tempted, and a collection of tracks I didn’t have.  Most of her stuff is on iTunes now, including remixes, so it’s pretty easy to complete the collection.

My favorite song is actually “Dis-Moi, Dis-Moi.”  Kick-ass groove, gorgeous video, and an infectious hook.  I did a boylesque number to it this summer that brought the house down.

Johnny M - 15 August 2008 10:06 AM

and I forgot about it until I found the Mitsou album (containing tracks from Terre Des Hommes and Heading West) for $1 at a used media store. 

Which album is this? I have the cassette to Heading West which is kind of a combo album. Do you speak French or understand it? I have a hard time liking music if I can’t understand the lyrics. I love Gloria Estefan but I have a hard time with her Spanish stuff.

Mitsou was a 10-track compilation put out in 1992 to try to sell Mitsou to an American audience.  Half of the tracks are French ones from Terre Des Hommes and the other half are English tracks taken from Heading West or other sources.  The full track list:

1. Deep Kiss
2. Dis-Moi, Dis-Moi
3. Heading West
4. Drapeau Blanc
5. Terre Des Hommes
6. Mercedes Benz
7. Lettre A Un Cowboy
8. Mademoiselle Anne
9. A Funny Place (The World Is)
10. A L’autre Bout Du Monde

I speak a little French, but it’s very rusty.  I know some Spanish, as well.  I have a lot of foreign-language songs in my collection, mostly Japanese, French, or German.  I also enjoy artists who often sing in many different languages like Enya and Sarah Brightman.  If I don’t know the words to the song, I generally seek out the translation, which leads to some very amusing moments when I try to discuss the real meaning behind Rammstein lyrics.

Interesting I never knew this album existed. Did the USA get the album Heading West?

troystar - 15 August 2008 11:16 AM

Interesting I never knew this album existed. Did the USA get the album Heading West?

As far as I know, this CD is as far as it went.  Even when she did Tempted, it got very little exposure over here, even though it was all in English.  A few people may know “Bye Bye Mon Cowboy”, but that might be it.

Johnny M - 31 May 2008 08:33 AM

Unlike the song, though, “Dis-Moi” is playful and fun, not serious, and the video is gorgeous (if you’re not offended by naked male backsides and topless women).

Coincidentally, I was just browsing through the search terms that bring people to the site. Apparently, “Naked Mitsou” and “Topless Mitsou” are popular searches and are luring people to FBOTU.

CHANCE

Perhaps that explains the recent surge in membership…it’s a classic bait-and-switch!

:-D

it’s not what brought me here

Funny I joined to talk about comic and as usual I end up talking about music