Full credit should go to Richie Unterberger's 1998 book, Unknown Legends of Rock n' Roll, for introducing me to Françoise Hardy. Pre-Internet, it was difficult to find her music aside from a few CD compilations at Tower Records in New York City. What I was really after was a boxed set called L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings) released in 1995. Unfortunately, the boxed set was extremely limited and I never saw it for sale. The box was ideal, because it contained Hardy's complete French recordings for Vogue Records from 1962 - 1967. Fortunately, a lot has changed since the late 1990s. Françoise Hardy's albums have been reissued with wonderful packaging, including rare recordings made in other languages. Occasionally, L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings) pops up on eBay for ridiculous prices. After seeing another one appear on eBay this spring for $450, I decided to go on a scavenger hunt. The original boxed set contained 83 songs on 4 CDs. My question: Is there anything on L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings) that has not been reissued since? What songs am I missing? Is it worth buying the 1995 boxed set?
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| Françoise Hardy - L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings) boxed set |
The answer? It has all been reissued. It is not worth buying the 1995 boxed set unless you are a die hard collector who needs to complete a collection of physical media. In fact, 79 of the 83 tracks appear on a 2009 boxed set called La Collection 62-66. This later box contains 93 tracks, meaning the buyer gets 14 additional foreign language tracks. Best of all, copies can still be had for well under $100, but the buyer will still be missing 4 songs from the 1995 Complete Vogue Years box.
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| Françoise Hardy - La Collection 62-66 |
For you obsessive types who want it all, the last 4 tracks that appear on L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings) but NOT on La Collection 62-66 are:
Track 80 & 83: Voilá & Qui Peut Dire - These two tracks appear on the album Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp. This album can be purchased cheaply as a standalone or in a boxed set called 5 Albums Originaux, an extremely affordable and recommended boxed set covering her late 1960s and early 1970s output.
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| Françoise Hardy - Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp LP |
Track 81: (Les) Petits Garçons - This track is on a number of compilations, including The Vogue Years. Like track 82, it also appeared on the vinyl Voilà EP.
Track 82: Au Fond Du Rêve Doré - This is the oddball song from L' Integrale Disques Vogue 1962/1967 (The Complete Vogue Recordings). Later, Françoise re-recorded this song with the band Air. The original version of Au Fond Du Rêve Doré is available on the vinyl Voilà EP, which is still pretty cheap on Discogs. Au Fond Du Rêve Doré has also been reissued on a few CDs, including 100 Chansons, Story 1965-1967 and Blues. Most of the CDs are out of print and vary in price.
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| Françoise Hardy - vinyl Voilà EP |
That's it. Is it worth going to all of this trouble to pursue Françoise Hardy's catalogue? Absolutely! Even nearly 20 years after first hearing her music, songs still pop up that surprise and intrigue me. Je Pensais showed up on a random mix last month and reminded me how great Françoise Hardy was and continues to be.
Françoise Hardy - Je Pensais from L'Amitié - Vogue Records (1965)
Your story is the same as mine!
ReplyDeletePre-internet, I had CDs of hers that I found in import sections of Tower, Barnes and Noble, etc, but I was always hoping to find that box set. Good to know it's redundant now. Thanks for doing the research!