Recently, in MySpace world, I have befriended a group of teenage French women, starting with Chantal Goya, but then progressing to Sylvie Vartan and then finishing up with France Gall, the Leslie Gore of French ye-ye girls.
While I was listening to France, who is actually a fairly interesting singer (she holds your attention and is more flamboyant than the others), I read that all of France’s records were originally released as four-track EPs and that such was the style of 1960s French pop – singers put out songs in four-track bursts, not lengthy 10 or 12 song LPs.To me, this seemed like a breath of fresh air. Instead of focusing creatively on grouping songs of 10, or 12, or 17 (like my second record) I could now dream in fours – much more achievable. Anyway, how long do periods of being “in the zone” last anyway? Albums stretch creativity. But the best songs often come quick and demand your attention now. It’s unfair to keep them bottled up while you think up enough filler to package them as an LP.
It then struck me that the four-track EP was no longer a thing of the past. It actually was making a comeback, thanks to MySpace, which allows you to post no more than four songs. In an ideal MySpace world, every three to six months or so you would post four new tracks – like delivering a new EP.
Right now, I have written three tracks of my first four-track MySpace/EP delivery. The EP is called “Broadway Nassau” and the first song is one people have heard already called “Central Park Reservoir” – it’s a jazzy track about Dustin Hoffman, Marathon Man, the Jacobites – you know, standard nerdy Giustino stuff. The next is called “Zia Alessandra” – this is a bossa nova-flavored (not a real bossa) tune about Alessandra Mussolini. The main idea seems to be that sometimes bad people are still charming. Wouldn’t you agree? The third track, completed just a few days ago, is called “Cross Country Skiier.” You know how Belle and Sebastian wrote a lot of songs about long distant runners and the stars of track and field. I seem to be inspired by skiing (see ‘Lillehammer’ from my Ragazza record). This song was, in part, inspired by France Gall’s music. And M.I.A.’s. I have lots f divergent interests.
So that leaves track four, hovering somewhere out there in the subconscious. Perhaps we’ve met, like former strangers – passing on the street. Maybe we’ve been in the same elevator. Or maybe the next one will strike like creative lightning – out of nowhere.
We’ll see.
