Les Rita Mitsouko and Catherine Ringer
Reviewed on this page:
Rita Mitsouko - The No Comprendo - Mark & Robert - Systeme D - Acoustiques - Cool Frenesie - La Femme Trombone - Les Rita Mitsouko En Concert Avec L'Orchestre Lamoureux - Variéty - Chante Les Rita Mitsouko And More À La Cigale - Ring 'n Roll - Chroniques Et Fantaisies - Chante Les Rita Mitsouko À La Philharmonie De Paris
When you hear "French New Wave" you probably think Godard or somebody, but France had a musical New Wave right after punk, just like there was in Anglophone countries. I'm generalizing, but while artistically ambitious musicians in the US went rapidly to No Wave, in Paris it seems some people put high art including poetry and dance, and whatever you consider Gaultier, in front of electronic beats and synth plus traditional rock instrumentation. At least, that's what Catherine Ringer and Fred Chichin decided to do when they met at the end of the '70s - both handling writing, production, and an assortment of instruments while Ringer did nearly all the singing - and after a few years of taming the resulting beast they somehow stormed the pop charts. Onstage and in the media, Chichin played the aloof thin-mustachioed cigarette-dangling Parisian while Ringer majored in over-the-top diva with a minor in deconstructing her pop star persona (I've never written about an artist's teeth before, but she sometimes has a jaggedly broken front tooth, sometimes flawless pearly whites, and sometimes slightly crooked, very discolored choppers, and I can't find an explanation but I have to think it's intentional). Les Rita Mitsouko's music videos also made a big impression: The group's brash, colorful visuals, over-it mien, impressionistic storytelling and off-the-wall humor hit like a grenade at a time when even top artists were either doing performance clips or painfully literal dramatizations.
The compositions are musically challenging but smoothly produced - the hit single "Andy" is about the cleverest light funk around - and Ringer changes emotional registers on a dime, often to unsettling effect, as when you realize the wry observations of "Marcia Baila" mask fury at an early death, or that "Le Petit Train" is on its way to a concentration camp (which could seem exploitative except that her father had escaped from one). The overall effect is sort of like if David Byrne could sing and/or get out of his own way, or if Patti Smith had learned to play two dozen instruments instead of cutting Springsteen covers, though much more viscerally affecting than those imply. I know I compare everyone to Caetano Veloso, but he's similarly high concept/pop execution, restless genre-wise and often I don't understand why he's doing what he's doing; Marisa Monte combines wonderful vocals, emotional depth and facility with traditional and progressive musical styles, though she's far more plain-spoken and way less abrasive.
Anyway, their chart dominance faded at the end of the '80s, and in truth their later albums are less eye-opening though equally imaginative. Chichin died from liver cancer in 2007, and Ringer has carried on, forging a her own path while sometimes returning to the duo's catalog, and frequently incorporating one or more of their children into her band. We used to link to fan sites, or official sites if they weren't overly corporate, but these days I'm assuming you've already read Wikipedia; maybe follow Ringer on Instagram, and for in-depth discussion I don't think you'll do better than Steve Hoffman Music Forums. NOTE: I know titles in French aren't initial-capped but we've been formatting every language this way for thirty years and I'm not going to change course now.
(DBW)
Early on Ringer and Chichin worked briefly with Jean Néplin & Individual State; Chichin co-wrote one of the songs on their sole release Happening but as far I can tell neither of them played on it.
Once on their own, they released singles in 1982 and 1983 which show that they knew they were onto something but weren't sure what it was yet: "Minuet Dansant," "Galoping" and "Aïe (Kryptonite Miss Spleen)" are repetitive synth loops plus outré vocals, not too far from early Cocteau Twins but less coherent; "Don't Forget The Night" is a real song but it's ordinary retro doo-wop.
(DBW)
 Rita Mitsouko (Rita Mitsouko: 1984)
They kept the raw production, untamed vocals and New Wave instrumentation, but added in acoustic instruments, more linear song structures, and lyrics with layers ("Jalousie"). Meanwhile, the use of synths is more inventive than before, not less ("In My Tea").
More importantly, the tunes are catchy as hell and the record is funkier than it has any right to be ("La Futur N°4"); a lot of it's at dance tempos ("Yaktagan") but the slower numbers are almost as captivating ("La Fille Venue Du Froid").
Leadoff single "Restez Avec Moi" stiffed, but "Marcia Baïla" more than made up for it, hitting #2 though almost everything about it was way outside the mainstream starting with the subject matter (rage and despair over the early death of friend/dancer/choreographer Marcia Moretto). Nothing else on the record is quite as good but nothing needs to be.
Chichin and Ringer each play all the standard instruments - keys, guitar, bass, drums - though nothing outside the box at this point, and I think there are no outside musicians.
Non-LP B-side "Dans La Steppe" and the first two flop singles were added to CD and later configurations of the album. Produced by the duo and Conny Plank.
(DBW)
 The No Comprendo (1986)
As a matter of fact I didn't comprend this one at first, thrown off by the multiple layers of irony despite a few undeniable classics like the punchy "Nuit D'Ivresse" and the Minneapolis Sound-ing hit "Andy." (Note that the killer trombone solo - which sounds real though Ringer is credited on MIDI brass and I have heard her scat it note for note - at the end of "Andy" is not on the album version, only the English and video mixes.) Essentially it's a concept album about how we project our needs onto the other in relationships and it never works out but we keep doing it, approaching the topic from a multitude of different angles: The opening singalong "Les Histoires D'A." (with Bobby Valentino tearing it up on violin) sets the table, and then we get songs about the desperate pursuit of an idealized lover ("Andy," which I assume is also a reference to androgyny - it was the '80s, after all), to the bouncy story of lies and betrayal "C'est Comme Sa" (I'm convinced the vocal hook is intentionally irritating to match the banal phrasing, a la "Temporary Secretary"), and a retro nightclub meditation about the end product of all this struggle ("Stupid Anyway"). The most positive representations are tales of abject submission ("Un Soir Un Chien," which borrows heavily from "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)") and a couple of drunks ("Nuit D'Ivresse"). Ultimately though, the record transcends despair through its sheer vitality, with plenty of high-wire vocals ("Bad Days") and cool textures ("Tonite").
The leaders play most of the instruments - Ringer branches out to viola and cello - though producer (with Ringer and Chichin) Tony Visconti plays some tracks, and there are several (ahem) ringers (Sam Smith plays that outro solo on "C'est Comme Sa").
As with Natalie Is Freezing, everyone thought the singer's name was Rita Mitsouko, so from this point on the band went by "Les Rita Mitsouko."
(DBW)
In 1987, the group was literally in a Godard film, "Soigne Ta Droite," in what's basically documentary footage of them working on No Comprendo. Also that year, Ringer recorded a duet with Marc Lavoine, "Qu'Est-Ce Que T'Es Belle."
 Mark & Robert (1988)
The hit single "Singing In The Shower" (one of three collaborations with Sparks) sounds a bit like everything else that was on the radio at the time, but this is a solid effort top to bottom.
Ringer debuts a new soaring vocal style on "La Petit Train" (re-written from a 1952 standard) and "Hip Kit"... It might peel the paint off your walls but they probably needed repainting anyway. "Tongue Dance" is a dance classic I can't believe I never heard before. Chichin finally gets a lead vocal on "Smog," which is probably the best of the 5,000 "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" ripoffs I've heard (yes, better than "Cream").
Jesse Johnson gives us one of those sexy solos on "Live In Las Vegas" - he also played drums on "Tongue Dance" and mixed three tracks. Starting here, Chichin and Ringer rarely listed the specific instruments they played, but Chichin does get credit for trumpets on "Harpie & Harpo"; the pair's oldest child Ginger Ringer, three or four at the time, adds vocals toward the end of "Hip Kit."
(DBW)
The band went quiet for several years, appearing in two short documentaries directed by Rolland Allard but releasing only a 1990 remix album, Re. (We don't review remix projects, but the live version of "Andy" is worth hearing.)
 Systeme D (1993)
The band's sole album of new material during the '90s, and like The No Comprendo it has a consistent theme: love is dangerous.
"Y'a D'la Haine" is the key track, with melodic hooks, burbling synth, Ringer in coloratura mode, and a few pretty heavy messages.
"Les Amants," the other single, has equally outrageous vocals in a mellow rock (complete with accordion) context.
There's also an unrecognizeable remake of "Dans La Steppe" ("La Steppe").
It's hard to imagine anyone better qualified to sing "My Love Is Bad" than Iggy Pop, and in fact he turns up for a duet with Ringer.
A partly-spoken cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "L'Hôtel Particulier" becomes increasingly ominous; "Godfather Of Soul" is a James Brown tribute which somehow is also about commodification, sampling, religion and the music industry.
Ringer plays ukelele on the enjoyable but ordinary pop-funk "Get Up, Get Older" (basically a duet with Marina Xavier, who is I think their first guest vocalist) and also gets a couple of credits on bass and guitar; for whatever reason Chichin is only credited with synth on "Elevator."
(DBW)
Acoustiques (1996)
Even these two couldn't resist the Unplugged trend - a string of hits performed live with a rhythm section and a few horns and strings - but it's better than most because there was always solid songwriting underneath the electronic trappings of their '80s material, the band is locked in, and the individual musicians get their chances to shine (Stéphane Baudet's trumpet solo opening "Stupid Anyway"). Put those together, and tunes like "Marcia Baila" (which turns into an extended groove) are as much fun as they were in the first place, and in the case of "C'est Comme Sa," reinvented as a roots rocker, clearly more.
There are a couple of new songs, "Les Consonnes" (mostly spoken, very funny and also quite disconcerting) and "La Tailles Du Bambou," and two guests: Princess Erika adds vocals on "Ailleurs" and Doc Gynèco raps on the acid jazz "Riche."
(DBW)
Ringer was busy with a bunch of solo projects in the late '90s, including singles - "Eso Es El Amor" (a salsa number with Tito Puentes, not Tito Puente) and "Doux Daddy" - a few guest appearances and a couple of movie scores.
Cool Frenesie (2000)
Maybe they got all the acoustique-ness out of their collective system, because this is their most clattery, electronic work to date: "Les Guerriers"; "Allo !" [sic] is like an EDM take on a '60s spy theme. As a result, the quieter, atmospheric stuff stands out more than usual ("Dis-Moi Des Mots," with additional vocals from Néplin), and there's not much in between ("Gripshitrider In Parism," mellow except for its dance beat).
Thematically there's a lot about war and displacement - the title track is a refugee's lament set to wondrous, frothy disco; "C'Ètait Un Homme" is about Ringer's father's experience in World War II while "Les Guerriers" looks ahead to the next one.
Chichin is mostly on guitar and bass; Ringer is mostly on keyboards, and adds melodica to "Alors C'est Quoi"; They wrote and produced almost everything as usual; Youth worked on at least three tracks (including the improvised-sounding "Jam") and Toulon produced and arranged the striking, string-heavy "La Sorcière Et L'Inquisiteur."
(DBW)
La Femme Trombone (2002)
Right from the instrumental opener "Entrée," it's hard-edged, whether rip-roaring rock ("Vieux Rodeo," an unusually direct "we won't go back" feminist number; "Ce Sale Ton") or smoldering dance ("Tous Mes Voeux"). But apart from a few surefire winners, the tunes are not as memorable as most of their work, and Ringer's vocals are flawless but shockingly unshocking ("Melodica").
From time to time, LRM writes a story-song that may be a fable or an allegory but isn't very interesting, and usually they're about the ocean: "Triton" is a midtempo mood piece that has become a concert staple but I can't tell you why.
Anyway, it's all impeccably performed and recorded; Mark Kerr played live drums on half the tunes while most of the rest were programmed by Chichin, and Ringer plays two hitherto uncredited instruments: accordion on "J'Applaudis" and flute on "Melodica." Produced by the band and Iso Diop, who also played bass on most of the album and co-wrote six of the songs;
(DBW)
 Les Rita Mitsouko En Concert Avec L'Orchestre Lamoureux (2004)
Does every avant-garde act eventually feel the need to prove they could've done things the traditional way if they'd wanted to? And am I the only who doesn't care? Our less-dynamic-than-usual duo is working live with a full orchestra, remaking half a dozen of their own tunes (mostly the mellow ones like "Triton") but focusing largely on chanson by giants like Léo Ferré and Charles Trènet - basically the Great French Songbook - and one more by Gainsbourg ("Le Velours Des Vierges"). They cover all their bases with a Phillip Glass tune that's both avant-garde and boring ("Mad Rush"), while "A Man Needs A Maid" is an odd choice as it's one of the only tracks Neil Young had recorded with an orchestra in the first place, though this arrangement (by Bruno Fontaine, like the rest) blows that one all to hell. The audience only seems to wake up for Trené's "Où Sont-ils Donc?" and a few of the LRM numbers ("Les Guerriers" is the best of the bunch). We already knew Ringer could sing anything and you can't hear Chichin at all so there's nothing here for someone like me, but maybe it won over a bunch of fogies who would never listen to pop music.
(DBW)
Variéty (2007)
For whatever reason, they put together both English and mostly-French versions of this one; I think they're equally hard to understand but generally she's more expressive in her native tongue.
Largely in a roots-rock vein (the devastating riff tune "Rendez-Vous Avec Moi-Meme") - lots of Ringer on harmonica here, and I think it's the first time they'd used a mandolin - though as the title suggests there's plenty of other stuff ("Berceuse" veers between near-folk and hard rock; "Soir De Peine" is one of their signature undanceable dance tracks). The best songs are fantastic - the deliberate, ominous "Ma Vielle Ville"; the frantic "Ding Dang Dong (Ringing At Your Bell)" - and "Même Si" makes a better case than anything on the previous album that the group could normie as well as anyone, with a lovely melody, loping gait and (though I may be missing something) straightforward lyrics. I have a hard time with "Terminal Beauty," retro kitsch with a mannered vocal from Serj Tankian (though he's less irritating on the French version), but even that has hair-raising, evocative lyrics.
So it's a couple of decades past their most influential work but deeply rewarding on its own terms. Simon Clarke plays the extended sax solo on "Ding Dang Dong" - it's pretty conventional but a lot of fun.
Right around the same time, they released an EP called The Eye - which I assume has something to do with Bataille - with a couple of overlapping songs; one or the other of these was the last release during Chichin's lifetime, as he succumbed soon after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
(DBW)
Chante Les Rita Mitsouko And More À La Cigale (Catherine Ringer: 2008)
Chichin's illness happened so suddenly that Ringer was stuck with a string of unfulfilled tour dates, so she took the backing band they'd assembled and hit the road. I don't know whether a live album was part of the original plan, or something that evolved out of the tour itself, but either way I'm glad we have this document of Ringer at a crossroads.
Overall the setup is very much a rock band with a keyboard player, with no resemblance to '80s electro-pop: "Singing In The Shower" in particular benefits from the live drumming.
Ringer's interpretations can get so wild it's easy to forget how much control she has over her voice: At one point in the gently rolling "Même Si," she responds to momentary mic feedback by shifting to a bloodcurdling shriek and then smoothly back into the chorus.
Included in the "More" are covers of two New Yawk garage rockers: "After Hours" and Mink DeVille's "Venus Of Avenue D."
The DVD has about ten additional tracks - they're pretty good but apart from "Communiqueur D'Amour," don't kill anyone trying to get your hands on them.
(DBW)
 Ring 'n Roll (Catherine Ringer: 2011)
Largely the same mix of styles as Variéty, which isn't unexpected - it never seemed like Ringer was confined by the expectations of LRM fans - but as a whole it's muted, with more pensive songs and fewer upbeat ones than previous releases. Add to that a heavier emphasis on love ("Vive L'Amour") and sex ("Prends-Moi"; "Got It Sweet," with Ringer getting strange effects from what's credited as a flute but sounds like a recorder), and it's hard to resist the suspicion that it was her way of dealing with the loss of Chichin.
There's a fair amount of outside songwriting: "Yalala" is by Mauro Gioia; "Rendez-Vous" is by Coba, "Mahler" is excerpted from a Leonard Bernstein-conducted performance of Mahler's 5th with Ringer's voice on top (sort of her "Past, Present And Future"); and five more were written by Ringer with with Mark Kerr or Mark Plati, each of whom also plays multiple instruments. She's still capable of packing a wallop - "Pardon" is a gentle, lighthearted look at reflexive apology that suddenly veers in an unexpected direction - but more often the record feels like a pulled punch.
RZA plays synth on "Punk 103" and produced "Prends-Moi," which features John Frusciante on guitar.
I'm not sure where I ought to mention this, but for a great singer Ringer has relatively few mannerisms: where Stevie, Mariah, Janelle, et al. generally have an array of melodic and stylistic touches you can expect to hear when you pick up a new release, Ringer approaches each song more or less on its own terms, except that many song's terms seem to call for brief wordless screams or barnyard animal imitations. (DBW)
In 2014, Ringer sang lead on A New Tango Song Book by Plaza Francia Orchestra. If I become convinced she was a full band member at that point I'll review it on this page, but I won't be thrilled about it.
Chroniques Et Fantaisies (Catherine Ringer: 2017)
This time around I think she wrote everything except the dreamy single, "Senior." (Though the driving, blissful "Como Va" is a rewrite of the similarly named Tito Puente - not Titos Puente - tune.) A lot of the record is laid-back, either keyboard-led midtempo grooves ("Intermittent Lover"; "La Petit Planète") or pop on traditional instruments ("La Grande Lessive"), though as so often she puts her most intense lyrics to her most inoffensive melodies ("Obstination," about an apocalypse - I think the one we're currently experiencing, not a fictional one). Still, it's very welcome when she revvs up into a higher gear, as on "Fier-À-Bras (Essaouira-Paris)," a rousing, affectionate look back at her time with Chichin, and "Rock De Nuit" (with Raoul shredding on guitar). It's well done in every respect so if you're in a mellow mood you'll probably think I underrated this one. Produced by Azzedine Djelil, who also plays a lot of keyboard and acoustic guitar; the wooden wind instrument is back on "Leur Amour." After almost thirty years, Allard made another short film, Fantaisies Et Chroniques, which like two he made for LRM is a string of semi-improvised music videos intercut with footage of the artist bopping around. (DBW)
L'Integrale (2019)
Too few artists put their whole output into one boxed set - see also The Zombies - but it's perfect for someone like me who missed them the first time around and knew on first hearing that I wanted everything they'd ever done. Apart from all the albums and the EP, there are about a dozen extra tracks, including the B-side "Clown De Mes Malheurs," another Velvet Underground cover ("All Tomorrow's Parties," "Berceuse" sung in Mandarin, and some stuff I can't identify ("Reinforcements"). Mostly chronological, though the earliest singles are tucked in at the end of the debut album and all the rarities are at the end; my only real gripe is that two films about the group are not included in the digital release, and the one on Youtube is great but I'd have to buy a hard-to-find physical package to get the other.
(DBW)
Chante Les Rita Mitsouko À La Philharmonie De Paris (Catherine Ringer: 2020)
Another live recording of Ringer doing LRM hits, but it wasn't an ordinary show, with a bunch of dancers (not counting her), and famed DJ Dee Nasty scratching on a couple of tracks "Y'a D'La Haine." Only six of the nineteen tunes (mostly big hits) had appeared on the 2007 album, and eight hadn't appeared on any of the previous live records, including goodies like "Hip Kit," "Le Petit Train" and "Tongue Dance."
Ringer's in fine form ("Someone To Love"), and the small band does an admirable job of reproducing the bewildering range of styles (the languid "Stupid Anyway" into the punk rocker "Jalousie," for example). Longtime bassist Noel Assolo takes a rare solo on "Vol De Nuit."
The absence of Fred Chichin (apart from the backdrop, a giant picture of his head) doesn't make as much difference as you'd think - as much as he contributed in the studio and behind the scenes, onstage he mostly stuck to unassuming rhythm guitar - and this may be all the live Les Rita Mitsouko you need.
(DBW)
For the past few years Ringer has been performing "L'Erotisme De Vivre" - a one-woman show based on poems by Alice Mendelson - and doing some acting.
Find someone to love.
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