Le Chat Bleu
| Le Chat Bleu | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Mink DeVille | ||||
| Released | 1980 | |||
| Recorded | L'Aquarium, Paris Music Farm, New York |
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| Genre | Rock, Cajun, soul, Latin, cabaret | |||
| Length | 30:57 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Willy DeVille, Steve Douglas | |||
| Mink DeVille chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | (B-) |
| Smash Hits | 7/10 |
Le Chat Bleu, released in 1980, is the third album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album received critical acclaim and elevated lead singer and composer Willy DeVille to star status. The Rolling Stone Critic’s Poll ranked Le Chat Bleu the fifth best album of 1980, and music historian Glenn A. Baker declared it the tenth best rock album of all time. The album cover is a photo of Willy's first wife Toots Deville's tattoo on her shoulder.
Le Chat Bleu was recorded in Paris. "I wanted that (French) sound," Willy DeVille told Rolling Stone. "French records are so much more vivid. I knew what I was going for—this record was my dream."
For the album, bandleader Willy DeVille dismissed the original members of Mink DeVille except for guitarist Louis X. Erlanger in favor of new musicians, including rhythm section Jerry Scheff (bass) and Ron Tutt (drums), who had recently toured with Elvis Presley. Instead of Jack Nitzsche, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Steve Douglas, another associate of Phil Spector, served as producer. Le Chat Bleu was the last Mink DeVille album to feature any original members of the band besides Willy DeVille.
Willy DeVille wrote some songs with the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame member Doc Pomus. As well as classic rock (“Savoir Faire," "Lipstick Traces"), DeVille delved into Cajun music (the accordion-dominated dance music of French-speaking Louisiana) and the French cabaret tradition for this album. The album includes a cover of "Bad Boy," the 1957 hit by The Jive Bombers. Jean Claude Petit supervised the string arrangements of some songs. Joel Dorn did the remixing.
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