Jean Chalvidant

THE BEAUTIFUL STORY OF THE FRENCH ROCK'N'ROLL GROUPS OF THE SIXTIES

Authors : Jean Chalvidant & Hervé Mouvet
192 pages, 26 euros

Editions F. Lanore
ISBN : 2-85157-212-9

While over six thousand groups appeared shortly under the spotlights of the Golf Drouot star-maker club, only thirty or so made their permanent mark on the Sixties, including, of course, the eternal Chaussettes Noires ("black socks"), the Chats Sauvages ("wild cats"), the Pirates or the Fantômes ("phantoms"). Jean Chalvidant and Hervé Mouvet, at the cost of a lengthy and patient research work, recount the deeds of an exceptional generation. Forty years later, they met those pioneers of the thirty essential groups of the 1960-1964 period, who let them peruse through their records, told them their own recollections, which often differed greatly from the legend, and explained what had become of them. This will be an enchantment for all fans of French Rock'N'Roll, the young ones as well as those from the "baby boom" generation.

What the press said :

Rock & Folk - February 2002 -Philippe Manoeuvre
A wonderful wonder, this beautiful turquoise-coloured album graced with magnificent vintage jackets Book of the month.

Jukebox - December 2001- Philippe Leblanc
Those two, Jean Chalvidant and Hervé Mouvet, have understood all there was to understand of the "spirit of the sixties", with passion, strictness and nostalgia The book which has been eagerly awaited for so long, on the golden age of the Rock groups in France is, at long last, available. Thanks are due to the two authors, to have so brillantly revived this period. Essential.

Rivarol - N° 2561 - ADG
And all this comes to nearly 200 pages of happiness, feeding on these long-playing records which marked our revolt of that time, and our coming of age.

Spécial dernière - December 2001
Thrilling !

Disco Barsa - n° 64, February 2002
This book is a little jewel.

Pascal Sevran - on "Chanter la vie" - May 2002
This book is very, very, very good, because when one was fifteen during those years, one finds again this unlikely period of time. Indeed,all of us were unlikely.

Platine - March 2002
If the biographies are accurate (they never had been so thorough), they are mostly magical ; one finds what has become of all these musicians, most of whom have brought much to the contemporary field of entertainment music from the sixties to nowadays.

Club des années 60 - May 2002
With a passionate approach , and much writing talent, Jean Chalvidant and Hervé Mouvet offer us a first-class trip through thirty French rock groups, to discover the fabulous story of the French Rock'N'Roll. When is the follow-up coming ?

France Inter - 12 January 2002
A beautiful history lesson, made alive and fully illustrated, with a bit of nostalgia thrown in. "