Marc and Robert
Encyclopedia
Marc & Robert is the third album by Les Rita Mitsouko
. It was produced by Tony Visconti
and was their second collaboration together. The entire album was remixed by Jesse Johnson
, though only his mixes of "Tongue Dance", "Singing in the Shower", and "Live in Las Vegas" were used.
The album displays a notable shift into a greater electronic emphasis, with sequencers and keyboards driving tracks while Chichin's guitar is often absent. Sparks
contributed and performed "Singing in the Shower" and "Live in Las Vegas". "Hip Kit" features Russell Mael
's vocals but was not written by either of the Mael brothers.
One of the most poignant and interesting songs of the album is "Le petit train" ("The little train"). This song is based on a quite smiling and almost childish melody and so are the lyrics at first. But soon, lyrics turn to darker notes since the song actually deals with trains used for deportation
purposes during World War II
. The video for the song is in a Bollywood
style and offers surprising images since, at a moment, the dancers start to move to a high fence, remembering a concentration camp.
CD bonus track
Les Rita Mitsouko
Les Rita Mitsouko was a French pop rock group formed by guitarist Fred Chichin and singer Catherine Ringer. The duo first performed as Rita Mitsouko at Gibus Club, Paris in 1980...
. It was produced by Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
and was their second collaboration together. The entire album was remixed by Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson (musician)
Jesse Woods Johnson is a musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of The Time....
, though only his mixes of "Tongue Dance", "Singing in the Shower", and "Live in Las Vegas" were used.
The album displays a notable shift into a greater electronic emphasis, with sequencers and keyboards driving tracks while Chichin's guitar is often absent. Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
contributed and performed "Singing in the Shower" and "Live in Las Vegas". "Hip Kit" features Russell Mael
Russell Mael
Russell Mael is an American singer and songwriter who, with his older brother Ron, is in the band Sparks....
's vocals but was not written by either of the Mael brothers.
One of the most poignant and interesting songs of the album is "Le petit train" ("The little train"). This song is based on a quite smiling and almost childish melody and so are the lyrics at first. But soon, lyrics turn to darker notes since the song actually deals with trains used for deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
purposes during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The video for the song is in a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
style and offers surprising images since, at a moment, the dancers start to move to a high fence, remembering a concentration camp.
Track listing
- "Hip Kit" - 4:57
- "Smog" - 3:05
- "Mandolino City" - 2:12
- "Le Petit Train" - 5:47
- "Perfect Eyes" - 3:35
- "Tongue Dance" - 4:44
- "Singing in the Shower" - 4:23
- "Petite Fille Princesse" - 3:24
- "Harpie and Harpo" - 2:54
- "Ailleurs" - 3:50
CD bonus track
- "Live in Las Vegas" - 4:19
- All tracks written by Fred ChichinFred ChichinFrédéric "Fred" Chichin was a French musician and songwriter. He was born in Clichy, France.He was the lead member of the band Les Rita Mitsouko, along with Catherine Ringer, whom he met in 1979...
and Catherine RingerCatherine RingerCatherine Ringer is a French singer, musician, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and actress.Ringer started her professional career on stage in the late 1970s in productions with Michael Lonsdale's Théâtre de Recherche Musicale as well as musical and dance productions...
. - Except "Mandolino City" by Chichin/Mondino/Ringer, "Le Petit Train" by Chichin/Fontenoy/Ringer, "Perfect Eyes" by Glemée/Ringer, and "Singing in the Shower" and "Live in Las Vegas" by MaelRon MaelRonald David Mael , is an American musician and songwriter. He and his younger brother Russell, make up the pop duo Sparks.Ron Mael was born in Culver City, California. Ron plays keyboard and writes most of the songs for Sparks...
/MaelRussell MaelRussell Mael is an American singer and songwriter who, with his older brother Ron, is in the band Sparks....
.