Song:Chante (I Can Only Give You Everything)
Album:Pop a Paris Vol. 2: A Tout Casser!
Unlike most of the French pop singers of the 60s, Ronnie Bird's music had a harder edge to it and still holds up well today. He usually recorded French adaptations of British pop songs. Chante is a French version of I Can Only Give You Everything by Them. He was born Ronald Mehu in Boulogne-Sur-Seine, France Apr. 24, 1946. He was attending school in Paris when he stumbled into the music business with Decca Records in 1964. He moved to Philips Records in 1966 and Chante is from that time period. As I said, Bird usually recorded French covers of British Invasion songs. The ace in the hole was legendary guitarist Mickey Baker who arranged and produced his recordings. Baker is best known as half of Mickey & Sylvia and they had a big hit with Love Is Strange in 1956. Baker was living in Paris at the time and worked with a few French pop singers. Baker played on plenty of Atlantic Records sessions in the 50s. Check out the guitar riff on this song. Guitarist Mick Jones who would go on to form Foreigner was also part of Bird's band. Bird's recordings are available on a ridiculously expensive box set. This various artists CD is part of a series released by Universal France in 2003. It will give you a taste of 60s French pop music. In 1967, Bird went on tour with the French production of Hair until 1972. Then he moved to New York. He has never recorded again but he sometimes writes songs for others. Here's Ronnie Bird performing Chante (I Can Only Give You Everything) 1966.
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