Rétro: Alain Bashung - Gaby oh Gaby

I featured the posthumous Alaim Baschung release earlier, so I though it worth a mention of the song that made him a star.

The song Gaby oh! Gaby was a massive hit for Alain Bashung in 1980, establishing him as a major figure in the French music scene. He had released other songs before, but nothing had enjoyed the level of success that this song would achive

Its quite a different style for those more familiar with his later, darker work.

There's a sound that's almost like what an 80s new wave band would sound like if they were fronted by a Dylan obsessive, which probably isn't far from the reality if the song C'est la faute à Dylan from his 1979 album Roulette Russe was anything to go by.

It reminds me of bands like The Cars, very much of its era but a great song nonetheless.

The song Gaby oh Gaby was a product of Bashung's working with Boris Bergman, which would prove to be a hugely commercially successful period for Bashung, Gaby oh Gaby reaching number two in the French charts with Vertige de l'amour a number one hit the following year, as was the album Pizza.

Following the success of Gaby oh Gaby his Roulette Russe album was reissued with the song on it

You have to love the 80s stylings in the video.