Trust, Margaret Thatcher and Misère

With the funeral today in London of Margaret Thatcher, I though it worth reflecting on another song concerning her by a French artist.

The track Misère by Trust was certainly not the only time a rock act would tackle Thatcher - Iron Maiden's Sanctuary single's cover showing Thatcher murdered by Eddie made that point (She returned with a machine gun on the cover of Women in uniform for her revenge)- it was certainly unusual for a French rock act.

The song featured on the band's third album Marche ou crève from 1982 and was the b side of the single Ton derniere acte.

An English version of the album was also released, with the title Savage. It didn't feature an English version of this track, despite every other song on the album being represented.

Maybe it was thought that the references to the Troubles would cause problems. They probably would have done.

Ironically I can't find a video for the song online, but there's a decent clip by Trust tribute band Répression on the page instead.

I've written about Trust before on this blog, and how they turned the head of this former teenage metal fan. trust were very much a band of their era, aware of the politics around them and their implications.

Trust were actually quite well known in the UK, particularly among rock fans, and were often played on The Friday Rock Show, the legendary Radio One show by Tommy Vance, and in magazines like Kerrang! and music papers including Sounds.

They became less well known after they stopped recording English versions of their albums, they recorded versions of their second (Répression), third (Marche ou crève) and fourth (IV) albums, their debut getting airplay in the UK principally on account of their cover of AC/DC's Ride On.

Trust were a huge influence on the French rock scene, and one of the few to make a significant impact outside France.

Rétro: Trust and AC/DC

If there is one band who I can point to as setting off my interest in French music, it has to be Trust.

During an early trip to France as a teenage metal fan, I heard a band that made me realise that not only was there a world of music outside the English speaking enclave, but some of those acts there were amazing.

Of course, for a teenage metal head, Trust were an obvious starting point, influenced as they were heavily by English speaking acts, AC/DC in particular.

I'll write more about Trust at some point. In the meantime, I'm thinking a lot about AC/DC with the opening of an exhibition about the band opening in Glasgow this weekend.

AC/DC were friends of Trust, and AC/DC's legendary vocalist Bon Scott duetted with Trust, on a version of Ride On recorded in 1980 in London just days before his death.

Its worth remembering that at the time AC/DC were not the massive multinational that they are today, and although very much in the premier league of rock bands, they were not so widely known outside a rock audience as they are today.

Trust recorded covers of Ride On on their 1979 debut album, as well as live versions of Problem Child and Live Wire recorded during their 1980 tour and released on their 1992 live album documenting that tour.

However, the Trust song Ton Dernier Acte stands as a powerful tribute to Scott, a close friend of Trust vocalist Bernie Bonvoisin. The song came out on the band's 1981 Marche ou Crève album. There was also an English language version, Your Last Gig, on the English language version of the album, re-named Savage.

The band are so infused by the spirit of AC/DC that it sounds exactly like something Bon Scott would have sung. It's not a question of imitation or impersonation, instead a genuine mark of respect forged by friendship and loss.