Hot on the heels of this morning’s post, here’s a very nearly complete discography of French synthpop band Goûts De Luxe. Some of you may already be familiar with the band, as a few of their a-sides were prominent, though now obscure, new wave hits- some of the best of the era. I also included one of the band’s finest moments (the killer minimal synth-esque b-side “Last Train”) on the most recent installments of the Systems of Romance loose tracks compilations. Since I haven’t seen their work shared out there, I figured it was due time to organize it and sort it all out for everyone’s enjoyment.
The band’s origins date back to the mid 1980s in Brest, a city in northwestern France. The band’s lineup changed a handful of times throughout their short time together. After recording (or, in actuality, NOT recording) on the first single, original guitarist Jean-Éric Montfort left the band and was replaced by Marianna Kliska, wife of vocalist Jacques le Honsec. They released two more singles before calling it a day.
With the exception of the instrumental version of “Les Yeux de Laura,” and the promo mixes of the track, this zip file ocntains all the tracks recorded by Goûts De Luxe during their time together, including all three singles and respective b-sides. I hope you all don’t mind missing out on the instrumental mix, as I’ve never found them to be very necessary, but I should be able to track it down (in time) if needed. However, as a consolation, I have included a different extended mix of “Omaha Beach” that I can’t quite place on either single, with a different running time and everything! If anyone knows where it belongs, do chime in! Otherwise, let’s get to the details:
Goûts De Luxe- Les Yeux de Laura 7” (1986)
1. Les Yeux de Laura
Goûts De Luxe- Les Yeux de Laura 12” (1986)
1. Les Yeux de Laura (Extended Mix)
Goûts De Luxe- Omaha Beach 7” (1987)
1. Omaha Beach
2. Ubik (Mission Secréte)
Goûts De Luxe- Omaha Beach 12” (1987)
1. Omaha Beach (Remix)
3. Fade to Grey (Visage cover)
Goûts De Luxe- Dans Un Autre Pays 7” (1989)
1. Dans Un Autre Pays
2. Last Train
Goûts De Luxe- Dans Un Autre Pays 12” (1989)
1. Dans Un Autre Pays (Maxi Version)
BONUS- Omaha Beach (Extended Mix)
Since the band enjoyed some relative success throughout Europe, there are a few promo videos floating around. Here’s a clip for “Omaha Beach.”
Also, if your French is fluent, you can read more about the band (including lyrics, I believe) on their official website. There are also a slew of photos, and a demo recording hidden in the site, so be sure to explore:
Coming soon: Glamatron, DADA, and more French synthpop. Stay tuned, and happy 2011!