Disco Salute Show on French TV5 Network

[Cdnbob]

Canada being a bilingual country (English & French speaking) numerous television channels are naturally set aside for French language programs. One such channel is France's TV5 Canada.

Thought you guys might be interested in something I came across on tv last night...

While flipping through the channels I came across a weekly variety/chat show called Vivement Dimanche (English = Highly Sunday) hosted by Michel Drucker and was surprised to see that that evenings program was a salute to disco to coincide with the release of the new French comedy film "Disco".

Featured performers included: the Village People (who sang YMCA & In The Navy); Henri Belolo (lyracist for the VP); Plastique Bertrand (who sang the French version of Jet Boy Jet Girl, I believe he had the hit of this song in Europe while the song was recorded by Elvis Motello in the US); Gibson Brothers (sang Cuba); Ottowan (sang French versions of Hands Up & D.I.S.C.O.); Leee John (former lead singer of Imagination, sang Just An Illusion, Imagination and several others of their hits); Boney M (sang a medley of hits - this was the Bobby Farrell version of the group as I understand there are two versions floating around); Santa Esmeralda (I'm assuming this was Leroy Gomez the former lead singer who sang Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood) and Patrick Hernandez (sang Born To Be Alive).

There also was a interesting version of the Weather Girls (Two Tons of Fun) which sang It's Raining Men. This was odd seeing since Izora Armstead is dead and Martha Wash wasn't there, so I don't know who the two women were trying to be. Background dancers were dressed in 70's fashions and they had dozens of disco balls hanging from the studio ceilings as well as a gigantic pink and white plexiglass disco floor.

There were past guest performance clips from Dalida (French disco star); Patrick Juvet; Thelma Houston and Gloria Gaynor.

It was a very enjoyable show and a hoot to see some of these performers again after all these years. The audience seemed to be extremely receptive to and excited about the music often giving performers a standing ovation. Often the guest singers would come talk to the show's host but sadly it was often in French and I would have liked to have been able to understand what they were talking about especially when Henri Bellelo was talking about Jacques Morali and the music they created together.

[JussiK]

Guest-wise this Vivement Dimanche episode was c 80% identical to the several previous TV5 disco-themed extravaganzas they have aired - these shows keep coming at regular intervals, and they are always very good like you wrote. I was expecting to see Chocolat's and patrick Juvet ( who STILL sports the exact same hairdo as he did in 1978) on stage too plus the fabulous Sheila, they have been up there on almost all of the other galas. Maybe next time.
Yes, it was the Bobby Farrell version of Boney M we got. During one of these shows on TV5 he asked a woman in the audience to pick loose one hair off his bony chest - a surreal moment.

[Chap2Power]

Originally Posted by Cdnbob

Canada being a bilingual country (English & French speaking) numerous television channels are naturally set aside for French language programs. One such channel is France's TV5 Canada.

Thought you guys might be interested in something I came across on tv last night...

While flipping through the channels I came across a weekly variety/chat show called Vivement Dimanche (English = Highly Sunday) hosted by Michel Drucker and was surprised to see that that evenings program was a salute to disco to coincide with the release of the new French comedy film "Disco".

Featured performers included: the Village People (who sang YMCA & In The Navy); Henri Belolo (lyracist for the VP); Plastique Bertrand (who sang the French version of Jet Boy Jet Girl, I believe he had the hit of this song in Europe while the song was recorded by Elvis Motello in the US); Gibson Brothers (sang Cuba); Ottowan (sang French versions of Hands Up & D.I.S.C.O.); Leee John (former lead singer of Imagination, sang Just An Illusion, Imagination and several others of their hits); Boney M (sang a medley of hits - this was the Bobby Farrell version of the group as I understand there are two versions floating around); Santa Esmeralda (I'm assuming this was Leroy Gomez the former lead singer who sang Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood) and Patrick Hernandez (sang Born To Be Alive).

There also was a interesting version of the Weather Girls (Two Tons of Fun) which sang It's Raining Men. This was odd seeing since Izora Armstead is dead and Martha Wash wasn't there, so I don't know who the two women were trying to be. Background dancers were dressed in 70's fashions and they had dozens of disco balls hanging from the studio ceilings as well as a gigantic pink and white plexiglass disco floor.

There were past guest performance clips from Dalida (French disco star); Patrick Juvet; Thelma Houston and Gloria Gaynor.

It was a very enjoyable show and a hoot to see some of these performers again after all these years. The audience seemed to be extremely receptive to and excited about the music often giving performers a standing ovation. Often the guest singers would come talk to the show's host but sadly it was often in French and I would have liked to have been able to understand what they were talking about especially when Henri Bellelo was talking about Jacques Morali and the music they created together.

Please send me a message if they ever rebroadcast it ... sounds amazing.

[Ysl]

I saw this a few months ago on the original France 2 channel

If I remember well, they said the two girls were the daughters of the original Weather girls...

And Belollo told us the same old story about how they create the Village People, really nothing new

My compatriot Plastic Bertrand was famous for his UK top 10 "Ca plane pour moi" (kind of Punk-pop song)

Ysl