Plastic Bertrand was the alias of
new wave prankster Roger Jouret, a native of Belgium who appropriated the sound and style of the
new wave movement in order to give it a gently satirical poke in the ribs, while scoring several European hits in the process. Jouret began his musical career as a drummer for the Belgian
punk trio
Hubble Bubble, which recorded one unsuccessful album. When Jouret met producer/songwriter
Lou Deprijck, the two struck up a recording partnership; Jouret emphasized his pretty-boy looks and punkish fashion sense. Their first effort, "Ça Plane Pour Moi" ("This Life's for Me"), is widely regarded as a
new wave classic for its gleefully deranged stupidity, with Jouret singing French nonsense lyrics in a cartoonish voice over basic three-chord
rock & roll complete with saxophones and a falsetto vocal hook straight out of
the Beach Boys or
Four Seasons. The song was a smash in Europe and became a cult favorite in America;
Plastic Bertrand continued to release records in Europe, including a U.K. hit remake of the
Small Faces' "Sha-La-La-La-Lee."
Bertrand experimented with seemingly every
new wave fashion, including spacy
electronics,
disco, bubblegum pop,
reggae, and spoken word raps, all with the same naggingly entertaining stupidity. He remained popular on the European continent and in Canada for several years, where audiences were more attuned to his largely French lyrics, but the novelty eventually wore off, and nothing was heard from
Bertrand after 1982.
Plastic Bertrand released several albums, all of which are difficult to find; a greatest-hits collection is also floating around. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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