The Dutch band Tee Set had their only US top 5 hit in 1969 with "Ma Belle Amie". Yes, the title and some of the lyrics are French. Go figure.
This was another of those songs that I heard a lot of when I was younger, but never caught the name of the artist.
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I happened to catch this on the radio recently - sounds adorable!
Songs having foreign lyrics charting in the States is nothing new - remember "Sukiyaki" and "99 Luftballons"?
Even The Beatles threw a few French words for "Michelle" (and Donovan did the same for "Jennifer Juniper") - even though it was just French translation of the oft repeated lyrics.
I remember those songs. In the case of "Sukiyaki", I only heard A Taste of Honey's remake. Nena's "99 Luft(Red)balloons" had videos shot in both English & German. Peter Schilling did the same with "Major Tom (Coming Home)" around the same time.
I personally prefer the original Sukiyaki, released in the US in 1963 sung by Kyu Sakamoto. It's on YT with English translation.
The original song title was "Ue o Muite Arukou" ("[I] shall walk looking up") and was also a big hit in Japan.
Some American artists recorded version in English with lyrics closer to the meaning of the original. Jewel Akens did so under the title "My First Lonely Night" recorded in 1966. It's on YT too and it isn't bad.
Hmmm, have to keep an eye & ear out for them.
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