Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Encyclopedia
Lizzy Mercier Descloux (born Martine-Elisabeth Mercier Descloux, 16 December 1956, Paris – d. 20 April 2004, Saint-Florent
) was a French singer and musician, a pioneer in the worldbeat genre, as well as a writer and painter.
She grew up in Lyon
, but returned to Paris in her teens to attend art school. With her partner, Michel Esteban
, she helped establish the store Harry Cover, temple of the punk
movement in France, and the new wave
magazine Rock News. She struck up friendships with Patti Smith
and Richard Hell
when visiting New York in 1975, and both contributed material to her first book, Desiderata. She and Esteban moved to New York in 1977, meeting Michael Zilkha, with whom Esteban formed ZE Records
.
With guitarist D.J. Barnes (Didier Esteban), Mercier Descloux formed the performance art duo Rosa Yemen, and recorded an eponymous mini-album for ZE Records
in 1978. The following year, ZE released her solo debut LP, Press Color
. Self-taught as a guitarist, she revealed herself as a supreme minimalist within the No Wave
genre, concentrating on spindly, single-note lines combined with wrong-note harmonies and funky rhythms. Although the record had poor sales, she toured in the USA and Europe.
Island Records
boss Chris Blackwell
bankrolled the sessions in the Bahamas for her second album, Mambo Nassau, with Compass Point All Stars
engineer Steven Stanley
and keyboardist Wally Badarou
co-writing and producing. The album was heavily influenced by African music as well as art rock, funk and soul. Although again unsuccessful in the USA, it won her a contract with CBS in France.
Returning to France, she released two singles before travelling through Africa, drawing on the music of Soweto for the infectious "Mais où Sont Passées les Gazelles ?" ('But where have the gazelles gone?'), a hit in France in 1984, and the award-winning album Zulu Rock, with producer Adam Kidron
, with whom she then recorded "One for the Soul" (1986) in Brazil with the jazz trumpeter Chet Baker
, and "Suspense" (1988) in London with the British musician Mark Cunningham of Mars
. She also acted, composed film scores, and wrote poetry.
In the mid 1990s, she moved to Corsica and devoted herself to painting and to writing an unpublished novel. In 2003, she was diagnosed with cancer, from which she died the following year. Fellow No Wave musician and ZE labelmate Cristina
dedicated a song on the 2004 re-release of her album Sleep It Off
to Mercier Descloux, "chère copine in adversity ... In loving memory of her talent, her courage, and her kindness".
Saint-Florent, Haute-Corse
Saint-Florent is a commune in Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is a fishing port located on the gulf of the same name....
) was a French singer and musician, a pioneer in the worldbeat genre, as well as a writer and painter.
She grew up in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, but returned to Paris in her teens to attend art school. With her partner, Michel Esteban
Michel Esteban
Michel Antoine Gaston Esteban is a French record producer, record company executive, cultural center director and former magazine editor, who founded the influential Paris shop Harry Cover in 1973, was influential in the early development of punk rock, and, together with Michael Zilkha,...
, she helped establish the store Harry Cover, temple of the punk
Punk ideology
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, free thought and discontent...
movement in France, and the new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
magazine Rock News. She struck up friendships with Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
and Richard Hell
Richard Hell
Richard Hell is a singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, and writer.Richard Hell was an innovator of punk music and fashion. He was one of the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawn-on shirts, often held together with safety pins...
when visiting New York in 1975, and both contributed material to her first book, Desiderata. She and Esteban moved to New York in 1977, meeting Michael Zilkha, with whom Esteban formed ZE Records
ZE Records
ZE Records was originally a New York-based record label, started in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban. It has been re-established by Esteban since 2003.-History:Michael Zilkha ZE Records (always written with two capital letters) was originally a New York-based record label, started in...
.
With guitarist D.J. Barnes (Didier Esteban), Mercier Descloux formed the performance art duo Rosa Yemen, and recorded an eponymous mini-album for ZE Records
ZE Records
ZE Records was originally a New York-based record label, started in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban. It has been re-established by Esteban since 2003.-History:Michael Zilkha ZE Records (always written with two capital letters) was originally a New York-based record label, started in...
in 1978. The following year, ZE released her solo debut LP, Press Color
Press Color
Press Color is the debut album of French no wave singer, Lizzy Mercier Descloux. Although largely forgotten the album has received some critical acclaim, being called "the real thing" by Uncut magazine.-Side One:...
. Self-taught as a guitarist, she revealed herself as a supreme minimalist within the No Wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
genre, concentrating on spindly, single-note lines combined with wrong-note harmonies and funky rhythms. Although the record had poor sales, she toured in the USA and Europe.
Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
boss Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
bankrolled the sessions in the Bahamas for her second album, Mambo Nassau, with Compass Point All Stars
Compass Point All Stars
The Compass Point phenomenon was designed to be to reggae-based pop/rock music of the 80s, what Nashville was to country music, or the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was to soul and R&B in the 60s: a recording facility animated by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers and engineers, all...
engineer Steven Stanley
Steven Stanley
Steven J. C. Stanley , is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru....
and keyboardist Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
co-writing and producing. The album was heavily influenced by African music as well as art rock, funk and soul. Although again unsuccessful in the USA, it won her a contract with CBS in France.
Returning to France, she released two singles before travelling through Africa, drawing on the music of Soweto for the infectious "Mais où Sont Passées les Gazelles ?" ('But where have the gazelles gone?'), a hit in France in 1984, and the award-winning album Zulu Rock, with producer Adam Kidron
Adam Kidron
Adam Kidron is a British-born ex-music producer, serial entrepreneur, and the ex-Chief Executive Officer of Urban Box Office , a reggaeton and urban Latino record label based in New York City. He is currently the Managing Partner of 4food, a fast-healthy food concept launching in New York in 2009...
, with whom she then recorded "One for the Soul" (1986) in Brazil with the jazz trumpeter Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, and "Suspense" (1988) in London with the British musician Mark Cunningham of Mars
Mars (band)
Mars was a New York City No Wave band formed by vocalist Sumner Crane in 1975. He was joined by China Burg , Mark Cunningham , and artist Nancy Arlen , and briefly by guitarist Rudolph Grey. The band played one live gig under the name China before changing it to Mars...
. She also acted, composed film scores, and wrote poetry.
In the mid 1990s, she moved to Corsica and devoted herself to painting and to writing an unpublished novel. In 2003, she was diagnosed with cancer, from which she died the following year. Fellow No Wave musician and ZE labelmate Cristina
Cristina (singer)
-Studio albums:* Cristina * Sleep It Off * Doll in the Box - Expanded re-issue of Cristina* Sleep It Off - Expanded re-issue-Singles:* "Disco Clone"...
dedicated a song on the 2004 re-release of her album Sleep It Off
Sleep It Off
Sleep It Off is the second album from No Wave pop singer Cristina.-Music:Sleep It Off was produced by Don Was. The songs were written by Cristina collaborating with Was and her backing musicians, Barry Reynolds and Ben Brierly , and Doug Frieder...
to Mercier Descloux, "chère copine in adversity ... In loving memory of her talent, her courage, and her kindness".
Albums
- Rosa Yemen – Live In N.Y.C July 1978 (1978)
- Press ColorPress ColorPress Color is the debut album of French no wave singer, Lizzy Mercier Descloux. Although largely forgotten the album has received some critical acclaim, being called "the real thing" by Uncut magazine.-Side One:...
(1979) - Mambo NassauMambo Nassau- Sound :The original sound recording was made by Michel Esteban in 1980, 1982, 2003 and by Lizzy Mercier Descloux in 1995It was selected by Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Michel Esteban...
(1981) - Zulu RockZulu RockZulu Rock is the third album of French singer Lizzy Mercier Descloux, which was released on ZE Records in 1984 and recorded at the Satbel Studio, Johannesburg, South Africa. Its sound was inspired by African folk music mixed with 80's French pop...
' (1984) - One For The Soul (1985)
- Suspense (1988)