Nino Ferrer "I want to be black" or "je veux etre noir"
william b. carney | New York, USA | 01/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This French 60's artist is one of the first to be influenced by James Brown, Ray Charles and other U.S. soul artists. The first song, "I want to be black" is basically a statement of purpose and a great funky rocking tune. The next song is an intense Ferrer rendition in French of James Brown's "This is a man's world." The song "Millionaire" is a french language version of "nobody knows you when you're down and out." The album has two of Ferrer's great great tunes, "Mirza," and "les Cornichons", about a mischievous lost dog and a picnic gone wrong, respectively. Ferrer was never able to live down these early comic songs when his style shifted in the 70's but they are brilliant songs with catchy bass lines and great organ work. "Shake Shake Ferrer" is a groovy soul go go tune in heavily accented english. The cd is worth it for the cover art alone, featuring a picture of Nino and the band drinking champagne outside the chateau where they supposedly recorded the songs."
The French James Brown?
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 09/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"France's Number One fan of James Brown and American-style R&B, Ferrer has great cachet among Gallic-pop enthusiasts... His style is at times admittedly comical -- another instance of French artists aping American music without the same degree of vigor and abandon as their harder-rocking role models -- but to his credit, Ferrer did seem to push harder and more insistently, and got his sidemen to wail away in a most un-Gallic manner. Almost through sheer stubborness, his organ-and-horn heavy ensemble manage to muscle their way into a credible version of JB and Jimmy Smith-style sock-it-to-me soul. This early (1966) album is one of his best (and one of very few Ferrer imports currently available in the States...). Goofy, but good."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1