Song of the Day: Françoise Hardy “Le Temps De L’Amour”

Françoise Hardy

Song of the Day: Françoise Hardy “Le Temps De L’Amour”

Françoise Hardy is one of the greats of French pop music and her 1962 hit, “Le Temps De L’Amour” (“The Time of Love”) is one of her best. The song features almost marching band drums, a slinky guitar riff and an equally slinky baseline. The song is incredibly twee (you can see why director Wes Anderson favored it in his film, Moonrise Kingdom) yet still has some guts to it. There is something that is both sexy and forceful about her delivery that really makes this song work. Clocking it at just under two and a half minutes, the only problem with the song is that it is just a little too short and leaves you wanting more.

Hardy was born in Paris in 1944.  She made her musical debut in 1960 on the famously tasteful French label, Disques Vogues, and immediately scored a big hit with her debut single, “Tous les garçons et les filles” (“All the boys and girls”). She became well known for both her breathless vocal delivery, her striking looks and her ability to seemingly ooze effortless cool. Hardy not only enjoyed a long pop career, periodically re-inventing herself as musical styles changed, but also worked as an actress (including memorable cameos in Godard’s Masuclin, Feminen and the first film written by Woody Allen: What’s New, Pussycat?), a fashion model and became a fashion icon. She both wrote her own songs and worked with numerous songwriters, including Serge Gainsbourg and Leonard Cohen. Hardy is still very much active.