Jackie Girl

• Artist: Louis Philippe
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1996
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Jackie Girl (named in tribute to '60s chanteuse Jackie DeShannon) may not quite have the pop smarts of Sunshine, or the heady orchestral textures of Azure, but it's nevertheless a fascinating stopping-off point between the two. Utilizing his broadest palette to date, including then-XTC guitarist David Gregory, Louis Philippe succeeds in giving songs like "Every Day Gone By" and "She Means Everything to Me" a muscularity and an edge that were missing from Sunshine. The title track, too, has few precedents in Philippe's canon, with its plangent tremolo guitars and wah-wah brass. Yet as usual with Philippe, melody remains in charge throughout, from the joyous exoticism a-go-go of "Oiseau de Paradis" to the unabashedly cinematic "Mr Songbird." Two instrumentals, "La Pointe du Jour" and "The Girl in the Attic," also suggest that Phillipe Auclair is a soundtrack composer waiting to happen. Yet it's a leftover from the Sunshine sessions that provides Jackie Girl with its most stunning six minutes. "Deauville" is a starkly dramatic ballad, with a brooding, Bernard Herrmann-esque string arrangement that would grace any Scott Walker album. In what was becoming an all-too-familiar story for Philippe's followers, Jackie Girl -- released this time only on the Spanish label Siesta -- was sketchily distributed and promoted in the U.S. and U.K. to the point where even his most loyal fans could have missed it entirely. It may not be his most consistent work, but its high points are very high indeed. ~ Christopher Evans, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Sweet Dollar Bill	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:24)
She Means Everything to Me	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:26)
Jackie Girl	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:54)
Mister Songbird	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:22)
Oiseau de Paradis	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(2:21)
Le Voyageur	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:35)
Deauville	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(6:02)
La Pointe du Jour [Instrumental]	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(3:11)
Anna Doesn't Live Here Anymore	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(3:21)
Il Ne Reste Plus Rien de l'été	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(1:44)
Venus	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(3:16)
Teacher's Pet	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(3:13)
Every Day Gone By	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(4:58)
The Girl in the Attic [Instrumental]	Philippe Auclair	Louis Philippe	(1:54)

Credits

Chris Batchelor (Trumpet), David Gregory (Guitar), Paul Kendall (Mixing), Mike Williams (Sax (Soprano)), Philip Eastop (French Horn), Martin Owen (French Horn), Louis Philippe (Guitar (Acoustic)), Louis Philippe (Vocals), Louis Philippe (Vocals (Background)), Louis Philippe (Producer), Louis Philippe (Guitar (Classical)), Louis Philippe (Main Performer), Abigail Trundle (Cello), Abigail Trundle (Leader), Nick Terry (Engineer), Oren Marshall (Tuba), Bertrand Burgalat (Piano), Bertrand Burgalat (?), Mark Bassey (Trombone), Eleanor Gilchrist (Violin), Glen Fox (Drums), Teresa Whipple (Viola), Jeremy Morris (Violin), David Longdon (Guitar (Acoustic)), David Longdon (Flute), David Longdon (Vocals (Background)), David Longdon (Slide Guitar), Paul Taylor (Trombone), Danny Manners (Bass), Danny Manners (Piano), Danny Manners (Arranger), Danny Manners (Bass (Vocal)), Danny Manners (Keyboards), Danny Manners (Producer), Danny Manners (Double Bass), David O'Driscoll (Photography), K.V. Brake (Pre-Production), Ken Makimura (Executive Producer)