Claude François: Hey Potatoes (1962)

[Video Link] And here. (Via PCL LinkDump)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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irksome

The terrorists have won.
- Grant Bishop
  
  And if they haven’t, they should.
Rich Keller

Now why couldn’t we have sung this in Madame Hauge’s class instead of Sur le Pont d’Avignon?
isaacb2

Thank you so much for that. Loved it.
http://twitter.com/EngelGW Engel Garcin-Weiher

Something to know (or not): Claude Francois is for the french people as iconic as Elvis Presley can be in the US. I have to admit that the performance above didn’t contribute too much for the myth, to say the least…
- Marc Leclair
  
  Listen to Elvis sing Clam Bake. Every icon has an off day.
namnezia

This just made my day. Thanks!
http://www.granitegeek.org DaveBrooks

The Melbourne Shuffle dates back in 1962. And those kids today think they invented it!
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

I never realized how similar the Mashed Potatoes dance is to the Charleston.
chaours

believe it or not, but this dude wrote “my way” !!!

yes, he did.
http://twitter.com/simeonstar Simeon Weinraub

parkour
- Guest
  
  LOL
Grant Bishop

I see your Claude Francois and raise you one Chubby Checker. http://bit.ly/qaVMXI
voiceinthedistance

Riverdance 1.0
nosehat

Nothing says zany, rebellious, energetic, breaks-all-the-rules youth culture like . . . mashed potatoes?
http://www.epinardscaramel.com TokenFrenchDude

I’m French and what is this ?
Rich Keller

Wasn’t Claude given the Palme Frites for this performance?
MrMarieBlanc

If he is Elvis, what does this make Joe Dassin? :P http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZpQV3r5w7k
Bernard Dubuisson

Claude François was iconic because he was a huge popstar in France for the babyboomer gen, and also because of his sudden, somehow ridiculous and still pretty much mysterious death. He electrocuted himself while trying to repair a deficient lightbulb on the ceiling… while standing in his (filled) bathtub.

Still today, we have many Claude François impersonators, just like Elvis impersonators in the US. There’s a french novel and movie called “Podium” about this.

It’s true that Joe Dassin had more physical and vocal resemblance with Elvis, though.
- MisterH4x0r
  
  “because of his sudden, somehow ridiculous and still pretty much mysterious death.”
  
  Why anyone would want to impersonate this ridiculously odd character, is another mystery altogether.
Guest

Bouge de la! XD
Nezrite

Now, how many videos today are a long tracking shot, huh?
lewis_stoole

are mashed potatoes the french equivalent of black beauties?
pjcamp

“Bonjour, je suis Shelly Duvall.”
Aaron Walker

This music film is suspiciously lacking Claude’s famous Claudettes. Check out their dance routine in “Alexandrie Alexandra” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waTF010zFl4
- Bernard Dubuisson
  
  I believe the Claudettes probably didn’t appear until the seventies. Just like the Vegas trip for the King. (I’m far from a specialist, could be mistaken). The mashed potatoes video is from his early days.