The Jukebox Rebel

All recorded and released in 1951 – how refreshing. “La P’tite Lili” (The Maid Lili) was a short film directed by French Alberto Cavalcanti in 1927, set to music for the audio version of 1930 by Darius Milhaud. I speculate that Édith chose to record this themed set as some sort of connection with her own past experiences. Piaf's mother abandoned her at birth, and she lived for a short time with her maternal grandmother, Emma (Aïcha). When her father enlisted with the French Army in 1916 to fight in World War I, he took her to his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. There, prostitutes helped look after Piaf. Synopsis: Little Miss Lili, a pretty girl of 16 years is cast as a prostitute in the bad neighbourhoods of Paris. Her only friend is a pimp rogue, a little punk with no soul. On a dark day filled with mist, she tries to flee. She can’t escape her destiny however… pimp takes revenge and stabs her brutally. All of which promises much for a gritty piece of musical art but, alas, it’s not forthcoming. The album never captivates, and when squaresome croonster Eddie Constantine appears for two duets at the end of side 2, I’m actually left disgusted.

The Jukebox Rebel
29–May–2012

A1	[02:54] Édith Piaf - Avant L’Heure (Marguerite Monnot, Marcel Achard) Crooner / Cabaret
A2	[02:57] Édith Piaf - Demain (Marguerite Monnot, Marcel Achard) Crooner / Cabaret
A3	[02:18] Édith Piaf - Rien De Rien (Charles Aznavour, Pierre Roche) Crooner / Cabaret
A4	[03:14] Édith Piaf - Du Matin Jusqu’ Au Soir (Eddie Constantine, Édith Giovanna Gassion) Crooner / Cabaret
B1	[03:12] Édith Piaf - L’Homme Que J’aimerai (Marguerite Monnot, Marcel Achard) Crooner / Cabaret
B2	[02:19] Édith Piaf - La Valse De L’Amour (Marguerite Monnot, Marcel Achard) Crooner / Cabaret
B3	[04:16] Édith Piaf with Eddie Constantine - C’est Toi (Robert Chauvigny, Édith Giovanna Gassion) Crooner / Cabaret
B4	[02:19] Édith Piaf with Eddie Constantine - Si, Si, Si, Si (Marguerite Monnot, Marcel Achard) Crooner / Cabaret

ratings by TJR