Iggy Pop has made a special cover album 2 years before. His label refused to release it. They would have preferred that he does a rock album with popular punk songs because the money is rather in it, than in these old-fashioned melodies. This is a strange point of view because the original performers of his covers sold vast number of records. Finally the album called Aprés was released by himself in 2012.

Now you can listen to the original songs. There are 5 French chansons by Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg, Henri Salvador, George Brassens and Joe Dassin. Originally those were recorded between 1946 and 1975. The oldest one is a Cole Porter song which was recorded in 1929.

Mr. Pop said about his work: “All popular music forms of today get their strength from the beat. The beats imitate the human heartbeat and that is where the power lies. But before the birth of the blues there was another form of popular song, in which the timing comes from the human breath and the feelings are much more about emotion. I’ve always loved this other feeling, one that is intimate, sometimes a little sad, and does not try to beat me on the head.”

1. Iggy Pop – Everybody’s Talkin (2012)  2. Joe Dassin – Et si tu n’existais pas (1975, right corner with newspaper)  3. Serge Gainsbourg – La javanaise (1962, above Dassin)  4. Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin (1969, sitting on a barrier)  5. Yoko Ono – I’m Going Away Smiling (2009, lying on a piano)  6. Edith Piaf – La vie en rose (1946, with accordeon)  7. George Brassens – Les passantes (1972, on the road)  8. Henri Salvador – Syracuse  (1962, with guitar)  9. Cole Porter – What Is This Thing Called Love? (1929, performed by Leslie Hutchinson. Porter is sitting by a piano.)  10. Beatles – Michelle (1965, 4 backs)  11. Frank Sinatra – Only The Lonely  (1958, like Jesus)

Not enough punk? Porter, Piaf, Brassens and Gainsbourg are among the greatest punks for ever.