Au Bonheur des Dames

Specializing in parodies of rock & roll hits, the French group Au Bonheur des Dames was formed 1971 by musicians Vincent Lamy (also known as Eddick Ritchell), Jacques Pradel (also known as Rita Brantalou), and Alain Ranval (also known as Ramon Pipin). Taking its name from a novel written by French writer Émile Zola and published in the 1880s, Au Bonheur des Dames made its live debut in 1972 with a show at the Golf-Drouot discotheque in Paris. The group's first album, Twist, was released two years later, featuring production from former Les Pengouins frontman Thierry "Lou" Vincent. Twist's biggest hit was "Oh Les Filles," a cover of Rusty York's 1957 "Sugaree" that had also been recorded by Les Pingouins in 1962. A Top 10 hit in France, "Oh Les Filles" was followed by Coucou Maman in 1975 and Halte Là! in 1976. The band's progress halted in 1979, however, when Ramon Pipin left the lineup and launched a new group, Odeurs. Now led by Rita Brantalou and Eddick Ritchell, Au Bonheur des Dames retuned in 1987 with a fourth album, Jour de Fête, then embarked upon a long hiatus before releasing a live album, Les Adieux, in 1997. Continuing to release albums on a once-a-decade basis, the group issued Métal Moumoute in 2006 and Place aux Jeunes in 2016, supporting the latter release with a tour alongside legacy acts like Sheila and Gérard Lenorman. Five years later, co-founder Rita Brantalou died at 73 years old, passing away on July 21, 2021.

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