I think she appealed to the British more than she did to many of the French - that naivity didn't necessarily go down as well in France as it did over here. Her looks and style were exactly right for the British pop market at the time, and she had the extra allure of being French.

Our French teacher at the time was keen on singing - we were allowed to listen to her records in class, and learned to sing "Tous les garcons.." I can probably still sing most of it, even though I can't now remember more than three things on a shopping list.

"Le premier bonheur du jour" was another of hers, wasn't it? I know most of that as well.

I found her singing refreshing because she sang so sweetly and naturally. It was so different from pop singers like Shirley Bassey, Lulu, etc, and some American singers, who seemed to shout all the time. I hadn't discovered the gentler, folksy style of singing at that point but Francoise Hardy made me reconsider what a female singer could sound like. Marianne Faithfull tried to sing in a similar way, but she was too breathy and little-girly for my taste.

Marje