The Return of Françoise Hardy...

The French 60's icon, Françoise Hardy, is back in the news with the release of her 26th album, La pluie sans parapluie. The first single from the album, Noir sur blanc, produced in collaboration with Calogero, shows that La Grande Dame de la chanson française is back on brillant form.

I've always had a soft spot for Françoise Hardy. I clearly remember the day back in Junior High School French class when my teacher, Mme Barber, first put on the scratchy record of Tous les garçons et les filles. Sitting in class in South Dakota, I was suddenly transported to Paris, an exotic country full of lovers and romance, of rain-splashed streets full of couples walking hand in hand. I even chose 'Françoise' as my name in class for the rest of the year. Forget Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, I wanted to be Françoise Hardy.