Paris au Printemps explained

Paris au Printemps
Type:Live album
Artist:Public Image Ltd
Cover:PIL_Paris_au_Printemps.jpg
Released:14 November 1980 (UK)
January 1981 (Japan)
Recorded:17–18 January 1980
Venue:Le Palace, Paris
Genre:Post-punk
Length:40:54
Label:Virgin
Producer:Public Image Ltd
Prev Title:Metal Box
Prev Year:1979
Next Title:The Flowers of Romance
Next Year:1981

Paris au Printemps is a live album recorded by Public Image Ltd (given as 'Image Publique S.A.' on the cover) in 1980 on two consecutive dates in January in Paris, and released in November the same year. The title of the album is French for 'Paris in the Spring', with French names also given to the band itself and songs in the track listing. It is notable as the band's last full-length release featuring founding bass player Jah Wobble, as well as the Paris concerts being drummer Martin Atkins' first gigs with Public Image Ltd. The album reached number 61 on the UK album charts.

Recording

John Lydon has stressed that the album was made and submitted to Virgin Records to cover the band's expenses for the Metal Box album. During a BBC radio interview in 1992 he said:

It has additionally been described as countering an abundance of "unlistenable" bootlegs of the band's live performances being released at the time.Lydon has elaborated that the album cost the band "exactly the price of one reel-to-reel tape to record", which they did on a Revox recorder, consequently receiving £30,000 from Virgin Records for it.[1] The same amount has been mentioned as the sum the band had previously invested into the release of the Metal Box album.

Packaging

The front cover painting is by John Lydon and represents himself, Keith Levene and Jeannette Lee.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Thème" ("Theme")
  2. "Psalmodie" ("Chant")
  3. "Précipitamment" ("Careering")

Side two

  1. "Sale Bébé" ("Bad Baby")
  2. "La Vie Ignoble" ("Low Life")
  3. "Attaque" ("Attack")
  4. "Timbres De Pop" ("Poptones")

Personnel

Public Image Limited

Charts

UK

Other countries

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fodderstompf.com/DISCOGRAPHY/LP/3parisLP.html Fodderstompf | PiL Discography | Paris Au Printemps LP
  2. Theofficialcharts.com website
  3. Charts.org.nz website