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John Lieske’s passion for French music began with Doctor Zhivago. As a young boy, he was intoxicated by the sweeping melodies written by French composer Maurice Jarre. In the fall of 1991, while visiting friends in Poitiers, France, Lieske was introduced to the music of Serge Gainsbourg, one of France’s most celebrated singer/songwriters. Captivated, Lieske brought back a few CDS to play on his weekly radio show on KALX, in Berkeley, California, where he is better known as Pink Frankenstein. The audience for French pop music grew steadily, and before long, Lieske was programming the whole three-hour radio show with French music. Inspired by Pink Frankenstein, other DJs at the station started playing French pop, and the radio station started buying French music CDs and records to add to the music library. Lieske developed a relationship with the label Lithium Records in France, and before long, the independent label was sending its latest contemporary CDs to KALX for exclusive radio play in the US. Although Lieske played a variety of French music from all decades, it was the 60s material that received the most overwhelming response from listeners. What started out as a particular fancy of a peculiar DJ became the avant garde of a new wave of influence and interest. Not too long after, 60s French pop could be found everywhere – American and British bands were releasing songs by French artists like Gainsbourg, France Gall and Jacques Dutronc. 60s French Pop compilations were being released in Germany, Japan, Canada and the US. Most significantly, Mercury Records released a three-CD collection of Serge Gainsbourg’s material. It was the first time in the United States that his work was issued. In 1998, Lieske teamed with some fellow DJs at the radio station to put on a dance party devoted to 60s French pop. Bardot A Go Go was born. The single event has since evolved into a traveling retro-rave. Three years later, Bardot A Go Go still draws packed crowds to San Francisco night clubs. In addition to his career as a DJ, Lieske has worked in the production of numerous television commercials, educational films, music videos and documentaries, and has worked for MTV, LucasFilm and EvolutionFilm. Most recently he produced streaming-video movie previews for Reel.com. As Pink Frankenstein, Lieske has spread the news about French pop to Northern California. Now he wants to bring it to the rest of America with Bardot A Go Go the movie. |