Songs with a Parisian motif were a natural for bachelor pad music, the whole genre putting a premium on the sort of suave grace for which French culture is noted. Bien sur, when it's refracted through Hollywood easy listening musicians, you're getting a sound which is about as authentically French as french fries. But no matter -- bachelor pad music isn't about authenticity, and this compilation presents some enjoyably cheesy attempts at evoking the city of lights, recorded for Capitol in the '50s and '60s. Whether instrumental or vocal, English or French, giants of the idiom like
Les Baxter,
Nelson Riddle, and the immortal Dicky Doo & the Don'ts offer their homages, filled with B-movie soundtrack orchestration and blindingly White vocal choruses. There are some surprisingly hot, uptempo jazzy lounge takes on the theme, though, by
Sam Butera,
Elmer Bernstein,
Jack Costanzo, and the Double Six of Paris, featuring a faster-than-light French scat vocal from Mimi Perrin. ~ Richie Unterberger