Wonderland Burlesque's
Down The Rabbit Hole:
Belle Epoque
Down The Rabbit Hole merely places a spotlight on something slightly unusual that's caught my interest. With the help of Wikipedia, YouTube, and other sites, I gather information and learn something new.
Today, we take a look at the music and history of the disco trio Belle Epoque.
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Belle Epoque ("beautiful past") was the name of a female vocal trio, based in Paris, France. They first rose to popularity during the late 1970s with a disco remake of the song Black Is Black.
Belle Epoque consisted of lead singer Evelyne Lenton, a French singer who began recording and performing in the early 1960s under the name Evy, and two back-up singers. Her original back-up singers were Jusy Fortes from Cape Verde, and Marcia Briscoe from Atlanta, Georgia. However, while Lenton remained a constant, over time, as Lenton notes, "The girls kept changing with the circumstances."
The trio scored a major European hit in 1977 with their disco remake of Black Is Black. The Belle Epoque version was a Top Ten hit in many European countries and snagged the #2 spot in the UK and the #1 slot in Australia in 1978.
In the US, Belle Epoque are better known for another song, Miss Broadway, which charted at #26 on the R&B chart and #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. Miss Broadway and Black Is Black also hit #21 on Billboard's National Disco Action Top 40 chart in summer 1977.
A string of lesser hits in continental Europe followed into the late 1970s. After a brief hiatus, Lenton then began recording solo in 1983, working with contemporary music producers to craft remixes of Black Is Black and Miss Broadway.
Black Is Black - Belle Epoque
Miss Broadway - Belle Epoque
Jump Down - Belle Epoque
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