Single Review

Single Review – Marianne Dissard – Come On, Let’s Go!

• 28th Dec 2020

Marianne Dissard was a new name to this writer, but on closer inspection, her pedigree is pretty impressive

Born in France, she turned up in Arizona to make a film about the scene in Tucsan and ended up staying there for two decades, becoming a central figure in the city’s musical heritage. You can hear her, for instance,, duetting with singer Joey Burns on Calexico hit ‘Ballad of Cable Hogue‘. Burns returned the compliment by composing some of her solo material.

Now based in Ramsgate, Kent, she has turned to a series of cover versions in English released during the pandemic, kicked off back in March by a version of Phil Ochs’ ‘The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns’, inspired by the parallels she saw between the fate of sailors aboard the Covid-stricken USS Roosevelt and the USS Scorpion in 1968 that had spurred Ochs to write the original.

https://soundcloud.com/mariannedissard/come-on-lets-go-ritchie-valens-cover-by-marianne-dissard/s-BVQOtxmjqs5

Hot on the heels of her gunshot-filled version of ‘Stop The Cavalry’ by Jona Lewie, comes January’s offering. ‘Come On, Let’s Go!’ was originally recorded by Richie Valens, one of the stars who died in the plane crash most commonly associated with Buddy Holly. There’s definitely a hint of rockabilly danger in this raw, sexually charged version, with its distorted bass and suggestive sax from Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Gallon Drunk), but reduced to a seductively slow pace that makes the most of every syllable of Dissard’s vocal.

According to the very frank quotes in the press release from Dissard and her producer/percussionist Raphael Mann, the carnal longing inevitably sparked by the lengthy lockdowns of 2020 was very much its inspiration. That’s not in doubt when you hear it, is all we’re saying.

• ‘Come On, Let’s Go!’ is out on January 15.