The Toulouse group Les Malpolis tells us about one of the last inflationary outbreaks in France’s recent economic history: it was in 2009, following the subprime financial crisis. And, as there are in every period of pressure on prices, a song does a little bit of pedagogy.
It has been somewhat forgotten, but at the time, in France, large retailers were asked to make efforts to avoid price increases, in particular by putting pressure on manufacturers and the agri-food sector. Which is to say that it is not the public authorities who are fighting against inflation but the supermarkets.
In the first episode of These songs that make the news this weekend, you hear excerpts from:
The Malpolises, More expensive life, 2009
Jean Poiret, The Cow with a Thousand Francs, 1961
Francois Beranger, Irish Stew, 2002
William Sheller, Slot machines, 1975
Albert Prejean, The crisis is over 1934
The Troubadours, With a little money, 1936
The Malpolises, More expensive life, 2009
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Remember: during the summer of 2019, La Playlist de Françoise Hardy was a crossing of the musical baggage of an author, composer and performer considered as the arbiter of the elegance of pop in France.
In July and August 2017, we spent A Summer in Souchon, during which Alain Souchon guided us on a tasty walk through a lifetime of love for song.