5 Gentlemen — “Dis-nous Dylan”/“Tell Us Dylan”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — March 16, 2024

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,146) 5 Gentlemen — “Dis-nous Dylan”/“Tell Us Dylan”

The 5 Gentlemen (see #724) were “the best French band of the mid-60s” (Fou de Rock, http://www.fouderock.com/rock_fr/five-gentlemen.html) and they give us a song that “satiri[z]es the earnestness of the music of pop-folk artists like Bob Dylan and Donovan, and the youth who hang on their every word, looking for answers in songs”. (French 60s Pop, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1YAQ1yyrw) Oh là là!

“Dylan” appeared “on their 2nd EP – 1966) . . . with its chiming guitars à la Byrds . . . [and would] have a small success in France, Italy and Germany.”* (Fou de Rock, http://www.fouderock.com/rock_fr/five-gentlemen.html) Oh, by the way, the English band Hedgehoppers Anonymous release a song “Daytime” which adapted the music of “Dylan” and substituted unrelated lyrics (see #523). And the Gentlemen return the favor by covering it!

Fou de Rock tells us about the Gentlemen:*

[They] began under the surname of Ambitieux and released their first EP in 1965 . . . . These 5 Gentlemen (name they adopted in 1966) are of Corsican origin but established in Marseilles from where they will try to conquer the planet. Their models are the English mods for both dress and music. They play regularly in a club in the Old Port of Marseille, Arsenal des Galères, which is always full when they perform there. And this is all the more remarkable as Marseille, unlike Nice or Toulouse, is not a rock city.. . . . [T]he 5 Gentlemen don’t only have good intentions, they also have the technique that goes with it and the combination of their voices with the organ and the fuzz guitar is quite convincing and effective.

http://www.fouderock.com/rock_fr/five-gentlemen.html

Rock Made in France adds:*

[A]t their beginning, it was in the medical, pharmacy and dental faculties of the region that they essentially toured with a repertoire of covers. Indeed, apart from Michel Donnat, fishmonger, they are all children of the local bourgeoisie and for the most part in medicine. Gérard Perrier . . . who will come to lend them a hand for a time, isn’t he the son of the director of Provençal? He introduced them to Claude Olmos who joined the group in 1965. After a competition for young rock talents in Rennes, they went to Paris to record their first 45 for EMI under the name of… Ambitieux. For the occasion, the rhythms are performed by bassist Papillon (future Triangle), guitarist Mick Jones (future Foreigner) [what?!] and drummer Tommy Brown. Only Claude Olmos and Guy Matteoni performing their parts. After a summer scouring the Corsican nightclubs, the group had its first glory with “Tell us Dylan” in 1966, which sold nearly 80,000 copies. The operation will not be repeated with the following EPs.

https://www.rockmadeinfrance.com/encyclo/les-5-gentlemen/10244/

* Translation by Google Translate

“Les 5 Gentlemen (IMO the best French 60s band!) perform their hit song ‘Dis-nous Dylan’ live on youth music program ‘Têtes de bois et tendres années’, May 5, 1966.” (French 60s Pop, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1YAQ1yyrw):

Another live appearance:

Here is a version by the Sandals, a California surf rock band (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandals):

The Gentlemen do “Daytime” (as Darwin’s Theory, their name in the UK):

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