Edith Piaf’s French Twist to Jerry Leiber’s “Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots”
Jerry Leiber, who co-wrote “Hound Dog” with Mike Stoller died Monday in Los Angeles. Leiber and Stoller composed several hits in the 50s and 60s. Some of them include “Hound Dog,” “Kansas City,” “Stand by Me” and “Yakety Yak.” Leiber wrote lyrics that were generally hip, cool and rebellious. “Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots,” a hit in 1995 by Cheers is one such example. The song doesn’t get more quintessentially American than that. But a year later, the quintessential French singer Edith Piaf took a swing at the song and turned it into “L’Homme a la Moto,” or “the man on the motorcycle.” The World’s Marco Werman reports.
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