About this Record
Formed in France by young American expatriates (twin brothers Jim and Steve Mc Mains alongside Tom Arena and Andy Cornelius), Les Irrésistibles captured international attention with their lush, psychedelic-tinged sunshine pop—most famously their 1968 global hit “My Year Is a Day”. Issued on CBS France under the ‘Série Gemini’ imprint in 1969, Girl I Loved You / Universe of Love marks the group’s final studio recording in France before returning to the United States (where they later released music as Arch of Triumph).
Featuring rich arrangements directed by French conductor Jean Claudric and produced under Jean Eckian, both sides demonstrate the band’s trademark baroque-pop sensibility, infectious vocal harmonies, and warm melodic songcraft typical of late-1960s European psych-pop 45s. Housed in a charming French picture sleeve printed by Offset-France, this original French 7-inch remains a desirable item for sunshine pop and baroque garage aficionados.
Tracklist & Notes
- Side A: Girl I Loved You (3:05) – Written by S. Mc Mains & J. Mc Mains
- Side B: Universe of Love (2:50) – Written by S. Mc Mains & J. Mc Mains
Arrangements & Orchestra Direction: Jean Claudric
Artistic Direction: Jean Eckian
Photography: Studio Lorieux
Format: 7″ 45 RPM Vinyl Single (France, CBS 4515)
「なんだか『青春』って感じのジャケットでいいですね。この年齢の時って、恋愛が世界で一番大事って本気で思ってたっけなぁ……なんて。ただ、写真の左上に写っている鳩たち、パンか何かを見つけて一斉に群がっている感じがどうしても気になります。ロマンチックな青春の思い出も、鳩の食欲には勝てないみたい。そんな盤が今日も私の部屋に収まっています。」
(Wife’s thought: It has this wonderfully nostalgic, youthful aura on the cover. Ah, to be that young again—back when falling in love genuinely felt like the single most important thing in the whole universe. Then again, I can’t stop staring at the top left corner: those pigeons don’t look poetic at all, they just look like they spotted some bread crumbs on the pavement and swarmed it. Classic youth, grounded by hungry birds invading my room.)
