After the rock ’n’ roll of 1950 came the rock of ’60/’61 and then the twist… which in France lasted until the following summer, 1962, when the Madison landed. It was between the twist and jazz—people danced it in rows—and it spread like wildfire, stoked by a “prince” named Billy Bridge, and immediately picked up by every rocker/twister in France. You might think it was a flash in the pan, but people still dance the Madison today! These recordings chosen by François Jouffa and Pierre Layani represent the first musical collection of French-language Madison from that period, complemented by examples of the trend that already followed it by the end of the year: the Mashed Potatoes… Are you ready for the big M? Patrick FRÉMEAUX