I suppose not too many people would associate “funk” or “groove” with French music. Well…that’s their loss.

“Groove is in the heart”, as ye olde Deee-Lite adage goes.

French band Zoo were an exception. Initially a 9-piece group, with Joël Daydé as lead singer in 1969, who quickly left the band to pursue his own solo career (as “Daydé”), Zoo certainly had the grooves, the heart and the soul.

In 1970 and to replace Daydé, the band put up an ad for a singer in Brit mag Melody Maker. Subsequently, British singer Ian Bellamy stepped in and a year later, Zoo put out their most successful single in history, “Hard Times, Good Times”. Here’s the scopitone!

But whoa, hoooold on there! “Tupamaros”, the single’s instrumental B-side, kicks this already amazing tune on its derrière! A few people noticed too, like NYC’s WABC-FM, who took on “Tupamaros” as theme song for its Soul music show.

Zoo went on to play with French superstars Eddy Mitchell and Nicoletta, amongst others, and released two LPs, until 1972.

Recently, the band reformed in France, playing a live show in January 2010, which will soon be available on CD.

In the meantime, here’s Tupamaros!:

Zoo – Tupamaros