MARTY RHONE
No No No No No
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald - Geoff Stephens)
Australia 1967
#35 Melbourne #16 Brisbane #14 Perth

English-language version of Michel Polnareff's
La Poupée qui Fait Non (see below).

Marty Rhone: singer, songwriter and actor, real name Carl Van Rhoon (b.1948), also teamed by Spin Records with Sydney band The Soul Agents.

His biggest success as a solo artist came in the 70s, with such hits as Denim And Lace (1975) and his co-composition Mean Pair Of Jeans (1977). See also his minor hit She's Coming Home (1968).

Further reading: 1. Howlspace’s Marty Rhone & The Soul Agents page [archived].
2. The still-active Marty Rhone's website at MartyRhone.com. 3. Marty's YouTube channel - MartyRhoneDotCom - has videos of his recent work.

Thanks to Terry Stacey and Mike Robbins, and to Mat Van Rhoon for updates.
SCOTT MCKENZIE
No No No No No
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald - Geoff Stephens)
USA 1967

Single on Epic by former folkie, an associate of The Mamas & The Papas who joined a latterday touring version of that band. John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas wrote Scott McKenzie's 1967 hit San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) (#4 USA, #1 UK).
THE BIRDS
La Poupee qui Fait Non
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald)
UK

Well regarded but commercially unsuccessful London beat band formed 1964, first known as The Thunderbirds, later as Bird's Birds. The Birds included Kim Gardner, later of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, and Ronnie Wood, now famous as a Rolling Stone.

La Poupée qui Fait Non was unreleased at the time, but later appeared on the 1999 CD The Collector's Guide To Rare British Birds. See the Birds page at British Beat Boom, and Bruce Eder's review of Collector's Guide at All Music Guide.

Australian band The Birds was formed in Perth by two later members of the British Birds' touring line-up.
See I Can't Let Maggie Go.
MICHEL POLNAREFF
No No No No No
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald - Geoff Stephens)
France 1966
Original English language version

Single on Disc'AZ/Vogue (France) #VRS 7013.

No No No No No on Kapp (USA) #786 is the French version, in spite of the English title.

English version of Polnareff's French hit La Poupée qui Fait Non, lyrics by notable British songwriter Geoff Stephens. The original demo was in mangled English, before a lyricist worked on it for the French version (below).

See Knock Knock Who's There for more about Geoff Stephens and his collaborators, and a list of some of his numerous songwriting credits.

Merci à Philippe.
MICHEL POLNAREFF
La Poupee qui Fait Non
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald)
France 1966
Original version

Franck Gérald: French composer and lyricist (b.1928), also known as Gérard Andre Biesel.

Michel Polnareff: French singer-songwriter (b.1944) with a countercultural image. The lyrics are at International Lyrics Playground.

Polnareff's composition Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing) was better known as an instrumental by Raymond Lefèvre And His Orchestra (1968, #37 USA, #36 UK, #7 Adelaide, #8 Brisbane).
TONY BARBER
No No No
(Tony Barber)
Australia 1966
Red herring
#15 Melbourne #14 Adelaide #35 Perth

Similar title but not the same song as 'No No No No No' by Marty Rhone.

Solo single by Tony Barber, formerly with Billy Thorpe's Aztecs 1963-65. He had a national hit with his own composition Someday (1965-66).

Not to be confused with: This is not the quiz compere Tony Barber.

Some other variations on the theme:

Crispian St Peters - No No No (Robert Peter Smith [Crispian St Peters])
UK 1966 #18 Melbourne #29 Brisbane
Richard Wright Group - No No No No (Don Fardon [Maughn] - Philip 'Pip' Whitcher)
Australia 1966 #28 Perth [More here]
The Sorrows - No No No No (Don Fardon [Maughn] - Philip 'Pip' Whitcher)
UK 1965
Bulldog - No (Billy Hocher - John Turi)
USA 1972 #2 Melbourne #7 Adelaide #13 Brisbane #5 Perth #17 NZ [More here]

Later versions:

JOHNNY HALLYDAY
La Poupee qui Fait Non
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald)
France 1980
Later version

On 1980 album A Partir de Maintenant by le seul vrai rocker frenchy.

Reference: Johnny Hallyday biography at RFI Musique (English language version).
Further reading: Hallyday.com.fr and JohnnyWeb.fr.
SAINT ETIENNE
No No No No No (La Poupee qui Fait Non)
(Michel Polnareff - Franck Gerald - Geoff Stephens)
UK 1993
Later version

Track by British group, formed late 80s, on various artists album Tribute To Polnareff, also on 1994 CD single Hug My Soul.

Corrections or comments? Contact the writer.