Biography

Billy Ze Kick et les Gamins en Folie are a French alternative rock band best known for the song "Mangez-moi! Mangez-moi!," a 1994 summer hit about psychedelic mushrooms that nearly topped the singles chart. The band itself took shape as a loose-knit collective during the late '80s and began recording its earliest material around 1989/1990. Among the many singers and musicians comprising Les Gamins en Folie, Billy Ze Kick (whose name was taken from the Jean Vautrin novel adapted as a film in 1985) and Monsieur Bing were the key members anchoring the band. They formed the independent label Les Productions du Fer and released an eponymous full-length debut album in 1993. Distributed by Média 7, Billy Ze Kick et les Gamins en Folie became an underground sensation and was licensed for major-label reissue on the short-lived Polygram subsidiary label Shaman in 1994. An anthemic song about psychedelic mushrooms, the reggae-inflected single "Mangez-moi! Mangez-moi!" became a smash hit during summer 1994, climbing all the way to number two on the French singles chart. Moreover, a remix EP was released amid the song's 32-week chart run. Another drug-themed single, "O.C.B.," also became a hit, breaking into the Top Ten later in the year. The band's breakout success didn't last long, however, as Billy Ze Kick proceeded to drop Les Gamins en Folie and release the solo album Paniac (1996). Released on Shaman/Polygram, the follow-up effort was a commercial flop, failing to chart despite the release of two promotional singles ("A Vélo," "Non, Non Rien N'a Changé"). Five years passed before Billy Ze Kick reunited with Les Gamins en Folie for the album Verdure et Libido (2001), released on the band's newly formed independent label Pudding. A rarities collection, Premiers Titres (2003), was also released on Pudding. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi