This song was a protest and consciousness-raising anthem here in 1980s Aōtearoa New Zealand, which has a long history of social and environmental justice movements. It was aimed at the French government, who conducted nuclear testing in "their" territories of the South Pacific throughout the second half of the 20th century. The testing caused devastation amongst the indigenous communities (our Pacific cousins), not so much from the radiation itself, but the contamination and depletion of water, soil, and food sources. Many babies were born with physical deformities during this time, and rates of cancer and illnesses soared. To colonised Pacifika peoples (of which I am one, though I was only a baby when this song was released) this was yet another atrocity in a long line of indignations. The anti-nuclear movement was a global one, but here in Aōtearoa NZ it was also part of a renewed outrage and push for our cultures, people and environment to be respected. I am thankful to Herbs and those of their generation, who worked tirelessly to revive our language and customs, and to see things such as land grievances and discrimination start to be addressed by our society. Mauri ora
So well said..... My uncle Billy has his gold copies of the Herbs albums he recorded in his home studio in kingland in the eighties at his house up north
The band's name follows English pronunciation i.e. the aitch is pronounced, not "'Erbs". There was French atmospheric nuclear weapon testing at Moorea atoll in French Polynesia during the 1980s. Someone of us in the South Pacific were at bit annoyed about that. So nice that you are listening to this.
Kia ora Simon hay those tests went from the sixties until 1996😢😮😠😡🤬🤮 somewhere between 170 and 180 tests over a thirty year period and still a no go zone POISON RADIOACTIVE SAND WATER and displaced indigenous people who will never be able to return to their home islands and their ancestors it's a crime against humanity between the French government and the American government they came the they tested left a radioactive mess and buggered off
This song makes me feel Angry Sad Happy and just pissed off i LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH i had these wonderful Men around me in my childhood My 13 year old son is named after a contemporary and friend off theirs insanely good blues singer and guitarist SONNY DAY
It was a PROTEST song about the French testing nuclear bombs at MURUROA AND FANGATAUFA ATOLLS . AND THEN JUST TO TOP IT OFF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ORDERED THE SINKING OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR IN OUR PORT OF AUCKLAND WHILE DOCKED WITH A LIMPIT MINE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF ONE ON BORD 😢
LOL! 😄 Yes, the 'The' in my username is very important! 😄 Funny that you were wondering right afterwards if it was 'The Herbs' or just 'Herbs', too! 😁 Also, I'm pretty sure this suggestion had ultimately been Heath's idea (Hi, mate! 😄). And it's quite funny to hear you guys pronounce them with a silent 'H', as we do the opposite here in NZ 😀 By the way, this was not the original version, but a very nice one all the same that I hadn't heard myself before 😊 Good on ya for also looking up the lyrics! Yeah, this song was ultimately an appeal to *France* to stop their nuclear tests in the South Pacific, hence the title 'French Letter' and the use of the accordion 😉 Thank you for checking this out! 😀👍
Oh, maybe! Heath, if we missed you requesting this, we're sorry! This has been a very hectic weekend! We're still trying to prepare for the anniversary show, and Cynthia's new job is in play. We'll get it right.
@@hanierfamily - Not a biggie 😉 And I am aware you do also have a life outside YT 🙂 Great to hear about Cynthia's new job! Congratulations! 😃🙏 May she also enjoy it, on top of giving you guys another stream of income 😊
Kia ora cuzzie hay yeah i did ask for this a while back BUT WHO CARES it's out there that's what i wanted it's a bit like the lady in town at the arts and crafts shop it used to have weeds and grass outside of the front window after work one morning about 6 am i stopped there and took out my spade weeded it dug it over added a couple of sacks of horse shit and potting mix and planted hundreds of flower bulbs heaps of Verity's but i took to long and got sprung by the owner when she came to open up she loved it but couldn't understand why I'd done it. A couple of weeks ago i was weeding it and she came out and told me she had a lady come and stole some of the bulbs and i told her it's not stealing it's spreading them and that makes me happy and it's the same with our awesome kiwi sounds it's getting it out there that matters 👍
@@hanierfamily kia ora hello my friends don't sweat it you guys are doing a great job 👍 don't sweat the little things in life just give them the flick
@@OnceWasRStrathfield - Hehe, cool! 😊 When *I* was 9, Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall' was a Hit 😁 And I'd watched 'Footrot Flats' for the first time not long after I'd moved from Germany to NZ, 20 years ago 😊
@@mightyV444 Funny enough, I jumped from being obsessed with Footrot Flats to being obsessed with Pink Floyd ''The Wall'' (movie and album) at 10. I don't think I've seen the Footrot Flats movie since I was a little kid. I was at Salamanca Market in Hobart last weekend, and I found a copy of Footrot Flats, and it felt weird looking at an old picture of Murray Ball after all those years. Slice Of Heaven is an amazing song.
Herbs. One of my favourite Kiwi groups. I won't be annoyed at your mispronouncing their name (well, maybe a little), but hey. Others that are not Kiwi's are hearing them. That's always a win.
Herbs..... not erbs. Her........bs, Herbs. They raised awareness as well as protested against France nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Was also around the time of the bombing and sinking of The Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace ship in the 80's. Great band and Willy Hona from the original line up is a good, old friend of mine. Keep up the great work.
Hey guys! Just discovered your channel. I enjoy this type of content a lot. Could you guys react to Feather Fur and Fin by Danny Michel? He’s got to be the most underrated musician in the world, super talented and makes such great music but he never really blew up. But he’s a super great person and really cool. I think you’ll love Feather Fur and Fin
This song was a protest and consciousness-raising anthem here in 1980s Aōtearoa New Zealand, which has a long history of social and environmental justice movements.
It was aimed at the French government, who conducted nuclear testing in "their" territories of the South Pacific throughout the second half of the 20th century. The testing caused devastation amongst the indigenous communities (our Pacific cousins), not so much from the radiation itself, but the contamination and depletion of water, soil, and food sources. Many babies were born with physical deformities during this time, and rates of cancer and illnesses soared.
To colonised Pacifika peoples (of which I am one, though I was only a baby when this song was released) this was yet another atrocity in a long line of indignations.
The anti-nuclear movement was a global one, but here in Aōtearoa NZ it was also part of a renewed outrage and push for our cultures, people and environment to be respected.
I am thankful to Herbs and those of their generation, who worked tirelessly to revive our language and customs, and to see things such as land grievances and discrimination start to be addressed by our society.
Mauri ora
So well said.....
My uncle Billy has his gold copies of the Herbs albums he recorded in his home studio in kingland in the eighties at his house up north
Billy was inducted into the new Zealand rock and roll hall of fame a few years ago for his bass playing ( he was an INVADER and a METEOR)
@@heathcornbeef Kia ora Heath, is that Billy Kristian? Legend. Your whānau must be so proud.
Love how you picked up the important message in the lyrics 🌹🤙🏾
The band's name follows English pronunciation i.e. the aitch is pronounced, not "'Erbs".
There was French atmospheric nuclear weapon testing at Moorea atoll in French Polynesia during the 1980s. Someone of us in the South Pacific were at bit annoyed about that.
So nice that you are listening to this.
Kia ora Simon hay those tests went from the sixties until 1996😢😮😠😡🤬🤮 somewhere between 170 and 180 tests over a thirty year period and still a no go zone POISON RADIOACTIVE SAND WATER and displaced indigenous people who will never be able to return to their home islands and their ancestors it's a crime against humanity between the French government and the American government they came the they tested left a radioactive mess and buggered off
And the English did their nuclear weapons testing in the outback of Australia missed every bloody city
yes
@@heathcornbeef That's because there's too much distance between NZ and Singapore
This song makes me feel Angry Sad Happy and just pissed off i LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH i had these wonderful Men around me in my childhood My 13 year old son is named after a contemporary and friend off theirs insanely good blues singer and guitarist SONNY DAY
yeah hard i remember them at tangis at Arapoa marae
@@Ngatikahu-aka-panbadass uncle Billy recorded herb's albums he was the bass player for Ray Columbus and the invaders
cool my uncles are nz musicians old school .Lloyd and Kevin latimer@@heathcornbeef
uncle Kevins son Joels in sonz of zion
@@Ngatikahu-aka-panbadass i like the sonz of Zion a lot 👍
It was a PROTEST song about the French testing nuclear bombs at MURUROA AND FANGATAUFA ATOLLS .
AND THEN JUST TO TOP IT OFF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ORDERED THE SINKING OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR IN OUR PORT OF AUCKLAND WHILE DOCKED WITH A LIMPIT MINE RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF ONE ON BORD 😢
LOL! 😄 Yes, the 'The' in my username is very important! 😄 Funny that you were wondering right afterwards if it was 'The Herbs' or just 'Herbs', too! 😁 Also, I'm pretty sure this suggestion had ultimately been Heath's idea (Hi, mate! 😄). And it's quite funny to hear you guys pronounce them with a silent 'H', as we do the opposite here in NZ 😀 By the way, this was not the original version, but a very nice one all the same that I hadn't heard myself before 😊 Good on ya for also looking up the lyrics! Yeah, this song was ultimately an appeal to *France* to stop their nuclear tests in the South Pacific, hence the title 'French Letter' and the use of the accordion 😉 Thank you for checking this out! 😀👍
Oh, maybe! Heath, if we missed you requesting this, we're sorry! This has been a very hectic weekend! We're still trying to prepare for the anniversary show, and Cynthia's new job is in play. We'll get it right.
@@hanierfamily - Not a biggie 😉 And I am aware you do also have a life outside YT 🙂 Great to hear about Cynthia's new job! Congratulations! 😃🙏 May she also enjoy it, on top of giving you guys another stream of income 😊
Kia ora cuzzie hay yeah i did ask for this a while back BUT WHO CARES it's out there that's what i wanted it's a bit like the lady in town at the arts and crafts shop it used to have weeds and grass outside of the front window after work one morning about 6 am i stopped there and took out my spade weeded it dug it over added a couple of sacks of horse shit and potting mix and planted hundreds of flower bulbs heaps of Verity's but i took to long and got sprung by the owner when she came to open up she loved it but couldn't understand why I'd done it. A couple of weeks ago i was weeding it and she came out and told me she had a lady come and stole some of the bulbs and i told her it's not stealing it's spreading them and that makes me happy and it's the same with our awesome kiwi sounds it's getting it out there that matters 👍
@@hanierfamily kia ora hello my friends don't sweat it you guys are doing a great job 👍 don't sweat the little things in life just give them the flick
@@heathcornbeef - Ohhhsumm story, and good on ya for planting that sh*t too, mate! 😊👍🌷
I know the French did nuclear testing in the Pacific, i suspect its about that.
The ultimate nimby!
Got it in one.
Dave Dobbyn with Herbs - Slice Of Heaven (1986) nzoz1986
Highly recommended.
From the 'Footrot Flats' movie soundtrack 😊
@@mightyV444 My favourite comic and movie when I was 9. I had almost everything created by Murray Ball back in the day. Great song too!
@@OnceWasRStrathfield - Hehe, cool! 😊 When *I* was 9, Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall' was a Hit 😁 And I'd watched 'Footrot Flats' for the first time not long after I'd moved from Germany to NZ, 20 years ago 😊
@@mightyV444 Funny enough, I jumped from being obsessed with Footrot Flats to being obsessed with Pink Floyd ''The Wall'' (movie and album) at 10. I don't think I've seen the Footrot Flats movie since I was a little kid. I was at Salamanca Market in Hobart last weekend, and I found a copy of Footrot Flats, and it felt weird looking at an old picture of Murray Ball after all those years. Slice Of Heaven is an amazing song.
Thanks for the great reaction. I recomend dragons and demons next.
Herbs. One of my favourite Kiwi groups.
I won't be annoyed at your mispronouncing their name (well, maybe a little), but hey.
Others that are not Kiwi's are hearing them. That's always a win.
Herbs..... not erbs. Her........bs, Herbs.
They raised awareness as well as protested against France nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Was also around the time of the bombing and sinking of The Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace ship in the 80's.
Great band and Willy Hona from the original line up is a good, old friend of mine.
Keep up the great work.
Hey guys! Just discovered your channel. I enjoy this type of content a lot. Could you guys react to Feather Fur and Fin by Danny Michel? He’s got to be the most underrated musician in the world, super talented and makes such great music but he never really blew up. But he’s a super great person and really cool. I think you’ll love Feather Fur and Fin
Laid back Summer music.
Cant wait for my Blondie request
✊🖤❤🤍🇳🇿🤗
Is it french letter as in prophylactic.
Kao , a letter to the French govt protesting nuke testing in the Pacific
Just for something completely different, how about, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, with, Pirates? Very very dramatic
6:43 not in English 🙄🙄🙄🙄