Les Rita Mitsouko is a rock group formed in 1979 led by guitarist Fred Chichin and singer Catherine Ringer known for their live performances. Upon their first meeting, they were inseparable, talking until they realized they should start the band together. Ringer decided to take on lyrical duties, while Chichin became the resident instrumentalist. They debuted later that year, with Ringer on the organ and Chichin on guitar, while everything else was prerecorded. Around this time they also drafted Jean Naplin into the mix, although he was never a member; he contributed songs to most of their albums and became a frequent collaborator. They realized early that the chemistry they had developed did not translate well to other musicians, thus they decided to keep the group a duo. They performed around Europe, playing several clubs and bars until finally playing under the name les Rita Mitsouko for the first time in November of 1980.