In recent years,country music's been linked with the Eagles,with R&B,with Disney songs,and even with rap-or have you forgotten Bernie leadon's hilarious band,Rn CNW?.

    Now,a French singer,who's won acclaim for her interpretations of Edith Piaf,Yves Montand and Jacques Brel,has decided to trade her beret for a cowboy hat.

    RAQUEL BITTON born in Marrakech Morocco and settled in San Francisco,is the singer,and "Changes" is her appropriately-titled album. It's a long way after all from Brel to Brooks & Dunn. BITTON however,sees and hears an obvious bridge between French ballads and country music. "My forte is telling stories," said Bitton. But the music of Maurice Chevalier and Michel Legrand isn't exactly top of the pops,and as Bitton confessed"I wanted to conquer radio".

    "I had to find a voice,and most important to me is lyrics.In American music,the mood,the style of the songs that appeal to me the most is Country."

    Rather than cover hit songs,Bitton sought new material and placed ads in Country publications. She received some 400 responses. Although the songs on Changes are clearly rooted in Country,Bitton emphasizes that she has not attempted to sing country. She's simply taken country songs and applied her style to them."I know I don't sound country," she says."It's a tribute to country."

    Her usual small ensemble accompaniment-accordion and violin-fit the new songs perfectly.On "til' you found me"(the first single),She recalls, "I told arranger Bob Holloway,when the accordion begins,I want it to play with the fiddle,so it goes from the rive Seine to the Mississippi river.".Bitton also does French renditions of "Unchained Melody"and "Dream a little dream of me."