"Paris au Printemps" is a live album by Public Image Ltd, recorded in January 1980 over two consecutive nights in Paris. The album was released in November of the same year. The title, which translates to Paris in the Spring, features French versions of the band's name and song titles on the track listing. Notably, this album marks the last full-length release with founding bassist Jah Wobble and the first appearances of drummer Martin Atkins with the band. The album reached number 61 on the UK Albums Chart.
The recording of Paris au Printemps was driven by financial necessity, as John Lydon explained in a 1992 BBC radio interview. The band used the album's production to cover the costs of their more expensive Metal Box album. Lydon made it clear that the album was created primarily for financial reasons, describing it as a way to meet immediate expenses. He was candid in interviews, advising people not to buy the album as he felt it wasn't very good. The album was recorded cheaply on a reel-to-reel tape using a Revox recorder, which cost the band only the price of the tape itself, and they ultimately received £30,000 from Virgin Records for it. This sum was roughly equal to what the band had previously invested into the Metal Box release.
