Top 10 golden oldies of France

French pop music is rubbish. One of my colleagues wrote those words the other day in a piece on saving the world's pop heritage. So let me try again to demolish the old cliché, which springs mainly from lack of exposure and ancient prejudice.

They have been putting down French popular music since the early sixties, when Johnny Hallyday and the yéyé movement came over as funny copies of Elvis and then the Beatles. The early rockeurs français were obviously imitators but they had flair and infused their songs with a French lightness that stands comparison with much of the period's Brit pop. There was also the school of great original French singer-composers whose wit and commentary had no "Anglo-Saxon" equivalent.

I know I'm asking for trouble, but here is a personal top 10 from la variété -- popular music --  of the 60's and early 70s. Four of them (Hallyday, Aznavour, Hardy and Polnareff)  are still touring and have released new hits over the past couple of years. I'll get to modern French pop later, but this is in answer to the swipe about France having no heritage in the field.

1  Serge Gainsbourg. To Brits, he was the author of the 1969 scandal hit "Je t'aime, moi non plus" with his girlfriend Jane Birkin. But the wonderful Serge was far more. Originally a jazz pianist, he was a genius tunesmith and lyricist. His bitter-sweet songs and witty adult words made him the post-war Cole Porter. Try La Javanaise (in video above) or Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais. 

2. Jacques Brel. All right, this giant was Belgian, but Madeleine, Vesoul, Le Plat Pays, and his bitter, passionate ballads, were in the pure, lyric-driven tradition of la chanson française.

 

3. Georges Brassens. A little older than the rest, he was from the 1950s poet-anarchist tradition. But his tender, sardonic songs of the 60s and 70s matched the best of Dylan or the other minstrels of protest. Try the joyous les Copains d'Abord from 1964.

.   

4. Charles Aznavour. Still singing at 83, he is the soundtrack of two generations. His songs have been covered by Americans from Sinatra to Elvis Costello. Many may not know the French provenance of She, (Tous les Visages de l'Amour) The Old-fashioned Way (les Plaisirs Démodés ), and Yesterday When I was Young (Hier encore). Aznavour once told me that the secret is the lyrics. "France doesn't do tunes, it does words," he said.

5. Gilbert Becaud. "Mr 10,000 volts" was a pianist song-writer who marked the age with atmospheric love songs and a big stage presence. His high point was the early 60s, with Et Maintenant (What Now my Love) and Nathalie, about a Soviet guide on a trip to Moscow.

6. Françoise Hardy. You can't avoid the icon word. She was the beautiful face, style and voice of chic young Paris in the mid-1960s.  You get the flavour with Tous les Garçons et les Filles, her big 1962 hit.

7. Johnny Hallyday. All right, everyone makes fun of this national monument. He doesn't really write or compose and he started as an Elvis-style teen idol. But notre Johnny invented a genre of Gallic blues-rock and he is une vraie bête de scene -- a true showman. He still packs stadiums in his sixties with new material and old hits such as Retiens la Nuit, Que Je t'aime and Ma Gueule.

8.  Dalida. French with an Egyptian-Italian background. She was the great variétés diva, a tragic figure mocked by some as over-the-top but remains adored for her romantic anthems. Her Bésame Mucho is an evergreen but for a taste of her despair, try "Il Venait d'Avoir Dix-Huit Ans" (He had just turned 18), an older woman's hymn to her teenaged lover.

9. Claude François. Clo-Clo was a pop crooner famous for killing himself accidentally in 1978 by trying to change a lightbulb in the bath. His infectious, pretty songs such as Belles Belles, have given him immortality. Oh and he wrote Comme d'Habitude -- known in English as My Way, the third most performed tune in the world. 

10. Michel Polnareff. Another pianist-composer who gave pop-rock a French inflection with offbeat tunes and harmonies, starting with La Poupée qui fait Non in 1966. His Love Me, Please Love Me of the same year remains an all-time standard (my 16-year-old son plays it on the piano). A recluse for 30 years in US exile, he is back on the road again and  President Sarkozy has just given him the Légion d'Honneur.

I have missed out many worthy names. These would include Léo Ferré, Sylvie Vartan, Adamo, Christophe, Eddie Mitchell, Richard Anthony, Michel Delpech, Barbara, even Joe Dassin and Claude Nougaro.  But there isn't room for everyone on a blog.

Comments

[textibule]

Speaking of the devils, today, I had my daily dose of Brassens with a little Brel and a dash of Gainsbourg thrown in, before returning to some of the other stuff I usually listen to.

Charles, if you had opened this article with "French pop music of the last 30 years is rubbish" you would have more accurately described the true theme of your article, non?

Even in FIP (France Inter Paris), one of the few listenable French radio stations, doesn't stray very often from the 'nothing after 1980's playbook'

[Christine]

I can't believe you did not mention Boby Lapointe! And seeing Barbara cited beside Christophe, well, hurts...
O tempora, o mores...

[Sorry. I did say a personal choice. I'm sure there will be lots of disagreement. OK, forget Christophe... But how about Mike Brant ? CB]

[Joan Arles]

Right on, Charles. Glad you mentioned your teenage son liking Polnareff. Otherwise people might get the idea that your fondness for old French pop is a generational thing. Heaven forbid.

[There are some great current French performers too, Joan. I like San Severino for instance and even Daft Punk but I enjoy jazz more these days. CB]

[Daniel Strohl]

Charles,

Very nice article about French golden oldies. Interesting, even if one is not very keen on chansons (my case).

PS : I am afraid that some bloggers would have preferred an article on Sarko instead of the above, so as to be able to continue steadily "de décharger leur bile" - LOL ! Il ne faut pas qu'ils s'impatientent, ils auront d'autres occasions. Sarko est là pour quelques années encore - il est solide, comme on dit dans la marine - re-LOL !

[azloon]

CB -- glad you're finally getting around to top ten music lists which we started, impromptu, here a year ago, which got a fair amount of response.

ok, if you won't say it, i will: french popular music of the past 50 years is rubbish. well not rubbish exactly. just not compelling enough to penetrate the culture wall.

besides jacquel brel, en anglais, i can't say that much of the music mentioned by you is even recognizable to u.s. ears. and i really do believe the test of great music is it's ability to transcend national boundaries.

how about Ali Farka Toure, who sings in french? he's a french language treasure, and not nearly as 'sappy' as most of the folks you mention.

what does stand out to me are the great songs that have been written by french composers/singers and translated/recorded in english. a song has to be really superb to survive translation and become a huge hit in a second language.

a couple of remarks about your choices: claude francois. tragically, would have been a good candidate for a darwin award ('persons who do a service to humanity by removing themselves from the gene pool.')

and Dalida would have instigated a police investigation of herself in the u.s. if she had described in song her flirtation with 'jail bait."

CB, are you trying to soothe french sensitivities since your colleague has perhaps insulted them? i would understand perfectly if you feared that the culture ministry, or even sarko himself, might put you and the times on their list of persona non grata.

[azloon]

ok, if you won't say it, i will: french popular music of the past 50 years is rubbish. well not rubbish exactly. just not compelling enough to penetrate the culture wall.

besides jacquel brel, en anglais, i can't say that much of the music mentioned by you is even recognizable to u.s. ears. and i really do believe the test of great music is it's ability to transcend national boundaries. edith piaf certainly did.

how about Ali Farka Toure, who sang in french? he's a french language treasure, and not nearly as 'sappy' as most of the folks you mention.

what does stand out to me are the great songs that have been written by french composers/singers and translated/recorded in english. a song has to be really superb to survive translation and become a huge hit in a second language.

a couple of remarks about your choices: claude francois. tragically, would have been a good candidate for a darwin award ('persons who do a service to humanity by removing themselves from the gene pool.')

and Dalida would have instigated a police investigation of herself in the u.s. if she had described in song her flirtation with 'jail bait."

CB, are you trying to soothe french sensitivities since your colleague has perhaps insulted them? i would understand perfectly if you feared that the culture ministry, or even sarko himself, might put you and the times on their list of personae non grata.

[Katarina]

I am a longtime lurker who loves reading your blog. I just have to say I am thrilled to learn that "My Way" was originally French. My boyfriend loves to make jokes about France and the French (your typical, lame military-losers variety), so it's great to tell him that his favorite Sinatra song originated in France!

I was introduced to Brel and Brassens as a high schooler and have loved them ever since (well, that is not even ten years ago), as well as Claude Francois and many other French performers.

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=cKX83VWkxRI

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=sIE2ZhuGbbI&feature=related

[Rocket]

Gainsbarre!

Great stuff once you master the French language. Unfortuantely impossible to understand for an anglophone.

I used to think he was an idiot until I got into the music. (this may be the subject of a later post).

La poinçonneur des lilas

"Moi je fais des trous dans les billets
J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, encore des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, toujours des p'tits trous
Des trous de seconde classe, des trous de premiere classe."

Might have been the inspiration for the Beatles: A day in the life

"Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall."

I just visited his grave the other day to pay my respects.

[Dominique]

Thanks Charles for reminding us of our great performers. Gainsbourg is clearly a top one (for me).

I'll mention a golden 80's of mine : the Rita Mitsouko with "c'est comme ça", "le petit train", "Marcia Baïla" etc.. We unfortunatly lost Fred Chichin who just passed away, but i hope Catherine Ringer will still go on performing as she is, i believe, probably the best french performer nowadays.

The 80's were also the times of Taxi Girl(cherchez le garçon). We can also mention today's Camille, Manu Chao (i saw playing with Amadou & Mariam) and so many others...

[dot king]

Charles - wot's this? You wouldn't be trying to distract us from hard realities would you?

I'm right there with you on Brel and Brassens, Bécaud too, and Nougaro.
I think "la chanson française" is alive and well and would add some more names: Juilette Greco, Juliette (tout court), Enzo Enzo, Liane Foly, Patricia Kaas, Olivia Ruiz, Philippe Katerine, Bénabar, Cali, Camille, Gérard de Palmas, Bernard Lavilliers . . .

There's a lot of new talent around and there's an excellent live music programme called Taratata.

Here's a sampler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yuQF6V3gxg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgXUctWDF34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeTIU3EE1is

and I think Daniel was wanting to keep the Sarkozy soap going . . . ;0

[John]

Non ce n'était pas le radeau
De la Méduse ce bateau
Qu'on se le dise au fond des ports
Dise au fond des ports...

Inoubliable !

PS: + 1 point for Charles Bremner for this break in the daily Sarkobsession. Keep the effort, recovery from Sarkobsession is near.

[Jorg Andersen]

Don't be so defensive about French music, Charles. It's just the Brits and Americans and other Anglos who put it down. In Austria here, and Germany and the rest of the non Anglo-Saxon world it is much appreciated. Well, maybe not Mireille Mathieu except for the Japanese and Russians. Vive la chanson française.

[Dominique]

As already mentionned before, this kind of debate regarding french singer being known in the US or the UK or not only shows how closed to the world those countries are...

Azloon,

"just not compelling enough to penetrate the culture wall.besides jacquel brel, en anglais, i can't say that much of the music mentioned by you is even recognizable to u.s. ears. and i really do believe the test of great music is it's ability to transcend national boundaries"

Are you trying to explain that any song needs to be perfomed in english before it can be apreciated? More, that it needs to be succesfull in the US before it can be tagged as "quality work"? ..how pathetic of yours..

Can you please tell us which singer or what music was able to go through the anglo sphere boundary? Does it mean that the "outside world" is just not "compelling enough to penetrate the culture wall"? And that the "culture wall" is entcompassing the US&UK full stop?

Are you only getting how self centered you are?

[Paula]

And in Australia we too still appreciate these iconic performers.

Aznavour summed it up perfectly; "France doesn't do tunes it does words."...his "Yesterday when I was Young" or Gilbert Becaud's "What Now my Love" remain indelibly imprinted in our brains.

Adelaide's own Robyn Archer who was Director of the Liverpool Festival a few years ago is regarded as one of the major performers of Jacque Brel's work and still draws packed audiences to her concerts around the world.

And then there is Gainsbourg and Hardy...

Your colleague who used the term 'rubbish' to put down French music has committed the real sin and written rubbish.

[Rocket]

Here's my appreciation of CB's top 10

1 Serge Gainsbourg. - A musical and lyrical genius but Azloon, you've got to have good knowledge of French to appreciate. I remember listening to "Je t'aime, moi non plus" as a kid in Virginia. I said, France, now that's the place for me!

Here's the alltime worst French song sung by a Belgian singer

http://tinyurl.com/2mvurz

AZ- Remember French language only goes up to 2 000 Hz while English goes up to 12 000 Hz so French sounds very monotonous to the rest of us anglos. Once you get into the paradyme, there is some decent stuff in France but a lot of it is syrupy monotonous throaty ballades without the hint of a dipthong. But I'm a traditionalist and I'm not crazy about French rock and roll. Here's some German Rock and Roll. Anyone remember it?

http://tinyurl.com/3cmwyl

I prefer the songs of the 50's and 60's when they were in black and white.

Please read the link below

http://tinyurl.com/2j5ys4

sorry it's in French

In fact because of this the French are tone deaf.

2. Jacques Brel - What can you say about the master and much better for me in French. Wish I spoke Dutch to understand some of his stuff. Every time I go to "le plat pays" I shed a tear for him. Such emotion! That's what gave him the cancer!

3. Georges Brassens - I never got into anarchist ballades. But I recognize his contribution.(à la lutte)

4. Charles Aznavour. - Not my style but some good stuff anyway for grandpa and grandma.

5. Gilbert Becaud. - Never got into that either.

6. Françoise Hardy. - A pretty face with one of those syrupy voices. Never took the time to listen to one song.

7. Johnny Hallyday - No way. Still rocking after 45 years and no one outside of France and Belgium knows him.

8. Dalida - Bof

9. Claude François - If he had stayed out of the Bois de Boulonge he'd still be alive today. Was sorry to see him go as I figured in a few years the Claudettes would be totally nude on stage.

10. Michel Polnareff - reminds me of Big Bird. Never listened to one song. Maybe one of two on the radio.

This may sound corny but I did like Francis Cabrel and Michel Delpech.

Met Eddy Michel once on the street in Paris just after I moved here and confused him with Dick Rivers. Told him he was too cool. Ouaah ! Dick Rivers. To which he resplied..."debile" >O

Now IMHO here's the best damn "cantante" on the continent.

http://tinyurl.com/38d92m

[Valentin]

We were all fans of Joe Dassin, Bécaud and the rest of'em, in my family, back in the '70s and the '80s. Oh well.

After this compendium of golden oldies, I got nostalgic. Charles' blog sometimes seems to be an oldie too. I wasn't even sure when I discovered it - must have been in april or may 2006.
Here's a link to the oldest post I could find online - on a date to remember : 11 november 2005:
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2005/11/whitegloved_wai.html

Oh and - Charles, you forgot Alain Souchon!
It's not fair. It's not right.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W4wIwyuBDV4

[Gill]

I do find a lot of french popular songs a bit monotonous but that is probably because my grasp of the french language is not good enough for me to fully appreciate the lyrics. I think US and UK songs depend more on the music and instrumentation whereas the french songwriters are more poets. I am always amazed that my french friends know the words of so many songs off by heart. In the UK we seem to have lost the art of lyrics.

[azloon]

Dominique --

you're absolutely correct! i AM pathetique. but i am very forgiving of my shortcomings. :)

i don't think you're giving me credit for my acknowledgements of french music. you focus on my most inflammatory statement which, as you must be aware by now, is a part of every post i make. :)

i forgot to mention another of my french favorites, a singer i loved when i was living in barcelona in the late 1960s. does anyone remember serge reggiani? i still have a 33rpm album of his, black cover with him standing in a spotlight and his signature in white at the bottom. he was a emotional singer with wonderful songs. there now, Dominique, perhaps i'm not THAT pathetique (my other favorite at that time was Juan Manuel Serrat, a catalan who i believe still performs).

Rocket -- are you familiar with the musical revue, "jacques brel is alive and living in paris?" it consisted of many of Brel's best songs, translated into english. it had a multi-year run in chicago, and other u.s. cities back in the 60s. there is now a Brel revue in chicago called 'songs of love and war."

so maybe, Dominique, you get the idea: great music is recognized everywhere. parochial music can be ok, but it's parochial and stays parochial. most american pop music qualifies in that category, as does most french music.

let's see, how can i make this point a little more clearly? well, i don't think johnny hallyday's house (in switzerland of all places) will be the next graceland. capice?

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[christopher muir]

I'd like to put a word in for the multi-talented Mouloudji who died in 1994. He offered some lovely songs and played many roles in French cinema, including an important part in the brilliant anti-death penalty movie, Nous tous sommes des Assassins. This is a Mouloudji sample. http://youtube.com/watch?v=7d3NY5ovzPY

[Joëlle]

Charles, I'm devastated to see no mention of Jacques Dutronc...

[Emlyn]

Léo Ferré for me! I first saw him on stage over 30 years ago and, though not normally being one for this sort of artist, was swept away by the tremendous conviction of his songs and their variety - at one moment quite outrageously anarchistic, the next tenderly melodious. His songs have stood the test of time too.

[Rocket]

I am shocked!

24 hours and not one reference to Renaud.

[john o'doe]

Nostalgia or necrophilia? -Six members of your top ten are dead. You should surely add another, Daniel Balavoine, who died young in tragic circumstances.
France is a country with so many dead idols who are regularly celebrated on tv and radio. The list of secular saints includes Edith Piaf, Barbara, Mike Brant, Richard Anthony, Sacha Distel, Coluche, Thierry Le Luron, and so on.
Strange, don't you think?

[Rocket]

I heard that Carla Bruni Sarkozy is not French but Italian. Is this true?

Maybe they're minor, but what about: Bashung (Madame rêve, Gaby, Vertiges de l'amour) and Yves Simon (voyage au pays des merveilles de Juliette)? Whimsy (a touch) + irony + cool French class & nonchalance. Gainsbourg, of course, the ultimate virtuoso. M.
But NOT Hallyday, Clo-clo, French rap, current Star'Ac, etc etc.

[textibule]

When I first moved to France in 1971, I discovered and immediately fell in love with George Brassens' songs.

I tried to translate some of his songs into english because I thought it was profoundly injuste that all of us who were so enthralled by Dylan, the Beatles, et al would be missing out on this great undiscovered (outside of France) hero of song and poem.

What I discovered, and rediscover every few years when I try again (and again) to translate Brassens into english, hoping that as my vocabulary improves, my translating abilities will follow, is... that it's just not possible.

Too many things get lost or are transformed badly. So I guess after 35 years, I should just give up, or hope that whoever translated Brel gets motivated to tackle Brassens and does a great job of it. Or else, sniff, non-French speaking world will never know 'Margoton, la jeune Bergere' ou 'Toute est bonne chez elle' and so many others.

In the meantime, I'm sure there's an insight here as to why French culture exports so badly. Also, this doesn't deflect from the observation that everyone's favorite French songsters in this thread are all past their prime, at least those who ever had one.

[CharlM]

My favourite group is Les Innocents and they were around mainly in the 90s. You can see one of their most famous songs, L'autre Finistere, via this link.

http://www.clipzik.com/les-innocents/l-autre-finistere.html

[Hope]

and Henri Salvador, who died this morning at the age of 90.
R.I.P.

[Yes, it's sad that he's finally gone. I didn't mention him because he was before the 60s/70s pop era. But I agree he was great and incredibly durable, producing a hit -- Le Jardin d'Hiver five years ago when he was reaching 90. CB]

[Lily]

A

What about France Gall/Michel Berger

And Jean-Jacques Goldman - "The Boss" ??

(Are they too recent to qualify as 'oldies'?)

B

The you tube clip above leads back to the hygiene thread. My dentist told me that dentists in France were 'not allowed' ('c'est contre la loi') to employ dental hygienists! (and dentists wouldn't want to bother with cleaning their patient's teeth either.)

I didn't get through to the bottom of this. Isn't dental hygiene reimbursed? What's the story there?

C

Here's a link towards a French jazz musician - who has just brought out his first album, without a bar code on it.

'On m'a demandé si je voulais mettre un code barre - mais à quoi bon?, ai-je répondu.' -

http://www.myspace.com/jbhadrottrio
('suite for mr rh' - is my favourite)

Marketing could be a core problem if French music/culture doesn't pass cultural/linguistic borders.

[Rocket]

Textibule

Try this and save yourself some time

http://tinyurl.com/yuf337

IMHO some songs, poems etc whatever the language don't translate. One needs to have both cultures to appreciate

[dot king]

FRANCIS CABREL - How could I forget him? It would be like packing an overnight bag without a change of culotte.

ROCKET: "now we know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall"

I speak with some authority on this - the lines before are:
"I saw the news today, oh boy -
four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire -
and though the holes were rather small -
they had to count them all -
now they know ... etc"

I was personally acquainted with many of those 4000 holes, being a Blackburn girl, I can vouch for their existence and the origin of that line.
Gainsbourg was good, but he can't have all the credit in this case. :)

JOELLE: Dada posted two Jacques Dutronc links today and one earlier in the week.

Souchon (already mantioned) and Voulzy too, neither has a great voice (but then Johnny Cash couldn't sing), but they write great, intelligent songs, and are two extremely nice blokes who apparently frequent the same hairdresser.

It does take a little while to tune into French music when you've been outside of France, you have to get used to phrases like "pas de boogie woogie" (Eddie Mitchell - not surprised he called you "débile" Rocket - not because you are, but because that's what he's like - he was in a film partially shot in the town where I used to work and he was very surly and unpleasant to all who came across him).
And occasionally you're expected to accept whole new concepts such as "that great Italian rhythm'n'blues singer" (I've never managed that one).

I also agree about Téléphone, Rita Mitsouko.

There's a lot of creativity and originality around in French popular music today, it's unfair to "rubbish" it just because you haven't taken the time to listen and understand. "La chanson française" has to make sense, "shoop shoop" and "wallawalla bangbang" aren't enough (even if I love those too.

And I'll still back "Taratata" as one of the best live music shows anywhere.

[Albert]

As far as contemporary French pop goes, Benjamin Biolay is worth a listen.

[dot king]

As I was saying - how could I forget Francis Cabrel? - AZLOON if you like James Taylor, surely there's a little room for Francis? And here we hear his speaking voice - a lovely soft and rounded "accent d'ici" mm mmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6HmX6PQzfE

And here, just for the hell of it, is France's honorary "French" superstar. They love him. I understand this perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wG6Cgmgn5U

[textibule]

ROCKET:

Great link. Thank you. I note that it takes a "Project" to tackle Brassens translation, I feel better about my failed loner's effort.

[Rocket]

Hi Dot

"I was personally acquainted with many of those 4000 holes, being a Blackburn girl, I can vouch for their existence and the origin of that line."

Without a doubt the Beatles the best band ever. Lennon's voice, the best male voice ever! I guess people have been writing about holes since the beginning of time.

Now Dot just one more question.

Were those holes really small? (chuckle)

[Rocket]

Dot

"not surprised he called you "débile" Rocket "

From French rockers that call themselves Eddie or Johnny or DICK I take that as a compliment to be called debile!

[EYGH]

How about Gérard Manset, Maxime Le Forestier, William Sheller, Thomas Fersen et autres Bretons (Tri Yann, Yann Tiersen ...) ?

[elemjay]

What a lot of old dudes! How about some of the newer scene like Daft Punk and Versailles' favourite Air. Contemporary AND popular AND multinational appeal. There are some great French pop musicians who *are* still alive!

[Absolutely. I mentioned in a response back up this string that there's a lot of great current French music. I'll get to it later. But in the meantime let's mourn Henri Salvador. CB]

[Geneva]

If Charles thought this blog was going to refer to a non-controversial subject for once - he didn't count on the reactions of his redoutable army of readers.

I am new to his blog and this is my first post to say how fascinated I am by it and fast becoming addicted.

I reckon its the modern day equivalent of the 18th century French salon - feel I am eavesdropping on a circle of the cultured élite............long may it continue.

I picture Charles as a serious (ever so slighly introverted)typical English guy - who must be ever so slightly bemused at the amazing behemoth he has unleashed.

[How kind, Geneva. Welcome to our salon, which is I suppose what it is in a way. I don't know about cultured elite, but it's good to have so many people who are interested in the grand old "compare and contrast" between the French and Anglo civilisations. And I'm not really English or serious. It just sounds that way.]

[Julio]

Nobody mentionned Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine until now .
erreur réparée.

Perhaps I am "uninformed" and "prejudiced" but I can't understand how anyone who has heard Elvis (or even other great rockers) can listen to Hallyday. Hallyday is watered down wine. The French are indeed mysterious.

Tastes are subjective, of course, but usually greatness begets a host of imitators and crosses national borders. I am unaware of anyone imitating Hallyday and where are the great French groups that have crossed borders? Is the rest of the world simply "uninformed" and "prejudiced"?

Is there a reason Edith Piaf has not been mentioned? She is certainly one of a kind and a great singer - and well known outside of France. Maybe she did most of her singing before the 60's and is considered too old for this list?

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=DSyXQA4QiTw&feature=related

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=CXt6nd4CwVE

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=YK6IJ-Jz82I

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=kKVAWXm5lFY&feature=related

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=fHhUMQLw1rA&feature=related

[Dominique]

did anyone heard about JUSTICE's D-A-N-C-E?

As a matter of fact, new blood no longer sing in french. unfortunatly.

[isobel]

This latest thread has been really useful for filling in the many gaps in my knowledge about French music.Thanks to Dot for the youtube link to Olivia Ruiz "J'traine des pieds" - I'd heard that catchy tune so many times but didn't know who the singer was.

[Marguerite.]

Barbara merite d'etre parmi les "grands", au meme titre que Brel et Brassens et loin devant Polnareff.
Dans la liste des moins grands, il y a aussi Pierre Perret qui a ecrit des textes tres droles.

[Rocket]

Yes Geneva

A warm hearty welcome.

Sometimes the cultured elites in our little salon get like this

http://tinyurl.com/2lyut8

[Rocket]

Sorry to interrupt the thread. But I saw Sarko on tv the last two nights Is it me or is he dying his hair?

Charles? Got any inside info on this?

[Paul]

[I am unaware of anyone imitating Hallyday and where are the great French groups that have crossed borders? Is the rest of the world simply "uninformed" and "prejudiced"?]

You are uninformed and prejudiced, because french groups do cross borders, simply not yours, and because you equate "the rest of the world" with the anglo world.

[V's Third Friend (would that be Lily?... Naah)]

Rocket: I must protest, your little movie gives a most mistaken idea as to the outcome of that battle of giants :D

[azloon]

To: the Anonymous Blogger who suggested the true measure of musical greatness is universal imitation, using Elvis as an example and Halladay as the pale imitator. Halladay's swiss home will never be Graceland, and it's doubtful the japanese prime minister will ever ask sarko to take him there, as he did bush about Graceland.

And i included Piaf as a great french chanteuse not mentioned.

Serge Reggiani, who i asked mentioned, apparently goes so far back that no one on this board was born when he was popular. it was several years after the battle of waterloo, my first year at university, if i recall correctly.

a couple of folks here had mentioned the sachrine, sameness to a lot of french pop music, much like the Patti Page ("how much is that doggie in the window?)/Doris Day era of 50s american music.

it reminds me a little of mariachi music in mexico. common mexican's love it and it blares constantly from radios of mexican workers in the u.s. (there are as many spanish language radio stations in arizona as english ones). but it gets pretty old to these anglo ears pretty fast.

jazz, CBs preference, may have got a boost when Herbie Hancock won the Grammy this week for best album of the year for a tribute collection based on the music of joni mitchell, another icon of modern american music.

[Roger Leale]

Only one mention of Edith Piaf ! !
For millions of non-francophones Edith IS the sound of France, even more so than an accordian! Just to hear the opening bars of 'Mi'Lord', 'La Vie en Rose', or 'Non, Je ne Regrette Rien' means France to them!

[Yes Piaf was great, but my post was just about sixties and early seventies stars. Piaf was very much a singer of the 40s and 50s. Her last hit -- Je ne regrette rien -- was 1960. CB]

[Stephanie]

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Henri Salvador I just adored his Chambre ave vue along with a few million others

[SEVEN BLOGGERS OUT OF TEN]

IT'S FEBRUARY 14TH!

We interrupt this thread for the following announcement:

Roses are red
All over the blog
Happy Valentine's Day
To our adopted, naturalized Frog.

Blogs are read
Roses are yellow
Happy Valentine's Day
To a controversial fellow.

We wish you a Happy Valentine's Day
(By a narrow margin of votes)
Enjoy it while it lasts, Val --
Tomorrow we'll be back at each others' throats.

[john o'doe]

I knew this Sarko abstinence couldn't last but I'm worried that Rocket is right, he's dyeing (not dying) his hair. Power takes its toll but not usually so quickly.
There was the row about Chirac's hearing aid, Gerhard Schroeder's hair colour and photos showed how office had damaged Tony Blair's physique over the years.
Sarko has only been president for a few months but he's wearing badly. I'd guess the hyperactivity, daily jet travel, divorce, remarriage, his mother, his mother-in-law, Scooter's Neuilly shootout and the plunging ratings have turned the poor little man's hair prematurely grey.

[Hope]

Dominique, Justice are great, I agree, although they've picked the wrong name IMO. There's also Aaron and The Do as other examples of French groups singing in (good) English.

[Red-headed Admirer]

ODE TO VALENTIN -- UNFINISHED MASTERPIECE

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You'll be a wonderful specimen
When we're finished with you.

Un-aggressive, considerate,
Humble, frank –
Girls will be delighted!
They'll have this blog to thank.

Oh Valentin! My Valentine!
I will be your slave!
But only when you've attained perfection –
Until then – behave!!

[john o'doe]

Bonne fête, Valentin, wherever you are hiding.

[dot king]

"Sometimes the cultured elites in our little salon get like this"
(rocket - who else?)
great clip! can't think what you must be referring to though. . . .

I think that must be Inspecteur Clouseau's "moeuth"

[Rocket]

Actually I was thinking about Terry battling his 75€ chicken. hi hi hi.

For you and the slight misunderstanding that seems to be going down (I haven't been following it but will try to be "assidu" in the future). I dedicate this one to you.

http://tinyurl.com/2wp6us

[Ray Everitt]

Ah, Boby Lapointe,I once sang
"Ta Pas Ta Pas Ta Pas Tout" to a crowd of young english acting students, and they asked me "What was the 'CAJUN' song I'd just sang! Terrific!

[dot king]

ROCKET : loved it thanks - I've always fancied myself as a bit of a Buffy "je suis la Tueuse, LA Tueuse"
Nothing like giving some vampires a good kicking!
(That is me BTW in the clip) ;0

[dot king]

I can see Azloon isn't going to give us any peace until he gets this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLn8u0bjb2c

Didn't Mr Reggiani die last year? Of course some of us are (nearly) old enough to have heard of him! Don't feel so alone.

I sense Azloon stressed out because he hasn't decided how to vote - there's only one way to deal with a man who hasn't decided whether he's a Republican or a Democrat :-

don't take him for granted
he's had a hard time
don't misunderstand him
or mess with his mind
you ought to know
he's the sensitive kind
; }

[millier marc]

for the english people who could understand french. please listen to the song of Barbara.
her voice is so special and songs incredible .
my favorit is NANTES. I like also "le petit bois".
gotingen.
Barbara is so special
unhappy she died quiet young.

[azloon]

DOT -

so there WAS a singer named serge reggiani (RIP). i wasn't hallucinating (though there was a lot of that going on back then). he obviously was hugely popular judging from the overwhelming response to my mention of him. i thought i was 'shouting down a well," until you kindly responded. he is on my top ten list, along with brell and piaf. four through ten are blank, though i promise to listen to some of the favorites mentioned here, esp. by you.

i'm not 'stressed' by the election. "I'M FIRED UP" as obama repeatedly tells his frenzied followers. if you want to see a 'cult of personality' in action watch obama. it's a sign of how sick and weary americans are of 'le debacle de bush.'

[V]

Thanks John and others. Still at work, so nothing smart or funny comes to mind but thanks (redhead: unaggressive? hmm I'd rather tend to agree with Terry on that :) )

[Lily]

"if you want to see a 'cult of personality' in action watch obama."

Azloon,

this sounds as if Blendi Progri's senses, maybe, weren't betraying him, after all, while the 'cult of personality' doesn't automatically imply that Obama would be a bad US President.

[Maggie G]

"CBs preference, may have got a boost when Herbie Hancock won the Grammy this week for best album of the year for a tribute collection based on the music of joni mitchell, another icon of modern american music."

Azloon, just in case you're not aware -- Joni Mitchell is from Saskatchewan, and she's still Canadian, last time I heard.

[azloon]

[while the 'cult of personality' doesn't automatically imply that Obama would be a bad US President] Lily

yes, Lily, i would emphasize this aspect of my observation. some of the exultation about obama makes me a little uncomfortable, but i liked the beatles too and they had a legions of adoring 'groupies.'

[john o'doe]

French television ruined the Superbowl for me by talking over most of the halftime concert by the great Bob Seger. The big dummy of a presenter explained that this was an artist little known to the French public (and someone the kid had probably never heard of) so he could get back to endless babble on the game.

[azloon]

Maggie -

my bad re joni mitchell.

there are so many talented Canadians performing in the u.s., it's hard to keep up with them.

she still is an icon of american pop music, albeit a north american icon. :)

[rocket]

John

Subscribe to NASN (If you have numericable) like I did. You get all of the big NFL and MLB games in English direct from the US. Also much more.

http://www.nasn.com/

[rocket]

Dominique

did anyone heard about JUSTICE's D-A-N-C-E?

God. That is one horrible music. All synthesizer really easy to do on a home PC. I advanced the video on Youtube and I continually got the same beat. Ugh! As one comment said epileptic music.

[Daniel Strohl]

Azloon,

"there are so many talented Canadians performing in the u.s., it's hard to keep up with them".

Tu sais parler aux dames! Un compliment, même s'il est un peu exagéré, leur fait toujours plaisir!

[Daniel Strohl]

Azloon,

"there are so many talented Canadians performing in the u.s., it's hard to keep up with them".

Tu sais parler aux dames! Un compliment, même s'il est un peu exagéré, leur fait toujours plaisir!

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

Now there's a bizarre story - an Englishman (Ray Everitt, above) singing the words of Boby Lapointe, and the British student actors thinking he was singing a Cajun song.
When Truffaut, while filming Shoot the Pianist, heard the lyrics of Boby Lapointe, who followed the great tradition of the troubadours, the lyric poets of the 12th and 13th centuries whose language was Occitan, he was forced to put sub-titles in FRENCH on the screen for the cinema-going populace. Who says the Entente Cordiale is dead?

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

P.S. The Beatles (note their Irish names: Lennon, McCartney, Starr) were influenced by Peggy Lee and Little Richard, but who influenced all those listed above? Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grapelli, Piaf, Claude Luter and Sydney Bechet. Luter spent the long hot summers in the Rue de la Huchette and Le Vieux Colombier and sent his wife and son off to Cala D'Or, Majorca, for 3 months' swimming and sunbathing
Bechet, surely an honorary Frenchman (He began one disc with the words: "All ma folks wuz Frenchmens..." died in the Paris he loved on 14 May 1959. Let us hope France is doing something to celebrate the 50th anniversary next year.

[dot king]

Two short journeys this afternoon with "Système Disque" on the radio. "Système Disque" is a programme about the music industry rather than about music, but also keeps the listener up-to-date with the latest releases, whether French, UK, US, or elsewhere.
I heard two new French releases and one American which, to my ears at any rate, show that either side of the Atlantic, not everything is necessarily a source of nationalistic musical pride.

Firstly, Baz Baz (I think that must be how it's spelt, never seen it written) and wondered why on earth he had a career in singing. Previously to him, setting off, I'd heard the tail end of Raphaël's latest song - it's always been a mystery to me where the interest lies - no voice or personality to speak of, but he's un joli garçon (depending on your taste of course).
On the second leg of the journey, an American new release was announced. Sorry, I haven't retained the name of the interpreter (the word "singer" doesn't apply), but I understood that this new release was long-awaited, that on this CD there were new versions of old songs, like this one . . .
Well, blow me down, I hadn't known that when he wrote "while my guitar gently weeps", George Harrison had included the words (and these were the only ones you could make out)
f-ck, f-cking, motherf-cking and nigger, the last two used occasionally in conjunction. True, from time to time some mournful boopdedoops sang something that MIGHT have been "while my guitar gently weeps", but it didn't sound like it.
Voilà, on est quitte?

[squiggle]

More votes for Édith Piaf, Jacques Dutronc and Air (even if they've taken to singing in English). France Gall's early stuff. More recently, Plastiscines and Les Shades. French music is a source of great pleasure for this South African, and so is other francophone popular music: Dumas, Les Cowboys Fringants, Amadou et Mariam...

[Antoine Delord]

Charles, as you're going to write a post on current French singers please check out these two: Mathieu Boogaerts and Jeanne Cherhal. Boogaerts in particular is an absolute genius!

Bonne découverte !

[millier marc]

I have appreciated the last cd of THOMAS DUTRONC.
Thomas likes very much jazz music.as django etc ,le jazz manouche.
Its was a great pleasure to hear it.

[isobel]

My god, although I'd heard of Thomas Dutronc I'd never seen him until I looked him up on youtube just now - isn't he the "portrait craché" of his father!

[millier marc]

yes he is!!!!
and his mother is Françoise hardy.
this cd is a good surprise .

il est nonmé pour les victoires de la musique.

[azloon]

[Tu sais parler aux dames! Un compliment, même s'il est un peu exagéré, leur fait toujours plaisir!] Daniel re my comments to Maggie

my former wife probably wouldn't agree with you. :)

and my comment really isn't much of an exaggeration: kd laing, neil young, joni mitchell are only three of dozens of Canadians who've starred in the u.s.

among film stars and comedians, there are even more (dan ackroyd, john candy, michael j. fox) who are canucks (mildly derogatory, but affectionate term for canadians).

Maggie, i just heard an album of kd laing's called "Ode to the Forty-eighth Parallel," a tribute/cover album of songs by Canadians. it's quite nice.

[azloon]

Maggie

p.s. on kd laing

i heard her interviewed on 60 minutes (i think) last week (the same show sarko stormed out of) and she was quite funny.

Interviewer: well, i hear you are in a relationship now and it's going on six years.

Laing: yeah, that's 28 in 'straight' years.

:)

[dada]

http://ce-soir-ou-jamais.france3.fr/article.php?id_article=434&id_rubrique=202&video=20080219_live.wmv

[Jon Jon]

One has to agree with Aznavour. "France does lyrics, not tunes" Because most English speaking stars (I'm talking Dylan or The Beatles) don't really bonify in being translated to French. Even in English, it's average at best and can be dreadful (I mean "she loves you yeah yeah yeah....") English is a very musical language hence it does sound good for music, that's why it's popular throughout the world. It's nothing to do with cultural hegemony. Besides the anglophones, the rest of the world doesn't understand what is sung, and it's better for these singers (most French people think "Born in the USA" is some kind of Reaganite/ Bushist song!!!!).
It's like doing haiku in English or French. It can be good, but nowhere near the original ones in Japanese because the language structure is what it is. Same thing with French pop. So English is good for the music no doubt.
Also everyone spits on Halliday and ridicules him, but his rock'n roll covers are to his career what the cheesy Hawaiian songs are to Elvis'. Yet I don't remember people judging Elvis only on the crap he churned out in his awful movies... Most foreigners don't know anything about Halliday except the usual sneer from the US/UK journalists . I like Elvis songs of the 70's and Halliday does compare to Elvis voicewise, even with a language that doesn't help (American Trilogy vs. Le chant des partisans, or J'la croise tous les matins, etc.) But no, Halliday has to be crap 'cause French music sucks (except when covered in English of course...)

[gisèle]

I'm talking Dylan or The Beatles) don't really bonify in being translated to French. Even in English, it's average at best and can be dreadful *jonjon*

you are right here - I am waiting still for someone to explain me the meaning of "she's the queen of the slipstream"
it is a nice song, but what is it talking about?

[rocket]

Jon Jon

When the song we are the world came out in 1985

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World

I had French people literally coming up to me asking "How dare you Americans consider yourself the center of the world".

As per your Beatles remarks, I totally disagree. The refrain on she loves you was

"She'd love to" and nearly got banned at the time.

And when I touch you.. It's such a feeling that my love....I can't hide (or I get high)

Then after that the good stuff really started.

"France does lyrics, not tunes"

That's because they are tone deaf. (but it's not their fault. Just the reason for their difference) The French language only goes up to 2500HZ and no dipthongues. English goes up to 12500HZ

Gisèle

"Even in English, it's average at best and can be dreadful *jonjon*"

Too bad you missed the whole Beatles thing!

McCartney once said playing in Paris was a real trip.

In other countries where they played it was a majority of girls who were in the audience and screaming and in France it was a majority of young boys who were in the audience and screaming.

http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/beatles/beatles-paris4.shtml

Ringo recalled, “These boys chased us all over Paris. Before, we'd been more used to girls. The audience was a roar instead of a scream; it was a bit like when we played Stowe boys' school.”

Also nice to notice the rave critics they got in France

http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/beatles/beatles-paris3.shtml

The French critics were harsh in their reviews and Victor Mulchrome, writing in the Daily Mail, commented, “Beatlemania is still, like Britain’s entry into the Common Market, a problem the French prefer to put off for a while.” The French newspaper France Soir referred to the Beatles as ‘delinquents’ and ‘has-beens.’

The Beatles in Paris

http://tinyurl.com/yujgpc

[dada]

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=iowzq1QtE_I

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=5QyMpY1ptLw&feature=related

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ji6ZvXYIRfg