La chanson du jour - French songs 101

Remembering Michel Berger (who died 20 years ago)

In French, a story on RFI.

France Gall: Ca balance pas mal à Paris (1976)

Duo with Michel Berger. YouTube

Françoise Hardy: Message personnel (1973)

Françoise Hardy sings Message personnel (music and lyrics Michel Berger). The spoken introduction was written by Françcoise Hardy and she also found the title, according to Wikipedia fr that also explains the genesis of the album.

Michel Berger: Le paradis blanc (1990)

Michel Berger: Le paradis blanc.

 

Michel Berger: L'amour est là (1974)

Just a little envy of Michel Berger: L'amour est là.

France Gall: Si, Maman si (1977)

 Si Maman si, to close this week devoted to France Gall.

France Gall: Résiste (1981)

 Résiste, written by Michel Berger is part of the album Tout pour la musique.

France Gall: Evidemment (1988)

Evidemment is a song written by Michel Berger in memory of Daniel Balavoine (I did not know), by France Gall (YouTube) and also by Lara Fabian (from a TV show) and Kate Ryan (here her Wikipedia notice that tell us about other songs she sang by Michel Berger)

Daniel Balavoine: SOS d'un terrien en détresse (Starmania - 1978)

SOS d'un terrien en détresse by Daniel Balavoine from the Rock-Opera Starmania (Michel Berger - Luc Plamondon)

France Gall: La déclaration d'amour (1974)

France Gall sings La déclaration d'amour (music and lyrics by Michel Berger, of course). it was the first song he wrote for her. Here is another version i did not know about, by Vanessa Paradis.

Jacques Higelin and Michel Berger: Le débit de lait (Charles Trénet) (1943)

Jacques Higelin and Michel Berger perform this 1942 song by Charles Trénet. I found it by chance on YouTube while looking for songs by Jacques Higelin. Here is the version by Charles Trénet. And here is where you can see Berger and Higelin since they have been taken away from YouTube.

France Gall: Besoin d'amour (1978)

France Gall sings Besoin d'amour, from the Rock Opera Starmania by Michel Berger for the music and Luc Plamondon for the lyrics.

Lyrics

Christophe: Je veux chanter pour ceux (Hommage à Michel Berger) 2007

Christophe sings in November 2007 on France 2 Je veux chanter pour ceux (qui sont loin de chez eux) written by Michel Berger in 1985. I still think the best performance was by Salif Keita in the hommage to Michel Berger in January 1993 (on France 2 as well) but I could not find it on line.
Lyrics
Amazon MP3 not available

Vanessa Paradis: La minute de silence (1993)

As part of a collective tribute to Michel Berger (who died on August 2, 1992) , Vanessa Paradis sings La minute de silence. Michel Berger used to sing this song (written in 1983) with his friend Daniel Balavoine.

The tribute was aired on the French TV channel Fr2 on January 25, 1993. Vanessa sings with Alain Lanty playing the piano.

Lyrics

No Amazon MP3

France Gall: Ella Elle l'a (Michel Berger, 1987)

Ella Elle l'a is an homage to Ella Fitzgerald composed by Michel Berger for his wife France Gall.

YouTube

Michel Berger (1947-1992)  was one of the most gifted composers (music and lyrics) of the 70/80s. France Gall interpreted many songs he wrote for her: plenty of energy. 2009 was the 30th anniversary of the famous Rock Opéra "Starmania" ('Tycoon" in the English version) by Berger (music) and Plamondon (lyrics) we'll listen to very soon. For this occasion a new operatic version has been made by the opéras of Montréal and Québec but I have not listened to it (yet).