La chanson du jour - French songs 101

Death of Jeanne Moreau: fin du tourbillon de sa vie...

Jeanne Moreau died on July 31. Below is a copy of the 2009 post about Le Tourbillon de la vie (1962). See also J'ai la mémoire qui flanche (1963) and this tribute by Patrick Bruel.

 

Jeanne Moreau sings Le tourbillon de la vie in the film Jules et Jim by François Truffaut.

Lyrics by author Serge Rezvani (pseudo Cyrus Bassiak) Music by Georges Delerue (not always credited).

Monopolis by Daniel Balavoine and Fabienne Thibeault

On YT. Merci Abigail for sharing it :)

A book about Claude François

The interview is in Libération. The book is called: la Chanson exactement. L’art difficile de Claude François, by Philippe Chevallier.

What are the best songs of ... Joe Dassin?

I looked at various selections of 'best songs of Joe Dassin' on YouTube and it's interesting to see how they differ (see below). As for me, here are the five songs I prefer (extracted from those lists)

 Guantanamera (1966) - 20:54, Siffler sur la colline (1968) - 12:39, Les Champs-Élysées (1969) - 01:25:38 , L'Amérique (1970) - 30:06, L'Été indien (1975) - 01:13:05

Wikipedia sort of agrees: 

By the early 1970s, Dassin's songs were on the top of the charts in France and he had become immensely popular in that country. He recorded songs in German, Spanish, Italian and Greek, as well as French and English. Among his most popular songs are "Les Champs-Élysées" (Originally "Waterloo Road") (1969), "Salut les amoureux" (originally "City of New Orleans") (1973), "L'Été indien" (1975), and "Et si tu n'existais pas" (1975).

Un club chansons à l'Alliance française de Napa Valley

Une initiative intéressante, même s'il n'y a guère de détails sur le site. I asked for more info.

42 years ago: l'été indien, Joe Dassin

Still surfing, I listen to l'été indien, hit of 1975. Interesting to read the story of the song created by italian authors (among them Toto Cutugno) and adapted in French by Pierre Delanoe. A more detailed story in Wikipedia (chanson).

52 years ago Capri c'est fini and Aline (in 1965)

Surfing on line I find this post about Capri c'est fini and Aline. Both were tremendous successes but -at least for me- the authors did not create any significant song after those. I remember the covers :)

Christophe wears a "madras' shirt: they were very trendy at the time.

For the twentieth anniversary of Barbara's death

A long article in Le Monde about Barbara, her many songs and many fans.

My little book of French songs (first draft version)

My little book of French songs, in a first draft version (meaning it still needs some work but it will help me get going and it will incorporate your feedback) is now available via Blurb.com. Warning: sorry, the book does not offer the lyrics of the songs that are listed (for copyright issues). You can find the lyrics on line. I recommend this Russian site devoted to sharing the lyrics of thousands of french songs but by just googling the title of the songs and lyrics/paroles you should immediately find many options. 

 

A short bibliography

2016: Dictionnaire amoureux de la chanson française, par Bertand Dicale, chez Plon

2016: Les tubes, ça s'écrivait comme ça: La parole aux paroliers, par Baptiste Vignol et Vincent Baguian, Édition La Tengo

2013: Chansons: la bande son de notre histoire, par Louis-Jean Calvet, chez Archipel

2013: Le top 100 des chansons que l'on devrait tous connaître par coeur, par Baptiste Vignol, Édition Didier Charpentier (Paris)

2011: Les chansons qui ont tout changé, par Bertrand Dicale, Éditions Fayard

2011: Série de 41 articles "La France en chansons" publiés dans Le Figaro (et sur Europe 1)

2009: Les miscellanées de la chanson française, par Bertrand Dicale, Éditions Fetjaine

2006: 100 ans de chanson française (1905-2005), par Louis-Jean Calvet, chez Archipel

2004: Souvenirs, souvenirs, 100 ans de chanson française, par Bertrand Bonnieux, Élisabeth Giuliani et Pascal Corderaix, Gallimard

1987: Les mots qu'on n'a pas dits, 96 chansons, par Yves Duteil, Éditions de l'Écritoire/Nathan

1986: La clef des chants, La chanson dans la classe de français, par Brian Thompson, University of Massachusetts, Boston

1968: Dictionnaire de la chanson française, par France Vernillat et Jacques Charpentreau, Larousse

1963: Dans la série poésie et chansons, chansons d'aujourd'hui, aux éditions Seghers, Georges Brassens (par Alphonse Bonnafé).

La série Chanons d'aujourd'hui comportait d'autres titres conscrés à Barbara, Béart, Aznavour, Brel, Ferré, Gainsbourg, Leclerc, Trénet, Vigneault...

Dictionnaire amoureux de la chanson française, by Bertrand Dicale

Bertrand Dicale published in 2016 a new book about French songs. In French (via Amazon). Read below his introduction: a passionate and accurate presentation of the importance on 'popular' songs in our culture. Thank you Bertrand.

 

December 28: Death of Pierre Barouh

I missed the announcement about the death of Pierre Barouh on December 28. Un homme, une femme, à bicyclette, des ronds dans l'eau...    

Une soirée avec Serge Gainsbourg 1982

Sur France Culture

Qui décide des petites musiques qui nous habiteront pour la vie? Farewell Leonard...

Sur Rue89, Daniel Schneiderman, Léonard Cohen, Suzanne, Françoise Hardy, Graeme Allwright: Qui décide des petites musiques qui nous habiteront pour la vie?

On YouTube Leonard explains how the rights of Suzanne were stolen from him before singing. Graeme Allwright sings Suzanne (with Jean-Félix Lalanne à la guitare) and the Françoise Hardy's version.

Le son du jour - The sound of the day, by Libération

I just discovered this regular chronicle, Le son du jour, in Libération about new sounds and new singers/songs. Unfortunately among the ones I have listened to I could not find any that I liked :( 

I'll keep listening though or try as what is more unpleasant than having to listen to somethings you don't like?

Ce n'est rien, by Gérard Lenorman

On YouTube.

When INA tries to share it's recordings on Youtube

On Youtube, INA proposes different selections: by year and also a weekly selection "Compil INA chansons". Not many viewers. Much less than when the selection is centered on only one artist or only one song (I think). 

Avec le temps by Bernard Lavilliers

On YouTube et ici Hiba Tawaji.

Three versions of Ce n'est rien

This one by Barbara, Julien Clerc ('older self") with a crowd and the original.  Etienne Roda Gil est le co-auteur.

Mort de Michel Delpech

Je me souviens surtout de Vue d'avion... L'annonce dans Libé et interview archives de Libé. Un montage vidéo dans Le Monde. Incarnation des années 70, un des meilleurs chanteurs (selon François Hollande)...