The
popular history of French music in the 60s often pits two opposing sides
against each other: the polished ‘varieté’ of the yéyé stars like Françoise
Hardy against the socially-engaged singer-songwriters like Léo Ferré, but the
story is far more complex.
Alongside
their better-known work, stars like Dalida, Dutronc and Sheila recorded music
that happily sits next to more ‘serious’ – and often forgotten – socially
engaged artists like Jehan Jonas and Michèle Arnaud. This compilation shines a
light on the meeting point between these two seemingly disparate styles and the
musicians behind them.
Digging
deeper into the stories behind the music there is a unifying theme behind the
different worlds: more often than not the players behind both styles were the
same. Sometimes dismissed as journeymen that were operating at the outer
reaches of their ability, the oft-ignored session musicians and arrangers held
a wealth of knowledge and ‘savoir-faire’, not only in the lyrics and
composition but also in the musical ability, recording, mixing and above all in
the arrangements.
Even
Serge Gainsbourg – perhaps the only artist of the time who managed to combine
huge popular and critical success – collaborated with arrangers (and cult
figures in French music) like Michel Colombier and Jean-Claude Vannier for his
epoch-defining classics, and it is the work of these unsung figures that is
celebrated here.
- CD
digipak with 28 pages booklet w/liner notes in English/French
- LP
with double page inner sleeve with full liner notes in English/French
Tracklisting:
01.
Michèle Arnaud – La chanson de Tessa (1964)
02.
Dalida – Je me repose (1968)
03.
Sheila (Jean Claudric) – Long sera l’hiver (version playback orchestre) (1969)
04. Jane
Birkin – Kawasaki (1973)
05.
Christophe – The girl from Salina Part.3 (B.O.F. – La route de Salina) (1970)
06.
Jacqueline Taïeb – Ce soir, je m’en vais (1967)
07. Michel
Colombier – Canon (1969)
08. Ann
Sorel – L’amour à plusieurs (1972)
09.
Jacques Dutronc – Proverbes (1968)
10.
Tonio Rubio – Bass In Action (1973)
11.
Jehan Jonas – Nocturnes (1969)
12.
Serge Gainsbourg – Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais (version playback
orchestre) (1973)
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