Notre Dame De Paris |
Notre Dame De Paris Live |
Céline Dion
Chante Plamondon |
Céline Dion
Des Mots Qui Sonnent |
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The Notre Dame de Paris albums (same tracks for stage and album)
was quite an experience. Over 30 singers took part in the recording
and I did my best to direct them for producers Richard Cocciante,
Jannick Top and Serge Pérathoner. Big pop sessions are always
fun - and the more the merrier... if you're willing to be patient
that is.
Needless to say I was very impressed by Céline Dion : a real singing
machine - and a very warm, lovely person. These sessions took
place in Michel Berger's private recording facility. Now that
Céline has become an international star, I'm sure she is very
much the same person as she was all those years ago, a warm, sensitive
and talented young lady.
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Vanessa Paradis
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Bob Geldof
Deep in the Heart of Nowhere |
Johnny Hallyday
Ca ne Change pas... |
Françis Cabrel
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I had a wonderful time recording for these four albums. For Bob
Geldof produced by Rupert Hine, I was VERY pregnant, and Bob was
very concerned I wouldn't have my baby in the studio !
The Vanessa Paradis album is my favourite in all these years :
rock'n'roll all the way - 12 tracks of backing vocals (who would
know ?) - recording, and re-recording with every new lyric by
Serge Gainsbourg. An outstanding production for Vanessa by Frank
Langolf and Vanessa herself who is one of the most beautiful and
intelligent french female performers I have met yet.
Now Johnny Hallyday is a living rock legend in France, and he
seems to think so too. The sessions we recorded for him and with
him were by far the loudest I've ever done - rock tracks are really
a lot of fun to do, and this album was no exception !
As for Francis Cabrel, he is a very sensitive character, his music
probably one of my favourites, not only to perform but even to
listen to.
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Michel Berger
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Berger / Gall
Double jeu |
Tycoon
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Syvie Vartan
Live in Sofia |
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Michel Berger was a very gifted and sensual songwriter. I very
much enjoyed working for him. Refined in his manner, intuitive
and special, his death has caused us all a loss that can only
be compensated by the fact that his music is recorded and played
again and again by many french artists to this day. The recordings
of his most famous musical "Starmania" in English, titled "Tycoon",
written by Tim Rice, was a great moment. I know he put great hopes
in this english project, that came to a halt with his sudden death.
Peter Kingsbury's performance is definately the best on the whole
album in english that also inlcudes Bros, Nina Hagen, Cyndi Lauper
and Céline Dion.
The Sylvie Vartan album is from the live "Return of the Native"
show in Sofia produced and broadcast by french national television.
A chance for us all to visit Bulgaria in the flesh and to realize
the hardships of democracy...
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Patricia Kass
Scène de Vie
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Marie Myriam
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Richard Clayderman
Desperado |
Nana Mouskouri
Couleur Gospel |
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Patricia Kass' album was produced by a variety of arrangers and
producers. The particular track recorded here was done with Frank
Langolf who had produced the Vanessa Paradis album.
Marie Myriam is the last french artist to have won the European
song contest. During this album, Marie and I became good friends.
Marie has an incredible voice, a warm and generous personality,
and above all, is a fantastic female entertainer. When a crowd
gets rowdy or rude, she knows exactly how to handle the situation,
always with a smile - gracefully winning over the entire audience
- amazing !
Richard Clayderman albums are rarely sung, but we did some backing
tracks for 2 of them, of which the one above, plus a video, with
a band and dancers etc... the whole nine yards - Hollywood style!
Nana Mouskouri's Gospel Album was another great moment with over
15 singers in studio Guillaume Tell's big room. Put a bunch of
Americans in a studio and try to get them to concentrate long
enough to record 7 or 8 gospel songs - and you're sure to have
good time, if you can afford it. In the end, we finally made it
through the giggles, jokes and attitude. The result is on the
album : spirit and mood in every groove !
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Again, more male french artists, and nothing special comes to
mind. The fun album here was the Zizi Jeanmaire recording. First
of all because Zizi has an extraordinary personality and she truly
is a grand lady with stories going back to the 50s & 60s including
her personal experiences with Boris Vian and other famous writers
in the days of the Nouvelle Vague Renaissance; Zizi had decided
with husband Roland Petit , director of the National Ballet in
Marseille, to produce her last show, at the age of 70 (!) in homage
to her lost friend Serge Gainsbourg. With Jannick Top and Serge
Pérathoner, this show was not only outstanding musically but proved
to many that talent & authenticity is often missing in these more
modern ages. A standing ovation.
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Daniel Seff
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David Marouani
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Francky Vincent
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Franky Vincent
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Daniel Seff is a fantastic singer and songwriter. The french language
is certainly not an easy one and few have been successful in writing
for the pop world. This album was not a hit, but deserved to be,
at least I think so. Produced by Francis Cabrel. Now a word for
Franky Vincent, the West Indies' biggest star. Not only is he
fun to be with and to record for, he is also quite a gentleman
with the ladies. A chance for us western girls to learn to sing
in creole and to try and keep up with the particularities of the
carribean beat - a difficult exercise when you've been born and
raised on the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel.
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Pierre Bachelet
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Pierre Bachelet
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François Valery
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Claude Salmieri
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Pierre Bachelet is the french Bob Dylan in the sense that his
lyrics are magical even though his artistic charisma doesn't quite
make the grade. There's a lot of me on these albums...too much
probably ! Nothing much to say for François Valéry, nor for Claude
Salmieri...."work" I'm not even sure I should mention !
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