Alain Bashung | |
|---|---|
 Bashung in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Alain Claude Baschung (1947-12-01)1 December 1947 Paris, France |
| Died | 14 March 2009(2009-03-14) (aged 61) Paris, France |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1966–2009 |
| Labels | Barclay |
Alain Bashung (bornAlain Claude Baschung,French pronunciation:[alɛ̃klodbaʃuŋ]; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the Frenchchanson in "a time of French musical turmoil",[2] he is often regarded as the most importantFrench rock musician afterSerge Gainsbourg.[3] He rose to prominence in the early 1980s with hit songs such as "Gaby oh Gaby" and "Vertige de l'amour", and later had a string of hit records from the 1990s onward, such as "Osez Joséphine", "Ma petite entreprise" and "La nuit je mens". He has had an influence on many later French artists, and is the most awarded artist in theVictoires de la Musique history with 12 victories obtained throughout his career.
Bashung'sPlay blessures (1982),Osez Joséphine (1991), andFantaisie militaire (1998) have made multiple French lists of the greatest albums.L'Imprudence (2002) andBleu pétrole (2008), the last two studio albums released during his lifetime, also garnered acclaim.[4] Bashung died at 61 after a two-year fight with lung cancer.
Alain Baschung (he later dropped the "c" from his surname) was the son of aBreton mother working in a rubber factory and anAlgerian father, whom he never knew.[5] His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent toWingersheim, nearStrasbourg to live with his stepfather's parents.[6] He spent his childhood in the countryside, in a rather conservative environment, alongside a grandmother who did not speak French.[7] He discovered music during his childhood, notablyKurt Weill'sMahagonny, and began to practice with a Rosebudharmonica offered to him when he was five. He also was involved inbasketball andcycling, and sang in the church choir in Wingersheim.
He came back to Paris in 1959, where he discovered the great chanson artists, and thenrock artists such asGene Vincent,Buddy Holly (whom he admired deeply), andElvis Presley.[7] While studying (before dropping out after he was awarded aBTS inaccountancy from theÉcole nationale de commerce in 1965),[7] he formed a band calledLes Dunces playingfolk music androckabilly.
He later formed a band with musicians met inRoyan, and then began to tour in restaurants, hotels and U.S. military bases. He began his career with his firstEP, "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ?" in 1966, which he wrote and composed. At the same time, he joined theRCA label to become amusic arranger. He wrote songs for French artists. In June 1967, at thePalais des Sports of Paris, he was the opening act (alongsideNoël Deschamps andRonnie Bird) of artists such asthe Pretty Things,the Troggs orCream.[7][8]
In 1968, he released his first single, "Les Romantiques", which was largely ignored by the public and unsuccessful.[9] Around that time, he dropped the "c" from his name and spent some time at the house of fellow singerChristophe.
From 1972 to 1974, he composed some of the music and cowrote three albums and three singles (including "Marilou") for French rock singerDick Rivers.[7] In 1973, he playedRobespierre in the musicalLa Révolution française byClaude-Michel Schönberg.[7]
In 11 years, he released no less than four EPs and ten singles, one under the moniker of David Bergen, and two others in 1976 and 1977 as Hendrick Darmen, composer for a band calledMonkey Bizness. All of them failed to have any impact.
He then met sound engineer Andy Scott and lyricist Boris Bergman. Together, they realized his first albumRoman-photos, with a country and rockabilly sound, which was a commercial failure aspunk rock was rising. In 1979, he produced another album,Roulette russe, darker and leaning more openly toward rock. In 1980, he released the single "Gaby oh Gaby", which became his breakthrough success (selling more than a million copies).[7]
His critical and commercial success was confirmed with his next album,Pizza, which allowed him, thanks to his second hit success, "Vertige de l'amour", to tour in prestigious locations, such as theOlympia. However, he broke with Bergman at the time.[citation needed]
In 1982, Bashung released an album calledPlay blessures, written bySerge Gainsbourg. The album, in contrast with its immediate predecessor, is dark, minimalistic and inaccessible. The album was intended to break away from his unexpected success. It was a commercial and, at first, critical failure,[7] Bashung being called by some the "Johnny Hallyday ofnew wave".[10] Yet, it is now considered a classic album in France.
In 1983, he produced another dark album,Figure imposée, which also met with little success. However, in 1984 he made peace with Boris Bergman, and the lyricist wrote for him "SOS Amor" which was a surprise hit.[11] In 1985, he sang "Touche pas à mon pote", a single for the associationSOS Racisme.
In the wake of the success of "SOS Amor", he released in 1986 the albumPassé le Rio Grande, which allowed him to get his firstVictoires de la musique award.
In 1989, he returned to a dark, experimental style with the albumNovice, from which the singles "Bombez !", "Pyromanes" and "Étrange été" were released. The album marked his first collaboration with lyricistJean Fauque and his definitive breakup with Boris Bergman.
In 1991, he released another album with Fauque as lyricist,Osez Joséphine, which also included some cover versions of classic American rock songs. The album helped him achieve mainstream success, selling 350.000 copies and "Osez Joséphine" became his first real popular success since "Vertige de l'amour". On the same album is featured "Madame rêve", another classic in a different, more atmospheric style, which would be a trademark of his future releases.
In 1992, he covered the French pop classic song "Les Mots bleus", from thealbum by the same name byChristophe, for an AIDS research support compilation. In 1994, he releasedChatterton, which he called a "new agecountry" album. For this album, he worked with artists such asSonny Landreth,Ally McErlaine,Link Wray,Marc Ribot orStéphane Belmondo. The single "Ma petite entreprise" was a new popular success. Following the album, he toured for two years and in 1995 released the double live albumConfessions publiques.
From 1994 onwards, Bashung began to spend more time for his acting career (which he started in 1981 withNestor Burma, détective de choc), for instance withMa sœur chinoise byAlain Mazars.
After recording a duet withBrigitte Fontaine, "City" for herLes Palaces album, he came back to music in 1998 withFantaisie militaire. For this album, he notably collaborated withJean Fauque,Rodolphe Burger,Les Valentins,Jean-Marc Lederman andAdrian Utley ofPortishead. The arrangements and strings were done byJoseph Racaille. The first single from the album was "La nuit je mens" which was another hit for Bashung. For the album, he received 3 more Victoires de la musique awards in 1999 (and in 2005, he received another for the "best album of the last twenty years"). For Bashung, it was a huge commercial and critical success.
In 2000, he released the compilationClimax, on which some songs are rerecordings as duets with notable artists from the French scene (most famously, the song "Volontaire" fromPlay blessures with French bandNoir Désir). That same year, he cowrote "L'Eau et le vin" forVanessa Paradis' albumBliss.
In 2002, he released another album,L'Imprudence to critical acclaim, which is considered one of the darker albums of his discography. The album is not easily accessible and features strings and electronic arrangements, with sometimes nearly spoken lyrics, and was inspired according to Bashung by old black and white movies. That same year, he recorded the albumCantique des cantiques with his new wife, singerChloé Mons, the song was written for their wedding in 2001 by Rodolphe Burger, from a new translation ofSolomon'sSong of Songs byOlivier Cadiot. In 2003, he sang the French chanson classic "Avec le temps" byLéo Ferré for a tribute album to the late artist,Avec Léo ! and wrote the preface to a book about that artist.
In 2004, the double live albumLa Tournée des grands espaces was released. In 2005, he sang "Le Sud" on a tribute album toNino Ferrer,On dirait Nino. In 2006, he recorded aCharles Trenet song, "Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" as a duet withFrançoise Hardy for her album(Parenthèses...).
In June 2006, in theCité de la musique in Paris, he got the opportunity to sing for several days. There he brought on stage artists such asChristophe,Dominique A,Rodolphe Burger orArto Lindsay.In early 2007, after a small break, he was involved in theLes Aventuriers d'un autre monde tour alongside rock and pop artistsJean-Louis Aubert,Cali,Daniel Darc,Richard Kolinka andRaphaël. He sang for a couple of evenings in theSalle Pleyel in Paris, and played the role ofJack the Ripper for the song "Panique Mécanique" onDionysos' albumLa Mécanique du Cœur.
That same year, he played with Belgian singerArno in the movieJ'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster, bySamuel Benchetrit. They appear as themselves, arguing over the authorship of a song.
In 2008, he sang "L.U.V." as a duet withDaniel Darc for the latter's album,Amours suprêmes. He was also involved inÉtienne Daho's Daho Show, covering "I Can't Escape from You" as a duet with Daho. He also rerecorded Serge Gainsbourg's classic album,L'Homme à tête de chou, for a show.
On 24 March 2008, he released the albumBleu pétrole, collaborating notably withGaëtan Roussel of French bandLouise Attaque,Arman Méliès,M. Ward orGérard Manset (covering the latter's song "Il voyage en solitaire" as the final song on the album). He then began to tour for the album. The 10 June 2008, he sang several times at theOlympia although he was undergoing a chemotherapy for his lung cancer.[12] Jean Fauque claimed that a new album was underway.[12]
On 1 January 2009, Bashung was madeChevalier (Knight) of theLégion d'honneur.[13] On 28 February 2009, he received three prestigiousVictoires de la Musique awards for his final albumBleu pétrole. The 2009 award ceremony was his last public appearance. He appeared frail, but still performed "Résidents de la République." He won the Best male artist of the year, Best album and Best tour awards.
Bashung died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61 at theHôpital Saint-Joseph in Paris. After a religious ceremony at theAbbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, he was buried on 20 March 2009 in thePère Lachaise Cemetery.
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On 12 November 2009, the opening of a ballet using a rerecording ofL'Homme à tête de chou, a 1976Serge Gainsbourg album, by Bashung as the soundtrack, occurred at theMaison de la Culture de Grenoble, with a choreography byJean-Claude Gallotta who approached him in 2007 to adapt the work.[14][15]
On 27 November 2009, a box set calledÀ perte de vue, which contained the entire output of Bashung so far (on 27 discs), was released. The box set features his twelve solo albums so far, his five live albums, his two duet albums with Chloé Mons, two albums of instrumentals and three albums of covers, duets and rarities. Alongside this box set a double live album documenting his last tour, calledDimanches à l'Élysée and recorded at theÉlysée Montmartre on 14 December 2008, was released on 16 November. That same day, a live video recorded at the Olympia 10 and 15 June 2008 was released. This DVD was awarded the 2010 Victoires de la musique award for best musical DVD of the year. At the same Victoires ceremony, French singerBenjamin Biolay, who was awarded the Best male artist of the year award, paid tribute to Bashung.[citation needed]
He can be heard singingLa nuit je mens in the closing scenes of the final episode of the French television seriesLes Bleus: premiers pas dans la police (2006–10). On 26 April 2011, a tribute album calledTels Alain Bashung was released. It features twelve covers of Bashung songs by various artists and bands, with a documentary calledAlain Bashung - Faisons envie directed by Thierry Villeneuve. On 7 November 2011,his rerecording ofL'Homme à tête de chou was released onBarclay Records.[citation needed]
A multi-platinum artist, Bashung received three awards during the ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. He spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. With 12 trophies won since 1993, he was the most awarded artist in the history of theVictoires de la Musique. Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his last tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records."
In February 2010, the French edition ofRolling Stone magazine placed six of his albums in their list "100 disques essentiels du rock français" (100 Essential French Rock Albums) with two albums in the top 10,Osez Joséphine at number one, andFantaisie militaire at number nine.[16]
| Year | Album | Charts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | CAN | BEL | SWI [17] | EUR | |||
| 1977 | Roman-photos | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1979 | Roulette russe | 13 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1981 | Pizza | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1982 | Play blessures | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1983 | Figure imposée | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1986 | Passé le Rio Grande | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1989 | Novice | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1991 | Osez Joséphine | 14 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1994 | Chatterton | 6 | - | - | - | - | |
| 1998 | Fantaisie militaire | 1 | - | 15 | - | - | |
| 2002 | L'Imprudence | 1 | - | 2 | 46 | - | |
| Cantique des cantiques withChloé Mons | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2006 | La Ballade de Calamity Jane with Chloé Mons andRodolphe Burger | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2008 | Bleu pétrole | 1 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 14 | |
| 2011 | L'Homme à tête de chou | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2018 | En amont | - | - | 8 | 5 | - | |
| Year | Single | Charts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL | ||||||
| 1966 | "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis?" | - | - | ||||
| 1967 | "T'as qu'à dire Yeah" | - | - | ||||
| "Tu es une petite enfant qui fait la belle" | - | - | |||||
| 1968 | "Chère petite chose" | 66 | - | ||||
| "Les romantiques" | - | - | |||||
| 1969 | "Lise" | - | - | ||||
| "La rivière" | - | - | |||||
| "Simplement quelques jours" | - | - | |||||
| "Ho gli occhi chuisi" | - | - | |||||
| 1970 | "Un jour viendra" | - | - | ||||
| 1971 | "Du feu dans les veines" | - | - | ||||
| 1973 | "Bois de santal" | - | - | ||||
| 1977 | "Roman Photos" | 71 | - | ||||
| "C'est la faute à Dylan" | - | - | |||||
| 1979 | "Je fume pour oublier que tu bois" | - | - | ||||
| 1980 | "Gaby oh Gaby" | 2 | - | ||||
| 1981 | "Vertige de l'amour" | 1 | - | ||||
| "Rebel" | 19 | - | |||||
| "C'est comment qu'on freine?" | 45 | - | |||||
| 1983 | "Elégance" | - | - | ||||
| 1984 | "S.O.S. Amor" | 36 | - | ||||
| 1985 | "Tu touches pas à mon pote" | - | - | ||||
| "Hey Joe" | 59 | - | |||||
| 1986 | "L'arrivée du Tour" | 44 | - | ||||
| "Malédiction" | 36 | - | |||||
| 1989 | "Bombez!" | 76 | - | ||||
| "Pyromanes" | 94 | - | |||||
| "Etrange été" | - | - | |||||
| 1991 | "Osez Joséphine" | 14 | - | ||||
| "J'écume" | - | - | |||||
| 1992 | "Madame rêve" | - | - | ||||
| 1994 | "Ma petite entreprise" | 61 | - | ||||
| "J'passe pour une caravane" | 31 | - | |||||
| 1998 | "La nuit je mens" | 12 | - | ||||
| "Sommes-nous" | 24 | - | |||||
| "Aucun express" | 39 | - | |||||
| 2003 | "La ficelle" | - | - | ||||
| 2008 | "Résidents de la République" | 49 | 32 | ||||
| 2008 | "Je t'ai manqué" | 33 | - | ||||
| 2009 | "Sur un trapèze" | - | - | ||||
| 2013 | "La nuit je mens" | - | - | ||||
| Preceded by | Victoires de la Musique Male artist of the year 1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Victoires de la Musique Male artist of the year 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Victoires de la Musique Male group or artist of the year 2009 | Succeeded by |
