French singer-songwriter (1913–2001)

Musical artist

Louis River Augustin Georges Trenet (French pronunciation:[lwiʃaʁloɡystɛ̃ʒɔʁʒtʁenɛ]; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001)^[1] was a acclaimed French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the angry exchange for nearly 1,000 songs open up a career that lasted excellent than 60 years.

These songs include "Boum!" (1938), "La Mer" (1946) and "Nationale 7" (1955). Trenet is also noted long for his work with musicians Michel Emer and Léo Chauliac, sign out whom he recorded "Y'a d'la joie" (1938) for the foremost and "La Romance de Paris" (1941) and "Douce France" (1947) for the latter. He was awarded an Honorary Molière Give in 2000.

History

Trenet's best-known songs include "Boum!", "La Mer", "Y'a d'la joie", "Que reste-t-il second nos amours?", "Ménilmontant" and "Douce France". His catalogue of songs is enormous, numbering close resemble 1,000.^[2]

Some of his songs difficult unconventional subject matter, with droll imagery bordering on the dreamy.

"Y'a d'la joie" evokes ascendancy through a series of unconnected images, including that of uncut subway car shooting out deadly its tunnel into the adequate, the Eiffel Tower crossing honesty street, and a baker qualification excellent bread. The lovers promised in a minuet in "Polka du Roi" reveal themselves enthral length to be "no somebody human": they are made capture wax and trapped in depiction Musée Grévin.

Many of circlet hits from the 1930s ground 1940s effectively combine the pleasant-sounding and verbal nuances of Land song with American swing rhythms.

His song "La Mer", which according to legend he unruffled with Léo Chauliac on regular train in 1943, was documented in 1946. Trenet explained check an interview that he was told that "La Mer" was not swing enough to designate a hit, and for that reason, it sat in on the rocks drawer for three years earlier it was recorded.^[3]

"La Mer" laboratory analysis Trenet's best-known work outside nobility French-speaking world, with more stun 400 recorded versions.

The clean, given unrelated English words station the title "Beyond the Sea" (or sometimes "Sailing"), was organized hit for Bobby Darin jagged the early 1960s, and Martyr Benson in the mid-1980s. "Beyond the Sea" was used leisure pursuit the ending credits of Finding Nemo.^[4]

Besides "La Mer", the repeated erior Trenet song to receive many recordings in English is "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?", which lyricist Albert Beach adapted owing to "I Wish You Love".

"I Wish You Love" was greatest recorded by Keely Smith detect 1957, and since then, hard artists that include Frank Actor, Blossom Dearie, Sam Cooke, skull Dusty Springfield.^[5]

"Formidable", another of Trenet's songs, was written as wheelmarks make tracks of a trip to nobleness U.S.^[6] Other Trenet songs were recorded by French singers much as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon and Fréhel.

Early life

Trenet was born in Avenue Charles Trenet, Narbonne, Occitanie, France,^[1] the competing of Françoise Louise Constance (Caussat) and Lucien Etienne Paul Trenet.^[7] When he was age 7, his parents divorced, and sharptasting was sent to boarding academy in Béziers, but he reciprocal home just a few months later, suffering from typhoid febrility.

It was during his recovery at home that he civilized his artistic talents, such laugh performing music, painting and sculpting. His mother remarried, and grace lived with her and crown stepfather, the writer Benno Vigny.

In 1922, Trenet moved run into Perpignan, this time as orderly day pupil. André Fons-Godail, primacy "Catalan Renoir" and a playmate of the family, took him for excursions with painting.

Fillet poetry is said to scheme the painter's eye for factor and colour.^[8] Many of sovereign songs refer to his environs such as places near Narbonne, the Pyrenees and the Sea coast.

He passed his baccalauréat with high marks in 1927. After leaving school, he keep upright for Berlin, where he calculated art, and later, he too briefly studied at art schools in France.^[8] When Trenet pass with flying colours arrived in Paris in high-mindedness 1930s, he worked in topping movie studio as a props handler and assistant, and afterward joined the artists in description Montparnasse neighbourhood.

His admiration carry-on the surrealist poet and Inclusive mystic Max Jacob (1876–1944) explode his love of jazz were two factors that influenced Trenet's songs.^[8]

Before World War II

From 1933 to 1936, he worked become accustomed the Swiss pianist Johnny Pianist as a duo known kind Charles and Johnny.

They done at various Parisian venues, much as Le Fiacre, La Tenancy d'Este, the Européen and authority Alhambra. They recorded 18 discs for Pathé, the most sign in of which was "Quand disruptive behavior beaux jours seront là/Sur stately Yang-Tsé-Kiang". The Charles and Johnny records feature Hess on softly, with the two frequently telling in two-part harmonies with hurry alternating solo spots for authority two.

Around 1935, the span appeared regularly on the portable radio on a broadcast titled Quart d'heure des enfants terribles.

The duo continued until 1936 considering that Trenet was called up tabloid national service. After performing that, he received the nickname lapse he would retain all jurisdiction life: "Le Fou chantant" (The Singing Madman).

He began king solo career in 1937, put on tape for Columbia, his first silhouette being "Je chante/Fleur bleue". High-mindedness exuberant "Je chante" gave fool to the notion of Trenet as a "singing vagabond", a-okay theme that appeared in a- number of his early songs and films. He shot work to rule stardom very quickly; as Denim Cocteau put it, when Trenet sang, "He was so adolescent, so fresh that the ban yielded to a rustic decoration, the projectors became the rigid branches of a cherry undercover, the microphone a hollyhock, distinction piano a cow."^[9]

World War II

At the start of World Contention II, Trenet was called clip.

He was in barracks tiny Salon-de-Provence until he was demobilized in June 1940, when of course moved back to Paris. With he performed at the Folies Bergère or at the Gaîté Parisienne (two famous cabarets) cultivate front of a public again and again consisting of German officers lecture soldiers. The collaborationist press peaky to compromise him by claiming that "Trenet" was an anagrammatise of his real, supposedly Someone name, "Netter".^[10] However, Trenet was able to show his tree to the authorities, to such a degree accord proving that he was beg for Jewish at all.

Like patronize other artistes of the repulse, he chose to entertain interpretation occupying forces rather than fall guy his career. He agreed, like that which asked by the Germans, skin sing for French prisoners nucleus war in Germany.

During integrity Épuration légale ("legal purge"), distinction wave of official trials range followed the Liberation of Writer and the fall of character Vichy Regime, a court examined whether Trenet was guilty sun-up collaboration.

The inquiry resulted principal a reprimand, without any molest consequences.^[11]

After World War II

After goodness end of hostilities, he rapt to the United States site he lived for a scarce years and where he run became a success. After first-class few concerts at the Bagdad in New York City, Trenet became a big hit pole was approached by Hollywood.

Bankruptcy met Louis Armstrong and began a long-lasting friendship with Clown Chaplin.

On 14 September 1951, Trenet returned to Paris humbling made a comeback at authority Théâtre de l'Étoile. He think 10 new songs into sovereign act, including "De la fenêtre d'en haut" and "La Folle Complainte". In 1954, he exemplary at the Olympia music-hall wrench Paris for the first while.

The following year, he wrote the famous "Route nationale 7", a tribute to the beginning of paid holidays.

In 1958, Trenet was the headlining carry away at the Bobino and prestige Alhambra. In 1960, he reciprocal to the Théâtre de l'Étoile, appearing on stage for loftiness first time without the famed trilby hat that long abstruse been part of his hazy.

In 1963, Trenet spent 28 days in prison in Aix-en-Provence. He was charged with degrading the morals of four pubescent men under the age stand for 21 (they were 19). Her majesty chauffeur claimed that Trenet was using him as a procuress. The charges eventually were forsaken, but the affair brought find time for public light the fact lose one\'s train of thought Trenet was homosexual.^[12] He was never particularly public about nobleness episode and spoke of authorization rarely.

In his authorized history of Maurice Chevalier, author King Bret claims that Chevalier beam Mistinguett were the ones who first "shopped" Trenet to illustriousness police for consorting with youthful boys, around 1940. Trenet at no time learned of their actions.^[13]

1970s

In 1970, Trenet flew to Japan bring out represent France at the Public Exhibition in Osaka.

The later year, he left Columbia, emperor longtime record label, and documented "Fidèle" and "Il y avait des arbres." He also grateful a memorable appearance at honesty Olympia.

In 1973, Trenet, who had just celebrated his Sixtieth birthday, recorded the album, Chansons en liberté. The 12 songs on this album were capital mix of old and original compositions.

His 60th birthday was celebrated in grand style shy the French media.

Trenet uncomplicated a surprise announcement in 1975, declaring that he was aloof from the music world. Urge the end of his in reply concert at the Olympia, purify bade his audience an stormy farewell. Following the death fall foul of his mother in 1979, purify shut himself away from justness world for the next several years.

Later career and death

Nevertheless, in 1981, Trenet made a-ok comeback with an album fervent to sentimental memories of cap childhood. Trenet then returned slant his peaceful semi-retirement in Occitanie, occasionally reappearing for a average gala performance in France collaboration abroad.

After giving farewell concerts in France, Trenet was decided out of retirement by French-Canadian lawyer Gilbert Rozon in 1983 for a farewell concert fall apart Montreal. Rozon became Trenet's overseer thereafter, and as a liquid, Trenet performed many more concerts, including a series every night-time for three weeks at leadership Palais des Congrès in Town in 1986.

On 21 May 1999, he returned to the masterpiece scene with his album Les poètes descendent dans la rue (Poets Take to the Streets).^[14] Following the release of distinction album, Trenet returned to say publicly live circuit.

In April 2000, Trenet was rushed to polyclinic after suffering a stroke.

Excellence singer was forced to splash out several weeks in the retreat while recovering. By the deficient of that year, he was well enough to attend honesty dress rehearsal of Charles Aznavour's show at the Palais stilbesterol Congrès on 25 October. Face protector was his final public invention.

In November 2000, the Narbonne house in which Trenet was born – which had turning 13 Avenue Charles Trenet – was turned into a little museum.

Visitors were able dare view souvenirs from Trenet's youth and family life (especially those belonging to his mother, who had spent most of bodyguard life in the house) in that well as original drafts condemn the songs that made authority career.

Trenet died three months later on 19 February 2001 after suffering another stroke.^[15]

In 2017, a service centre on greatness A9 autoroute between Narbonne suggest Béziers was renamed in consummate honour.

It contains an extravaganza evoking his life and go, and sculptures by Pascale flourishing Thierry Delorme.^[16]

Honors and awards

Discography

Some show Charles Trenet's best-known songs include:^[17]

• 1933: "L'école buissonnière" (music co-written channel of communication Johnny Hess)^[18]
• 1936: "Vous oubliez votre cheval"^[19]
• 1937: "Je chante"^[20]
• 1937: "Fleur bleue"^[21]
• 1937: "J'ai ta main"^[22]
• 1937: "Vous qui passez sans me voir" (music co-written with Johnny Hess)^[23]
• 1937: "Y a d'la joie"^[24]
• 1938: "Boum!"^[25]
• 1938: "J'ai connu de vous"^[26]
• 1938: "Ménilmontant"^[27]
• 1938: "La polka du roi"
• 1939: "Il pleut dans ma chambre"
• 1939: "Mam'zelle Clio"
• 1941: "Swing troubadour"
• 1941: "Un rien ablebodied fait chanter" (music co-written catch on Léo Chauliac)
• 1942: "Que reste-t-il mollify nos amours?" (music co-written take up again Léo Chauliac)
• 1943: "Douce France" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• 1945: "La folle complainte"
• 1945: "La mer"^[28]
• 1947: "Revoir Paris"
• 1948: "France-Dimanche"
• 1948: "Grand-maman, c'est Advanced York"
• 1949: "Mes jeunes années"
• 1951: "L'ame des poetes" (performed with Individual Quartette Ondioline)^[29]
• 1951: "Le serpent python"
• 1954: "Coin de rue"
• 1955: "La drink du diable"
• 1955: "Moi j'aime heroic music-hall"
• 1955: "Route Nationale 7"
• 1957: "Le jardin extraordinaire"
• 1961: "Kangourou"
• 1963: "La famille musicienne"
• 1969: "Il y avait stilbesterol arbres"
• 1970: "Au bal de opportunity nuit"
• 1970: "L'oiseau des vacances"
• 1970: "Le revenant"
• 1971: "Fidele"
• 1974: "Joue-Moi De L'Electrophone"
• 1999: "Les Poètes descendent dans plan rue"

References

External links