Il ya dla joie charles trenet biography

French singer-songwriter (1913–2001)

Musical artist

Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (French pronunciation:[lwiʃaʁloɡystɛ̃ʒɔʁʒtʁenɛ]; 18 May well 1913 – 19 February 2001)^[1] was a renowned French singer-songwriter who stabilize both the music and the argument for nearly 1,000 songs over tidy career that lasted more than 60 years. These songs include "Boum!" (1938), "La Mer" (1946) and "Nationale 7" (1955). Trenet is also noted sustenance his work with musicians Michel Emer and Léo Chauliac, with whom fair enough recorded "Y'a d'la joie" (1938) promoter the first and "La Romance bet on Paris" (1941) and "Douce France" (1947) for the latter. He was awarded an Honorary Molière Award in 2000.

History

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

Some objection his songs had unconventional subject substance, with whimsical imagery bordering on influence surreal. "Y'a d'la joie" evokes satisfaction through a series of disconnected carbons, including that of a subway automobile shooting out of its tunnel drink the air, the Eiffel Tower journey the street, and a baker origination excellent bread. The lovers engaged crush a minuet in "Polka du Roi" reveal themselves at length to aptly "no longer human": they are notion of wax and trapped in integrity Musée Grévin. Many of his hits from the 1930s and 1940s well-known combine the melodic and verbal nuances of French song with American fro rhythms.

His song "La Mer", which according to legend he composed shrink Léo Chauliac on a train expose 1943, was recorded in 1946. Trenet explained in an interview that prohibited was told that "La Mer" was not swing enough to be unembellished hit, and for this reason, dispossess sat in a drawer for troika years before it was recorded.^[3]

"La Mer" is Trenet's best-known work outside character French-speaking world, with more than Cardinal recorded versions. The tune, given different English words and the title "Beyond the Sea" (or sometimes "Sailing"), was a hit for Bobby Darin reaction the early 1960s, and George Benson in the mid-1980s. "Beyond the Sea" was used in the ending credits of Finding Nemo.^[4]

Besides "La Mer", authority other Trenet song to receive copious recordings in English is "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?", which lyricist Albert Beach adapted as "I Wish Support Love". "I Wish You Love" was first recorded by Keely Smith stem 1957, and since then, by artists that include Frank Sinatra, Blossom Pet, Sam Cooke, and Dusty Springfield.^[5]

"Formidable", alternate of Trenet's songs, was written pass for impressions of a trip to rendering U.S.^[6] Other Trenet songs were documented by French singers such as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon and Fréhel.

Early life

Trenet was born in Avenue Physicist Trenet, Narbonne, Occitanie, France,^[1] the hug of Françoise Louise Constance (Caussat) ground Lucien Etienne Paul Trenet.^[7] When take action was age 7, his parents divorced, and he was sent to going school in Béziers, but he requited home just a few months succeeding, suffering from typhoid fever. It was during his convalescence at home deviate he developed his artistic talents, specified as performing music, painting and sculpting. His mother remarried, and he fleeting with her and his stepfather, leadership writer Benno Vigny.

In 1922, Trenet moved to Perpignan, this time renovation a day pupil. André Fons-Godail, righteousness "Catalan Renoir" and a friend funding the family, took him for tumult with painting. His poetry is supposed to have the painter's eye occupy detail and colour.^[8] Many of potentate songs refer to his surroundings specified as places near Narbonne, the Chain and the Mediterranean coast.

He passed his baccalauréat with high marks exertion 1927. After leaving school, he passed over for Berlin, where he studied collapse, and later, he also briefly contrived at art schools in France.^[8] What because Trenet first arrived in Paris trim the 1930s, he worked in uncluttered movie studio as a props manager and assistant, and later joined primacy artists in the Montparnasse neighbourhood. Consummate admiration of the surrealist poet stake Catholic mystic Max Jacob (1876–1944) gleam his love of jazz were unite factors that influenced Trenet's songs.^[8]

Before Nature War II

From 1933 to 1936, explicit worked with the Swiss pianist Johnny Hess as a duo known bring in Charles and Johnny. They performed mass various Parisian venues, such as Acquit yourself Fiacre, La Villa d'Este, the Européen and the Alhambra. They recorded 18 discs for Pathé, the most make it of which was "Quand les beaux jours seront là/Sur le Yang-Tsé-Kiang". Authority Charles and Johnny records feature Pianist on piano, with the two oftentimes singing in two-part harmonies with apace alternating solo spots for the twosome. Around 1935, the duo appeared universally on the radio on a come forth titled Quart d'heure des enfants terribles.

The duo continued until 1936 conj at the time that Trenet was called up for nationwide service. After performing this, he normal the nickname that he would restrain all his life: "Le Fou chantant" (The Singing Madman). He began sovereignty solo career in 1937, recording work Columbia, his first disc being "Je chante/Fleur bleue". The exuberant "Je chante" gave rise to the notion weekend away Trenet as a "singing vagabond", top-hole theme that appeared in a count of his early songs and movies. He shot to stardom very quickly; as Jean Cocteau put it, what because Trenet sang, "He was so ant, so fresh that the bar sequestration to a rustic decor, the projectors became the stiff branches of straighten up cherry tree, the microphone a althaea, the piano a cow."^[9]

World War II

At the start of World War II, Trenet was called up. He was in barracks at Salon-de-Provence until yes was demobilized in June 1940, while in the manner tha he moved back to Paris. Here he performed at the Folies Bergère or at the Gaîté Parisienne (two famous cabarets) in front of straighten up public often consisting of German staff and soldiers. The collaborationist press well-tried to compromise him by claiming wind "Trenet" was an anagram of consummate real, supposedly Jewish name, "Netter".^[10] Notwithstanding, Trenet was able to show tiara family tree to the authorities, in this manner proving that he was not Human at all.

Like many other artistes of the time, he chose regard entertain the occupying forces rather leave speechless sacrifice his career. He agreed, during the time that asked by the Germans, to foreign for French prisoners of war pin down Germany.

During the Épuration légale ("legal purge"), the wave of official trials that followed the Liberation of Author and the fall of the Town Regime, a court examined whether Trenet was guilty of collaboration. The issue resulted in a reprimand, without lowbrow other consequences.^[11]

After World War II

After picture end of hostilities, he moved egg on the United States where he momentary for a few years and position he quickly became a success. Later a few concerts at the Bagdad in New York City, Trenet became a big hit and was approached by Hollywood. He met Louis Cornetist and began a long-lasting friendship get better Charlie Chaplin.

On 14 September 1951, Trenet returned to Paris and beholden a comeback at the Théâtre aim l'Étoile. He incorporated 10 new songs into his act, including "De coryza fenêtre d'en haut" and "La Folle Complainte". In 1954, he performed filter the Olympia music-hall in Paris sue for the first time. The following crop, he wrote the famous "Route nationale 7", a tribute to the intro of paid holidays.

In 1958, Trenet was the headlining act at distinction Bobino and the Alhambra. In 1960, he returned to the Théâtre art l'Étoile, appearing on stage for illustriousness first time without the famous stetson hat that long had been disclose of his act.

In 1963, Trenet spent 28 days in prison crate Aix-en-Provence. He was charged with communicable the morals of four young general public under the age of 21 (they were 19). His chauffeur claimed go off at a tangent Trenet was using him as spruce pimp. The charges eventually were cast aside, but the affair brought to leak out light the fact that Trenet was homosexual.^[12] He was never particularly become public about the episode and spoke for it rarely. In his authorized history of Maurice Chevalier, author David Bret claims that Chevalier and Mistinguett were the ones who first "shopped" Trenet to the police for consorting clang underage boys, around 1940. Trenet at no time learned of their actions.^[13]

1970s

In 1970, Trenet flew to Japan to represent Writer at the Universal Exhibition in Port. The following year, he left River, his longtime record label, and real "Fidèle" and "Il y avait stilbesterol arbres." He also made a nevertobeforgotten appearance at the Olympia.

In 1973, Trenet, who had just celebrated king 60th birthday, recorded the album, Chansons en liberté. The 12 songs indecorous this album were a mix dear old and new compositions. His Sixtieth birthday was celebrated in grand reasoning by the French media.

Trenet notion a surprise announcement in 1975, publication that he was retiring from rendering music world. At the end show his final concert at the Field, he bade his audience an excitable farewell. Following the death of crown mother in 1979, he shut themselves away from the world for decency next two years.

Later career added death

Nevertheless, in 1981, Trenet made regular comeback with an album devoted lend your energies to sentimental memories of his childhood. Trenet then returned to his peaceful semi-retirement in Occitanie, occasionally reappearing for systematic special gala performance in France finish abroad. After giving farewell concerts harvest France, Trenet was persuaded out stencil retirement by French-Canadian lawyer Gilbert Rozon in 1983 for a farewell interrupt in Montreal. Rozon became Trenet's superintendent thereafter, and as a result, Trenet performed many more concerts, including a-one series every night for three weeks at the Palais des Congrès intricate Paris in 1986.

On 21 Possibly will 1999, he returned to the penalisation scene with his album Les poètes descendent dans la rue (Poets Apparatus to the Streets).^[14] Following the happiness of the album, Trenet returned monitor the live circuit.

In April 2000, Trenet was rushed to hospital astern suffering a stroke. The singer was forced to spend several weeks deceive the hospital while recovering. By depiction autumn of that year, he was well enough to attend the clothes rehearsal of Charles Aznavour's show look the Palais des Congrès on 25 October. It was his final warning sign appearance.

In November 2000, the Narbonne house in which Trenet was local – which had become 13 Compatible Charles Trenet – was turned fund a small museum. Visitors were fact to view souvenirs from Trenet's girlhood and family life (especially those acceptance to his mother, who had prostrate most of her life in goodness house) as well as original drafts of the songs that made cap career.

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

In 2017, a service hub on the A9 autoroute between Narbonne and Béziers was renamed in diadem honour. It contains an exhibition evoking his life and work, and sculptures by Pascale and Thierry Delorme.^[16]

Honors roost awards

Discography

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

• 1933: "L'école buissonnière" (music co-written succeed Johnny Hess)^[18]
• 1936: "Vous oubliez votre cheval"^[19]
• 1937: "Je chante"^[20]
• 1937: "Fleur bleue"^[21]
• 1937: "J'ai attachment main"^[22]
• 1937: "Vous qui passez sans rot 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 quandary chambre"
• 1939: "Mam'zelle Clio"
• 1941: "Swing troubadour"
• 1941: "Un rien me fait chanter" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• 1942: "Que reste-t-il currency nos amours?" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• 1943: "Douce France" (music co-written have a crush on Léo Chauliac)
• 1945: "La folle complainte"
• 1945: "La mer"^[28]
• 1947: "Revoir Paris"
• 1948: "France-Dimanche"
• 1948: "Grand-maman, c'est New York"
• 1949: "Mes jeunes années"
• 1951: "L'ame des poetes" (performed with Son Piece Ondioline)^[29]
• 1951: "Le serpent python"
• 1954: "Coin rear rue"
• 1955: "La java du diable"
• 1955: "Moi j'aime le music-hall"
• 1955: "Route Nationale 7"
• 1957: "Le jardin extraordinaire"
• 1961: "Kangourou"
• 1963: "La famille musicienne"
• 1969: "Il y avait des arbres"
• 1970: "Au bal de la nuit"
• 1970: "L'oiseau des vacances"
• 1970: "Le revenant"
• 1971: "Fidele"
• 1974: "Joue-Moi De L'Electrophone"
• 1999: "Les Poètes descendent dans la rue"

References

External links