As if I thought my recent blogs weren't French enough (with Régine, France Gall, Mireille Mathieu and Yves Montand all featured in the last fortnight), today we celebrate what would have been the 85th birthday of one Gilbert Bécaud, often called by the frogs "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" (for some reason best known to themselves).
So what?, you say. Ah, but despite his relative obscurity, we laud this magnificent Gallic crooner for two very important (and camp) reasons. For M Bécaud wrote two of the queeniest dramatic torch songs ever - and needless to say, two house favourites here at Dolores Delargo Towers - that we put on the gramophone whenever we feel like flinging a few hand movements and imagining ourselves sweeping down a glittering staircase on stage at the Paris Lido, Champs Elysées. [Which is often.]
He wrote Et Maintenant...
...which became What Now My Love? for Dame Shirley Bassey:
And Seul sur son Etoile...
...which evolved into another ultimate drag queen number, It Must Be Him by Vikki Carr:
RIP, mon cher.
Gilbert Bécaud (24th October 1927 – 18th December 2001)
Do you know that you are among the few who celebrated Gilbert Becaud 's birthday ? Sad and quite strange that monsieur 100 000 volts (because he was so full of energy when he began his career in the 50's as a teen heartthrob ) is now almost forgotten in his homeland. In 1957, a movie musical was even built around him, with Caterina Valente as his love interest. The movie is called "Casino de Paris", somehow charming but mostly boring.
ReplyDeleteI love "C'est en septembre/september morn".
Anyway, thank you Jon.
I know I am strange - however, M Becaud has an everlasting influence upon me, and upon anyone who adores torch songs as I do... Jx
Deleteone of my favourite albums of last year was Blonde by Coeur de Pirate - all sung in French but really fab and poppy x
ReplyDeleteI will have to seek this one out... Jx
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