The season of love

“La chanson française (French song) is a good lyric and, if possible, a good melody. La chanson américaine is a good melody and, if possible, a good lyric.”

Thus none other than the commanding figure of Charles Aznavour, creator of some of the finest works within the genre, summed up the cultural differences between the traditional French chanson and any other kind of song-style in the West.

With good reason, as the delightful documentary Je t'aime: The Story of French Song we watched last night explained - presented by Petula (not yet a Dame, but should be) Clark, whose own mega-successful career is largely based around such chansons.

Suffice to say it was everything we could want from a potted history of a beloved type of music; one that delights in "challenging" themes, such as prostitution, alcohol, homosexuality and politics. Everyone from Edith Piaf to M. Aznavour to "yé-yé" to Marc Almond to Stromae was featured, including Charles Trenet, Gilbert Bécaud, Jane Birkin, Jean Sablon, Georges Brassens, Anna Karina, Jacques Brel, Barbara, Léo Ferré, Brigitte Bardot, France Gall, Étienne Daho, Françoise Hardy and of course Serge Gainsbourg...

...and the très magnifique Juliette Gréco - here singing Si tu t'imagines [the lyrics of which translate as “If you imagine, my dear, that the season of love is going to last forever, you got it all wrong...”]

Juliette Gréco - Si tu t'imagines

Vive “La chanson française"!

Ne Me Quitte Pas

Had he lived, that marvellous master of the Gallic chanson Jacques Brel would have been eighty years old today.

In fact one of those enigmatic "famous Belgians", Jacques became naturalised in Paris in the 1950s after his melancholic talents had been eagerly promoted by Maurice Chevalier and Michel Legrand. He became a sensation in France, and his darkly ironic and melodramatic tales of low-lifes and misfits were as highly regarded as anything that Brecht and Weill or Edith Piaf had produced.

He went on to work in French theatre, translating the hit Man of La Mancha for the local audience, and directing and acting in several major plays. He was diagnosed with lung cancer while on a planned round-the-world sailing adventure and died at the age of just 49 in 1978, leaving a huge legacy of classic music to the world.

An unmistakable talent, his sublime influence has inspired many of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time such as David Bowie, Scott Walker, Judy Collins and of course Marc Almond, and it is mainly through the English versions of his beautiful songs that we remember him to this day.

A remarkable talent. Here's the man himself:

Jacques Brel - Ces Gens La

...here's the best English version of his classic Ne Me Quitte Pas sung by the glorious Dusty Springfield:

Dusty Springfield - If You Go Away

And it seems it is not only musical artists upon whom Brel leaves a lasting legacy... Alistair Campbell on Jacques Brel