Category: French rock

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French rock 1955–2025 – episode 4: Poetic and intellectual rock (part 2): Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Bashung and Renaud

Recent blog post are accompanied by a video podcast. The podcast provides an introduction, whilst the blogpost explores the topic in greater detail. The podcast is in Dutch, but YouTube translates it into English on demand. If you like, you can also watch the podcast on your smart TV. Simply select YouTube and search for ‘kanaal expeditie muziek’.

Many songs by artists representing poetic and intellectual rock are melancholic in nature, or rebellious, or a reflection on existence. Poets such as Baudelaire and Rimbaud were a major source of inspiration.

Representatives of this style include Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Bashung, Renaud, Noir Désir, Matthieu Chedid, and – more recently – BB Brunes and  Feu! Chatterton. The first three are discussed in this post, the other four in the next one.

Serge Gainsbourg

Serge Gainsbourg (1928–1991) is regarded as a classic provocateur-chansonnier whose songs are almost all a varied combination of classic melodic chanson, rock, jazz and reggae. From the 1970s onwards, the proportion of rock in his oeuvre increased significantly. His songs are often emotional, controversial, political and erotic in tone, and above all beautifully worded. He wrote around 550 songs, which have been covered frequently.

A classic example of one such song is ‘Je t’aime…moi non plus’, featuring Jane Birkin (1969), and the more artistic ‘Valse de Melody Nelson’ (1971, here 1988).

Gainsbourg’s debut album ‘Du chant à la une!’ (1958) won awards, but critics were negative and commercially it was a failure. Listen to the track ‘Le poinconneur de lilas’ here.

Success was not long in coming with the single ‘à la bouche’ , from the film of the same name (1960), and a string of hits for artists including Juliette Gréco (‘La Javanaise’, 1962), Brigitte Bardot, Petula Clark and France Gall. During a brief romantic relationship, he wrote the erotic and cynical ‘Je t’aime…moi non plus’ and the song ‘Bonny and Clyde’ especially for Brigitte Bardot. At the insistence of her then-husband, Gunter Sachs, Bardot asked Gainsbourg not to release the song ‘Je t’aime’, to which the singer agreed. Shortly afterwards, he wrote ‘’te dire for Françoise Hardy (1968, recorded in 1971), which became one of Hardy’s signature songs. In the late 1960s, Gainsbourg began a relationship with Jane Birkin and their version of ‘Je t’aime…’ became a global hit, although it was boycotted in various places. Watch and listen to this famous song here.

The record company wanted more songs of this kind, but Serge Gainsbourg preferred to take a more artistic direction. This resulted in the concept album ‘de Melody Nelson’ (1971), the story of the teenager Melody Nelson after the ‘narrator’ had run her over with his Rolls-Royce. The album’s music is driven by a funky electric guitar and bass, the singer’s partly spoken vocals, complemented by romantic string and choral arrangements. AllMusic critic Jason Ankeny described the album as “perhaps [Gainsbourg’s] most coherent and perfectly realised studio album… alternately fascinating and repulsive, hilarious and grim, but never boring”. The album has inspired many composers in and outside France and later also contributed to the development of trip hop.

In 1975, Gainsbourg released the album ‘Rock around the bunker’, steeped in ‘black’ humour, in a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll style based on Serge’s experiences as a Jewish child in occupied France. Here is the track ‘Boulevard en liberté’.

In the years that followed, Gainsbourg developed an affinity for reggae. This made him the first Western artist to record an album in Jamaica: ‘Aux armes et caetera’. Listen to ‘Brigade des stubs’ from this album. Later, a further controversy arose when Gainsbourg sang the Marseillaise in reggae style.

After reggae, Gainsbourg discovered electronic music. On the album ‘Love on the Boat’ (1984), he sings the track ‘Lemon Incest’ alongside his daughter Charlotte. This song refers to his alleged fantasy of making love to his daughter.

In 1991, Serge Gainsbourg died of a heart attack, having smoked five packets of unfiltered Gitanes a day throughout his life. Musically, he achieved legendary status.

Alain Bashung

Alain Bashung (1947–2009) was a singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He recorded 12 studio albums.  His star began to rise in the 1980s, despite having produced a number of records prior to that, such as the albums ‘Roman photo’and ‘Roulette russe’. During this period, he occasionally produced songs for others, such as Dick Rivers. His success came with the songs ‘d’amour’ and ‘’ ’ (1980), ‘Gaby oh Gaby’ (1981) and ‘SOS Amor’ (1984), and the albums  ‘de l’amour’ and ‘’ ’ (1980),  ‘ Osez Joséphine ’ (1991), featuring the title track alongside the hit ‘Madame rêve’, and ‘Confessions publiques’ (1995), featuring the hit ‘Ma petite entreprise’. In the 1980s, he  became one of France’s most successful and acclaimed singers.  Despite personal setbacks (depression, divorce), he further cemented his reputation with the album ‘Fantaisie militaire’ (1998) and the single ‘La nuit je mens’. You can watch and listen to them here.

Alain Bashing had previously released experimental ‘black’ albums but had met with little success: ‘Play blessure’, in collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg (1982), ‘ ,‘Figure imposée’ ’ (1983) and ‘Novice’ (1989). In 2002, he tried again with ‘L’imprudence’, in which he used electronics as well as strings. The album was, in his own words, inspired by old black-and-white films.  The ‘speech-singing’ is undoubtedly borrowed from Gainsbourg, with whom he had previously collaborated. This time, the album was well received. Listen here to the track ‘Tel’ (2003 performance).

In 2008, he released his final album: ‘Bleu parole’, which he concludes with a cover of Gérard Manset’s ‘Il voyage en solitaire’. By then, he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and he passed away on 14 March 2014.

In 2010, the French edition of Rolling Stone magazine included the albums ‘Osez Joséphine’ and ‘Fantaisie Militaire’ at numbers 2 and 9 respectively in its list of ‘100 Essential French Rock Albums’. Four other albums featured further down the list.

Renaud

Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (1952 – ) is a politically engaged French singer-songwriter, born and raised in Paris. He grew up in an intellectual milieu; Maoism fascinated him more than his school subjects. During the occupation of the Sorbonne, he began writing and singing songs. Together with a friend who played the accordion, he became a street musician. His ambition to become an actor came to nothing. Later, however, he did appear in a number of films. He was invited to record an album and gradually gained a certain degree of fame and renown. A further 25 albums were to follow, with a combined circulation of 20 million.

Several of his songs are considered French ‘classics’: ‘Dès que le vent soufflera’, ‘Mistral gagnant’, ‘béton ’ and ‘Morgane detoi’. These four songs span several decades of his artistic life.  Listen to the first song here:

His songs deal with both light-hearted and serious themes, alternating between humour, emotion and social criticism. He calls himself a “chanteur énervant” (annoying singer). In many songs, he criticises the petty bourgeoisie and the right-wing tendencies of the average Frenchman.

Between 1995 and 2000 From 2000 onwards, his career stalled, mainly due to depression and excessive alcohol consumption. However, he managed to overcome this through trial and error.

Renaud wrote the song ‘Manhattan-Kaboul’, from the album ‘Boucan d’enfer’ (2002), in the aftermath of the attacks of 11 September 2001 and the war in Afghanistan. Here, he sings it alongside Axelle Red. Together, they portray two victims of this violence. The song is primarily about the suffering experienced by civilians as a result of political decisions, particularly when these are made on religious grounds. The song was very successful in France and Belgium. Listen to it and watch it here:

Critics regard his successful album ‘Rouge sang’ (featuring tracks such as ‘song’ and ‘J’ai retrouvé ma flingie’ (2006) as a kind of rebirth. His cynicism has given way to social commitment. Between 2010 and 2014, Renaud relapsed into alcoholism. He continued to enjoy success, but now mainly through reissues of partly unpublished older work such as ‘Les introuvables’ (2012) and ‘La Bande à Renaud’, an album on which 15 artists perform covers of Renaud’s work.

Once again, he overcomes his alcoholism and releases a new album, partly dedicated to the victims of the attack on Charlie Hebdo (2015). In 2016, a new album follows, titled Renaud. You can listen to the ‘Debout here’

In the years that followed, new albums and concerts followed one after another, interspersed on several occasions by renewed treatment for his alcoholism.  His latest album is due to be released in early 2026, which, according to him, will include, among other tracks, ‘La plus belle chanson d’amour’.

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French rock 1955–2025 – episode 3: Classic rock ‘n’ roll (2) Johnny Hallyday

From now on, every blog post will be accompanied by a video podcast. The podcast provides an introduction, whilst the blogpost explores the topic in greater detail. The podcast is in Dutch, but YouTube translates it into English on demand. If you like, you can also watch the podcast on your smart TV. Simply select YouTube and search for ‘kanaal expeditie muziek’.

The rock ‘n’ roll craze of the 1950s did not leave France untouched, and French artists initially confined themselves to translating English-language songs. Later, the Beatles also became a source of inspiration, which is why the term ‘Yéyé rock’ is also used. The lyrics are cheerful and simple, aimed at a very young audience.

In the previous instalment of this blog, we looked at prominent figures in classic French rock: Les Chaussettes Noires, Christophe, Les Chats Sauvages and, in particular, their singer Dick Rivers, after he embarked on a solo tour in 1964.

The most influential figure in this style is Johnny Hallyday. This instalment of the blog is entirely dedicated to Johnny Hallyday.

More so than Dick Rivers, it is Johnny Hallyday (1943–2017) who shaped French rock throughout his career. With Dick Rivers, Anglo-Saxon influences are more prominent. Nevertheless, in the early years of his career, Johnny Hallyday was dubbed the French Elvis. He caused a sensation at the time with the French-language version of ‘Let’s Twist Again’. (‘Viens danser le twist’). Listen and watch it here:

Throughout his career, he remained a cultural icon. Characteristic of his extensive collection of 79 albums, 51 of which are studio albums, is the way in which he combines rock and chansons, often performed live in lavishly staged shows. Record sales totalled 110 million, mainly in the French-speaking world. He has given around 3,500 concerts, attended by some 30 million people.

Among his most popular songs are ‘Pour moi la vie va commencer’, ‘Que je t’aime’, ‘la feu’ , ‘Gabrielle’ and ‘ L’envie ’. In 2007 – many albums later – he released the blues-inspired album ‘Le cœur d’un homme’. On this album, he sings with blues musician Taj Mahal on tracks including ‘and ‘T’aimer si mal’ . In 2014 – three years before his death – he formed the trio ‘Vieilles Canailles’ with Eddy Mitchell and Jacques Dutronc, with whom he had already sung in his teenage years.

Johnny discovered the life of an artist at a young age. His first contract with Vogue Records stipulated that he was entitled to 5% of the revenue from his albums. Thanks to the success of his EP ‘Souvenirs, Souvenirs’, he performed as the support act for established artists such as Sacha Distel. The younger section of the audience was wildly enthusiastic, whilst the older section booed him. This continued for a while, but his popularity grew rapidly. Thus, his first LP, ‘Nous les gars, nous les filles’, was released. Competition also intensifies, partly due to Eddy Michell and his Chaussettes noires.  He wants to stand up to the competition with a better and larger backing band. But his management snaps at him, “ “Tu fermes ta gueule et tu chantes” (‘Shut your mouth and sing’), to which he replies, ‘Je ne vois pas comment je peux chanter en fermant ma gueule’ (‘I don’t see how I can sing while keeping my mouth shut’). He then turns his back on them all and signs a contract with Philips. He is just 18 years old.

He then performed for several weeks at the Olympia theatre in Paris; the Palladium in London followed. On the advice of Charles Aznavour, he alternated rock songs with quieter numbers such as ‘Retient la nuit’.

From that time onwards, his talents are increasingly recognised by the older generation. A free concert to mark the first anniversary of the magazine ‘Salut les copains’, featuring not only Johnny Hallyday but also Sylvie Vartan and the ‘Chats sauvages’, attracts 200,000 visitors instead of the expected 30,000. The concert passed off peacefully, but elsewhere in the city riots broke out between rival gangs. In 1964, he completed his military service. He made several propaganda films for the army and, in exchange, was allowed to continue performing, albeit in his military uniform. It was during this period that one of his most successful albums was released, ‘Le Pénitencier’, which included the French version of ‘House of the Rising Sun’.

The period that followed was less successful; the many concerts were wearing him out, a divorce from Sylvie Vartan, whom he had married only a short time before, was looming, and he attempted suicide.  The only consolation is that his latest album, ‘Noir c’est noir’, is a huge success. He takes a few weeks to rest and recover and returns with an unrivalled performance at the Olympia in Paris. His music reflects a wide range of influences. No longer just rock ‘n’ roll, but also rhythm & blues, soul, pop and psychedelic rock, clearly influenced by the style of the Beatles in their final years as a group. In a performance before 100,000 spectators at the Palais des Sports, he sings the song ‘Que je t’aime’ for the first time. Listen and watch it here:

Through his collaboration with lyricist Philippe Labro, his records became increasingly fierce and polemical, and he found himself at loggerheads with the Vatican, among others, for comparing Jesus to a hippie. Later, however, his collaboration with Michel Mallory meant that Johnny’s singing became less aggressive and more melodic. This led to the album ‘La musique que j’aime’ (1973), which would become one of his classics. Nevertheless, the boundless energy he exudes in his more than 200 performances a year brings him to the brink of a breakdown on several occasions. His debts, resulting from overly ambitious projects, and the tax arrears he had accumulated over the years also play a part in this.

Johnny moved to the US for a while, but soon settled back in France, where he enjoyed success with the hits ‘Requiem pour un fou’, ‘Derrière l’amour’ and the rock track ‘Gabrielle’. Here is a montage of various performances of this song.

His next project was ‘Hamlet’ (1977), a rock opera based on Shakespeare’s work. The music was composed by Pierre Groscolas, inspired by progressive rock. The double album failed to catch on and the idea of staging the work was abandoned. He continued to enjoy success with his records, such as the track ‘Elle m’oublie’ on the ‘ ’ album ‘Sollitudes à deux’, which was one of the biggest hits of the decade. After several more years of close collaboration and joint performances, Johnny and Sylvie eventually went their separate ways.

With the album ‘En pièces détachées’ (1981), Hallyday returns to the world of hard rock. In ‘Lady divine’, he urges his audience not to take drugs. In the period that followed, none of the eight new albums would captivate the public again. The album ‘Entre violence et violon’ (1983) marked the turning point of an artistic revival, which reached its peak in ‘Rock ‘n’ roll attitude’ and ‘de métier’ . He achieved his greatest success with the rock track ‘Mon p’tit loup (ça va faire mal)’. Seen here in a filmed setting, culminating in a concert performance.

In the years that followed, he put on two spectacular shows. Firstly, 45 performances of *Fantasm Hallyday* (from 14 September to 11 November 1983 at the Palais des Sports in Paris) for an audience of 250,000. From 25 October to 2 February 1984, he performed night after night for three months at the Zénith de Paris. Both shows marked the most musically innovative period of Hallyday’s life, partly thanks to producer Pierre Billion. The new album *Gang* (1986), featuring tracks such as ‘’nom’ , ‘Je te promets’ and ‘Laura’, illustrates this. In 1994, his34thalbum was released and record sales exceeded 100 million. With a new look – short hair, a moustache and a goatee – he performed in Las Vegas and at the Zénith in Paris, as a prelude to three concerts at the Stade de France, the first of which was postponed due to heavy rain and the second went ahead despite the rain.

Two million copies of the album Sang pour sang (1999) are sold, more than any previous album. He celebrates his 40th anniversary as an artist with a free concert near the Eiffel Tower, attended by over a million people. His career reached its peak during these years, in terms of public interest, concert attendance and record sales. With the last CD he made for Philips (2005), he returned to his rock roots and, for the first time in 15 years, the album featured a number of songs he had composed himself. His ‘Tour 1966’ took him, from 2009 onwards, to the 111 stadiums and theatres where he had performed to date. This tour was interrupted by an operation on his colon to remove a tumour. Further operations followed and the ‘Tour 1966’ was cancelled. Between 2010 and 2015, Johnny Hallyday starred in several films and gave a series of concerts worldwide. In 2015, he released his50thstudio album, which focuses primarily on a number of current tragedies, such as the civil war in Syria (‘Valise ou cercueil’), illegal immigration (‘Voyeur clandestin’) and Islamic terrorism (‘Avant de frapper’). Watch and listen to the first track here:

In the years that followed, Johnny was treated several times for various illnesses, including cancer, which remained hidden from the outside world.  The hacking of his daughter’s computer in 2017 revealed that he had incurable lung cancer.

During this period, he performs 17 more times with his trio ‘Canailles’ . You can watch one of these concerts via this link.

His deteriorating health did not prevent Hallyday from recording a further ten songs. These included the track ‘un rocker’, recorded with Eddy Mitchell, which appeared on the album ‘La même tribute’. This was the last recording to be released during his lifetime. Johnny died on 5 December 2017 at the age of 74 from lung cancer. 500,000 people paid their final respects to him.

On 19 October 2018, his 51th studio album, ‘Mon pays c’est l’amour’, was released posthumously, selling millions of copies. This was followed by several other albums featuring old tracks and live recordings.