“French popular music changed radically after World War Two -- like American pop, it shed its rougher, jazzier edges in favor of a swanker, more sophisticated sound, and while nods were made to the nostalgic themes and musette sounds of pre-war years, a more streamlined orchestral sound soon became the norm. One of the key players in this stylistic shift was songwriter Francis Lemarque, who was best known for his association with film star and pop crooner Yves Montand, for whom he wrote numerous hits. Lemarque penned hits for many artists, including some older chanson stars but largely for the new generation of singers who took up the torch in the late '40s and early '50s. Lemarque also became a performer in his own right, and this deluxe 2-CD set collects dozens of tracks he recorded for the Fontana label in the decade between 1949-59. It features Lemarque singing in front of the orchestras of Michel Legrand, Emil Stern, and Rudi Revil (whose career was closely linked to his own...) as well as a number of tracks with Lemarque as bandleader. Some of the arrangements are dynamic and inventive, some feel staid or antiseptic, compared to the accordeon music and swing jazz of the prewar years. It's a fine document of French music transitioning into the modern postwar era, of sure interest to student of French pop.”
Par DJ JOE SIX PACK – AMAZON.COM
Par DJ JOE SIX PACK – AMAZON.COM
