Early years
Her father was lyricist Robert Gall, and her mother, Cécile Berthier, was the daughter of Paul Berthier, co-founder of Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. (This made her cousin to the guitarist Denys Lable and the composer Vincent Berthier de Lioncourt, as well as niece to Jacques Berthier.) In spring 1963, Robert Gall encouraged his daughter to record songs and send the demos to a musical publisher, Denis Bourgeois. That July, she auditioned for Bourgeois at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, after which Bourgeois wanted to sign her immediately. France was subsequently signed to Philips.
At the time, Bourgeois was working for the label as Artistic Director for Serge Gainsbourg and assumed this role for Gall as well. He encouraged her to record four tracks with French jazz musician, arranger and composer Alain Goraguer.
[edit] Early career
The first airplay of France's first single "Ne sois pas si bête" ("Don't Be So Stupid"), occurred on her 16th birthday. It was released in November and became a hit. Serge Gainsbourg, whose career was faltering although he had released several albums and written songs for singers including Michèle Arnaud and Juliette Gréco, was asked by Bourgeois to write songs for Gall. Gainsbourg's "N'écoute pas les idoles" ("Don't listen to the idols") became Gall's second single; it reached the top of the French charts in March 1964.
At the same time, Gall made her live debut, opening for Sacha Distel in Belgium. She teamed up with Distel's business manager, Maurice Tézé, who was also a lyricist. This allowed her to create an original repertoire, unlike the majority of her contemporaries ("yéyés") who sang adaptations of Anglophone hits. However, under the influence from this team of music veterans, Gall struggled to defend her personal choice of material.
In addition to songs written by her father, Gall's success in the 1960s was built on songs written by some of the biggest names among French composers and lyricists: Gérard Bourgeois, Jean-Pierre Bourtayre, Vline Buggy Pierre Cour, Joe Dassin, Jacques Datin, Pierre Delanoë, Jean Dréjac, Alain Goraguer, Hubert Giraud, Georges Liferman, Guy Magenta, Eddy Marnay, Jean-Michel Rivat, Jean-Max Rivière, Frank Thomas, Maurice Vidalin, André Popp, Gilles Thibaut, and Jean Wiener.
Gall's songs often featured lyrics based on a stereotypical view of the teenage mind. Elaborate orchestrations by Alain Goraguer blended styles, permitting her to navigate between jazz, children's songs, and anything in between. Examples of this mixed-genre style included "Jazz à gogo" (lyrics by Robert Gall and music by Goraguer) and "Mes premières vraies vacances" (by Datin-Vidalin).
Gall and Gainsbourg's association produced many popular singles, continuing through the summer of 1964 with the hit song "Laisse tomber les filles" ("Forget the girls") followed by "Christiansen" by Datin-Vidalin.
[edit] 1965
Having previously resisted, Gall gave in to her managers at the end of 1964 and recorded a single intended for children. The song "Sacré Charlemagne," lyrics by her father and set to the music of George Liferman, was a hit in 1965, selling 2 million copies.
[edit] Eurovision
Gall was then selected to represent Luxembourg for the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest. Out of the 10 songs proposed to her, she chose Gainsbourg's "Poupée de cire, poupée de son."[1] On 20 March 1965, Gainsbourg, Gall, and Goraguer attended the finals of the song contest in Naples, where the song was booed during rehearsals. Although Gall's delivery during the live show was not of the highest standard, the song impressed the jury and it took the Grand Prix.[2] Success at Eurovision ensured that Gall became even more known outside Europe and she recorded "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" in French, German, Italian and Japanese. There appears to be no English version released by France Gall herself, although there was an English cover by the English 60s star Twinkle.
It does seem strange that France Gall would go to the trouble of recording a Japanese version and not an English one. It is not known for sure if she did record one but did not release it. The French public reproached Gall and Gainsbourg for having won for Luxembourg and not for their own country.
Serge Gainsbourg said about the song: "The songs young people turn to for help in their first attempts at discovering what life and love are about, are sung by people too young and inexperienced to be of much help and condemned by their celebrity to find out." At a young age, France Gall was too naïve to understand the second meaning of the lyrics and she felt she was used by Gainsbourg, most notably after the song "Les Sucettes" - literally about a girl eating lollipops but with a double meaning referring to oral sex.
Today France Gall tries to not discuss it in public and refuses to perform her winning song.
[edit] Summer tour
In the summer of 1965, France Gall toured France for several months with "Le Grand Cirque de France" ("The Great Circus of France"), a combination of radio show and live circus. Her singles continued to chart successfully, including the Gainsbourg-penned "Attends ou va-t'en" ("Wait for me, or go away") and "Nous ne sommes pas des anges" ("We are not angels"). She also had a hit with the song "Amérique" ("America") by Eddy Marnay and Guy Magenta.
[edit] Film opportunities
After a TV film directed by Jean-Christophe Averty and dedicated to the songs of Gall was distributed in the United States in 1965, Gall was sought by Walt Disney to appear as Alice in a musical film version of Alice in Wonderland, after having already made Alice into a cartoon in 1951. Although Gall had insisted she did not want to become involved in film work, this was the only project which appealed to her. The project was cancelled after Disney's death in 1966.
In 1966 Gall appeared in the television film Viva Morandi, made in the same psychoanalytical mould as the (1965) Federico Fellini film Giulietta degli Spiriti. Gall played "La Grâce" alongside Christine Lebail who plays "La Pureté", both singing Les Sucettes in a segment which was prominently labelled "Fantasy", in a clear reference to the song's sexual undertones.
She was approached by director Bernardo Bertolucci for the leading female role in Last Tango in Paris (1972). However firmly she rejected this offer.
Gall once again considered appearing on screen in 1993 for a cinematographic collaboration with her best friend, the screenplay writer Telsche Boorman. Like the Disney film, this planned project was never completed due to the death of Boorman in 1996.
[edit] 1966
At the beginning of 1966 Gall released Baby pop, another song written by Gainsbourg, the lyrics of which Gall once described as "brutal", but whose dark undertones are not easily perceived when one hears the song as sung by the then 18 year-old girl. However, the undertones in her next hit song were not so easily missed, and caused a scandal when it was released. Gainsbourg deliberately filled the song Les Sucettes ("Lollipops") with double-meanings and strong sexual innuendo. On the surface, the lyrics tell the innocent tale of a girl named Annie who enjoys lollipops. However, it is clear that Gainsbourg intentionally created the theme as a metaphor for oral sex. Although a big hit, the song sat in stark contrast to genuinely innocent songs on the same album such as Je me marie en blanc ("White Wedding") and Ça me fait rire ("It makes me laugh").
The public furore over Les Sucettes would throw Gall’s career off-track for years, and Gall was not left unscathed by the experience. She belatedly understood that she had been used: the song was deliberately conceived with the aim of attracting publicity. All her records which followed, even expunged of the Gainsbourg signature, would be suspiciously viewed as having crass commercial motivations. Her song dedicated to John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., Bonsoir John John would be tarred with accusations of necrophilia. Sullied by her association with Gainsbourg, her songs failed to chart for a long time afterwards.
Even some of her children’s songs recorded in 1966, for example, Les Leçons particulières ("private lessons"), have not been spared pernicious assumptions. It was not helpful when Jean-Christophe Averty corrosively choreographed a troupe of men on all fours to illustrate her children's song J'ai retrouvé mon chien ("I’ve found my dog") on his television program Les Raisins verts ("Green grapes").
[edit] Baby Shark, LSD and decline
At the beginning of the year 1967, she sang a duet with Maurice Biraud. La Petite, which evokes a young girl coveted by a friend of her father, dragged her to new lows that eclipsed Gainsbourg’s poetic Néfertiti.
Her next single would be recorded with the orchestration of English composer David Whitaker. New authors, Frank Thomas and Jean-Michel Rivat, were brought in. They wrote Bébé requin (Baby Shark), a song which met with some success for Gall. This was followed by Teenie Weenie Boppie, an anti-LSD song by Gainsbourg, which was a huge flop. Gainsbourg then sang an anti-capital punishment song in tandem with Gall, Qui se souvient de Caryl Chessman? ("Anyone remember Caryl Chessman?"), after the death row prisoner, but this song never saw the light of day.[3] Her next record C'est toi que je veux, again with Whitaker, also failed to make an impact.
[edit] German career
Although struggling in her home country, Gall regularly recorded in Germany from 1966 to 1972, in particular with the composer and orchestrator Werner Müller. She had a successful German career with songs by Horst Buchholz and Giorgio Moroder: Love, l'amour und liebe (1967), Hippie, hippie (1968), Ich liebe dich, so wie du bist (I love you the way you are) (1969) and Mein Herz kann man nicht kaufen (My heart is not for sale) (1970). Some of her other German hits included: Haifischbaby (Bébé requin) , Die schönste Musik, die es gibt (The most beautiful music there is/Music To Watch Girls By), Was will ein Boy (What does a boy want?) (1967), Ja, ich sing (Yes, I sing), A Banda (Zwei Apfelsinen im Haar) (Two oranges in my hair), Der Computer Nr. 3 (1968), Ein bisschen Goethe, ein bisschen Bonaparte (A little Goethe, a little Bonaparte), I like Mozart (1969), Dann schon eher der Piano player (Then rather the piano player) (1970), Komm mit mir nach Bahia, Miguel (Come with me to Bahia, Miguel) (1972).
[edit] New label, new beginnings
Gall had several other releases in France in 1968, none of which aroused any great interest. At the end of 1968, on reaching the age of 21, Gall separated from Denis Bourgeois and stretched her wings upon the expiration of her contract with Philips.
She moved to a new record label, "La Compagnie", born from the association of artists Hugues Aufray, Nicole Croisille and Michel Colombier. At "La Compagnie", Gall made a number of recordings, but she never succeeded in finding a coherent style with Norbert Saada as Artistic Director. She went her own way in 1969 with two adaptations: one Italian and the other British: L'Orage / La Pioggia) ("The Storm") which she sang with Gigliola Cinquetti at the 1969 San Remo Music Festival, and Les Années folles ("Gentlemen Please"), created by Barbara Ruskin. Her songs Des gens bien élevés, La Manille et la révolution, Zozoï and Éléphants were largely ignored. Moreover, "La Compagnie" went bankrupt.
The early seventies continued to be a barren period for Gall. Although she was the first artist to be recorded in France for Atlantic Records in 1971, her singles C'est cela l'amour (1971) and Chasse neige (1971), faltered in the charts. In 1972, Gall, for the last time, recorded songs by Gainsbourg, Frankenstein and Les Petits ballons, but these also failed to chart. The results of her collaboration with Jean-Michel Rivat as artistic director, 5 minutes d'amour (1972, suspiciously similar to Bread's "Everything I Own") and Par plaisir or Plus haut que moi (1973) did not meet with commercial success.
From the 1970s onwards, Gall started regularly visiting Senegal, which she loved. She bought her "hideaway" there on the island of N'Gor, close to Dakar in 1990.
[edit] Michel Berger
France Gall was seduced by Michel Berger’s music when she heard his song Attends-moi ("Wait for Me") one day in 1973. During a later radio broadcast, she asked him for his opinion on songs which her then producer wanted her to record. Although he was disconcerted by the quality of the songs, there would be no question of collaboration.
Only 6 months later, in 1974, after she sang vocals on the song Mon fils rira du rock'n'roll on Berger's new album, Gall's publisher asked him, at her behest, to write for her. Gall had already made her mind up that "It will be him or else it will be nobody" (documentary France 3 France Gall by France Gall). Thus, in 1974, La Déclaration d'amour was to be the first in a long line of hits which marked a turning point in Gall’s career.
Meanwhile, the two artists, whose affinities became more than musical, married on 22 June 1976. France Gall shared years of work and family life with Michel Berger. The couple had two children.
[edit] Musicals
In 1978, pushed by Berger, she once again trod the boards of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées where she had auditioned 15 years earlier, starring in a show entitled "Made in France". The most novel aspect of this show was that, except for the Brazilian drag act Les Étoiles, the members of the orchestra, choir and the dance troupe were exclusively female.[4] In this show, France sang Maria vai com as outras the original, Brazilian (Portuguese) version of Plus haut que moi.
In 1979, Gall took part in a new show which remains memorable for many. Composed by Michel Berger and written by the Québécois author Luc Plamondon, the rock opera Starmania enjoyed a success not usual for musicals in France. The show played for one month at Palais des congrès de Paris.
In 1982, Gall rehearsed in the Palais des Sports of Paris to present Tout pour la musique, an innovative spectacle marked by its use of electronic music. The songs Résiste and Il jouait du piano debout ("He played the piano standing") quickly became French pop standards.
[edit] 1980s and the humanitarian projects
In 1985, France Gall joined Chanteurs Sans Frontières, on the initiative of Valerie Lagrange. She also worked for S.O.S Ethiopie for the benefit of Ethiopia under the aegis of Renaud Séchan ("Renaud").
At the same time, she gave a successful series of concerts lasting three weeks at the new venue Zénith in Paris, where she performed new songs like Débranche ("Loosen-up"), Hong-Kong Star, and gave solid acoustic performances of Plus haut, Diego libre dans sa tête and Cézanne peint.
In 1985 and 1986, Gall worked with Berger, Richard Berry, Daniel Balavoine and Lionel Rotcage for the benefit of Action Écoles, an organization of schoolboy volunteers which collects essential food products in France for African countries where famine and drought prevail. On 14 January 1986, during a trip to Africa, Balavoine tragically perished in a helicopter crash. In 1987, the song Évidemment, written by Berger and sung by Gall, was a moving homage to their lost friend. The song appeared on the album Babacar.
Gall topped the pop charts in many countries in 1987 and 1988 with another song from the Babacar album, Ella, elle l'a ("Ella, she's got it"), a Berger tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
Following the release of Babacar, Gall launched a new show produced by Berger. Opening at Le Zénith, the successful production toured throughout Europe, and gave rise to the live album Le Tour de France '88.
[edit] Death of Michel Berger
France Gall wanted to take a break and did not record any more for several years to come. She agreed to a project with Berger: with two voices, but not exactly a duet. She gave herself totally to this project, and Double Jeu surprised audiences when it appeared in 1992.
Following the release of Double Jeu, Gall and Berger announced a series of concerts in various Parisian venues, such as La Cigale and Bercy. This project was interrupted by the untimely death of her husband from a heart attack, on 2 August 1992.
Although Gall was strongly affected by Berger's death, she wanted to complete the project they had planned. She decided to commit to the performances at the Bercy and promoted alone the songs they created together. But eight months after Berger's death, Gall was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was successfully treated. In September 1993, she presented an intimate recital in Bercy. All songs on the setlist were written by Michel Berger (from Double Jeu, from his repertoire and from France Gall's repertoire).
A year later, she went back on stage and performed in a new show in the Pleyel in Paris, featuring stripped-down lighting and new musicians. Again, the repertoire featured songs written exclusively by Berger, though Gall included her own versions of songs originally performed by others.
After a year in Los Angeles, she released her eighth studio album , France in 1996. The album featured Gall's own interpretations of some of Michel Berger's songs. In 1996, Gall finally decided to appear as a headline artist at the legendary venue for French artists, the Paris Olympia. In 1997, she announced her retirement and recorded an unplugged show for French television, showcasing songs from her final album.
In December 1997, Pauline, Gall's eldest daughter with Michel Berger, died (complications of cystic fibrosis). Her illness had never been made public knowledge.
Since the death of her daughter Gall has made only occasional public appearances. As a farewell to her career, a documentary movie was shot in 2001, France Gall par France Gall, directed by Eric Guéret. Nine million people tuned in to watch the documentary when it aired on French television that year. She also appeared , and staged, in the 2007 France 2 documentary "Tous pour la musique" , celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of Michel Berger's death.
Today, she is a patron for French charity Coeurs de Femmes, a group helping homeless women.
[edit] Trivia Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2007)
Gainsbourg secretly recorded Gall's laughter to use on Pauvre Lola, a track on his 1964 album Gainsbourg Percussions. Her laughter is not credited.[citation needed] Poupée de cire, poupée de son was the first non-ballad to win the Eurovision Song Contest, and was later nominated as one the 14 finalists in a vote for the most popular Eurovision song of all time at a special 50th anniversary contest in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.[citation needed] In 1996 Gall dabbled once again in the cinematic world. She asked Jean-Luc Godard to produce the video clip of her song "Plus haut", taken from her album "France". Godard initially refused Gall's offer but later agreed, and directed a dreamy, picturesque video entitled "Plus Oh!" near his residence in Rolle (Switzerland). It was given its first and only airing on 20 April 1996 on the French television channel M6 Metropolis. It was only shown once, due to copyright issues.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles October 1963 – "Ne sois pas si bête", adaptation by Pierre Delanoë of "Stand a little closer", original words and music by Jack Wolf and Maurice "Bugs" Bower 1964 – "N'écoute pas les idoles", words and music by Gainsbourg 1964 – "Jazz à gogo", words by Robert Gall music by Alain Goraguer 1964 – "Laisse tomber les filles", words and music by Gainsbourg 1964 – "Sacré Charlemagne", words by Robert Gall and music by Georges Liferman 1965 – "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", words and music by Gainsbourg 1965 – "Attends ou va-t'en", words and music by Gainsbourg 1965 – "Nous ne sommes pas des anges", words and music by Gainsbourg 1966 – "Baby pop", words and music by Gainsbourg 1966 – "Les Sucettes", words and music by Gainsbourg 1967 – "Néfertiti", words and music by Gainsbourg 1967 – "Bébé requin", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe Dassin 1967 – "Toi que je veux", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe Dassin 1968 – "Le Temps du tempo", words by Robert Gall and music by Alain Goraguer 1968 – "Y'a du soleil à vendre", words by Robert Gall and music by Hubert Giraud 1968 – "24 / 36", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe Dassin 1969 – "Homme tout petit", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre 1969 – "Les Années folles", adaptation by Boris Bergman of the British song "Gentlemen Please", original words and music by Barbara Ruskin 1969 – "Baci, baci, baci", adaptation by Eddy Marnay from Italian lyrics by Sergio Bardotti and Claudio Tallino and music by Franco and Giorgio Bracardi 1970 – "Zozoï", words by Robert Gall and music by Nelson Angelo 1970 – "Les Éléphants", words by Jean Schmitt and music by Jean Géral 1971 – "C'est cela l'amour", words by Jacques Lanzmann and music by Paul-Jean Borowsky 1971 – "Chasse neige", words by Étienne Roda-Gil and music by Julien Clerc 1972 – "Frankenstein", words and music by Gainsbourg 1972 – "5 minutes d'amour", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Roland Vincent 1973 – "Plus haut que moi", adaptation by Yves Dessca and Jean-Michel Rivat of "Maria vai com as outras" by Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes 1973 – "Par Plaisir", words by Yves Dessca and Jean-Michel Rivat, music by Roland Vincent May 1974 – "La Déclaration d'amour", words and music by Berger October 1974 – "Mais, aime la", words and music by Berger 1975 – "Comment lui dire", words and music by Berger April 1976 – "Ce soir je ne dors pas" June 1976 – " Ça balance pas mal à Paris" (duet with Michel Berger), words and music by Berger May 1977 – "Musique", words and music by Berger October 1977 – "Si, maman si" January 1978 – "Le meilleur de soi-même" March 1978 – "Viens je t'emmène", words and music by Berger January 1979 – "Besoin d'amour", words by Luc Plamondon and music by Berger June 1980 – "Il jouait du piano debout", words and music by Berger October 1980 – "Bébé, comme la vie", words and music by Berger October 1980 – "Donner pour donner" (duet with Elton John), words by Michel Berger and Bernie Taupin, music by Michel Berger – Archives INA : Reportage Antenne 2, 1981 1981 – "Tout pour la musique", words and music by Berger 1981 – "Résiste", words and music by Berger May 1981 – "Amor También", words and music by Berger 6 April 1984 – "Débranche", words and music by Berger 17 September 1984 – "Hong Kong Star", words and music by Berger – Archives INA : Extrait de "Hong Kong Star", Antenne 2, 1984 4 February 1984 – "Calypso", words and music by Berger 20 May 1984 – "Cézanne peint", words and music by Berger 3 April 1987 – "Babacar", words and music by Berger 24 August 1987 – "Ella, elle l'a", words and music by Berger 7 March 1988 – "Évidemment", words and music by Berger 12 September 1988 – "Papillon de nuit", words and music by Berger 20 March 1989 – "La chanson d'Azima" 29 May 1992 – "Laissez passez les rêves", words and music by Berger, duet with Michel Berger 12 October 1992 – "Superficiel et léger" 15 January 1993 – "Les élans du coeur" 6 May 1993 – "Mademoiselle Chang" (live) 5 November 1993 – "Si, maman si" (live) December 1993 – "Il jouait du piano debout" (live) 2 February 1994 – "La négresse blonde" (live) 15 March 1994 – "Paradis Blanc" (live) 14 November 1994 – "Les princes des villes" 15 March 1996 – "Plus haut" 5 November 1996 – "Privée d'amour" 25 October 1996 – "Message personnel" 14 February 1997 – "Résiste" (remix) 15 May 1997 – "Attends ou va-t'en" (live) 2004 – "Zozoï" – Reissue of 1970 single 20 August 2004 – "La seule chose qui compte"
[edit] Albums Les Sucettes (1965) Baby Pop (1966) 1968 (1967) France Gall (6 January 1976) Dancing disco (27 April 1977) France Gall Live (live album, 9 November 1978) Starmania (various artists) (16 October 1978) Paris, France (19 May 1980) Tout pour la musique (10 December 1981) Palais des Sports (live album, 4 November 1982) Débranche (2 April 1984) France Gall au Zénith (live album, 4 February 1985) Babacar (19 February 1987) Le Tour de France 88 (live album, 7 November 1988) Double jeu (with Michel Berger, 12 June 1992) Simple je (Débranchée à Bercy 93) (live album, 29 October 1993) Simple je (Rebranchée à Bercy 93) (live album, 28 January 1994) Pleyel (live album, concert recorded in 1994, published in December 2005) France (29 March 1996) Concert public (live, Olympia 1996) & Concert privé (Concert acoustique TV M6 1997) (24 April 1997) Best of France Gall (compilation, 15 June 2004) Évidemment (compilation, 7 October 2004)
