André Popp
Encyclopedia
André Charles Jean Popp (born 19 February 1924) is a French
composer
, arranger
and screenwriter
.
Born in Fontenay-le-Comte
, Vendée
, he started his career as a church organist, filling the place of his father who had been called up to serve in World War II
in 1939. Popp studied music at the Saint Joseph Institute. In the 1960s, he co-wrote (with Pierre Cour
) two songs for the Eurovision Song Contest
— Tom Pillibi, which won the competition for France
in 1960
, and L'amour est bleu (Love is Blue) which came fourth for Luxembourg
in 1967
, but which later became a Number one hit in the US
for Paul Mauriat
. During this time he was the arranger for many top French singers such as Juliette Greco
. He worked for many years for French radio
.
Popp is the composer of Piccolo, Sax and Co, a musical tale for children intended as a guide to the instruments of the orchestra and the rudiments of harmony.
In 1957, Popp released Delirium in Hi-Fi (originally titled Elsa Popping et sa musique sidérante), a collaboration with Pierre Fatosme, an experiment in the recording techniques of the time.
André Popp has been an inspiration for newer French composers such as Fred Pallem.
Popp is the author of the pop song "Manchester et Liverpool" sung by Marie Laforêt. Its melody of the latter song gained fame in the former Soviet Union as the background music to the Vremya television news programme's weather forecast since the early 1970s.[9]
Popp made one-of-a-kind space age instrumental recordings during the 1950s and by the early 1960s had built quite a good reputation in the music recording industry and was in demand as an arranger. He made orchestrations for Rive Gauche legend Juliette Gréco that were jazzy, urbane, vibrant, quirky, even cartoonish at times. The arrival of Rock and Roll in France and, consequentially, yé-yé music, dramatically changed the expectations of French audiences and record-buyers, especially the younger ones, who were more interested in singers like Johnny Hallyday than Jacques Brel, although chansonniers such as Brel ultimately remained just as popular as they had been in the 1950s.
Popp had to adapt to these new trends. He worked almost exclusively with female singers during this period, preferably the Lolita types, such as Chantal Goya, but also with Françoise Hardy. "Love is Blue", a song Vicky Leandros performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 1967 on behalf of Luxembourg, also recorded by Claudine Longet, became internationally popular. In these recordings, Popp does not sacrifice the sophistication of his 1950s orchestrations, but rather than animate the songs, he seems to set the tone, the mood, painting a colorful picture. Sometimes there are silky, smooth strings; often there is harpsichord and oboe and flute; elsewhere adventurous brassy fanfares; occasionally an ethereal soprano chorus; always some magical musical final touch, like the faint, quavering harmonica in "Manchester et Liverpool". Marie Laforêt's voice fit perfectly in André Popp's 1960s soundscapes and he created more of them for her than for her contemporaries.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Born in Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:The Vendée River flows though the town. The town has an area of .-History:...
, Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, he started his career as a church organist, filling the place of his father who had been called up to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939. Popp studied music at the Saint Joseph Institute. In the 1960s, he co-wrote (with Pierre Cour
Pierre Cour
Pierre Cour was a French songwriter who wrote songs for several generations of artists. He wrote a number of successful songs in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s...
) two songs for the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
— Tom Pillibi, which won the competition for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1960
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
, and L'amour est bleu (Love is Blue) which came fourth for Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
in 1967
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the twelfth Eurovision Song Contest. The presenter became confused whilst the voting was taking place, and declared the United Kingdom's entry to be the winner before the last country, Ireland, had announced its votes...
, but which later became a Number one hit in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, specializing in light music. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968...
. During this time he was the arranger for many top French singers such as Juliette Greco
Juliette Gréco
Juliette Gréco, — also Michelle – is a French actress and popular chanson singer.-Early life and family:Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the Résistance, in the Hérault département of southern France. She was raised by her maternal...
. He worked for many years for French radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
Popp is the composer of Piccolo, Sax and Co, a musical tale for children intended as a guide to the instruments of the orchestra and the rudiments of harmony.
In 1957, Popp released Delirium in Hi-Fi (originally titled Elsa Popping et sa musique sidérante), a collaboration with Pierre Fatosme, an experiment in the recording techniques of the time.
André Popp has been an inspiration for newer French composers such as Fred Pallem.
Popp is the author of the pop song "Manchester et Liverpool" sung by Marie Laforêt. Its melody of the latter song gained fame in the former Soviet Union as the background music to the Vremya television news programme's weather forecast since the early 1970s.[9]
Popp made one-of-a-kind space age instrumental recordings during the 1950s and by the early 1960s had built quite a good reputation in the music recording industry and was in demand as an arranger. He made orchestrations for Rive Gauche legend Juliette Gréco that were jazzy, urbane, vibrant, quirky, even cartoonish at times. The arrival of Rock and Roll in France and, consequentially, yé-yé music, dramatically changed the expectations of French audiences and record-buyers, especially the younger ones, who were more interested in singers like Johnny Hallyday than Jacques Brel, although chansonniers such as Brel ultimately remained just as popular as they had been in the 1950s.
Popp had to adapt to these new trends. He worked almost exclusively with female singers during this period, preferably the Lolita types, such as Chantal Goya, but also with Françoise Hardy. "Love is Blue", a song Vicky Leandros performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 1967 on behalf of Luxembourg, also recorded by Claudine Longet, became internationally popular. In these recordings, Popp does not sacrifice the sophistication of his 1950s orchestrations, but rather than animate the songs, he seems to set the tone, the mood, painting a colorful picture. Sometimes there are silky, smooth strings; often there is harpsichord and oboe and flute; elsewhere adventurous brassy fanfares; occasionally an ethereal soprano chorus; always some magical musical final touch, like the faint, quavering harmonica in "Manchester et Liverpool". Marie Laforêt's voice fit perfectly in André Popp's 1960s soundscapes and he created more of them for her than for her contemporaries.
Discography
- Delirium in Hi-Fi
- The Adventures of Piccolo, Saxie and Company
- Passport for Piccolo, Saxie and Company (narrated by Victor Borge)
- Popped!
- Andre Popp et son orchestre
- Why Say Goodbye
- Le Musique Qui Fait Popp
- Die neuen Abenteuer von Piccolo, Sax & Co.
- Popp Musique
- La Symphonique Ecologique