Florent Pagny
Encyclopedia
Florent Pagny is a French musician. He has also acted in many French films. He records work in French, Italian, Spanish and English, and his greatest hits include "N'importe quoi", "Savoir aimer", "Ma Liberté de penser" (all three were #1 in France) and "Caruso" (#2 in France).
As of 2008, he has sold 4,268,980 copies of singles, 7,273,606 copies of albums and total over 11,542,586 copies of records in France, he was the 25th best selling artist in France from 1955 to 2008.
or Fort Saganne.
In 1987, he wrote his first song : "N'importe quoi." Pagny's first album, Merci, was released in 1990. The album's songs, mainly written by himself, began to attract controversy, with the press eventually boycotting some of them. This led to a decline in sales, culminating in personal problems. His follow-up album, Réaliste, was also not as successful.
Jean-Jacques Goldman
wrote three songs for Pagny under the pseudonym Sam Brewski, and presented to him a new staff. The album Rester vrai marked the beginning of his career as a performer only. Bienvenue chez moi, a semi-compilation released in 1995, was a smash success. Pagny also covered "Caruso", the hit originally performed by Lucio Dalla
.
in order to escape the French tax authorities and start a new life with his wife, Azucena, and her children. Recently,Pagny said he had enrolled his children in Miami because he didn't want them to speak Arabic while returning from school. His next album, Savoir aimer, was released in 1997. It was composed by a number of writers, including Jean-Jacques Goldman
, Erick Benzi
, Jacques Veneruso, Zazie
and, Pascal Obispo
, who also produced the album. "Savoir aimer
" turned out to be an immediate success.
In 1999, Pagny released an album of cover versions of his old song, Recréation. From "Môme Julie" to "Antisocial", he mixed musical styles and dabbled with techno
arrangements.
Pagny then alternated studios and cover albums (at least in part) and regularly changed his look. In 2000, he released the album Châtelet Les Halles, whose title song was produced by Calogero
. He followed that with 2, an album composed of duets released in 2001. In 2003, he returned with Ailleurs land, whose first single, "Ma Liberté de penser
", was composed by Pascal Obispo and Lionel Florence and deals with Pagny's problems with the French treasury
. Finally, in 2004, Pagny released Baryton, an album composed of opera songs.
In 2007, Pagny released an album of covers
of songs originally composed and performed by Jacques Brel
entitled Pagny chante Brel.
As of 2008, he has sold 4,268,980 copies of singles, 7,273,606 copies of albums and total over 11,542,586 copies of records in France, he was the 25th best selling artist in France from 1955 to 2008.
Early years
Pagny began his artistic career as an actor in popular films and television dramas. He appeared in La Balance, L'As des as, A Captain's HonorA Captain's Honor
-Plot:A courtroom-drama about a dead Captain whose memory is publicly accused by a historian on TV, twenty years after his death. The story follows his widow's struggle to prove that he was not a murderer and did not practise torture while he was leading a ground unit during the Algerian war.She...
or Fort Saganne.
In 1987, he wrote his first song : "N'importe quoi." Pagny's first album, Merci, was released in 1990. The album's songs, mainly written by himself, began to attract controversy, with the press eventually boycotting some of them. This led to a decline in sales, culminating in personal problems. His follow-up album, Réaliste, was also not as successful.
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
wrote three songs for Pagny under the pseudonym Sam Brewski, and presented to him a new staff. The album Rester vrai marked the beginning of his career as a performer only. Bienvenue chez moi, a semi-compilation released in 1995, was a smash success. Pagny also covered "Caruso", the hit originally performed by Lucio Dalla
Lucio Dalla
Lucio Dalla is a popular Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He also plays clarinet and keyboards.He is the composer of Caruso , which has been covered by numerous international artists...
.
Pagny as performer
Pagny decided to go live in PatagoniaPatagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
in order to escape the French tax authorities and start a new life with his wife, Azucena, and her children. Recently,Pagny said he had enrolled his children in Miami because he didn't want them to speak Arabic while returning from school. His next album, Savoir aimer, was released in 1997. It was composed by a number of writers, including Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, Erick Benzi
Erick Benzi
Erick Benzi is a French musician, songwriter, composer and record producer.He is the former member of group Canada . Benzi is one of biggest and the most requested Francophone producers...
, Jacques Veneruso, Zazie
Zazie
Zazie is a French singer and songwriter. Zazie co-produces all her albums.-Early life:...
and, Pascal Obispo
Pascal Obispo
Pascal Michel Obispo is a French singer/songwriter.Pascal Obispo started singing in 1980. He got his first record deal in 1990, Le long du fleuve. With his second album, Plus que tout au monde, selling over 2 million albums, his songs became a popular success...
, who also produced the album. "Savoir aimer
Savoir aimer
"Savoir aimer" is a 1997 song recorded by the French singer Florent Pagny. It was the first single from his album of the same name, on which it features as first track, and his 14th single overall...
" turned out to be an immediate success.
In 1999, Pagny released an album of cover versions of his old song, Recréation. From "Môme Julie" to "Antisocial", he mixed musical styles and dabbled with techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
arrangements.
Pagny then alternated studios and cover albums (at least in part) and regularly changed his look. In 2000, he released the album Châtelet Les Halles, whose title song was produced by Calogero
Calogero
Calogero is a French singer.-Early years:By the age of six, Calogero had already taken an interest in music...
. He followed that with 2, an album composed of duets released in 2001. In 2003, he returned with Ailleurs land, whose first single, "Ma Liberté de penser
Ma liberté de penser
"Ma liberté de penser" is a 2003 pop song recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was the first single from his album Ailleurs land, and was released in March 2003...
", was composed by Pascal Obispo and Lionel Florence and deals with Pagny's problems with the French treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
. Finally, in 2004, Pagny released Baryton, an album composed of opera songs.
In 2007, Pagny released an album of covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of songs originally composed and performed by Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
entitled Pagny chante Brel.
Studio albums
- 1990 : MerciMerci (Florent Pagny album)Merci is a 1990 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his first studio album and was released on May 1, 1990. The album was a success in France, where it remained in the top 50 for 44 weeks, including two weeks at #10...
- 1992 : Réaliste
- 1994 : Rester vraiRester vraiRester vrai is a 1994 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his third studio album and was released in March 1994. It achieved moderate success in France where it remained charted for 39 weeks in the top 50, including a peak at #19 for two weeks...
- 1997 : Savoir aimerSavoir aimer (album)Savoir aimer is a 1997 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his fifth album oversall and was released on 1 November 1997. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 84 and 64 weeks, including two weeks atop. To date it is Pagny's...
- 1999 : RéCréationRéCréationRéCréation is a 1999 double album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his fifth studio album and his seventh album overall. It was on October 26, 1999, and achieved success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 21 and 24 weeks, including a peak at #1 and at #4...
(double cover album) - 1999 : Châtelet Les HallesChâtelet Les HallesChâtelet Les Halles is a 2000 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his sixth studio album and his eighth album oversall. Released on November 7, 2000, it achieved huge success in France where it remained charted for 80 weeks, including a peak at the top for one week. It was also...
- 2001 : 22 (Florent Pagny album)2 is a 2001 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his seventh studio album and was released on December 14, 2001. It achieved success in France and Belgium , where it hit #3, and in Switzerland where it peaked at #8...
(covers overdubbed as duets) - 2003 : Ailleurs landAilleurs landAilleurs land is a 2003 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his tenth album oversall and was released on April 8, 2003. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 75 and 34 weeks, including several weeks atop. The album was also...
- 2004 : Baryton
- 2006 : AbracadabraAbracadabra (Florent Pagny album)Abracadabra is a 2006 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his tenth studio album and was on April 18, 2006. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium where it remained charted respectively for 66 and 22 weeks, including a peak at #2. It provided a sole hit single, "Là où je...
- 2007 : Pagny chante Brel
- 2009 : C'est comme ça (in Spanish)
- 2010 : Tout et son contraire
Compilations
- 1995 : Bienvenue chez moiBienvenue chez moiBienvenue chez moi is a 1995 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It can be considered as a compilation as it contains the singer's previous hit singles, plus some new songs. It was his fourth album oversall and was released on September 26, 1995...
- 1999 : Les talents du siècle
- 2008 : Les 50 plus belles chansons
- 2008 : De part et d'autre – Triple Best of
Singles
| Année | Single | Classement | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "N'importe quoi N'importe quoi "N'importe quoi" is the name of a 1987 song recorded by the French artist Florent Pagny. It was his debut single, released in March 1988. It became a big hit in France, topping the chart for two months and remaining to date Pagny's second best-selling single in terms of charts and... " |
1 | - | - | / |
| "Laissez-nous respirer" | 8 | - | - | ||
| 1989 | "Comme d'habitude" | 6 | - | - | |
| 1990 | "J'te jure" | 16 | - | - | Merci Merci (Florent Pagny album) Merci is a 1990 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his first studio album and was released on May 1, 1990. The album was a success in France, where it remained in the top 50 for 44 weeks, including two weeks at #10... |
| "Ça fait des nuits" | 17 | - | - | ||
| "Presse qui roule" | 24 | - | - | ||
| 1991 | "Prends ton temps" | 42 | - | - | |
| 1992 | "Tue-moi" | 24 | 38 | - | Réaliste |
| 1993 | "Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait?" | 46 | - | - | |
| 1994 | "Est-ce que tu me suis?" | 45 | - | - | Rester vrai Rester vrai Rester vrai is a 1994 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his third studio album and was released in March 1994. It achieved moderate success in France where it remained charted for 39 weeks in the top 50, including a peak at #19 for two weeks... |
| "Si tu veux m'essayer" | 7 | - | - | ||
| 1996 | "Caruso Caruso (song) "Caruso" by Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla in 1986. It is dedicated to Enrico Caruso, an Italian tenor.-Unclear meaning of the song:Controversially, the song simply tells about the pains and longings of a man who is about to die while he is looking in the eyes of a girl who was very dear to... " |
2 | 3 | - | Bienvenue chez moi Bienvenue chez moi Bienvenue chez moi is a 1995 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It can be considered as a compilation as it contains the singer's previous hit singles, plus some new songs. It was his fourth album oversall and was released on September 26, 1995... |
| "Oh Happy Day" | 8 | - | - | ||
| 1997 | "Savoir aimer Savoir aimer "Savoir aimer" is a 1997 song recorded by the French singer Florent Pagny. It was the first single from his album of the same name, on which it features as first track, and his 14th single overall... " |
1 | 1 | - | Savoir aimer Savoir aimer (album) Savoir aimer is a 1997 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his fifth album oversall and was released on 1 November 1997. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 84 and 64 weeks, including two weeks atop. To date it is Pagny's... |
| 1998 | "Chanter" | 16 | 15 | - | |
| "D'un amour l'autre" | 83 | - | - | ||
| "Dors" | 29 | 28 | - | ||
| 1999 | "Jolie môme" | 13 | 11 | - | RéCréation RéCréation RéCréation is a 1999 double album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his fifth studio album and his seventh album overall. It was on October 26, 1999, and achieved success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 21 and 24 weeks, including a peak at #1 and at #4... |
| 2000 | "Les parfums de sa vie (je l'ai tant aimée)" | 38 | 30 | - | |
| "Et un jour, une femme" | 5 | 2 | - | Châtelet Les Halles Châtelet Les Halles Châtelet Les Halles is a 2000 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his sixth studio album and his eighth album oversall. Released on November 7, 2000, it achieved huge success in France where it remained charted for 80 weeks, including a peak at the top for one week. It was also... |
|
| 2001 | "Châtelet Les Halles" | 45 | - | - | |
| "Terre" | 37 | - | - | ||
| 2002 | "L'air du temps" (with Cécilia Cara Cécilia Cara Cécilia Cara is a French actress and singer.-Biography:Cécilia was born in Cannes, on the French Riviera. Before making it big in France, Cécilia was still a 15-year-old attending secondary school. She started learning ballet at the age of 3, and at the age of 5 she began singing in the school... ) |
20 | 19 | - | 2 2 (Florent Pagny album) 2 is a 2001 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his seventh studio album and was released on December 14, 2001. It achieved success in France and Belgium , where it hit #3, and in Switzerland where it peaked at #8... |
| 2003 | "Ma liberté de penser Ma liberté de penser "Ma liberté de penser" is a 2003 pop song recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was the first single from his album Ailleurs land, and was released in March 2003... " |
1 | 1 | 8 | Ailleurs land Ailleurs land Ailleurs land is a 2003 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his tenth album oversall and was released on April 8, 2003. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium , where it remained charted respectively for 75 and 34 weeks, including several weeks atop. The album was also... |
| "Je trace" | 26 | 34 | 65 | ||
| 2004 | "Y'a pas un homme qui soit né pour ça" (with Calogero Calogero Calogero is a French singer.-Early years:By the age of six, Calogero had already taken an interest in music... und Pascal Obispo Pascal Obispo Pascal Michel Obispo is a French singer/songwriter.Pascal Obispo started singing in 1980. He got his first record deal in 1990, Le long du fleuve. With his second album, Plus que tout au monde, selling over 2 million albums, his songs became a popular success... ) |
20 | - | 45 | / |
| "Io le canto per te" | 28 | 12 | - | Baryton Baryton The baryton is a bowed string instrument in the viol family, in regular use in Europe up until the end of the 18th century. In London a performance at Marylebone Gardens was announced in 1744, when Mr Ferrand was to perform on "the Pariton, an instrument never played on in publick before." It most... |
|
| 2006 | "Là où je t'emmènerai" | 4 | 7 | 39 | Abracadabra Abracadabra (Florent Pagny album) Abracadabra is a 2006 album recorded by French singer Florent Pagny. It was his tenth studio album and was on April 18, 2006. It achieved huge success in France and Belgium where it remained charted respectively for 66 and 22 weeks, including a peak at #2. It provided a sole hit single, "Là où je... |
| 2009 | "C'est comme ça" | - | 11 | - | C'est comme ça |
| "Amar y amar" | - | - | - | ||
Awards
- Victoires de la Musique Male artist of the year (1998)
External links
Official website- Biography of Florent Pagny, from Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...