France Gall
Encyclopedia
France Gall is a popular French yé-yé
singer.
Gall was married to, and had a successful singing career in partnership with, French singer-songwriter Michel Berger
.
, 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
.) She was the sole daughter in the family, with two brothers named Patrice and Claude.
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
.
, 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 and stayed there for three weeks.
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
" ("Never Mind the Girls") followed by "Christiansen" by Datin-Vidalin. Gainsbourg also secretly recorded Gall's laughter to use on Pauvre Lola, a track on his 1964 album Gainsbourg Percussions. Her laughter is not credited.
." On 20 March 1965, Gainsbourg, Gall, and Goraguer attended the finals of the song contest in Naples
, where the song bring the attraction. 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. 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
.
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.
and Guy Magenta.
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
("Juliet of the Spirits"). 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, she firmly 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.
("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. She interpreted a song dedicated to John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., Bonsoir John John . 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").
, La Petite, which evokes a young girl coveted by a friend of her father. The controversy over this performance overshadowed her release of Gainsbourg’s poetic Néfertiti.
Her next single was recorded with the orchestration of English composer David Whitaker
. New authors Frank Thomas and Jean-Michel Rivat were brought on board. 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?"), about the death row
prisoner, but this song never saw the light of day. Her next record C'est toi que je veux, again with Whitaker, also failed to make an impact.
. 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).
.
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, La Quatrieme chose (1972, suspiciously similar to Bread's "Everything I Own") and Par plaisir or Plus haut que moi (1973) did not meet with commercial success.
While officially done with Gainsbourg, an old flame and producer from her Gainsbourg days, invited France Gall on television to sing a medley of old songs from their time together, which in included "Poupee de cire, Poupee de son".
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.
’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.
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. 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.
.
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.
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 nearly cancelled by Berger's death 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. However, she decided to commit to the performances at the Bercy
and promoted the songs that she and Berger created together. However, Gall was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 1993, which was successfully treated. She finally performed at the Bercy
in September. All the songs she performed were written by Berger
from Double Jeu, and from their discographies.
A year later, she went back on stage and performed in a new show in the Pleyel in Paris featuring new musicians. The repertoire featured songs written exclusively by Berger though Gall included her own versions of songs originally performed by others.
In 1996, Gall 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
. It was only shown once, due to copyright issues.
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 elder daughter with Michel Berger
, died of complications of cystic fibrosis
. Her illness was never made public.
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 staged and appeared in the 2007 France 2 documentary "Tous pour la musique" marking the fifteenth anniversary of Michel Berger's death.
Today she is a patron for French charity Coeurs de Femmes – a group helping homeless women.
Yé-yé
Yé-yé was a style of pop music that emerged from France, Québec and Spain in the early 1960s. The term "yé-yé" derived from "yeah! yeah!" The style expanded worldwide, due to the success of figures such as the French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg....
singer.
Gall was married to, and had a successful singing career in partnership with, French singer-songwriter Michel Berger
Michel Berger
Michel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
.
Early years
Her father was lyricist Robert GallRobert Gall
Robert Gall, Robert Gall, Robert Gall, (1918, Saint-Fargeau, Yonne - 1990, was a French lyricist. He married Cécile Berthier, daughter of Paul Berthier, co-founder of Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. Robert and Cécile are parents of singer France Gall. Their two sons, twins Patrice and...
, and her mother, Cécile Berthier, was the daughter of Paul Berthier
Paul Berthier
Paul Berthier was the co-founder of Manécanterie des Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois in 1906. He wrote a doctoral thesis on the legal protection of composers which has long been authoritative and an essay on Jean-Philippe Rameau...
, 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
Vincent Berthier de Lioncourt
Vincent Berthier de Lioncourt is a French composer and musician and, with Philippe Beaussant, co-founder of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.He directed Ensemble Vocal de Neuilly, from 1969 to 1976. He is president of Musique en Morvan...
, as well as niece to Jacques Berthier
Jacques Berthier
Jacques Berthier was a French composer of liturgical music, best known for writing much of the music used at Taizé.-Biography:...
.) She was the sole daughter in the family, with two brothers named Patrice and Claude.
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
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
in Paris, after which Bourgeois wanted to sign her immediately. France was subsequently signed to Philips
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
.
At the time, Bourgeois was working for the label as Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
for Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
and assumed this role for Gall as well. He encouraged her to record four tracks with French jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician, arranger and composer Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s...
.
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 GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, whose career was faltering although he had released several albums and written songs for singers including Michèle Arnaud
Michèle Arnaud
Michèle Arnaud , was a French singer, producer, and director. She was entombed on September 18, 1998 in Montparnasse Cemetery...
and Juliette Gréco
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...
, 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 and stayed there for three weeks.
At the same time, Gall made her live debut, opening for Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel was a French singer and guitarist who had hits with a cover version of the Academy Award-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" , "Scoubidou", and "The Good Life". He was born in Paris.-Career:Sacha Distel, born Alexandre Distel, was a son of Russian White émigré Leonid 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
Yé-yé
Yé-yé was a style of pop music that emerged from France, Québec and Spain in the early 1960s. The term "yé-yé" derived from "yeah! yeah!" The style expanded worldwide, due to the success of figures such as the French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg....
") 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
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...
, Joe Dassin
Joe Dassin
Joseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
, Jacques Datin, Pierre Delanoë
Pierre Delanoë
Pierre Delanoë , born Pierre Leroyer, was a French songwriter/lyricist who wrote for dozens of singers such as Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Petula Clark, and Johnny Hallyday....
, Jean Dréjac, Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s...
, Hubert Giraud
Hubert Giraud
Hubert Yves Adrian Giraud is a French composer and lyricist.Giraud began his career playing the harmonica with Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France. In 1941, he was recruited by Ray Ventura to play the guitar during Ventrua's big band tour of South America...
, Georges Liferman, Guy Magenta, Eddy Marnay
Eddy Marnay
Eddy Marnay was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 100 songs, including works for Édith Piaf and Céline Dion. He also wrote the title song for Charlie Chaplin's 1957 film A King in New York....
, Jean-Michel Rivat, Jean-Max Rivière, Frank Thomas, Maurice Vidalin, André Popp
André Popp
André Charles Jean Popp 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...
, Gilles Thibaut, and Jean Wiener
Jean Wiener
Jean Wiener was a French pianist and composer.- Life :Wiener was trained at the Conservatoire in Paris, where he studied alongside Darius Milhaud, and worked with Erik Satie. He then embarked on a career as concert impresario, composer and pianist...
.
Gall's songs often featured lyrics based on a stereotypical view of the teenage mind. Elaborate orchestrations by Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s...
blended styles, permitting her to navigate between jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, children's songs
Children's Songs
Children's Songs is an album by Jazz pianist Chick Corea, released in 1984.Children's Songs mainly consists of short songs with simple themes. There is little development in the pieces, which capture a variety of melodies and moods...
, and anything in between. Examples of this mixed-genre style included "Jazz à gogo" (lyrics by Robert Gall
Robert Gall
Robert Gall, Robert Gall, Robert Gall, (1918, Saint-Fargeau, Yonne - 1990, was a French lyricist. He married Cécile Berthier, daughter of Paul Berthier, co-founder of Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. Robert and Cécile are parents of singer France Gall. Their two sons, twins Patrice and...
and music by Goraguer
Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s...
) 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
Laisse Tomber Les Filles
"Laisse tomber les filles" is a French song composed by Serge Gainsbourg and originally performed by France Gall in 1964....
" ("Never Mind the Girls") followed by "Christiansen" by Datin-Vidalin. Gainsbourg also secretly recorded Gall's laughter to use on Pauvre Lola, a track on his 1964 album Gainsbourg Percussions. Her laughter is not credited.
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," her father's lyrics set to the music of George Liferman, was a hit in 1965, selling 2 million copies.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 sonPoupée de cire, poupée de son
"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. It was performed in French by French singer France Gall, representing Luxembourg....
." On 20 March 1965, Gainsbourg, Gall, and Goraguer attended the finals of the song contest in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, where the song bring the attraction. 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. Success at Eurovision ensured that Gall became even more known outside Europe and she recorded "Poupée de cire, poupée de son
Poupée de cire, poupée de son
"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. It was performed in French by French singer France Gall, representing Luxembourg....
" 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
Twinkle (singer)
Twinkle is an English singer-songwriter, primarily in the 1960s. Twinkle's most famous songs were "Terry" and "Golden Lights".-Career:...
.
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
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
Les Sucettes
"Les Sucettes" is a French pop song written by Serge Gainsbourg and recorded by France Gall in 1966. One of Gall's biggest hits, it was an unusually risqué song for its time, but in performing it she was unaware of the fact....
" – literally about a girl eating lollipops but with a double meaning referring to oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
.
Today France Gall tries to not discuss it in public and refuses to perform her winning song.
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 MarnayEddy Marnay
Eddy Marnay was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 100 songs, including works for Édith Piaf and Céline Dion. He also wrote the title song for Charlie Chaplin's 1957 film A King in New York....
and Guy Magenta.
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 DisneyWalt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
to appear as Alice in a musical film version of Alice in Wonderland, after having already made Alice
Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
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
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
film Giulietta degli Spiriti
Juliet of the Spirits
Juliet of the Spirits is a 1965 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini that uses "caricatural types and dream situations to represent a psychic landscape"...
("Juliet of the Spirits"). 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
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
for the leading female role in Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris is a 1972 Italian romantic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci which portrays a recent American widower who takes up an anonymous sexual relationship with a young, soon-to-be-married Parisian woman...
(1972). However, she firmly 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.
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 SucettesLes Sucettes
"Les Sucettes" is a French pop song written by Serge Gainsbourg and recorded by France Gall in 1966. One of Gall's biggest hits, it was an unusually risqué song for its time, but in performing it she was unaware of the fact....
("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
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
. 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. She interpreted a song dedicated to John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., Bonsoir John John . 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").
Local decline
At the beginning of the year 1967, she sang a duet with Maurice BiraudMaurice Biraud
Maurice Biraud was a French film actor. He appeared in 90 films between 1951 and 1982.-Selected filmography:* Le Secret d'Hélène Marimon * Poisson d'avril...
, La Petite, which evokes a young girl coveted by a friend of her father. The controversy over this performance overshadowed her release of Gainsbourg’s poetic Néfertiti.
Her next single was recorded with the orchestration of English composer David Whitaker
David Whitaker (composer)
David Whitaker is an English composer, songwriter, arranger, and conductor.active in the 1960s and 1970s...
. New authors Frank Thomas and Jean-Michel Rivat were brought on board. 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
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
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
Caryl Chessman
Caryl Whittier Chessman was a convicted robber and rapist who gained fame as a death row inmate in California. Chessman's case attracted worldwide attention, and as a result he became a cause célèbre for the movement to ban capital punishment.-Crime and conviction:Born in St...
? ("Anyone remember Caryl Chessman?"), about the death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
prisoner, but this song never saw the light of day. Her next record C'est toi que je veux, again with Whitaker, also failed to make an impact.
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 MüllerWerner Müller
Werner Müller is a Swiss sprint canoer who competed in the early 1950s. He finished 16th in the K-2 10000 m event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.-References:*...
. She had a successful German career with songs by Horst Buchholz
Horst Buchholz
Horst Werner Buchholz was a German actor, remembered for his part in The Magnificent Seven and Nine Hours to Rama. He appeared in over sixty films during his acting career from 1952–2002.-Life and work:...
and Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
: 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).
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 PhilipsPhilips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
.
She moved to a new record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, "La Compagnie", born from the association of artists Hugues Aufray
Hugues Aufray
Hugues Aufray is a French singer. He began his career singing in Spanish....
, Nicole Croisille
Nicole Croisille
Nicole Croisille , is a French singer and actress. She has appeared in 24 films between 1961 and 2005 and recorded albums since 1961. Croisille made an attempt to represent France in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Tu m'avais dit," but was not selected.-External links:...
and Michel Colombier
Michel Colombier
Michel Colombier was a French composer, songwriter, arranger, and conductor.- External links :*...
. At "La Compagnie", Gall made a number of recordings, but she never succeeded in finding a coherent style with Norbert Saada as Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
. 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
Gigliola Cinquetti
Gigliola Cinquetti is an Italian singer, TV presenter and journalist.-Biography:At the age of 16 she won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 singing "Non ho l'età" , with music composed by Nicola Salerno and lyrics by Mario Panzeri...
at the 1969 San Remo Music Festival
Festival della canzone italiana
The Festival della canzone italiana di Sanremo is a popular Italian song contest, held annually in the city of Sanremo, in Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs...
, 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
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
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, La Quatrieme chose (1972, suspiciously similar to Bread's "Everything I Own") and Par plaisir or Plus haut que moi (1973) did not meet with commercial success.
While officially done with Gainsbourg, an old flame and producer from her Gainsbourg days, invited France Gall on television to sing a medley of old songs from their time together, which in included "Poupee de cire, Poupee de son".
From the 1970s onwards, Gall started regularly visiting Senegal, which she loved. She bought her hideaway there on the island of N'Gor
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
, close to Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
in 1990.
Michel Berger
France Gall was seduced by Michel BergerMichel Berger
Michel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
’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 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
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.
Musicals
In 1978, pushed by Berger, she once again trod the boards of the Théâtre des Champs-ÉlyséesThéâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
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
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
act Les Étoiles, the members of the orchestra, choir and the dance troupe were exclusively female. 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
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
, the rock opera Starmania
Starmania
Starmania is a French/Québécois rock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and lyrics by Luc Plamondon. Some of its songs have passed into mainstream Francophone pop culture.-Genesis:...
enjoyed a success not usual for musicals in France. The show played for one month at Palais des congrès de Paris
Palais des congrès de Paris
The Palais des congrès de Paris is a concert venue and convention centre in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. The venue was built by French architect Guillaume Gillet, and was inaugurated in 1974. Nearby the venue are Bois de Boulogne and the affluent neighbourhood of Neuilly-sur-Seine...
.
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.
1980s and 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 RenaudRenaud
Renaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
.
At the same time, she gave a successful series of concerts lasting three weeks at the new venue Zénith
The Zenith
Le Zénith is the name given to a series of indoor arenas in France. The first arena, "Le Zénith de Paris" is a rejuvenation of the Pavillon de Paris. Since its opening in 1983, "Le Zénith" became a registered trademark in France. In French culture, the word "zénith" has become synonymous with...
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
Richard Berry (actor)
Richard Berry is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He has appeared in nearly 100 films since 1972. He starred in The Violin Player, which was entered into the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
, Daniel Balavoine
Daniel Balavoine
Daniel Balavoine was a French singer and songwriter. He was hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and inspired many singers in the 1980s, such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, and Michel Berger, his closest friend...
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, elle l'a
"Ella, elle l'a" is a single released by France Gall. It was released as a single from her album Babacar, on 24 August 1987, and became a hit in Europe....
("Ella, she's got it"), a Berger tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
.
Following the release of Babacar, Gall launched a new show produced by Berger. Opening at Le Zénith
The Zenith
Le Zénith is the name given to a series of indoor arenas in France. The first arena, "Le Zénith de Paris" is a rejuvenation of the Pavillon de Paris. Since its opening in 1983, "Le Zénith" became a registered trademark in France. In French culture, the word "zénith" has become synonymous with...
, the successful production toured throughout Europe, and gave rise to the live album Le Tour de France '88.
The 1990s
Gall took a break from singing in the early 1990s and did not record any more for several years to come. She did, however, make an album called Double Jeu with Berger.Following the release of Double Jeu, Gall and Berger announced a series of concerts in various Parisian venues, such as La Cigale
La Cigale
La Cigale is a theater at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex that is connected to Le Trabendo and the Boule Noire. The hall can accommodate 1389 people or 954 people...
and Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
. This project was nearly cancelled by Berger's death 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. However, she decided to commit to the performances at the Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
and promoted the songs that she and Berger created together. However, Gall was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 1993, which was successfully treated. She finally performed at the Bercy
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
Opened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
in September. All the songs she performed were written by Berger
Michel Berger
Michel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
from Double Jeu, and from their discographies.
A year later, she went back on stage and performed in a new show in the Pleyel in Paris featuring new musicians. The repertoire featured songs written exclusively by Berger though Gall included her own versions of songs originally performed by others.
In 1996, Gall asked Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
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
Rolle
Rolle is a municipality in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It was the seat of the district of Rolle until 2006, when it became part of the district of Nyon. It is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Geneva between Nyon and Lausanne...
(Switzerland). It was given its first and only airing on 20 April 1996 on the French television channel M6
Métropole 6
M6, also known as Metropole television, is the most profitable private national French TV channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world...
. It was only shown once, due to copyright issues.
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
Michel Berger
Michel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
's songs. In 1996, Gall finally decided to appear as a headline artist at the legendary venue for French artists, the Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
. 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 elder daughter with Michel Berger
Michel Berger
Michel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
, died of complications of cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
. Her illness was never made public.
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 staged and appeared in the 2007 France 2 documentary "Tous pour la musique" marking the fifteenth anniversary of Michel Berger's death.
Today she is a patron for French charity Coeurs de Femmes – a group helping homeless women.
Singles
- October 1963 – "Ne sois pas si bête", adaptation by Pierre DelanoëPierre DelanoëPierre Delanoë , born Pierre Leroyer, was a French songwriter/lyricist who wrote for dozens of singers such as Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Petula Clark, and Johnny Hallyday....
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 GallRobert GallRobert Gall, Robert Gall, Robert Gall, (1918, Saint-Fargeau, Yonne - 1990, was a French lyricist. He married Cécile Berthier, daughter of Paul Berthier, co-founder of Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. Robert and Cécile are parents of singer France Gall. Their two sons, twins Patrice and...
music by Alain GoraguerAlain GoraguerAlain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s... - 1964 – "Laisse tomber les fillesLaisse Tomber Les Filles"Laisse tomber les filles" is a French song composed by Serge Gainsbourg and originally performed by France Gall in 1964....
", words and music by Gainsbourg - 1964 – "Sacré Charlemagne", words by Robert Gall and music by Georges Liferman
- 1965 – "Poupée de cire, poupée de sonPoupée de cire, poupée de son"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. It was performed in French by French singer France Gall, representing Luxembourg....
", 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 SucettesLes Sucettes"Les Sucettes" is a French pop song written by Serge Gainsbourg and recorded by France Gall in 1966. One of Gall's biggest hits, it was an unusually risqué song for its time, but in performing it she was unaware of the fact....
", 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 DassinJoe DassinJoseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
- 1967 – "Toi que je veux", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe DassinJoe DassinJoseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
- 1968 – "Le Temps du tempo", words by Robert Gall and music by Alain GoraguerAlain GoraguerAlain Goraguer is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer. He reached his creative peak in the 1960s and 1970s...
- 1968 – "Y'a du soleil à vendre", words by Robert Gall and music by Hubert GiraudHubert GiraudHubert Yves Adrian Giraud is a French composer and lyricist.Giraud began his career playing the harmonica with Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France. In 1941, he was recruited by Ray Ventura to play the guitar during Ventrua's big band tour of South America...
- 1968 – "24 / 36", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe DassinJoe DassinJoseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
- 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 MarnayEddy MarnayEddy Marnay was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 100 songs, including works for Édith Piaf and Céline Dion. He also wrote the title song for Charlie Chaplin's 1957 film A King in New York....
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 LanzmannJacques LanzmannJacques Lanzmann was a French writer, scriptwriter and lyric writer.-Biography:...
and music by Paul-Jean Borowsky - 1971 – "Chasse neige", words by Étienne Roda-GilÉtienne Roda-GilÉtienne Roda-Gil was a songwriter and screenwriter. He was married to the painter Nadine Roda-Gil until her death in 1990.-Biography:...
and music by Julien ClercJulien ClercJulien Clerc, , born as Paul Alain Leclerc on 4 October 1947 in Paris, Clerc's parents divorced when he was still young. He grew up listening to classical music in his father's home, while his mother introduced him to the music of such singers as Georges Brassens and Edith Piaf... - 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 ToquinhoToquinhoAntônio Pecci Filho , better known as Toquinho , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is well-known for his collaborations, as composer and performer, with Vinicius de Moraes.-Childhood and musical studies:...
and Vinicius de MoraesVinicius de MoraesMarcus Vinicius de Moraes , known as Vinicius de Moraes and nicknamed O Poetinho , was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Son of Lydia Cruz de Moraes and Clodoaldo Pereira da Silva Moraes, he was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music... - 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 PlamondonLuc PlamondonLuc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
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 JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
), words by Michel Berger and Bernie TaupinBernie TaupinBernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
, 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 FR #6
- 4 February 1984 – "Calypso", words and music by Berger
- 20 May 1984 – "Cézanne peint", words and music by Berger
- 3 April 1987 – "BabacarBabacar (song)"Babacar" is a 1987 song recorded by French singer France Gall. Written by Michel Berger, it was the first single from the album of the same name. Released on 3 April 1987, it achieved success, reaching the top 20 in France and Germany.-Charts:...
", words and music by Berger FR #11 GER #14 - 24 August 1987 – "Ella, elle l'aElla, elle l'a"Ella, elle l'a" is a single released by France Gall. It was released as a single from her album Babacar, on 24 August 1987, and became a hit in Europe....
", words and music by Berger FR #2 GER #1 NL #38 - 7 March 1988 – "ÉvidemmentÉvidemment"Évidemment" is a 1987 pop song recorded by French singer France Gall. It was the third single from her album Babacar and was released on 7 March 1988...
", 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"
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 BergerMichel BergerMichel Berger , born Michel Jean Hamburger, was a very successful French singer and songwriter. He was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday...
, 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 (music album) (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)