Les Double Six
Encyclopedia
Les Double Six was a French
vocal jazz
group established in 1959 by Mimi Perrin
. The group established an international reputation in the early 1960s. The name of the group was an allusion to the fact that the sextet
used overdubbing
techniques to achieve twelve-part singing. The membership of the group varied from recording to recording.
They sang in French jazz standards, particularly themes by Quincy Jones
and Dizzy Gillespie
, thanks to the poetic or humorous texts written by the imaginative Perrin.
Inspired several American groups, the singers vocalized in the manner of instruments, reconstructing brilliant improvisations of saxophone, trumpets or trombones.
The group was not long-lasting. Due to Perrin's health problems (she had contracted tuberculosis
in 1949), Les Double Six dissolved in 1966. They recorded four albums between 1959 and 1964. Many members of the group went on to join the Swingle Singers, which notably reproduced the works of Bach
in the jazz vocal style.
The Double Six were nominated for Best Vocal Group Performance at the 1965 Grammy Awards for their LP The Double Six of Paris Sing Ray Charles, and were beaten by The Beatles
' A Hard Day's Night
.
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...
vocal jazz
Vocal jazz
Jazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
group established in 1959 by Mimi Perrin
Mimi Perrin
Jeannine "Mimi" Perrin was a French jazz pianist and singer, and translator.Perrin received private musical instruction, including piano as a child and pursued English studies at Sorbonne. In 1949, she contracted tuberculosis and was treated at a sanatorium...
. The group established an international reputation in the early 1960s. The name of the group was an allusion to the fact that the sextet
Sextet
A sextet is a formation containing exactly six members. It is commonly associated with vocal or musical instrument groups, but can be applied to any situation where six similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
used overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
techniques to achieve twelve-part singing. The membership of the group varied from recording to recording.
They sang in French jazz standards, particularly themes by Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, thanks to the poetic or humorous texts written by the imaginative Perrin.
Inspired several American groups, the singers vocalized in the manner of instruments, reconstructing brilliant improvisations of saxophone, trumpets or trombones.
The group was not long-lasting. Due to Perrin's health problems (she had contracted tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1949), Les Double Six dissolved in 1966. They recorded four albums between 1959 and 1964. Many members of the group went on to join the Swingle Singers, which notably reproduced the works of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
in the jazz vocal style.
The Double Six were nominated for Best Vocal Group Performance at the 1965 Grammy Awards for their LP The Double Six of Paris Sing Ray Charles, and were beaten by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (song)
"A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...
.
Members
(changing according to session, but generally in sextets)- Mimi PerrinMimi PerrinJeannine "Mimi" Perrin was a French jazz pianist and singer, and translator.Perrin received private musical instruction, including piano as a child and pursued English studies at Sorbonne. In 1949, she contracted tuberculosis and was treated at a sanatorium...
(founder) - Monique Guérin
- Louis Aldebert
- Ward SwingleWard SwingleWard Swingle is an American vocalist and jazz musician.Swingle was born in Mobile, Alabama. He studied music, particularly jazz, from a very young age. He was playing in Mobile-area Big Bands before finishing high school. After high school, Swingle graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Cincinnati...
(future arranger of the Swingle Singers) - Jean-Louis Conrozier
- Roger GuérinRoger GuérinRoger Guérin was a French jazz trumpeter and singer.Initially a violinist, Guérin studied trumpet and cornet at the Paris Conservatory and won a first prize there as a teenager....
- Christiane LegrandChristiane LegrandChristiane Legrand was a French singer.Legrand was born in Paris, the daughter of film composer Raymond Legrand, who wrote "Irma la Douce."She studied piano and classical music from the time she was four...
- Claude Germain
- Jacques DenjeanJacques DenjeanJacques Denjean is a French composer and arranger, active in the 1960s and 1970s.He worked with artists such as Dionne Warwick, Françoise Hardy, Nana Mouskouri, Johnny Hallyday, Baris Manco, Maria del Mar Bonet and Guy Béart, chiefly as an arranger....
- Jean-Claude Briodin
- Eddy LouissEddy LouissEddy Louiss is a French jazz musician.His primary instrument is the Hammond organ. As a vocalist, he was a member of Les Double Six of Paris from 1961 through 1963.He has worked with Kenny Clarke, René Thomas, and Jean-Luc Ponty...
- Claudine Barge
- Robert SmartRobert SmartAdmiral Sir Robert Smart KCB KH was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet.-Naval career:...
- Bernard Lubat
Discography
- The Double Six of Paris, Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
1961 (recorded 1959-1960)
- For Lena and Lennie (En flânant dans Paris)
- Rat race (La course au rat)
- Stockholm sweetnin' (Un coin merveilleux)
- Boo's bloos (Au temps des Indiens)
- Doodlin' (Tout en dodelinant)
- Meet Benny Bailey (Au bout du fil)
- Evening in Paris (Il y a fort longtemps)
- Count'em (T'as foutu l'camp)
- The Double Six of Paris: Swingin' Singin, Philips RecordsPhilips RecordsPhilips 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...
1962 (recorded 1960-1961)
- Tickle Toe
- Early Autumn
- Sweets
- NaimaNaima"Naima" is a ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959, and named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. It first appeared on the album Giant Steps, and is notable for its use of a variety of rich chords over a bass pedal...
- Westward Walk
- Night in Tunisia
- Ballad
- Scrapple from the AppleScrapple from the Apple"Scrapple from the Apple" is a bebop composition by Charlie Parker written in 1947, commonly regonized today as a jazz standard, written in F major...
- Boplicity
- Moanin'
- Fascinating RhythmFascinating Rhythm"Fascinating Rhythm" is a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.It was first introduced by Cliff Edwards, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical Lady Be Good. The Astaires also recorded the song on April 19, 1926 in London with George Gershwin...
- Dizzy Gillespie and the Double Six of ParisDizzy Gillespie and the Double Six of ParisDizzy Gillespie and the Double Six of Paris is a 1963 studio album collaboration between Dizzy Gillespie and Les Double Six, also known as the Double Six of Paris, a French vocal group who sings in vocalese to songs associated with Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie, pianist Bud Powell, and a rhythm...
, Philips 1963
- Emanon
- AnthropologyAnthropology (composition)"Anthropology" is a bebop-style jazz composition written by saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie from 1945. Like many other jazz compositions, it uses the chords known as "rhythm changes".-See also:...
- Tin Tin Deo
- One Bass Hit
- Two Bass Hit
- Groovin' High
- Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee
- Hot House
- Con Alma
- Blue 'N' Boogie
- The Champ
- Ow!
- The Double Six Of Paris sing Ray Charles, Philips 1964
- One Mint Julep
- Yes, Indeed
- Georgia On My MindGeorgia on My Mind"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell . It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael. However, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or...
- Lonely Avenue
- Sherri
- Let The Good Times Roll By
- Halleluja, I Love Her So
- Hit the Road, Jack
- Ruby
- From The Heart
- Stompin' Room Only
- Les Double Six [two-fer reissue], RCA Victor International 1999
- For Lena and Lennie (En flanant dans Paris)
- Rat Race (la course au rat)
- Stockholm Sweetnin' (Un Coin Merveilleux)
- Boo's Bloos (Au temps des Indiens)
- Doodlin' (Tout en dodelinant)
- Meet Benny Bailey (Au Bout du Fil)
- Evening in Paris (Il y a fort longtemps)
- Count'em (T'as foutu l'camp)
- Tickle Toe
- Early Autumn
- Sweets
- Naima
- Westwood Walk
- A Night in Tunisia
- A Ballad
- Scrapple From The Apple
- Boplicity
- Moanin'
- Fascinating Rhythm
- Walkin'
Reference
- This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article on the French WikipediaFrench WikipediaThe French Wikipedia is the French language edition of Wikipedia, spelt Wikipédia. This edition was started in March 2001, and has about articles as of , making it the third-largest Wikipedia overall, after the English-language and German-language editions...
.