"Chanson D'Amour" (; ) is a

popular song Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...

written by

Wayne Shanklin Wayne Shanklin (June 6, 1917 – June 16, 1970) was an American singer, songwriter and producer. His best known compositions were "Jezebel", " Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)", and " The Big Hurt". Personal life Shanklin was born June 6, 1916, i ...

. A 1977 recording by

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

was an international hit, reaching #1 in the UK Singles Chart, and Australia.

Original version

In 1958 the husband and wife team of

Art and Dotty Todd Art and Dotty Todd were an American husband and wife singing duo, who reached the Top Ten in the UK and the US with the hits " Broken Wings" (1953) and "Chanson D'Amour" (1958). Dotty Todd was born Doris Dabb in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United St ...

were the resident act at the

Chapman Park Hotel Chapman may refer to: Businesses * Chapman Entertainment, a former British television production company * Chapman Guitars, a guitar company established in 2009 by Rob Chapman * Chapman's, a Canadian ice cream and ice water products manufacturer ...

in Los Angeles. The duo had charted in the UK in 1953 with "Broken Wings" (#6) but were known in their native United States as veterans of the California lounge circuit; the Todds also sang on their own radio show. Art Todd recalls how Wayne Shanklin gave the duo the song "Chanson D'Amour": "Wayne Shanklin stopped us one day and said, 'I've got a great song for you.'" Shanklin produced a demo of Art and Dotty Todd singing "Chanson D'Amour" which was shopped to

Era Records Era Records was an independent American record label in Hollywood, California. It was founded by Herb Newman and Lou Bedell in 1955 as a pop, country and western, and jazz label. In 1959 Bedell sold his interest in the label to Newman. Era had ...

, who released the demo track as a single. According to Art Todd: "The airplay was just sensational. This was just at the beginning of rock 'n' roll and the old-time DJs hated rock 'n' roll and they jumped on our song." Art and Dotty Todd's "Chanson D'Amour" was a Top Ten hit and reached #6 in April 1958, and crossed over to the R&B chart and reached #9.

Manhattan Transfer recording

remade "Chanson D'Amour" for their 1976 Richard Perry-produced ''Coming Out'' album. The song came to the group's producer Richard Perry's attention as a demo on cassette. The group and Richard listened, and immediately decided to record the song. Janis Siegel sang the lead with an Edith Piaf sound, and it was recorded in one take. Overlooked in the United States in its single release, the Manhattan Transfer's version of "Chanson D'Amour" became a European hit, breaking out on the charts in France at the start of 1977 to peak there at #8: the track subsequently became a hit in Germany (#20), the Netherlands (#6), Norway (#1 for two weeks) and Switzerland (#6). In the English-speaking world, "Chanson D'Amour" afforded the Manhattan Transfer a chart-topping hit, reaching #1 in March 1977 in both the UK – for three weeks – and Ireland. It was also a hit in Australia (#9), New Zealand (#14) and South Africa (#14). "Chanson D'Amour" proved to be the Manhattan Transfer's most widespread international success, despite being only moderately successful in the group's native United States, where the track registered on

Easy Listening chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' at #16.

Personnel

Manhattan Transfer *

Tim Hauser Timothy DuPron Hauser (December 12, 1941 – October 16, 2014) was a singer and founding member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. He won 10 Grammy Awards as a member of The Manhattan Transfer. Early life Hauser was born in Troy, New Y ...

, Janis Siegel – vocals, arranger *

Laurel Massé Laurel Massé (born December 29, 1951) is an American jazz singer and former member of The Manhattan Transfer. Career Massé was born in Holland, Michigan, grew up in Westchester County, New York, and lived in Europe during her teens. Early in s ...

Alan Paul Alan Paul Wichinsky (born November 23, 1949, Newark, New Jersey) is a Grammy Award-winning singer and composer, best known as one of the founding members of the current incarnation of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Education Raised in ...

– vocals Musicians *John Barnes – piano *Steve Paietta – accordion *Ira Newborn, Ben Benay – guitar *Andy Muson – bass * Jim Gordon – drums

Charts

Other versions

The Fontane Sisters recorded a version of "Chanson D'Amour" which charted concurrently with the Art and Dotty Todd version, with the Fontane Sisters version peaking at #12 and affording the group their last major hit (the group would have one more entry in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: " Jealous Heart" at #94). In the UK both the Art and Dotty Todd and Fontane Sisters versions of "Chanson D'Amour" were issued along with domestic covers by

Tony Brent Tony Brent (born Reginald Hogan Bretagne, 26 August 1927 – 19 June 1993) was a British traditional pop music singer, most active in the 1950s. He scored seven Top 20 chart hits in the UK over an almost six-year period, starting in December 195 ...

and Steve Martin. Also in 1958, Belgian singer

Angèle Durand Angèle Caroline Liliane Josette Marie-José DeGeest (Antwerp 23 October 1925 – Augsburg 22 December 2001) was a Belgian singer and actress. Durand was a popular singer in Germany during the early 1950s.Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001 H ...

recorded a version which rendered the English lyrics in German; this "Chanson D'Amour" became Durand's signature song.

Wendy Van Wanten Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

remade this version in 1998. In 1959 a Finnish rendering of "Chanson D'Amour" was recorded by the vocal group Jokerit: this version was remade in 1977 – subsequent to the success of the Manhattan Transfer version – by Ami Aspelund, and also by Lea Laven, and by Silhuetit ( fi) (album ''Jos Mulle Sydämesi Annat''). The song had made an interim Easy Listening chart appearance in 1966, when a remake by the Lettermen reached #8. Sandler and Young remade "Chanson D'Amour" for their 1967 album ''On the Move.'' "Chanson D'Amour" was also sung by The Muppets in episode 28 of " The Muppet Show" . In the song,

Crazy Harry The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...

, who sang the line "Ra-ta-da-ta-da," proceeded to blow up the entire set. In 1978 "Chanson D'Amour" was remade by the Nolans for their album ''20 Giant Hits'', and also by

Liz Damon's Orient Express Liz Damon's Orient Express was a 1970s soft rock band from Hawaii, USA, featuring lead singer Liz Damon, two female backup singers and a rotating backup band. The name apparently derived from the original backup band being entirely Asian. Their on ...

for their album ''Heaven in My Heart''. The Frank Farian-produced

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

group La Mama had a 1981 single release with a remake of "Chanson D'Amour". In 1993 The King's Singers recorded their arrangement of "Chanson D'Amour" on their album titled by the same name, ''Chanson D'Amour''. The song was remade by In-Grid on her 2004 album ''La Vie en Rose''.

Song in popular culture

*A version by cast member Mike Berry was central to "The Pop Star," the series finale of the BBC sitcom " Are You Being Served?", first screened on 1 April 1985. *The song is briefly excerpted in The Beatles song " All You Need Is Love" . *The song is featured in the 1989 film I, Madman.

References

{{authority control UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Norway The Fontane Sisters songs The Lettermen songs 1958 singles 1966 singles 1977 singles Song recordings produced by Richard Perry Songs written by Wayne Shanklin The Manhattan Transfer songs The Muppets songs 1958 songs Capitol Records singles Atlantic Records singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Macaronic songs