"L'amour est bleu" (; "Love Is Blue") is a song whose music was composed by

André Popp André Charles Jean Popp (19 February 1924 – 10 May 2014) was a French composer, arranger and screenwriter. Biography Popp was born into a family of German-Dutch background, in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée. He started his career as a church org ...

, and whose lyrics were written by

Pierre Cour Pierre Cour (5 April 1916 – 22 December 1995) 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. Among those who recorded his songs are Dalida, Roge ...

, in 1967. Bryan Blackburn later wrote English-language lyrics for it. First performed in French by Greek singer

Vicky Leandros Vasiliki Papathanasiou ( el, Βασιλική Παπαθανασίου; born 23 August 1949), generally known as Vicky Leandros ( el, Βίκυ Λέανδρος, links=no), is a Greek singer living in Germany. She is the daughter of singer, music ...

(appearing as ''Vicky'') as the entry in the

Eurovision Song Contest 1967 The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the 12th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Merci, Chérie" by Udo Jürgens. Organised by the European Bro ...

, it has since been recorded by many other musicians, most notably French orchestra leader

Paul Mauriat Paul Julien André Mauriat ( or ; 4 March 1925 – 3 November 2006) was a French orchestra leader, conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. He is best known in the United States for his milli ...

, whose familiar

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

version (recorded in late 1967) became the first number-one hit by a French lead artist to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in America. The song describes the pleasure and pain of love in terms of colours (blue and grey) and elements (water and wind). The English lyrics ("Blue, blue, my world is blue …") focus on colours only (blue, grey, red, green, and black), using them to describe components of lost love. The English version by Vicky Leandros also appeared as "Colours of Love" in some locations including the UK.

Eurovision Song Contest

The Greek-born 17-year-old Vicky Leandros represented Luxembourg at the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest, where she performed "L'amour est bleu" as the second song of the contest. At the close of voting, the song had received 17 points, placing it fourth in a field of 17, behind " Il doit faire beau là-bas" (France), "

If I Could Choose The Irish National Final was held on 12 February 1967 by RTÉ TV in Dublin, Ireland. Before Eurovision National final The final was hosted by Brendan O'Reilly at the studios of RTÉ in Dublin. The winner was chosen by postcard voting. At Eu ...

" (Ireland) and the winning song, " Puppet on a String" (United Kingdom). Despite not winning the Eurovision, Leandros recorded the song in many different languages for release in 19 countries. The song was a modest hit in Europe, and had some success in Japan and Canada (No. 40). The versions she recorded aside from French included English (as "Love Is Blue"), German ("Blau wie das Meer"), Italian ("L'amore è blu") and Dutch ("Liefde is zacht"). The song achieved greater success through cover versions of the song by other artists. Some forty years after its original release, "L'amour est bleu", along with

Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu (song), Nel blu dipinto di blu", ...

's " Nel blu dipinto di blu" (better known as "Volare") and

Mocedades Mocedades () is a Spanish singing group from the Basque Country, who represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with the hit song "Eres Tú". Since June 2014, ''Mocedades'' has been the name of two bands: one with Izaskun Uranga ...

' "

Eres tú Eres (English: "You Are") may refer to: * "Eres" (Alejandro Fernández song), 2008 * "Eres" (Café Tacuba song), 2003 * "Eres", a song by Anahí from her album ''Inesperado'', 2016 * "Eres", a song by José María Napoleón, 1975, later covered ...

", still counts as one of very few non-winning Eurovision entries ever to become a worldwide hit. The song has since become a favourite of Contest fans, most notably appearing as part of a medley introducing the semi-final of the

Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, one of only three non-winning songs to be involved (the others being "

Dschinghis Khan Dschinghis Khan (; " Genghis Khan") was a German Eurodisco pop band. It was originally formed in Munich in 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Dschinghis Khan". The original group led by original members Henriette S ...

" and "Nel blu dipinto di blu"). It was succeeded as Luxembourgish representative at the 1968 contest by Chris Baldo &

Sophie Garel Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia (given name), Sophia, meaning "wise". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Sophie of T ...

with "

Nous vivrons d'amour The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the with the song "Puppet on a String (Sandie Shaw song), Puppet on ...

". Vicky Leandros went on to win the Contest five years later with the song "

Après toi ''Après'' is the sixteenth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop. Background Consisting partly of covers sung in French, it was released on 9 May 2012 on Thousand Mile Inc after the album was rejected by Virgin EMI Records. Pop said his ...

", again representing Luxembourg.

Charts

Paul Mauriat version

According to

, who conducted/recorded an orchestral "

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

" version of "Love Is Blue", he chose the song because it was published by his label,

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips. It was founded as Philips Phonographische Industrie in 1950. In 1946, Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Decca's Dutch outlet in A ...

even though he was not fond of the song. A DJ in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

played the recording and asked the audience to respond, and was inundated phone calls about the song, and interest in the song then quickly spread around the country. The song became a number-one hit in the USA for five weeks in February and March 1968, the first recording by a French artist to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. (It remained the only French song to top the chart until 2017, when

Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...

was a featured artist on

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

artist

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...

's number-one hit " Starboy".) Mauriat's version became a

gold record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile meta ...

, and its five-week run at the top is the second longest of any instrumental of the Hot 100 era, after " Theme from ''A Summer Place''". The song also spent 11 weeks atop ''Billboard's'' Easy Listening survey, and held the longest-lasting title honours on this chart for 25 years. ''Billboard'' ranked the record as the No. 2 song for

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

. It is the best-known version of the song in the United States. The Mauriat recording also reached No. 2 in Canada (No. 12 Year End), and No. 12 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The Mauriat album containing "Love Is Blue", ''

Blooming Hits ''Blooming Hits'' was a studio instrumental album by Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra. It was released in 1967 and spent five weeks at number one in 1968. It was certified as a Music recording certification, Gold LP by the Recording Industry Associ ...

'', also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LP's and Tapes chart for five weeks. The song sold fewer than 30,000 units in France, but 2 million singles and 800,000 LPs were sold in the US. Mauriat's version was featured repeatedly in an episode of Chris Carter's television series ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'' titled " A Room with No View", which originally aired on 24 April 1998 on the

Fox Network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...

. During the episode, the omnipresent melody is used by a kidnapper to

brainwash Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwashin ...

a group of youths. His version is also briefly heard in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episodes "

There's No Disgrace Like Home "There's No Disgrace Like Home" is the fourth episode of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on January 28, 1990. In the episode, Homer Simpson, ...

" and " The Blue and the Gray." It was played over the closing credits of ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...

s sixth-season episode "The Flood", which takes place during April 1968. The harpsichord riff from Mauriat's version was also sampled by the English electronica duo J Walk in their song "French Letter", as part of their 2002 album ''A Night on the Rocks''.

Charts

Weekly charts

All-time charts

Other covers

* Three other songs charted on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 together with Paul Mauriat's version at the same time in 1968.

Al Martino Al Martino (born Jasper Cini; October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009) was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop croone ...

's "Love is Blue" peaked at No. 57 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 3 on the

Billboard Adult Contemporary 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 stat ...

charts, and was the title song of one of his 1968 albums.

Claudine Longet Claudine Georgette Longet (born 29 January 1942) is a Franco-American singer, actress, dancer, and recording artist popular during the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Paris, France, Longet was married to American singer and television entertainer Andy ...

's "Love Is Blue (L'amour est bleu)" peaked at No. 71, while Manny Kellem's version reached No. 100. *

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

recorded a "

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

" interpretation of Mauriat's version in 1968. It reached No. 20 in Ireland, and No. 23 on the

. *

The Dells The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first r ...

recorded a

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

medley, "

I Can Sing a Rainbow "I Can Sing a Rainbow," also known simply as "Sing a Rainbow," is a popular song written by Arthur Hamilton. It was featured in the 1955 film '' Pete Kelly's Blues,'' where it was sung by Peggy Lee. Background The song has been used to teach chi ...

/Love Is Blue", which reached No. 22 in the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 in the

Billboard R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

charts in the US, No. 10 in the Dutch chart, No. 18 in Ireland, and No. 16 in the UK charts, in 1969.Dells: Singles

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

References

External links

Official Eurovision Song Contest site, history by year, 1967.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amour est bleu 1967 songs 1968 singles Songs written by Pierre Cour Songs written by André Popp Jeff Beck songs Andy Williams songs Mercy (band) songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Eurovision songs of 1967 Eurovision songs of Luxembourg French-language songs Philips Records singles 1960s instrumentals