Olivier Toussaint is a French composer, pop singer, orchestra arranger, company manager, and record producer.

Early life

He was born in Paris, in a family of classical musicians. His great-grandfather, Gilbert Duprez was a very well known opera singer. His grandparents were both opera singers, and his mother was a concert pianist who played in big orchestras in France. At the insistence of his mother, he studied economics and

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

at University in Paris. But as soon as he graduated, he was back making music. He worked professionally as a singer and musician, playing guitar. At the same time he was involved in writing music for television and the cinema. Classical music was a part of his life due to his family background, but it did not fit to his musical expectations. Other than classical music, he was very interested in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

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 ...

, semi-classical, and pop music.

Music career

Early years

He started a partnership with the French composer,

Paul de Senneville Paul de Senneville (born 30 July 1933) is a French composer and a music producer. Career He began his career as a journalist working for French newspapers such as France Soir. Later, he became a TV program producer as well. In 1988 he crea ...

in 1968. Soon after, they started to compose many songs together. Their collaboration got well known immediately, and their compositions were recorded by major French singers such as

Michel Polnareff Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944, Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a French singer-songwriter, who was popular in France from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s with his penultimate original album, ''Kāma-Sūtra''. He is still critically ...

, Christophe,

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Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of "Comme d'habitude" (c ...

and

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

. They internationally sold more than 100 million records. Olivier Toussaint and Paul de Senneville also got involved in music production business and started up the group "

Pop Concerto Orchestra Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

". In this group, Toussaint was a lead singer. Then they launched a second

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

group "

Anarchic System Anarchic System was a French pop group formed in the early 1970s. The band's members were parts of other groups from the rock scene of northern France. They were in good friendship when the opportunity of recording the "Popcorn" cover was given ...

". Over a period of 5 years, both of the groups sold several millions of records.

Career development

1975 was the major breakthrough for both Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint with the triumph of " Dolannes Melodie" which launched the trumpet player

Jean-Claude Borelly Jean-Claude Borelly is a French trumpeter and composer. Background At the age of seven he developed a passion for the trumpet after discovering Louis Armstrong on television. He met a prominent trumpeter of the Paris Opera who, touched by his ...

. They collaborated with the French composer/arranger Gérard Salesses, in arranging many of titles for Jean-Claude Borelly. In 1976, Paul de Senneville and Olivier Tousaint set up their own record label, Delphine (named after de Senneville's first daughter). Delphine is one of the leading French music exporters to the world market. Soon after in 1976, they discovered

Richard Clayderman Richard Clayderman (; born Philippe Pagès , 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular ...

, and established him as the top French record seller worldwide more than 65 million LPs sold. "

Ballade pour Adeline "Ballade pour Adeline" (French for "Ballad for Adeline") is a 1977 instrumental by Richard Clayderman, composed by Paul de Senneville. Paul de Senneville composed the piece as a tribute to his newborn daughter, Adeline. , worldwide sales of the re ...

", composed by Paul de Senneville and Olivier Tousaint, was the first song recorded by Richard Clayderman at Delphine studio, and it sold over 22 million singles in 38 countries through the years 1977 to 1979. In 1977 the synthesizer project ''By the Savers'' (Olivier Toussaint together with French musicians

Roland Romanelli Roland Romanelli (born 21 May 1946 in Algiers) is a French accordionist, synthesist and composer, mainly known as arranger. During his career, he worked with Barbara, Rusty Egan, and other notable figures in popular music. He was an early ado ...

and

Jean Baudlot Jean Baudlot (16 February 1947 – 24 March 2021) was a French music composer, most notable for composing music for videogames in the 1980s and 1990s and collaborations with Richard Clayderman, Nicolas de Angelis, Michèle Torr and Joe Dassin. H ...

) released one single ''Help Me'' across Europe which didn't chart anywhere.

Success

The year 1978 was Olivier Toussaint's big success, attending in Monégasque entry in the

Eurovision Song Contest 1978 The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Paris, France, following the country's victory at the with the song " L'Oiseau et l'Enfant" by Marie Myriam. Organised by the Europea ...

, and performing the duet "

Les jardins de Monaco The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Paris, France, following the country's victory at the with the song " L'Oiseau et l'Enfant" by Marie Myriam. Organised by the European ...

" ("The Gardens of Monaco") with the female singer "Caline" (pseudonym of Corinne Sauvage). It was succeeded as Monegasque representative at the 1979 Contest by

Laurent Vaguener Jean Baudlot (16 February 1947 – 24 March 2021) was a French music composer, most notable for composing music for videogames in the 1980s and 1990s and collaborations with Richard Clayderman, Nicolas de Angelis, Michèle Torr and Joe Dassin. ...

(pseudonym of Jean Baudlot) with " Notre Vie C'Est La Musique". In 1983, with the song " Eden is a magic world" (composed by Paul de Senneville), Olivier Toussaint got No.1 in the charts in France, Switzerland and Wallonia, the French speaking part of Belgium. Since then, Olivier Toussaint has been the main manager to Delphine company, looking after over 40 employees and artists. Delphine company is nowadays several groups representing 15 companies dealing with various activities. Besides producing and recording music for several international instrumentalists such as

, Nicolas de Angelis, and Ocarina group, Delphine activities is in instrumental an advertising film and clip production. Olivier Toussaint is still passionately involved with Richard Clayderman's career; managing his worldwide tours, producing his albums, etc.

Discography

*1974 – Electric Arena *1975 – Pop Concerto Orchestra *1975 – Anarchic System *1976 – Chérie Sha la la *1976 – Generation *1977 – She wears a Rainbow *1977 - Help me *1978 – I made up my mind to make love *1978 –

(with Caline, ESC 1978 for Monaco) *1982 – Eden is a magic world *1985 – Divorce à Hollywood (aka ''

Irreconcilable Differences ''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...

'', soundtrack)

Filmography

*Casablanca Driver (2004) ("Pop Concerto Show") *

Un linceul n'a pas de poches ''Un linceul n'a pas de poches'' (English: ''No Pockets in a Shroud'') is a French film directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky in 1974. Plot A journalist, Michel Dolannes, decides to use his newspaper to denounce the corruption of the established system. ...

(1974) (writer: " Dolannes Melodie") *The Eurovision Song Contest (1978) (TV)

References

Clayderman's official site, biography of Toussaint

Biographie d'Olivier Toussaint
*

External links

Les jardins de Monaco by Olivier Toussaint and Caline

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Toussaint, Olivier French composers French male composers French songwriters Male songwriters French record producers Musicians from Paris French male singers Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Monaco Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1978 Living people Year of birth missing (living people)