Alain Bashung
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Alain Bashung (, born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French
chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic s ...
in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded in his home country as the most important
French rock French rock is a form of rock music produced in France, primarily with lyrics in the French language. French rock was born as early as mid-1950s, when writer, songwriter and jazz player Boris Vian wrote parody rock songs for Magali Noël or Hen ...
musician after Serge Gainsbourg. He rose to prominence in the early 1980s with hit songs such as "
Gaby oh Gaby "Gaby oh Gaby" is a song first published by Alain Bashung. Written by Boris Bergman with music by Bashung, it was initially published as a single in 1980 on Philips, with "Ell' s'fait rougir toute seule" as the B-side. The single became a huge hi ...
" and "Vertige de l'amour", and later had a string of hit records from the 1990s onward, such as "Osez Joséphine", "Ma petite entreprise" and "La nuit je mens". He has had an influence on many later French artists, and is the most awarded artist in the
Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
history with 12 victories obtained throughout his career. Bashung's ''
Play blessures ''Play blessures'' ''(Play injuries)'' is the fourth album by French rock musician Alain Bashung, issued in 1982 in music, 1982 on Philips Records. It is generally considered to be among his most significant works. Production After the success ...
'' (1982), ''
Osez Joséphine ''Osez Joséphine'' ''(Dare Joséphine)'' is the eighth studio album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1991 on Barclay Records. Rolling Stone magazine considered it the greatest French album of all time. Reception Commercial performa ...
'' (1991), and ''
Fantaisie militaire ''Fantaisie militaire'' ''(Military fantasy)'' is the tenth studio album by the French rock musician Alain Bashung, released in January 1998 by Barclay Records. Production For this album, Bashung worked with the English record producer and engin ...
'' (1998) have made multiple French lists of the greatest albums. ''
L'Imprudence ''L'Imprudence'' ''(The Imprudence)'' is the eleventh studio album by French singer-songwriter Alain Bashung, issued in October 2002 on Barclay Records. Production Alain Bashung cowrote most of the lyrics from this album with Jean Fauque, exc ...
'' (2002) and ''
Bleu pétrole ''Bleu pétrole'' ''(Petrol blue)'' is the twelfth studio album by the French rocker Alain Bashung, released in March 2008 on Barclay Records. It was the last studio album released during his lifetime. Production Great expectations surrounded ' ...
'' (2008), the last two studio albums released during his lifetime, also garnered acclaim. Bashung died at 61 after a two-year fight with lung cancer.


Biography


Youth

Alain Baschung (he later dropped the "c" from his surname) was the son of a
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mother working in a rubber factory and an
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n father, whom he never knew. His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Wingersheim, near
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
to live with his stepfather's parents.''Alain Bashung, rocker en équilibre'' dans ''Le Monde'' du 25 mars 2008.
/ref> He spent his childhood in the countryside, in a rather conservative environment, alongside a grandmother who did not speak French.
dans ''
Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'' du 16 mars 2009
He discovered music during his childhood, notably
Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...
's '' Mahagonny'', and began to practice with a Rosebud
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
offered to him when he was five. He also practiced
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and
cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
and sang in the church choir of Wingersheim. He came back to Paris in 1959, where he discovered the great chanson artists, and then
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 ...
artists such as
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, " Be-Bop-a-Lula ...
,
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
(whom he admired deeply), and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
. While studying (before dropping out after he was awarded a
BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
in
accountancy Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "langua ...
from the École nationale de commerce in 1965), he formed a band called ''Les Dunces'' playing
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
.


Long beginnings

He later formed a band with musicians met in
Royan Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; oc, Roian) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Its inhabitants are known as ''Royannais'' and ''Royannaises''. Capi ...
, and then began to tour in restaurants, hotels and U.S. military bases. He began his career with his first EP, "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ?" in 1966, which he wrote and composed. At the same time, he joined the RCA label to become a
music arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...
. He wrote songs for French artists. In June 1967, at the Palais des Sports of Paris, he was the opening act (alongside Noël Deschamps and
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) of artists such as
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,
the Troggs The Troggs (originally called the Troglodytes) are an English garage rock band formed in Andover, Hampshire in May 1964. Their most famous songs include the US chart-topper " Wild Thing", " With a Girl Like You" and " Love Is All Around", all ...
or
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
.Michka Assayas (sous la direction de). ''Dictionnaire du rock'', Robert Laffont, coll. Bouquins, 2000, p. 102 In 1968, he released his first single, "Les Romantiques", which was largely ignored by the public and unsuccessful. Around that time, he dropped the "c" from his name and spent some time at the house of fellow singer Christophe. From 1972 to 1974, he composed some of the music and cowrote three albums and three singles (including "Marilou") for French rock singer
Dick Rivers Hervé Forneri (; 24 April 1945 – 24 April 2019), known professionally as Dick Rivers, was a French singer and actor who began performing in the early 1960s. He was an important figure in introducing rock and roll music in France. He was an a ...
. In 1973, he played Robespierre in the musical ''
La Révolution française ''La Révolution Française'' is a French rock opera by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Raymond Jeannot, book by Alain Boublil and Jean-Max Rivière, created in 1973. The show premiered at the Palais des Sports de Paris. Synopsis With the Frenc ...
'' by
Claude-Michel Schönberg Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 6 July 1944, in Vannes) is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with lyricist Alain Boublil. Major works include '' La Révolution Fran ...
. In 11 years, he released no less than four EPs and ten singles, one under the moniker of David Bergen, and two others in 1976 and 1977 as Hendrick Darmen, composer for a band called ''Monkey Bizness''. All of them failed to have any impact.


Boris Bergman and first successes

He then met sound engineer Andy Scott and lyricist Boris Bergman. Together, they realized his first album ''
Roman-photos ''Roman-photos'' ''(Fotonovelas)'' is the debut album by French rock musician Alain Bashung, released in 1977 through Barclay Records. The first issues of the album simply bore the artist's name. Production Alain Bashung was 30 years old when ...
'', with a country and rockabilly sound, which was a commercial failure as punk rock was rising. In 1979, he produced another album, ''
Roulette russe ''Roulette russe'' ''(Russian roulette)'' is the second album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1979 on Philips Records. The album was reissued the following years with a couple of songs dropped and the two songs from his breakthrough sin ...
'', darker and leaning more openly toward rock. In 1980, he released the single "
Gaby oh Gaby "Gaby oh Gaby" is a song first published by Alain Bashung. Written by Boris Bergman with music by Bashung, it was initially published as a single in 1980 on Philips, with "Ell' s'fait rougir toute seule" as the B-side. The single became a huge hi ...
", which became his breakthrough success (selling more than a million copies). His critical and commercial success was confirmed with his next album, ''
Pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...
'', which allowed him, thanks to his second hit success, "Vertige de l'amour", to tour in prestigious locations, such as the Olympia. However, he broke with Bergman at the time.


Artistic turn

In 1982, Bashung released an album called ''
Play blessures ''Play blessures'' ''(Play injuries)'' is the fourth album by French rock musician Alain Bashung, issued in 1982 in music, 1982 on Philips Records. It is generally considered to be among his most significant works. Production After the success ...
'', written by Serge Gainsbourg. The album, in contrast with its immediate predecessor, is dark, minimalistic and inaccessible. The album was intended to break away from his unexpected success. It was a commercial and, at first, critical failure, Bashung being called by some the "
Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...
of new wave". Yet, it is now considered a classic album in France. In 1983, he produced another dark album, '' Figure imposée'', which also met with little success. However, in 1984 he made peace with Boris Bergman, and the lyricist wrote for him "SOS Amor" which was a surprise hit. In 1985, he sang "Touche pas à mon pote", a single for the association
SOS Racisme SOS Rascime () is a movement of NGOs which describe themselves as anti-racist. The oldest chapter of SOS Racisme was founded in 1984 in France, and it has counterparts in several other European countries or regions. Its Norwegian branch, which ...
. In the wake of the success of "SOS Amor", he released in 1986 the album ''
Passé le Rio Grande ''Passé le Rio Grande'' ''(Passed the Rio Grande)'' is the sixth studio album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1986 on Philips Records. Production After the commercial failures of the albums '' Play blessures'' in 1982 and '' Figure ...
'', which allowed him to get his first
Victoires de la musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
award. In 1989, he returned to a dark, experimental style with the album ''
Novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
'', from which the singles "Bombez !", "Pyromanes" and "Étrange été" were released. The album marked his first collaboration with lyricist
Jean Fauque Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...
and his definitive breakup with Boris Bergman.


Mainstream and critical success

In 1991, he released another album with Fauque as lyricist, ''
Osez Joséphine ''Osez Joséphine'' ''(Dare Joséphine)'' is the eighth studio album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1991 on Barclay Records. Rolling Stone magazine considered it the greatest French album of all time. Reception Commercial performa ...
'', which also included some cover versions of classic American rock songs. The album helped him achieve mainstream success, selling 350.000 copies and "Osez Joséphine" became his first real popular success since "Vertige de l'amour". On the same album is featured "Madame rêve", another classic in a different, more atmospheric style, which would be a trademark of his future releases. In 1992, he covered the French pop classic song "Les Mots bleus", from the
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by the same name by Christophe, for an AIDS research support compilation. In 1994, he released '' Chatterton'', which he called a "new age
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
" album. For this album, he worked with artists such as
Sonny Landreth Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Bre ...
,
Ally McErlaine Alistair Manson McErlaine (born 31 October 1968) is a Scottish guitarist, best known for his work with the band Texas, which he has been a member of since 1988. Ally is also a member of Red Sky July who released their self-titled debut album on ...
, Link Wray,
Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wait ...
or Stéphane Belmondo. The single "Ma petite entreprise" was a new popular success. Following the album, he toured for two years and in 1995 released the double live album ''
Confessions publiques ''Confessions publiques'' ''(Public confessions)'' is the third live album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1995 in music, 1995 on Barclay Records. A live video album of the same name, recorded on the 3rd and 4 October 1995 at the Chabada ...
''. From 1994 onwards, Bashung began to spend more time for his acting career (which he started in 1981 with ''Nestor Burma, détective de choc''), for instance with ''Ma sœur chinoise'' by Alain Mazars. After recording a duet with
Brigitte Fontaine Brigitte Fontaine, (born 24 June 1939) is a singer of avant-garde music. She has employed numerous unusual musical styles, melding rock and roll, folk, jazz, electronica, spoken word poetry, and world. She has collaborated with Stereolab, Mich ...
, "City" for her '' Les Palaces'' album, he came back to music in 1998 with ''
Fantaisie militaire ''Fantaisie militaire'' ''(Military fantasy)'' is the tenth studio album by the French rock musician Alain Bashung, released in January 1998 by Barclay Records. Production For this album, Bashung worked with the English record producer and engin ...
''. For this album, he notably collaborated with
Jean Fauque Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...
,
Rodolphe Burger Rudolph or Rudolf may refer to: People * Rudolph (name), the given name including a list of people with the name Religious figures * Rudolf of Fulda (died 865), 9th century monk, writer and theologian * Rudolf von Habsburg-Lothringen (1788 ...
, Les Valentins, Jean-Marc Lederman and
Adrian Utley Adrian Francis Utley (born 27 April 1957) is an English musician and producer, and a member of the band Portishead.Jurek, ThomAdrian Utley Biography, Allmusic. Retrieved 31 December 2016 Career Born in Northampton,Mejia, Paula (2015)In Search ...
of Portishead. The arrangements and strings were done by Joseph Racaille. The first single from the album was "La nuit je mens" which was another hit for Bashung. For the album, he received 3 more Victoires de la musique awards in 1999 (and in 2005, he received another for the "best album of the last twenty years"). For Bashung, it was a huge commercial and critical success. In 2000, he released the compilation ''Climax'', on which some songs are rerecordings as duets with notable artists from the French scene (most famously, the song "Volontaire" from ''Play blessures'' with French band
Noir Désir Noir Désir (, "Black Desire") was a French rock band from Bordeaux. They were active during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and have had two albums certified double platinum in France and three certified gold. They have been an influence on n ...
). That same year, he cowrote "L'Eau et le vin" for
Vanessa Paradis Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model, and actress. Paradis became a child star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's hig ...
' album ''
Bliss BLISS is a system programming language developed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) by W. A. Wulf, D. B. Russell, and A. N. Habermann around 1970. It was perhaps the best known system language until C debuted a few years later. Since then, C b ...
''. In 2002, he released another album, ''
L'Imprudence ''L'Imprudence'' ''(The Imprudence)'' is the eleventh studio album by French singer-songwriter Alain Bashung, issued in October 2002 on Barclay Records. Production Alain Bashung cowrote most of the lyrics from this album with Jean Fauque, exc ...
'' to critical acclaim, which is considered one of the darker albums of his discography. The album is not easily accessible and features strings and electronic arrangements, with sometimes nearly spoken lyrics, and was inspired according to Bashung by old black and white movies. That same year, he recorded the album '' Cantique des cantiques'' with his new wife, singer
Chloé Mons Chloé Mons (born in Lille on 1 December 1972) is a French actress and singer. Biography Chloé grew up in Lille in a family of musicians. She is the sister of Barnabé Mons, the leader of the psychedelic rock group Sheetah & Les Weissmullers. S ...
, the song was written for their wedding in 2001 by Rodolphe Burger, from a new translation of
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's Song of Songs by
Olivier Cadiot Olivier Cadiot (born 1956) is a French writer, poet, dramatist and translator. Cadiot was born in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with ...
. In 2003, he sang the French chanson classic "Avec le temps" by Léo Ferré for a tribute album to the late artist, ''Avec Léo !'' and wrote the preface to a book about that artist. In 2004, the double live album '' La Tournée des grands espaces'' was released. In 2005, he sang "Le Sud" on a tribute album to
Nino Ferrer Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari (), known as Nino Ferrer (15 August 1934 – 13 August 1998), was an Italian-born French singer-songwriter and author. Biography and career Nino Ferrer was born on 15 August 1934 in Genoa, Italy, but lived the ...
, ''On dirait Nino''. In 2006, he recorded a
Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics to nearly a thousand songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These include ...
song, "
Que reste-t-il de nos amours ? "Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" (, ''What Remains of Our Loves?'') is a French popular song, with music by Léo Chauliac and Charles Trenet and lyrics by Charles Trenet. A version of the song with English lyrics entitled "I Wish You Love" i ...
" as a duet with
Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; born 17 January 1944) is a French former singer and songwriter. Mainly known for singing melancholic sentimental ballads, Hardy has been an important figure in French pop music since her debut, spanning a career o ...
for her album ''(Parenthèses...)''. In June 2006, in the
Cité de la musique The Cité de la Musique ("City of Music"), also known as Philharmonie 2, is a group of institutions dedicated to music and situated in the Parc de la Villette, 19th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was designed with the nearby Conservatoire d ...
in Paris, he got the opportunity to sing for several days. There he brought on stage artists such as Christophe,
Dominique A Dominique Ané (born 6 October 1968), better known as "Dominique A", is a French songwriter and singer. Early life Born on 6 October 1968 in Provins, France, Dominique Ané is the only child of a teacher and a homemaker. He was passionate about ...
,
Rodolphe Burger Rudolph or Rudolf may refer to: People * Rudolph (name), the given name including a list of people with the name Religious figures * Rudolf of Fulda (died 865), 9th century monk, writer and theologian * Rudolf von Habsburg-Lothringen (1788 ...
or
Arto Lindsay Arthur Morgan "Arto" Lindsay (born May 28, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He was a member of the pioneering 1970s no wave group DNA, which featured on the 1978 compilation '' No New York''. I ...
. In early 2007, after a small break, he was involved in the ''Les Aventuriers d'un autre monde'' tour alongside rock and pop artists
Jean-Louis Aubert Jean-Louis Aubert (, born 12 April 1955) is a French singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer and producer. He went on a solo career after the split of the rock band Téléphone that he co-founded. Early life Born in Nantua, Ain, France in 195 ...
,
Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...
,
Daniel Darc Daniel Rozoum (20 May 1959 – 28 February 2013), known as Daniel Darc, was a French singer, who achieved success with his band Taxi Girl (together with Mirwais Ahmadzaï) between 1978 and 1986, and also as a solo artist. After Taxi Girl was di ...
, Richard Kolinka and Raphaël. He sang for a couple of evenings in the
Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...
in Paris, and played the role of
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
for the song "Panique Mécanique" on
Dionysos In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
' album '' La Mécanique du Cœur''. That same year, he played with Belgian singer
Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...
in the movie ''J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster'', by
Samuel Benchetrit Samuel Benchetrit (born 26 June 1973) is a French writer, actor, scenarist, and director. Biography Benchetrit was born to a family of Romani, Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. At age fifteen, he quit school to focus on photography. ...
. They appear as themselves, arguing over the authorship of a song. In 2008, he sang "L.U.V." as a duet with
Daniel Darc Daniel Rozoum (20 May 1959 – 28 February 2013), known as Daniel Darc, was a French singer, who achieved success with his band Taxi Girl (together with Mirwais Ahmadzaï) between 1978 and 1986, and also as a solo artist. After Taxi Girl was di ...
for the latter's album, ''Amours suprêmes''. He was also involved in
Étienne Daho Étienne Daho (; ; born 14 January 1956) is a French singer. He has released a number of synth-driven and rock- surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981. Career Daho was born in Oran, French Algeria. He sings in a low, whispery voice somew ...
's Daho Show, covering "I Can't Escape from You" as a duet with Daho. He also rerecorded Serge Gainsbourg's classic album, ''
L'Homme à tête de chou ''L’Homme à tête de chou'' is a concept album by Serge Gainsbourg, released on Philips Records in 1976. Concept ''L'Homme à tête de chou'' (1976) is a concept album by Serge Gainsbourg. Like its predecessors '' Histoire de Melody Nelso ...
'', for a show. On 24 March 2008, he released the album ''
Bleu pétrole ''Bleu pétrole'' ''(Petrol blue)'' is the twelfth studio album by the French rocker Alain Bashung, released in March 2008 on Barclay Records. It was the last studio album released during his lifetime. Production Great expectations surrounded ' ...
'', collaborating notably with
Gaëtan Roussel Gaëtan Roussel (; born 13 October 1972, Rodez) is a French singer-songwriter and composer. Roussel is the former lead vocalist for the bands, Louise Attaque and Tarmac. Roussel embarked on a solo career and began recording an album in 2009. H ...
of French band
Louise Attaque Louise Attaque () is a French chanson/folk rock band founded in 1994. Several of the group's albums were produced by Gordon Gano, lead singer of Violent Femmes, a band whom Louise Attaque often cites as an influence and for whom their own band is ...
,
Arman Méliès Arman (November 17, 1928 – October 22, 2005) was a French-born American artist. Born Armand Fernandez in Nice, France, Arman was a painter who moved from using objects for the ink or paint traces they leave (''cachets'', ''allures d'objet'') to ...
,
M. Ward Matthew Stephen Ward (born October 4, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Portland, Oregon. Ward's solo work is a mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana analog recordings; he has released ten studio albums since 19 ...
or
Gérard Manset Gérard Manset (also known as Manset; born 21 August 1945 in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine) is a French singer-songwriter, painter, photographer and writer. He is best known for his musical work. Since 1972, the covers of his albums state his name ...
(covering the latter's song "Il voyage en solitaire" as the final song on the album). He then began to tour for the album. The 10 June 2008, he sang several times at the Olympia although he was undergoing a chemotherapy for his lung cancer.''Entretien avec Jean Fauque''
dans ''
Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH. Histor ...
'' du 10 juin 2008
Jean Fauque claimed that a new album was underway.


Final months and death

On 1 January 2009, Bashung was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
. On 28 February 2009, he received three prestigious
Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
awards for his final album ''Bleu pétrole''. The 2009 award ceremony was his last public appearance. He appeared frail, but still performed "Résidents de la République." He won the Best male artist of the year, Best album and Best tour awards. Bashung died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61 at the Hôpital Saint-Joseph in Paris. After a religious ceremony at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, he was buried on 20 March 2009 in the
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...
.


Posthumous events

On 12 November 2009, the opening of a ballet using a rerecording of ''L'Homme à tête de chou'', a 1976 Serge Gainsbourg album, by Bashung as the soundtrack, occurred at the Maison de la Culture de Grenoble, with a choreography by Jean-Claude Gallotta who approached him in 2007 to adapt the work. On 27 November 2009, a box set called ''À perte de vue'', which contained the entire output of Bashung so far (on 27 discs), was released. The box set features his twelve solo albums so far, his five live albums, his two duet albums with Chloé Mons, two albums of instrumentals and three albums of covers, duets and rarities. Alongside this box set a double live album documenting his last tour, called '' Dimanches à l'Élysée'' and recorded at the Élysée Montmartre on 14 December 2008, was released on 16 November. That same day, a live video recorded at the Olympia 10 and 15 June 2008 was released. This DVD was awarded the 2010 Victoires de la musique award for best musical DVD of the year. At the same Victoires ceremony, French singer Benjamin Biolay, who was awarded the Best male artist of the year award, paid tribute to Bashung. He can be heard singing ''La nuit je mens'' in the closing scenes of the final episode of the French television series '' Les Bleus: premiers pas dans la police'' (2006–10). On 26 April 2011, a tribute album called ''Tels Alain Bashung'' was released. It features twelve covers of Bashung songs by various artists and bands, with a documentary called ''Alain Bashung - Faisons envie'' directed by Thierry Villeneuve. On 7 November 2011, his rerecording of ''L'Homme à tête de chou'' was released on
Barclay Records Barclay is a French record company and label founded by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Eddie Barclay was a bandleader, pianist, producer, and nightclub owner. With his wife, Nicole, who was the vocalist in his band, he started Barclay. The catalogue inc ...
.


Influence

A multi-platinum artist, Bashung received three awards during the ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. He spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. With 12 trophies won since 1993, he was the most awarded artist in the history of the
Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...
. Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his last tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records." In February 2010, the French edition of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine placed six of his albums in their list "100 disques essentiels du rock français" (100 Essential French Rock Albums) with two albums in the top 10, ''
Osez Joséphine ''Osez Joséphine'' ''(Dare Joséphine)'' is the eighth studio album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1991 on Barclay Records. Rolling Stone magazine considered it the greatest French album of all time. Reception Commercial performa ...
'' at number one, and ''
Fantaisie militaire ''Fantaisie militaire'' ''(Military fantasy)'' is the tenth studio album by the French rock musician Alain Bashung, released in January 1998 by Barclay Records. Production For this album, Bashung worked with the English record producer and engin ...
'' at number nine.''Rolling Stone'', No. 18, February 2010, p. 29,


Discography


Studio albums


Singles


Live albums

* 1985 : '' Live Tour 85'' * 1992 : '' Tour Novice'' * 1995 : ''
Confessions publiques ''Confessions publiques'' ''(Public confessions)'' is the third live album by French rocker Alain Bashung, issued in 1995 in music, 1995 on Barclay Records. A live video album of the same name, recorded on the 3rd and 4 October 1995 at the Chabada ...
'' * 2004 : '' La Tournée des grands espaces'' * 2009 : '' Dimanches à l'Élysée''


Compilations

* 1993 : '' Réservé aux indiens'' * 1999 : '' Climax'' * 2000 : ''Ma petite entreprise'' (original soundtrack to the film '' My Little Business'')


Filmography


Actor

* 1981 : '' Nestor Burma, détective de choc'' de Jean-Luc Miesch * 1981 : '' Le Cimetière des voitures'' de
Fernando Arrabal Fernando Arrabal Terán (born August 11, 1932) is a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, film director, novelist, and poet. He was born in Melilla and settled in France in 1955. Regarding his nationality, Arrabal describes himself as "desterrado" ...
* 1991 : '' Rien que des mensonges'' de Paule Muret * 1992 : ''
L'Ombre du doute ''Shadow of a Doubt'' (french: L'ombre du doute) is a 1993 French drama film written and directed by Aline Issermann. The film was entered into the main competition at the 50th Venice International Film Festival. Cast * Mireille Perrier: Mot ...
'' de
Aline Issermann Aline Issermann (born 16 November 1948 in Paris) is a French filmmaker. She began her career as an author and illustrator of comics, then became director of feature films and television films. Among her films are '' Le Destin de Juliette'' (1983), ...
* 1994 : '' Ma sœur chinoise'' de Alain Mazars * 1995 : '' Le Jeu de la clé'' de Michel Hassan * 1998 : '' Mon père, ma mère, mes frères et mes sœurs...'' de Charlotte de Turckheim * 1999 : '' Je veux tout'' de
Patrick Braoudé Patrick Braoudé (born 25 September 1954) is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. Selected filmography Producer * 1990: ''Génial, mes parents divorcent'' * 1993: ''Neuf mois'' * 1996: ''Amour et confusions'' * 2000: ''Deuxièm ...
* 2000 : ''
La Confusion des Genres ''Confusion of Genders'' (french: La Confusion des genres) is a 2000 French drama film starring Pascal Greggory. It was directed by Ilan Duran Cohen. Two actors of this film were nominated at the César Awards 2001: Pascal Greggory for Best Act ...
'' de Ilan Duran Cohen * 2000 : '' Retour à la vie'' de Pascal Baeumler (avec Emmanuelle Laborit) * 2000 : '' Félix et Lola'' de Patrice Leconte * 2000 : ''
L'Origine du monde ("The Origin of the World") is a picture painted in oil on canvas by the French artist Gustave Courbet in 1866. It is a close-up view of the vulva and abdomen of a naked woman, lying on a bed with legs spread. History Identity of the model Ar ...
'' de Jérôme Enrico * 2002 : ''
La Bande du drugstore LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
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François Armanet François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...
* 2003 : '' Le P'tit Curieux'' de Jean Marbœuf * 2006 : ''
Arthur et les Minimoys ''Arthur and the Invisibles'' or ''Arthur and the Minimoys'' (French: ''Arthur et les Minimoys'') is a 2006 English-language French fantasy adventure comedy animated/live-action film directed and co-written by French filmmaker Luc Besson. It is ...
'' de
Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed or produced the films ''Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Besson is associated with the ' ...
(voix de M Le maudit) * 2007 : '' J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster'' de
Samuel Benchetrit Samuel Benchetrit (born 26 June 1973) is a French writer, actor, scenarist, and director. Biography Benchetrit was born to a family of Romani, Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. At age fifteen, he quit school to focus on photography. ...
* 2014 : Jack et la mécanique du cœur ack the ripper


Composer

* 1981 : '' Nestor Burma, détective de choc'' de Jean-Luc Miesch * 1985 : '' Le Quatrième Pouvoir'' de
Serge Leroy Serge Leroy (14 May 1937 – 27 May 1993) was a French film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography References External links * 1937 births 1993 deaths Film directors from Paris French male screenwriters 20th-century Frenc ...
* 1986 : '' Le Beauf'' de
Yves Amoureux Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fren ...
* 1992 : ''
Le Jeune Werther ''Le Jeune Werther'' is a 1993 French drama film directed and written by Jacques Doillon Jacques Doillon (; born 15 March 1944) is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on fa ...
'' de
Jacques Doillon Jacques Doillon (; born 15 March 1944) is a French film director. He has a habit of giving lead roles to inexperienced young actresses in his films on family life and women. Some actresses to break through are Fanny Bastien, Sandrine Bonnaire, Ju ...
* 1994 : '' Pigalle'' de
Karim Dridi Karim Dridi (born 9 January 1961 in tunis) is a French Tunisian film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten films since 1987. His 1994 film '' Pigalle'' was entered into the main competition at the 51st edition of the Venice Film Fest ...
* 1999 : '' Ma petite entreprise'' de
Pierre Jolivet Pierre Jolivet (; born 9 October 1952) is a French director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. His film '' Zim and Co.'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and his film '' The Night Watchman'' won the ...


References


External links

*
Alain Bashung – Website (discography, songs, news)


*

obituary from ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''
Alain Bashung dies, Radio France Internationale in English

Site sur Alain Bashung


{{DEFAULTSORT:Bashung, Alain 1947 births 2009 deaths Male actors from Paris Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Deaths from lung cancer in France French male film actors French people of Breton descent French people of Algerian descent French rock singers Philips Records artists 20th-century French male singers French male singer-songwriters