Alain Bashung

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Alain Bashung

Alain Bashung
Background information
Birth name Alain Bashung
Born 1 December 1947(1947-12-01)
Paris, France
Died 14 March 2009(2009-03-14) (aged 61)
Paris, France
Genres Rock
Occupations Singer, songwriter, actor
Years active 1966–2009
Labels Barclay Records
Website www.alainbashung.fr

Alain Bashung (born Alain Baschung [alɛ̃ baʃuŋ]) (1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Youth

Alain Bashung was the son of a Breton factory worker and French Kabyle father, whom he never knew.[1] His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new stepfather's parents. He spent his childhood in the countryside.

[edit] Career

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 11 trophies won since 1993, he was the most awarded artist in the history of the Victoires de la Musique. 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."

Long beginnings

  • 1966 : "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ?" (first record, 45 tours) ; arranger for RCA ; writes and composes
  • 1968 : "Les Romantiques", first (and rare) single
  • 1972–1974 : (co)realizes and writes in 3 albums for Dick Rivers
  • 1973 : plays on stage Robespierre in the musical La Révolution française

Boris Bergman

  • The success comes with the lyricist Boris Bergman, the single "Gaby oh Gaby" in 1980 (after two albums in 1977 and 1979) and their third album, Pizza (with the tube "Vertige de l'amour") in 1981.
  • 1982 : Bashung breaks with Boris Bergman, no success for the album Play blessures, in collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg ; Bashung is described by one critic as the « Johnny Hallyday New-wave »...
  • 1983 : album Figure imposée – no more success
  • 1985 : "Touche pas à mon pote", single for the association SOS Racisme
  • 1986 : Passé le Rio Grande, album with Boris Bergman and the tube "SOS Amor", and Victoires de la musique (TV show) ; surprise success for Bashung (not very satisfied)
  • 1989 : Novice, first official collaboration with the lyricist Jean Fauque and last with Boris Bergman

Jean Fauque

  • 1991 : Osez Joséphine with the tubes "Osez Joséphine" (first real popular tube since "Vertige de l'amour") and "Madame rêve" in a new vein.
  • 1992 : Bashung sings "Les Mots bleus", old tube by the eternal Christophe in a compilation for AIDS research.
  • 1994 : Chatterton, "Country New Age album" (according to Bashung), with the tube "Ma petite entreprise".
  • 1997 : "City", duet with Brigitte Fontaine in Les Palaces
  • 1998 : Fantaisie militaire (collaborations with Jean Fauque, Rodolphe Burger, Les Valentins, Jean-Marc Lederman, Adrian Utley (Portishead), Joseph Racaille) with, as first single, the tube "La nuit je mens" ; wins 3 victoires de la musique in 1999 and, in 2005, during the twentieth edition of the Victoires de la Musique, Fantaisie Militaire becomes "best album of the last twenty years".

Other collaborations

  • 2000 : Climax, double album and compilation, with the duet "Volontaire" with Noir Désir ; Bashung writes "L'eau et le vin" for Vanessa Paradis (in album Bliss).
  • 2002 : Alain Bashung sings (or says) with his wife Chloé Mons "Le Cantique des cantiques", the song of Solomon, in a new traduction by Olivier Cadiot (music by Rodolphe Burger).
  • 2003 : sings "Avec le temps" in Avec Léo, tribute to Léo Ferré.
  • 2004 : La Tournée des grands espaces, double live album.
  • 2005 : sings "Le sud" in On dirait Nino, tribute to Nino Ferrer.
  • 2006 : sings "Que reste-t-il de nos amours" (written by Charles Trenet), duet with Françoise Hardy in Parenthèses ; on stage with Christophe, Dominique A, Rodolphe Burger et Arto Lindsay.
  • 2007, Les Aventuriers d'un autre monde, tour with Jean-Louis Aubert, Cali, Daniel Darc, Richard Kolinka et Raphaël ; Bashung plays the british myth, Jack l'éventreur, in the song "Panique Mécanique", in La Mécanique du cœur (album by Dionysos) ; plays with Arno (themselves) in the film J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster (director : Samuel Benchetrit).
  • 2008 : sings "L.U.V.", duet with Daniel Darc, in Amours suprêmes ; "I Can't Escape from You", duet with Étienne Daho, in the Daho Show ; (re)records the classic album L'Homme à tête de chou (Serge Gainsbourg) for stage.

Last albums

[edit] Final months

On 1 January 2009, Bashung was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur.[2] On 28 February 2009, he received three prestigious Victoires de la Musique 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."

Bashung died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61. He was buried on 20 March 2009 in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

Année Album Charts
France Belgium Switzerland
1977 Romans photos - - -
1979 Roulette russe 13 - -
1981 Pizza 1 - -
1982 Play blessures - - -
1983 Figure imposée - - -
1986 Passé le Rio Grande - - -
1989 Novice - - -
1991 Osez Joséphine 14 - -
1993 Réservé aux Indiens - - -
1994 Chatterton 6 - -
1998 Fantaisie militaire 1 15 -
2002 L'Imprudence 1 2 46
Cantique des cantiques en duo avec Chloé Mons - - -
2008 Bleu pétrole 1 4 11

[edit] Singles

Année Single Charts
France Belgium
1966 Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ? - -
1967 T'as qu'à dire Yeah - -
Tu es une petite enfant qui fait la belle - -
1968 Chère petite chose 66 -
Les romantiques - -
1969 Lise - -
La rivière - -
Simplement quelques jours - -
Ho gli occhi chuisi - -
1970 Un jour viendra - -
1971 Du feu dans les veines - -
1973 Bois de santal - -
1977 Roman Photos 71 -
C'est la faute à Dylan - -
1979 Je fume pour oublier que tu bois - -
1980 Gaby oh Gaby 2 -
1981 Vertige de l'amour 1 -
Rebel 19 -
C'est comment qu'on freine? 45 -
1983 Elégance - -
1984 S.O.S. Amor 36 -
1985 Tu touches pas à mon pote - -
Hey Joe 59 -
1986 L'arrivée du Tour 44 -
Malédiction 36 -
1989 Bombez! 76 -
Pyromanes 94 -
Etrange été - -
1991 Osez Joséphine 14 -
J'écume - -
1992 Madame rêve - -
1994 Ma petite entreprise 61 -
J'passe pour une caravane 31 -
1998 La nuit je mens 12 -
Sommes-nous 24 -
Aucun express 39 -
2003 La ficelle - -
2008 Résidents de la République - 32

[edit] Live albums

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Actor

[edit] Composer

[edit] References

  1. ^ French pop hero Alain Bashung dies. Mondomix.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-04.
  2. ^ "Décret du 31 décembre 2008 portant promotion et nomination". JORF 2009 (1): 15. 1 January 2009. PREX0828237D. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX0828237D. Retrieved 18 March 2009. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Patrick Bruel		 Victoires de la Musique
Male artist of the year
1993		 Succeeded by
Alain Souchon
Preceded by
Florent Pagny		 Victoires de la Musique
Male artist of the year
1999		 Succeeded by
-M-
Preceded by
Abd Al Malik		 Victoires de la Musique
Male group or artist of the year
2009		 Succeeded by
Benjamin Biolay
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alain_Bashung&oldid=480298167"
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