five years after his death, the songs you must know

On 7 January 2018, while he had been battling a recurrence of his cancer for several years, France Gall died at the age of 70. A great wave of grief then overtook France. Gone but far from forgotten, the 1970s and 1980s star still has millions of listeners on music streaming platforms. From Crowned Charlemagne in 1964 at Ella, she has in 1987, through oppose in 1981, France Gall’s songs remained classics. Back to his greatest hits.

Also readNuggets from Michel Berger and France Gall to be rediscovered on stream

Crowned Charlemagne (1964)

Written by her father, Robert Gall, and composed by George Liferman, this song allowed the career of France Gall, then just 16 years old, to take off. With Crowned Charlemagnethe young lady spoke directly to the children and wondered about “this crazy idea” what’s this “Crowned Charlemagne” to create a school. Her father said he wrote this song thinking back to the day he had to scold his daughter for writing “Charlemagne’s Life” on the elevator shaft. France Gall who hated this song reluctantly recorded it. But when it was released in 1964, the song was an immediate success selling over 200,000 copies.

Wax dolls, sound dolls (1965)

In 1965, France Gall participated in Eurovision wearing the Luxembourg colors. For the occasion, Serge Gainsbourg wrote to him Wax dolls, sound dolls, a song that references both the wax that forms the heads of the puppets and the phonographic cylinder, the ancestor of the record. The text, smooth, set to an intoxicating rhythm is a resounding success. The “Voice” won the Grand Prix and allowed France Gall, who was only 17 years old, to win again.

Yes mother Yes (1977)

In a concept album Dancing Discoreleased in 1977, France Gall featured Yes mother Yes, a song written by Michel Berger, whom he had married the year before. Through this work, the young man expresses his disappointment at living a life that is far from what he dreamed of. “My holiday is always Paris”, “My future remains gray”, “My passion is extinguished”… The lyrics of this song reached thousands of French people and the record has sold over 100,000 copies.

He plays the piano while standing (1980)

In 1980, with He plays the piano while standing, France Gall pays tribute to pianist Jerry Lee Lewis and his electrifying concert hall playing. He even took the piano to dance and burned it at the end of the concert. Michel Berger returns to the origin of this text. For him, this work is a symbol of the right to be different. The disc sold over 800,000 copies and became one of the most emblematic songs of the Gall-Berger duo. At the same time, Michel Berger was writing and performing Groupie Pianist, a song that launched his own career. After hearing these two hits on the radio, Elton John contacted Michel Berger to record a disc with France Gall. From this union songs were born give to give and Confession .

oppose (nineteen eighty one)

A generational anthem that calls for resistance and questioning, this song written by Michel Berger has sold more than 500,000 copies. Released in 1981 on the B side of All for musicthe song was re-recorded and rearranged by France Gall to appear on the album Francein 1996. oppose also the name the singer would give to a musical in honor of Michel Berger, several years later, after his death from a heart attack in 1992.

Ella He has (1987)

Taken from albums Babakarsong Ella, she has pays tribute to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. It is also a hymn to empowerment and a protest song against racism. Thanks to the success of this single, France Gall won two Victoires de la Musique. It was a certified silver disc in France by the Syndicat national de l’édition phonographique and sold 1.5 million copies, well outside the borders of France.