• KajiMa
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Topic: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

One I play is Charles Trenet's "La Mer" which was rewritten and became a big hit for Ritchie Valens as "Somewhere Beyond the Sea." I still prefer the cool-as-mustard jazz feel of the original.

Check out what Claude Francois did for Frank Sinatra, Elvis and even Sid Vicious with "Comme D'Habitude" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMoY5rNBjwk

There must be more, but I don't know 'em.

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Jacques Brel is my francophone hero.

Here's Bowie ( although I prefer Scott Walker's version).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQS9kQDXmk

And here is the original - wasn't he Belgian, G-Doc ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZFr2Fh6 … re=related

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Jacques Brel  is from BELGIUM.
He is indeed a singer/songwriter "out of league.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
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  • KajiMa
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Hey Alan, nice call on both Brel and Bowie. I'd never heard either track, they both have merits but I think I prefer Brel.

Cool as mustard :-)

Thanks!

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

This thread has left me agog. I had no idea there had EVER been a French hit. How arrogant am I? I stand firmly in the corner with a large dunce cap on.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

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  • KajiMa
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Je t'aime (moi no plus) by Serge Gainsbourgh? You must remember that. Mary Whitehouse musta been spittin 'cos she couldn't ban the musical version of "that scene" from When Harry Met Sally!

"Ca Plain Pour Moi" which was in French tho' Plastic Bertrand was Belgique.

These 2 were in French but most people who have heard of My Way and Beyond the Sea don't know where they started and (until Alan Sheeran) I only knew 2.

Do you know the French have laws that protect French performers being outsold by foreign imports? Good thing for French musos but bad if trying to break France - you did see that bit about me doing Longbow/Warbow??? LOL

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Belfast
  • Registered: 2009-03-31
  • Posts: 330

Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

French speakers have it hard. There are only around 90 million native speakers in the world.

It's great to walk down Montparnasse in Paris and see the huge Movie Hoardings in french, but without restrictions on English movies being shown, a grand old culture would be swamped.

You could also mention Edith Piaf. Charles Aznavour and others.

Are there any francophone bands from Canada who broke through ?

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Miles Davis

StranSongs's Website

8 Reply by KajiMa (edited by KajiMa 2009-04-04 22:29:30)

  • KajiMa
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Salud StranSongs (Chasons Etranger?),

J'adore France et francais. C'est mon deuxieme Langue. Mais je n'ai qu'une seule chanson en Francais.

J'ai trois en Kernuak/Breton!

J'ecrire <<..c'est bien pour les musiciens Francais..>> C'est vraiment!!! Aussi j'ai treuve le plupart de francais apprecient la musique en direct, plus que les Anglais.

(Je ne suis pas Anglais, je suis Britannique)

I needed help with "I have but one," "most" and "live music," all other mistakes entirely my own.

A bien tot!

And the edit was for a spelling msiatke.

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Belfast
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Et moi, je n'ai q'un petit peu de francais. Et c'est tres mauvais. Et quand je suis en Paris, toutes la monde pense que je suis americain. Je ne suis pas americain.

Et Paris, j'y etait Septiembre dernier, pour les eglises, des Arts, les gustations.

Quand je vais a Paris prochain, j'irai au nord. Il-y-a un restaurant. La, une femme chante comme le piaf.

Well, I have very little french, and what I have is pretty grim. And when I'm in Paris everyone thinks I'm a yank, but I'm not a yank.

I was in Paris last September for the churches, the paintings and the food.

When I go there again, I will head up north, to a little restaurant. There a woman sings like the sparrow.

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Miles Davis

StranSongs's Website

  • KajiMa
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Your French is excellent.

Where I have an excellent vocab of nouns, my conjunctions sont tres merd; I still can't make past and future tense easily but I can make myself understood and can communicate about a lot of subjects (primarily to (rather than from) the French teachers that stay here).

Yours I understood everything you said perfectly - better than my ability.

So let's hear more about those French songs that became hits in the English language that Bowie/Brel link was cool as mustard!!! :-)

Les Rouges et Les Ors, KajiMa.

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

The one that comes to mind immediately for me is "Windmills of your Mind" (Les moulins de mon cœur) which has been a hit for a number of artists. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Windmills_of_Your_Mind

Another is "If you go away" ("Ne me Quitte pas" - another song by Brel) which has been a hit for many others in its English version.
See here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Go_Away

There is also "Yesterday when I was Young" (Original French lyric by, I think, Charles Aznavour)

Also Leonard Cohen's "The Partisan" is translated and adapted from the original French.

  • KajiMa
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Nice call Stonebridge!

Didn't know about Windmills of Your Mind starting as French, not my favouritest song in the English. I'll have to check out If You Go Away - another song I don't know. The title Yesterday When I was Young feels like I should know it although I know Charles Aznavour.

This is great! I post a thread then get to check out lots of new choons!

Cool as Mustard!

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • Registered: 2009-10-10
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Francoise Hardy too!

14 Reply by bonedaddy (edited by bonedaddy 2009-10-11 18:57:29)

  • From: Grimsby, UK
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 604

Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

KajiMa wrote:

Your French is excellent.

Where I have an excellent vocab of nouns, my conjunctions sont tres merd; I still can't make past and future tense easily but I can make myself understood and can communicate about a lot of subjects (primarily to (rather than from) the French teachers that stay here).

Yours I understood everything you said perfectly - better than my ability.

So let's hear more about those French songs that became hits in the English language that Bowie/Brel link was cool as mustard!!! :-)

Les Rouges et Les Ors, KajiMa.

merd est un mot mechant! Les moderateurs ils botter votre cul!

I'm the son of rage and love
  • Registered: 2007-04-03
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Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Bonjour.

Je parle très petit français. Mon papa est enterré en France, donc je devrais peut-être savoir plus. en tout cas.

Comment différent sont ces 2 versions ? Je m'attends toujours   ce qu'il dise "Heres Johnny" les grands sourires.

Soir tous.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKgcKYTStMc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilu-Xpnt_J4

Old Doll

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
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  • Posts: 6,205

Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

Here is one of my favourites. The original words were written and performed by Leny Escudero with music by Leo Missir. Released in the UK by Richard Anthony in 1963 with English words by Alan Holt.

I have the original sheet music for this song which cost me 2/6 (two shillings and six pence, equivalent to twelve and a half new pence, for those of you too young to understand the shorthand for the old currency smile)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9SxFYEbq8g


Roger

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17 Reply by Stonebridge (edited by Stonebridge 2009-10-12 07:33:44)

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: French Songs Remade in English and Becoming Hits.

The tune for "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis was originally "Plaisir d'Amour" by Martini.
"My Prayer" by The Platters (No. 1 in USA, No 4 in UK in 1956) was originally "Avant de Mourir" by G Boulanger. Written in 1926, it was also recorded by Glenn Miller in 1939.