Various Artists – Les Chansons Inmmortelles (1979)

A chanson, “song”, from Latin cantio, gen. cantionis) is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specializing in chansons is known as a “chanteur” (male) or “chanteuse” (female); a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.

The earliest chansons were the epic poems performed to simple monophonic melodies by a professional class of jongleurs or ménestrels. These usually recounted the famous deeds (geste) of past heroes, legendary and semi-historical. The Song of Roland is the most famous of these, but in general the chansons de geste are studied as literature since very little of their music survives.

The chanson courtoise or grand chant was an early form of monophonic chanson, the chief lyric poetic genre of the trouvères. It was an adaptation to Old French of the Occitan canso. It was practised in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Thematically, as its name implies, it was a song of courtly love, written usually by a man to his noble lover. Some later chansons were polyphonic and some had refrains and were called chansons avec des refrains. A Crusade song was known as a chanson de croisade.
Burgundian chanson

In its typical specialized usage, the word chanson refers to a polyphonic French song of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Early chansons tended to be in one of the formes fixes—ballade, rondeau or virelai (formerly the chanson baladée)—though some composers later set popular poetry in a variety of forms. The earliest chansons were for two, three or four voices, with first three becoming the norm, expanding to four voices by the sixteenth century. Sometimes, the singers were accompanied by instruments.

The first important composer of chansons was Guillaume de Machaut, who composed three-voice works in the formes fixes during the 14th century. Guillaume Dufay and Gilles Binchois, who wrote so-called Burgundian chansons (because they were from the area known as Burgundy), were the most important chanson composers of the next generation (c. 1420-1470). Their chansons, while somewhat simple in style, are also generally in three voices with a structural tenor. Musicologist David Fallows includes the Burgundian repertoire in A Catalogue of Polyphonic Songs 1415-1480. These works are typically still 3 voices, with an active upper voice (discantus) pitched above two lower voices (tenor and altus) usually sharing the same range.

Later 15th- and early 16th-century figures in the genre included Johannes Ockeghem and Josquin des Prez, whose works cease to be constrained by formes fixes and begin to feature a pervading imitation (all voices sharing material and moving at similar speeds), similar to that found in contemporary motets and liturgical music. The first book of music printed from movable type was Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, a collection of ninety-six chansons by many composers, published in Venice in 1501 by Ottaviano Petrucci.

Beginning in the late 1520s through mid- century, Claudin de Sermisy, Pierre Certon, Clément Janequin, and Philippe Verdelot were composers of so-called Parisian chansons, which also abandoned the formes fixes, often featured four voices, and were in a simpler, more homophonic style. This genre sometimes featured music that was meant to be evocative of certain imagery such as birds or the marketplace. Many of these Parisian works were published by Pierre Attaingnant. Composers of their generation, as well as later composers, such as Orlando de Lassus,[clarification needed] were influenced by the Italian madrigal. Many early instrumental works were ornamented variations (diminutions) on chansons, with this genre becoming the canzone, a progenitor of the sonata.

French solo song developed in the late 16th century, probably from the aforementioned Parisian works. During the 17th century, the air de cour, chanson pour boire and other like genres, generally accompanied by lute or keyboard, flourished, with contributions by such composers as Antoine Boesset, Denis Gaultier, Michel Lambert and Michel-Richard de Lalande.

During the 18th century, vocal music in France was dominated by opera, but solo song underwent a renaissance in the 19th century, first with salon melodies and then by mid-century with highly sophisticated works influenced by the German Lieder, which had been introduced into the country. Louis Niedermeyer, under the particular spell of Schubert, was a pivotal figure in this movement, followed by Édouard Lalo, Felicien David and many others.

Another offshoot of chanson, called chanson réaliste (realist song), was a popular musical genre in France, primarily from the 1880s until the end of World War II.[1][2] Born of the cafés-concerts and cabarets of the Montmartre district of Paris and influenced by literary realism and the naturalist movements in literature and theatre, chanson réaliste was a musical style which was mainly performed by women and dealt with the lives of Paris’s poor and working class. Among the better-known performers of the genre are Damia, Fréhel, and Édith Piaf.

Later 19th-century composers of French art songs, known as mélodie and not chanson, included Ernest Chausson, Emmanuel Chabrier, Gabriel Fauré, and Claude Debussy, while many 20th-century and current French composers have continued this strong tradition.

In France today “chanson” or “chanson française” typically refers to the music of singers such as Charles Trenet, Guy Béart, Jacques Brel, Jean Ferrat, Georges Brassens, Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Barbara, Dalida, Serge Reggiani, Léo Ferré, Mireille Mathieu and Serge Gainsbourg and more recently Mano Solo, Dominique A, Matthieu Chedid, Benjamin Biolay, Jean-Louis Murat, Miossec, Mathieu Boogaerts, Daniel Darc, Vincent Delerm, Maurane, Zaz, Bénabar, Renan Luce, Olivia Ruiz. Chanson can be distinguished from the rest of French “pop” music by following the rhythms of French language, rather than those of English, and a higher standard for lyrics. (by wikipedia)

And here´s a lob budget sampler with a few highlights from this genre, recorded in the Sixties.

Enjoy the magic of this music … and I have to travel again to Paris … sometimes …

This album was originally released in 1972, my copy is a re-release in 1979.

Tracklist:
01. Gilbert Becaud: Je t’attends (Bécaud/Aznavour) 2.22
02. Edith Piaf: Milord (Mannot/Moustaki) 4.28
03. Charles Aznavour: Sur ma vie (Aznavour) 3.05
04. Adamo: Tombe la neige (Adamo) 2.53
05. Enrico Macias: Mon coeur d’attache (Dermarny/Blanc/Macias) 3.32
06. Richard Anthony: Donne moi ma chance (Hal/Bacharach) 2.27
07. Gilbert Becaud: Et maintenant (Delanoe/Bécaud/Bratke) 3.40
08. Edith Piaf: Non, je ne regrette rien (Vaucaire/Dumont/Siegel) 2.21
09. Charles Aznavour: Une enfant (Aznavour/Chauvigny) 3.43
10. Adamo; Quand les roses (Adamo) 2.31
11. Enrico Macias: Enfants de tous pays (Macias/Demarny/Blanc) 2.57
12. Richard Anthony: Aranjuez mon amour (Rodrigo) 4.54

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(Salvadore) Adamo – Olympia 71 (1971)

Salvatore, Knight Adamo (born 1 November 1943) is a Belgian singer and composer, who is known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Italy and grew up from the age of three in Belgium. He holds dual citizenship of Belgium and Italy.

He first gained popularity throughout Europe and later in the Middle East, Latin America, Japan, and the United States. He has sold more than 80 million albums and 20 million singles making him one of the most commercially successful musicians in the world. He mainly performs in French but has also sung in Dutch, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Turkish. “Tombe la neige”, “La nuit”, and “Inch’Allah” remain his best known songs. He is currently the best selling Belgian musician of all time.

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately.

Adamo was born in Comiso, Sicily. His father Antonio, a well digger, emigrated to Belgium in February 1947 to work in the mines of Marcinelle. Four months later his wife, Concetta, and their son, Salvatore, joined him in the town of Ghlin (Mons) before moving to Jemappes (Mons). In 1950, Salvatore was bedridden for a year with meningitis.

Salvatore’s parents did not want their son to become a miner, so he went to a Catholic school run by the Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes. By 1960, the family of Antonio and Concetta Adamo had seven children overall. Salvatore grew up in Jemappes (Mons), where he was a dedicated student at school and distinguished himself in music and the arts.

Adamo’s early influences were the poetry of Victor Hugo and Jacques Prévert, the music of French singer-songwriters like Georges Brassens, and the Italian canzonette. He started singing and composing his own songs from an early age. His debut was in a Radio Luxembourg competition, where he participated as singer and composer of the song “Si j’osais” (“If I dared”), winning the competition’s final held in Paris on 14 February 1960.

Adamo’s first hit was “Sans toi, ma mie”, in 1963, from his debut album 63/64. He followed this with a series of hits, the most famous being “Tombe la neige” (“The snow falls”) in 1963, “La nuit” (“The Night”) in 1964, and “Inch’Allah”. The self-penned “Petit bonheur” (“Little Happiness”) sold over one million copies by April 1970, and was awarded a gold disc.

Adamo has sold over 100 million copies of recordings worldwide. He has recorded in many languages and, besides France and Belgium, had hits in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and also in Japan, where he toured repeatedly. He has had hits and toured also in Latin America and throughout the Middle East.

In Chile, the audience awarded him an appreciation prize known as the “Antorcha” (Gold and Silver Torch) at the “Festival de Viña del Mar” held yearly in the “Quinta Vergara”, at the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, where he once had to sing in three different, sold-out venues in the same night. In the 1980s, Adamo’s career faltered, as the style of his music was no longer fashionable. Since the 1990s, however, and on the crest of a nostalgia wave, he has successfully resumed composing, issuing records and touring, starting with a full season at the Casino de Paris venue in April 1990.

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately.

Adamo briefly attempted movie acting when he was cast in the film Les Arnaud (1967), which starred Bourvil. Amália Rodrigues recorded “Inch’Allah” in French. “Tombe la neige”, one of his many international hits, has been covered in Bulgarian, Turkish (“Her Yerde Kar Var”), Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese (Cantopop).

In 2001, Adamo was raised into the Belgian nobility (with motto Humblement mais dignement) by King Albert II and given for life the Belgian noble title Ridder, translated into English as “Knight”. He was appointed an Officer of the Belgian Order of the Crown in 2002. In 2014, Adamo was honoured at Victoires de la Musique in France.

In 1984, Adamo had heart problems which necessitated a heart bypass operation and a temporary though total withdrawal from work. Since 1993, he has been an honorary UNICEF ambassador from Belgium and, in this capacity, has visited countries such as Vietnam, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and others. In 2004, health problems forced him to cancel a scheduled tour but, since 2007, he is touring again. In December 2011, he performed in Espinho, Portugal and Bucharest, Romania.

At the end of the 1960s, Adamo married Nicole. Their children were Anthony (born in 1969), Benjamin, and then Amélie. At the height of his stardom, his own father died by drowning on 7 August 1966. His younger sister Délizia is also a recording artist. He wrote a number of songs for his sister, including her debut hit “Prends le chien” in 1974. She also joined him in his tour in 1975. (by wikipedia)

And here´s a pretty good album by Adamo, recorded live at the Olympia/Paris (a sould out concert, of course) in 1971.

And we here many of his romantic ballads and chansons .. and he was/is a real master of this genre.

Listen and enjoy !

Personnel:
Salvadore Adamo (vocals)
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Grand Orchestre De L’Olympia, I Delfini conducted by Alain Goraguer

Tracklist:
01. Salut Vieux! 3.43
02. Le Pendu 5.12
03. Nous 4.10
04. Un Petit Caillou Gris Rose, Un Petit Caillou Vert Gris 4.39
05. Les Fees Ne Mourront Pas! 4.07
06. Buvons A Notre Souvenir 3.56
07. Et Tu T’en Vas 3.14
08. Mon Cinema 3.56
09. Elle Souriait 3.47
10. Enfant, Mon Ami 3.19
11. Sois Heureuse Rose 3.16
12. Que Voulez Vous Que Je Vous Chante? 3.29
13. Medley 3.36
13.1. Petit Bonheur
13.2. Vous Permettez Monsieur?

All songs written by Salvadore Adamo

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Adamo – Une méche de chevaux + 3 (1966)

Salvatore Knight Adamo, simply known as Adamo (born 1 November 1943, Comiso, Sicily, Italy), is a Belgian composer and singer of Italian ancestry. He first gained popularity throughout Europe and later in the Middle East, Latin America, Japan, and the United States. He has sold more than 80 million albums and 20 million singles making him one of the most commercially successful musicians in the world. He mainly performs in French but has also sung in English, German, Italian and Spanish.

His father Antonio, a well digger, emigrated to Belgium in February 1947 to work in the mines of Marcinelle, and in June of the same year, his wife, Concetta, a housewife, and their son Adamo joined him in the town of Ghlin (Mons) before moving to Jemappes (Mons). In 1950, Adamo was bedridden for a year with meningitis. Adamo’s parents did not want their son to become a miner, so Adamo went to a Catholic school run by the Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes. By 1960, the family of Antonio and Concetta Adamo had seven children overall. Adamo grew up in Jemappes (Mons) where he was a dedicated student at school and distinguished himself in Music and the arts, in general, from an early age, making an impression with his singing abilities. At the end of the 1960s, Adamo married Nicole. Their son, Anthony, was born in 1969, while in the 1980s Benjamin and then Amélie were born. At the height of Adamo’s stardom, his father died by drowning on 7 August 1966.

In 1984, Adamo had heart problems which necessitated a heart bypass operation and a temporary though total withdrawal from work. Since 1993, he has been an honorary UNICEF ambassador from Belgium and, in this capacity, has visited countries such as Vietnam, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and others. In 2001, Adamo was named a chevalier by Albert II, King of the Belgians. In 2004, health problems forced Adamo to cancel a scheduled tour but, since 2007, he is touring again. In December 2011, he has performed in Espinho, Portugal and Bucharest, Romania.

There are versions of “Tombe la neige”, (one of his many international hits) in Bulgarian, Turkish, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese (Cantopop).

His sister Délizia is also an artist. Adamo wrote a number of songs for his sister including her debut hit “Prend le chien” in 1974. She also joined him in his tour in 1975.

Adamo’s early influences were the poetry of Victor Hugo and Jacques Prévert, the music of French singer-songwriters like Georges Brassens, and the Italian canzonette. He started singing and composing his own songs from an early age. His debut was in a Radio Luxembourg competition, where he participated as singer and composer of the song “Si j’osais” (“If I dared”) winning the competition’s final held in Paris, in 14 February 1960.

Adamo’s first hit was “Sans toi, ma mie”, in 1963, from his debut album 63/64. He followed this with a series of hits, “Tombe la neige” (“The snow falls”), “Vous permettez, monsieur? (nl)” (“May I, Sir”), “La Nuit” (“The Night”) (1964), “Dolce Paola” (“Sweet Paola”), “Les Filles du bord de mer” (“The girls at the beach”), “Mes mains sur tes hanches” (“My hands on your hips”) (1965), “Ton Nom” (“Your Name”), “Une meche de cheveux” (“Lock of hair”) (1966), “Une larme aux nuages” (“A tear to the clouds”), “Inch’Allah” (if God permits) (1967), “L’amour te ressemble” (“Love resembles you”) (1967), “Notre roman” (“Our novel”) (1967), “F… comme femme” (“W… like woman”) (1968), “A demain sur la lune” (“See you tomorrow on the moon”), “Petit bonheur” (“Small happiness”) (1969), “Va mon bateau” (“My boat goes”), “Les belles dames” (“Beautiful ladies”) (1970), “J’avais oublié que les roses sont roses” (“I had forgotten that the roses are pink”) (1971), “C’est ma vie” (“It’s my life”) (1975). Other notable songs included “Manuel”, “Si Tu Etais”, “Les Collines De Rabiah”, “J’Te Lache Plus”, “Mourir Dans Tes Bras”, and “Ce George(s)”.

The self-penned “Petit bonheur” sold over one million copies by April 1970, and was awarded a gold disc

Amália Rodrigues recorded “Inch’Allah” in French. Adamo briefly attempted movie acting when he was cast in the film Les Arnaud (1967), which starred Bourvil.

He has recorded in many languages and, besides France and Belgium, had hits in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and also in Japan, where he toured repeatedly. Adamo has had hits and toured also in Latin America and throughout the Middle East. In Chile, the audience awarded him an appreciation prize known as the “Antorcha” (Gold and Silver Torch) at the “Festival de Viña del Mar” held yearly in the “Quinta Vergara”, at the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, where he once had to sing in three different, sold-out venues in the same night.

In the 1980s, Adamo’s career faltered, as the style of his music was no longer fashionable. Since the 1990s, however, and on the crest of a nostalgia wave, Adamo has successfully resumed composing, issuing records and touring, starting with a full season at the Casino de Paris venue in April 1990.

Adamo has sold over 100 million copies of recordings worldwide.

Personnel:
Adamo (vocals, guitar)
+
Orchestra conducted by Oscar Saintal

Tracklist:
01. Une Mèche De Cheveux 2.58
02. La Complainte Des Élus 2.58
03. Sonnet Pour Notre Amour 2.15
04. Princesses Et Bergères 2.24

All songs written by Adamo

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