Pierre Bachelet | |
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![]() Bachelet in 1990. | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Pierre Bachelet |
Also known as | Andrew Bacson |
Born | 25 May 1944 Paris, France |
Died | 15 February 2005 Suresnes, France | (aged 60)
Genres | French pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, composer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
Years active | 1972-2005 |
Pierre Bachelet (25 May 1944 – 15 February 2005) was a French singer-songwriter and film score composer. He was also known as Andrew Bacson.
He died of lung cancer in 2005.
Personal life
[edit]Pierre Bachelet was born on 25 May 1944 in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. He was the child of Maurice and Alberte Bachalet. Bachelet spent part of his childhood in Calais and developed a lifelong appreciation of the North of France, which later inspired his hit song "Les corons" (1982). During his youth he learned to play the piano, but his fascination with Elvis Presley led him to learn the electric guitar. He started a band with his friends when he was young called The Volts.[citation needed]
Bachelet was married three times. His first son Yannick was born on 7 February 1964. After his first divorce, he married Danièle Bachelet. He had a second son Quentin, and his second marriage lasted 24 years. After that divorce, he married Françoise, the sister of Danièle on 31 December 1998.[citation needed]
He died on 15 February 2005 at his home in Suresnes of lung cancer. He now rests in Marine Cemetery of Saint-Tropez. [1]
Career
[edit]In the 1970s, Bachelet had some international success under the name Resonance with the hit "OK Chicago".[citation needed]
His other hit songs include "Elle est d'ailleurs" (1980),[2] "Écris-moi" (1982), "Marionnettiste" (1985), "En l'an 2001" (1985) and "Vingt ans" (1987). He also composed music for movies, including Emmanuelle (1974),[2] Story of O (1975), Black and White in Color (1976), Coup de tête (1979), Les Bronzés font du ski (1979),[2] the British-made Sex with the Stars (1980), and Gwendoline (1984). Robert Fripp won an out-of-court settlement over the use of music in Emmanuelle based on King Crimson's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic".[3] His songs from the film Emmanuelle called "Emmanuelle in the Mirror" and "Theme from Emmanuelle" were sampled in the Lily Allen song "Littlest Things", released in December 2006. He also wrote the score of a few commercials and TV films.[citation needed]
He would return to score further Emmanuelle films, such as Emmanuelle 5 (1987) and Emmanuelle 7 (1992). He also did the score for the French film Un crime au paradis (2001), which was another success for him.[citation needed]
His signature tune, "Les corons", released in 1982, is notably used as the supporters' anthem for the football club RC Lens.[citation needed]
Bachelet bore a physical and voice resemblance to Jacques Brel, and had a similar onstage demeanor. Bachelet held Brel's work in high respect, and his last release while alive was a cover album of Brel songs.[citation needed]
In 2000, Bachelet was nominated for a Cesar Award for his musical score in The Children of the Marshland.[citation needed]
Bachelet wrote, composed and became artistic director for George Chakiris, who would sing songs such as "Mon pays c'est le soleil" (1979) and "La chanson de Bernardo" (1981). He also composed melodies for Véronique Jannot, notably the melody for "J'ai fait l'amour avec la mer" (1982) and "Si t'as pas compris" (1985). In 2004, he also composed three melodies for Patrizia Grilo including two previously unreleased songs and a cover of her hit "Elle est d'ailleurs" in the Italian version "Di un altro mondo".
Bachelet became an actor for the series Van Loc: un grand cop de Marseille broadcast on TF1 from 1992 to 1998. He appeared in the episode "For the Love of Marie" broadcast in January 1997 in which he played the role of a banker named Charleval.
He wrote the texts and took care of the staging of the spectacle of the transition to the year 2000 of the city of Marseille. This show consisted of playing skits for schoolchildren in Marseilles to recount the main events of the 20th century. Bachelet also intervened as "Monsieur Loyal" between the different scenes. His texts dealt with a man's choices, his doubts, his mistakes, his desire for love, and wars.
Awards
[edit]Cesar Award
[edit]Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | "The Children of the Marshland" | Best Music | Nominated |
In modern culture
[edit]In 2015, a tribute album was released posthumously with various artists performing songs from Pierre Bachelet. The 13-track album was released on Smart label under the title Hommage à Pierre Bachelet: Nous l'avons tant aimé and includes interpretations by artists Quentin Bachelet, Marie Espinosa, Didier Barbelivien, Dave, Gérard Lenorman, Patrick Sébastien, Amaury Vassili, Gilbert Montagné, Philippe Lavil, Enrico Macias and Chico & the Gypsies. The album also contains two performances from Bachelet: "Les Corons" with Chorale des Mineurs Polonais de Douai and a remasterised version of "Flo" with Florence Arthaud.[4] The album charted in France, Belgium and Switzerland.[5]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- 1975: L'Atlantique
- 1980: Elle est d'ailleurs
- 1982: Les Corons
- 1983: Découvrir l'Amérique
- 1985: Marionnettiste
- 1985: En l'an 2001
- 1987: Vingt ans
- 1989: Quelque part... c'est toujours ailleurs
- 1992: Les Lolas
- 1995: La ville ainsi soit-il
- 1998: Un homme simple
- 2001: Une autre lumière
- 2003: Tu ne nous quittes pas (Bachelet chante Brel)
- 2008: Essaye (posthumously)
Live albums
[edit]- 1983: Un soir... Une scène
- 1986: Olympia 86
- 1988: Tu es là au rendez-vous
- 1991: La Scène
- 2005: 30 ans
Compilation albums
[edit]- 2015: 10 ans de Bachelet pour toujours (posthumously)
Singles
[edit]- 1975: "L'Alantique (toi, moi et la musique)"
- 1980: "Elle est d'ailleurs"
- 1982: "Les Corons"
- 1982: "Écris-moi"
- 1982: "Souvenez-vous"
- 1983: "Quitte-moi"
- 1983: "Embrasse-la"
- 1983: "Mais l'aventure"
- 1985: "Marionnettiste"
- 1985: "En l'an 2001"
- 1985; "Elle ne sait faire que ah!"
- 1985: "Quand l'enfant viendra"
- 1987: "Vingt ans"
- 1987: "Partis avant d'avoir tout dit"
- 1987: "C'est pour elle"
- 1989: "L'Homme en blanc"
- 1989: "Pleure pas Boulou"
- 1989: "Flo"
- 1989: "Yé yé les tambours"
- 1989: "Le déversoir"
- 1992: "Les Lolas"
- 1992: "Elle est ma guerre, elle est ma femme"
- 1992: "Laissez chanter le français"
- 1995: "La ville ainsi soit-il"
- 1995: "Reconnais que tu pars"
- 1998: "Le voilier noir"
- 1998: "Un homme simple"
- 2001: "Une autre lumière"
- 2001: "Pour un monde bleu"
- 2001: "Sans toi"
Bibliography
[edit]Books about Pierre Bachelet
- Pierre Bachelet, En ce temps-là j'avais vingt ans..., Michel Lafon Éditions, 1989.
- Fanfan Bachelet ; in collaboration with Évelyne Adam ; Preface by Jean-Pierre Foucault, Pierre… mon amour, Pierre Robin Éditions, 2006.
- Jean-Pierre Lang, Quatorze ans de chanson pour Pierre Bachelet, Édition Hors commerce, 2008.
- Françoise Bachelet, Un p'tit bout de chemin avec Pierre Bachelet, Sony Music, 2015.
See also
[edit]- A Crime in Paradise (2001)
References
[edit]- ^ "Biography - Pierre Bachelet (Bio 2490)". www.mymusicbase.ru. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "Décès de Pierre Bachelet". Le Devoir (in French). Canada. 16 February 2005. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ^ Interview with Robert Fripp in Live! Music Review
- ^ Hommage à Pierre Bachelet: Nous l'avons tant aimé by Various Artists
- ^ Lescharts.com: Hommage à Pierre Bachelet: Nous l'avons tant aimé by Various Artists
External links
[edit]- Official Site (in French)
- Pierre Bachelet at IMDb
- Biography at Radio France Internationale (in English)