Paul Mauriat
French composer/conductor Paul Mauriat is a classically trained musician who decided to pursue a career in popular music. His first major success came in 1962, as a co-writer of the European hit "Chariot." In 1963, the song was given English lyrics, renamed "I Will Follow Him," and became a number one American hit for Little Peggy March. Mauriat is best remembered for his 1968 worldwide smash "Love Is Blue."
Mauriat's ancestors were all classical musicians and he originally planned to follow in their footsteps, studying the music as a child and enrolling in the Conservatoire in Paris when he was ten years old. As a teenager, he became infatuated with jazz and popular music, which made him stray from his initial career path. At the age of 17, he formed an orchestra and began touring concert halls throughout Europe. These concerts earned him the attention of vocalist/songwriter Charles Aznavour, who hired Mauriat as an arranger and conductor. Through Aznavour, he began working with a variety of other French artists. For the remainder of the '40s and the '50s, he worked primarily as an arranger for other musicians.
Mauriat began a solo career in the early '60s, recording a series of instrumental albums that were distinguished by their sweeping, melodic strings and gently insistent contemporary rhythms. Using the pseudonym Del Roma, he co-wrote "Chariot," which became a hit for Petula Clark in 1962. The following year, the song was given a new, English lyric by Arthur Altman and Norman Gimbel and was recorded by Little Peggy March as "I Will Follow Him"; it became a number one hit in the U.S.
Throughout the '60s, Mauriat continued to record his pop instrumental albums, which became more popular as the decade progressed. His popularity peaked in 1968, when his version of "L'Amour Est Bleu" (Love Is Blue), which was Luxembourg's submission to the 1963 Eurovision Song contest, became an international hit, reaching number one on a number of charts, including America. The single was supported by Blooming Hits, an album that featured a selection of '60s pop hits; the album was massively popular and it is estimated that it sold in excess of two million copies worldwide. Mauriat became an international recording star, touring North and Latin America, Europe, and Japan, and making television appearances in several countries.
Although Mauriat's popularity dipped in the early '70s -- he only had two other U.S. hit singles, "Love in Every Room" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," which were both minor -- he continued to sell respectably throughout the world, particularly in Europe. After the '80s his recorded output slowed as his Western audience dwindled, but in the Far East he found a loyal following. Tours of Russia, China, and Japan would continue until 1998 when the conductor gave his last live performance in Osaka. A year later, former lead pianist Gilles Gambus would become conductor of the orchestra, and then in 2005 French horn player Jean-Jacques Justafre would be handed the baton. On November 3, 2006, Mauriat died in the southern French city of Perpignan.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Kenneth M. Cassidy /TiVo
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Serenata
Classical - Released by Frank Andrada Music on 11 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mauriat Magic
Pop - Released by Planet Blue Records on 1 Jan 1969
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Lo Mejor de Paul Mauriat
Lounge - Released by AliaDigital on 19 Nov 2008
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Melodías Mágicas
Film Soundtracks - Released by Soundbox on 1 Jan 2017
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Classics In The Air 2
Pop - Released by Universal Music Division Mercury Records on 1 Jan 1986
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I Love Paris
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by vintage productions on 25 Mar 2021
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Serenade
Pop - Released by Universal Music Division Mercury Records on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Best of Love Sound
Pop - Released by Pony Canyon on 17 Apr 2013
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Temas De Película
Film Soundtracks - Released by Femme Sutil on 16 Feb 2010
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Doulce françe 32 plus grands - Paul mauriat
Lounge - Released by Artys-Digital on 11 Jun 2003
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Paul Mauriat Interpreta los éxitos de D Roussos
Musical Theatre - Released by Bumeran Music on 12 Oct 2022
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Grandes clásicos latinos
Lounge - Released by Trama on 13 Apr 1971
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La Vie en Rose (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Old Europe on 27 May 2020
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Sonidos de Oro
Film Soundtracks - Released by Piros - Send on 20 Feb 2015
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Un taxi pour Tobrouk (Bande originale du film)
Paul Mauriat, Georges Garvarentz
Film Soundtracks - Released by Disques Cinémusique on 1 Jan 2015
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Paris By Night
French Music - Released by CGH Ventures Inc. on 1 Feb 2012
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Orquestas de Oro / Paul Mauriat
Lounge - Released by ISMCDigital on 17 Jan 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo