Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet was among the last of his kind of singer, a holdover from the era of pre-World War II France and the prime of Maurice Chevalier, as well as singer/composers such as Georges Brassens and Léo Ferré. Originally an art student, Trenet turned to singing in his early twenties, initially in partnership with pianist Johnny Hess in a duo billed as "Charles and Johnny." In his earliest stage persona, Trenet was also known as a musical impressionist, with a special penchant for doing exaggerated impersonations of Chevalier. Ironically, amid the manic antics of the act, he actually suffered from deep stage fright, which he never fully overcame, but later learned to mask. After a year working with Hess, he ended up drafted -- into the French Air Force, no less -- during which time he shaved his head and sported a monocle, two attributes that gave him a bizarre appearance and got him the nickname, for a time, of "The Singing Madman." He resumed his career and civilian status in 1936, amid that brief mid-'30s period of social and economic reform, culminating with the election of the Popular Front government under Leon Blum. By that time, Trenet had outgrown the Chevalier impressions and came to be known for his smooth, light baritone which, coupled with his seemingly relaxed persona, won over audiences in music hall performances. At one of his most famous engagements, in 1938, he was scheduled to sing three songs in what was the opening set of the evening and was called back by the audience and performed a total of 12 songs that night, and the featured performer never went on.
Trenet composed as well as sang and enjoyed his first big hit in 1939 with "Boum" an infectiously bubbly tune that captured the French listening public's attention. After World War II, Trenet's career moved into international circles as his songs started getting picked up in translation, usually with lyrics by Lee Wilson -- his biggest success was "La Mer," a piece that Bobby Darin turned into an English language hit (as "Beyond the Sea"). His other hits included such songs as "Le Soleil a Des Rayons de Pluie," "Il Y Avait Des Abres," "Printemps a Rio," "Bonsoir Jolie Madame," and "Que Reste-Il De Nos Amours" (better known in English as "I Wish You Love").
Trenet's longevity was something of a surprise even to him -- the singer had intended to retire in the 1970s, and had made a farewell tour of France; then he agreed to a request for a farewell concert in Canada and found the reception there so encouraging, that he chose to keep performing and was still working in the 1990s, a period in which at least four CDs of his work were released, including a best-of collection produced by British reissue expert Tony Watts. Over the course of his 60-year career, Trenet published some 850 songs as well as books of poetry and a handful of novels, although he tended to dismiss the significance of his productivity with a certain detached amusement. Into his 80s, he still presented an ebullient visage, a broad grin topped by thinning red hair that made him look exactly like the aging music hall entertainer that he was. Trenet was still writing songs very prolifically in the late '90s, often inspired by thoughts that occurred to him as he worked on his fiction, which was one reason he had so much trouble completing the latter.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
Artistas similares
-
Charles Trenet : Olympia 75 (Live)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Versailles el 7 mar. 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Á Pleyel (Live)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Juste pour Rire el 1 nov. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Monsieur Trenet
Chanson francesa - Editado por Excess Music el 29 may. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les Plus Belles Chansons
Chanson francesa - Editado por Parlophone (France) el 28 feb. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Charles Trenet
Chanson francesa - Editado por Universal Music Division Barclay el 24 sept. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
L'essentiel de Charles Trenet en 25 titres
Chanson francesa - Editado por BNF Collection el 1 ene. 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Fais ta vie
Chanson francesa - Editado por Parlophone (France) el 1 oct. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Je chante
Chanson francesa - Editado por Parlophone (France) el 19 feb. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La mer
Chanson francesa - Editado por Traditional Line el 10 ago. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Douce France
Chanson francesa - Editado por Documents el 1 sept. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intégrale Charles Trénet, vol. 4 : "Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" (1941-1943) (Intégrale)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Fremeaux Heritage el 6 oct. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intégrale Charles Trénet, Vol. 8 : "La folle complainte" (1951-1952)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Fremeaux Heritage el 1 ene. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chansons volent...
Chanson francesa - Editado por EPM el 29 ene. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intégrale Charles Trénet, vol. 5 : "La mer" (1943-1947) (Intégrale)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Fremeaux Heritage el 6 oct. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intégrale Charles Trénet, vol. 1 : "Charles et Johnny" (1933-1936)
World music - Editado por Fremeaux Heritage el 6 oct. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vous Oubliez Votre Cheval
Chanson francesa - Editado por Hennings Favorite Music el 20 mar. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concert à la Varenne-Saint-Hilaire en 1954 (Inédit) (Charles Trenet)
Chanson francesa - Editado por INA Mémoire vive el 27 may. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Essential Collection (Digitally Remastered)
Chanson francesa - Editado por CT Records el 8 abr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les 50 meilleurs titres de Charles Trénet
Chanson francesa - Editado por BNF Collection el 1 ene. 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Y'a d'la joie (Remastered 2020)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Arkadia Chansons el 12 nov. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Mer (Remastered)
Chanson francesa - Editado por Old Europe el 18 abr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo