French rock\'n\'roll

The French rock'n'roll is, in the broad sense, a form of Rock produced mainly in France, but also in the European French-speaking countries. Often in French language, especially as from the years 1980, it can be however in English or in a language created of any part like the kobaien of Magma or the klokobetz of Nosfell.

One of the difficulties for the French rock'n'roll was to dissociate Musique of varieties which was, in the Années 1960 and the Années 1970, contrary to the Easy listening English , the financial engine of the popular music in France of de Gaulle, Pompidou and Giscard.

History

Years 1950

End 1956 appears on the initiative of Jacques Canetti the first disc of rock' French roll. The words are of Boris Vian, the music of Michel Legrand and Alain Goraguer, and the interpretation of Henri Salvador - under the pseudonym of Henry Cording - and Magali Christmas.

In September 1958, a new singer, Danyel Gerard proposes the first disc of rock'n'roll not to be a parody. It becomes officially the first " vrai" disc of French rock'n'roll. This 45 turns also proposes a title signed Boris Vian: " From where do you return Billie Boy? ". Danyel Gerard is called the suffocating singer. Unfortunately, it leaves for the war Algeria at the end of 1959. On its return in France in 1961, he discovers Johnny Hallyday, artist signed at vogue one year before and which seems to imitate its vocal style.

Years 1960

During the time Yéyé at the beginning of the Years 1960, the groups take as a starting point the groups by on the other side of the channel or of on the other side of the Atlantic and often carry out adaptations in French language of Anglo-Saxon successes. Some among more “rockers” will become in the following decades of the important actors of the variety and the rock' roll in France: Johnny Hallyday, Eddy Mitchell, (former leader of the black Socks), Dick Rivers, (former singer of the Wildcats)

Years 1970

The groups of the following time, the Years 1970, like Martin Circus or Aphrodite' S child after one “pure” period, but which did not enable them to live, put much water in their wine and turn to a form close to the variety. It is the period also where many artists of variety - Catherine Ribeiro, Jacques Higelin, Bernard Lavilliers, Gerard Manset, Veronique Sanson (which will be a time the wife of Stephen Stills, group folk-rock'n'roll Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) - flirtent with the rock'n'roll without often crossing the step completely. Only Léo Shoed and Serge Gainsbourg launch out in the adventure. The first associates as of 1970 the services of the pop group Zoo, while the second introduces the Reggae, the Psychédélisme and planing it with the wire of albums worships. More confidential, of the groups like Angel or Magma become the French representatives of the progressive rock'n'roll. At the limit of the Rock'n'roll and Folk the work of Alan Stivell is, especially starting from the " live in Olympia" (1972). Part of its production (very eclectic) is marked by the Rock'n'roll, to the most recent albums.

Before the punk one

After the punk one

Years 1980

The things change little by little as from 1977 with the movement Punk and the new-wave which unload in France and correspond to the aspirations with the revival of part of youth, it is one time of creativity or the variety and the groups of the past are sudden " ringardisés". At the beginning of the Années 1980 it is the change of political majority which accompanies the irruption by the “young culture” mediatized by newspapers tendency as Actuel which reappears with a formula which corresponds at the time after-punk. The emergence of the Bijou group marks the return of the rock'n'roll sung in French who opens the way with the other groups like Téléphone, being devoted to this exercise discredited by the purists like Little Bob Story, Dogs, Ganafoul for which the rock'n'roll sounds really only in English. Since 1976, Jewel and Little Bob Story are the first two groups which give rise to think, each one in their category, which an authentic French rock'n'roll can exist with the country of the variety. The movement becomes extensive in the following years and the key periods will be the punk festivals of Mount of Marsan and that of New wave french connection in Lyon, where the first French scene of importance draws up before that of Rennes. An unforgettable scene: the Marie group and boys of Lyon which receive a flood of quills because they sing " Disco music, disco" , and all other groups to come on scene to support them. It should be noted that the Trust group for all this first period has only one presence anecdotic, one 45 T " Do not take your flingue" , but their pemier 33 T and their first first round at the end of 79 meets a phenomenal success.

From the years 1980, the rock'n'roll starts little by little to count in France: a number impressing of rock'n'roll groups of a current " moderne" is born in the hexagon, often influenced by the English new-wave and groups but also the good old man hard rock which always has the faithful ones. The free radios become legal, one even at that time reflects in certain town halls to facilitate obtaining buildings of repetition, in order to accompany the development by an emergent French rock'n'roll which one hopes for remunerative with the image of that of on the other side of the channel. In Paris it is the time of the great hours of the Gibus or the Pink Bonbon , clubs which accommodate groups live and which succeed the places which disappear like the Golf-Drouot . One attends the creation of French independent labels like " New Rose records" , " Ze records " " or " Sordid sentimental " and of many fanzines rock'n'roll like " New-Wave" , " Hello Happy Taxpayers" or " One is not sauvages". Following " Chorus" of Antoine de Caunes, television opens a little timidly, with the phenomenon which stirs up a good part of youth, in particular thanks to the " Children of the Rock'n'roll " of Philippe Rock & Folk Operates.

Groups like Telephone, Trust, Jewel, Starshooter, 12°5, Stocks then set up the most popular groups of a new generation rock'n'roll made in France tinted anglo-saxones influences with fronts of guitar and French words. The future mythical groups of the French rock'n'roll as rouennais them Dogs, Taxi Girl, the of Rennes one of Marquis de Sade, Lorraine the Kas Product are noticed by the critic and part of the public " branché" but still suffer from the lack of structures, media visibility and the frilosity of the public and the large recording companies. See also Charles De Goal, Bonapartes, Tanit, Baroque Bordello, Red Orchestra,… Many others like the Olivensteins or Métal Urbain disappeared too much quickly, finally some are reformed like Métal Urbain or Charles De Goal meadows 30 year old later for a new career (Métal Urbain leaves even what they regard as their first fine disc 2006)…

A new French alternate scene appears about the middle of the years 1980. It starts to establish its own structures by creating its own labels of discs (after the pioneers New Pink, a significant example is the label Boucherie), helped in that by increasingly many fanzines and record dealers specialized everywhere in Province. It very active, and is carried out by punks groups like black Bérurier, the Butcher's assistants or Ludwig von 88.

Pop side effervescence is also sensitive: With the vogue of the synthetizers Indo-China creates pop synthetic and dynamics with the Frenchwoman, who quickly meets a great success near the teenagers; the Niagara takes a lead in the waves and offers in concert pop/more energetic rock'n'roll; Alain Bashung builds a very personal “rock'n'roll intello”, the first individual one of Buzy, “Dyslexiac”, will be sold with 500.000 specimens and will be one of great successes of the year 1981, Switzerland Stephan Eicher begins in tiny squatts, bars rock'n'rolls or rooms just like the Rita Mitsouko and the major part of the new scene rock'n'roll. One sees many French followers on the traces of the Pop news of The Cure or Depeche Mode which marks this musical decade.

Years 1990

The following decade sees growing success of the alternative Rock and with him of a true French specificity thanks to the labels Bondage Records, Boucherie Productions whose eclectic choice made discover exceptional groups: Black Tetines resulting from the arti-declining cabaret, shouldered by Eduardo Leal of the Official reception, Manu Chao of Mano Negra, François Hajdi-Lazaro of Pigalle, Frandol of the Roadrunners, Didier Chappedelaine of Wampas… Mingling the rock'n'roll roots with multiple influences (Spanish, Maghrebian, gipsy, realistic song…), the surviving groups among the thousands of groups born after the punk one with the beginning or in the middle of of the Years 1980 such as the Green Negresses, Innocent the or the Rita Mitsouko bore finally and are professionalisent. The number of groups of quality then gives a true identity to the hexagonal rock'n'roll. In parallel, Black Desire, taking again on its account aggressiveness grunge by channeling it, works with more excavated texts. They imitate in this direction Hubert-Felix Thiéfaine or Alain Bashung whose music becomes more sophisticated and electronic. In 1995, Mylène Farmer is renewed successfully thanks to titles plus rock'n'roll such as XXL or Moment X , whose fronts point out those of Nirvana. One can also note FF which initiates the mixture of the funk and of the rock'n'roll in France.

At the end of the years 1990, in fact the groups of French electronic music meet a notable success in the Anglo-Saxon countries. The term French touch indicates then groups such as Air or Daft Punk which the music largely takes as a starting point pop years 1970 (éthérées environments, deformed voices). Manu Chao continues its course alone and reinforces the Latin-American influences whereas Sinsemilia becomes the spearhead of the French-speaking Reggae.

Years 2000

With the beginning of the year 2000, new artists make their appearance. Mickey 3D creates a committed folk-rock'n'roll evoking ecological concerns in particular, Louise Attaque introduces the violin into the landscape French rock'n'roll and Superbus takes as a starting point the Powerpop of No Doubt. In more personal registers, Camille seeks to push back the borders of what it is possible to make with voices, without instrumental accompaniment whereas Nosfell invents one left folk Venusian or world music Gregorian . Other groups can be quoted like Kinito, Vegastar, Luke (groups known nationally), or of the local groups (Darwin in Limoges,…)

In 2006, the instrumental rock'n'roll knows an renewed interest with the success surprised of Jean-Pierre Danel and its albums Guitar Connection.

In the following lists, the artists and groups are classified according to their decade of appearance on the scene, even if their career proceeded over several decades or if their notoriety were late.

Rock'n'roll by City

See too

Notes & references

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