Michel Berger

See also: Shepherd (homonymy)

Michel Berger or Michel-Jean Hamburger of his true name (November 28th 1947 with Neuilly-sur-Seine, France - August 2nd 1992 with Ramatuelle, France) is a artistic Auteur-compositeur-interprète, Director and musical Arrangeur French.

He is the son of the doctor Jean Hamburger and the concert performer Annette Haas both of Polish Jewish origin. He is in particular known for his work at the sides of his wife, France Gall.

Biography

Producer and type-setter

He makes known himself as a singer as of the time of Salut the buddies in the Années 1960. He passes then to the production at EMI where he writes, inter alia, the Giraffes for Bourvil in 1967. With the beginning of the year 1970, at Warner, it produces the first albums of Veronique Sanson and, later, in 1989, another title, Allah . In 1973, it also produces an album for Francoise Hardy which starts again the career of this one with, in particular personal Message . Always for Francoise Hardy, it produces then a 45 turns, I am me . It starts to write for France Gall in 1974 before marrying it the June 22nd 1976 and it produces then all its albums starting from 1975. It produces also the album Rock “Roll Attitude for Johnny Hallyday (1985) of which it puts in scene, in the tread, its spectacle before carrying out that of France Gall in 1987, the Tour de France 88 .

Meanwhile, it composes a Opéra-rock, Starmania . The text is written by Luc Plamondon and the album studio leaves in 1978. He is in particular interpreted by France Gall, Daniel Balavoine, Diane Dufresne, Nanette Workman, Eric Estève and Fabienne Thibeault. Starmania, the spectacle , created with the Palate of the congresses of Paris in 1979, gains a sharp success, reiterated in 1988 with, inter alia, Maurane and Renaud Hantson then with different distributions during the recoveries in the Années 1990. An english language version, named Tycoon is carried out in 1991.

In 1990, it puts in scene a new musical production whose text is always written by Luc Plamondon, the Legend of Jimmy , inspired of the life of James Dean. In spite of the quality of the musics, texts, interpreters (Diane Such, Renaud Hantson, Tom Novembre, Nanette Workman) and of a setting in signed scene Jerome Savary, this spectacle obtains little success.

It also composes several film musics: Mektoub , an Algerian film of Ali Ghalem in 1970, Serious like the pleasure of Robert Benayoun in 1975, Any fire, any flame of Jean-Paul Rappeneau in 1982 and Right Bank, left bank of Philippe Labro in 1984. It composes also the advertizing film musics, of which that of Orangina.

It belongs to the rare French artists to be committed of very near in humane works, exclusively for that of Action Schools in 1985 with dimensions of France Gall, Richard Berry and Daniel Balavoine, but also for the Ethiopia with Renaud (Chanteurs without borders) and for the Resto du coeur with Coluche.

The August 2nd 1992, a few weeks after having left for the first time an album interpreted in duet with France Gall, double game , a few hours after a game of tennis whereas it spent her holidays to Ramatuelle with his wife, Michel Berger dies in her room, struck down by a Heart attack probably caused by the surtravail to which it was accustomed (and in spite of the letter where his/her father advises to him to see a doctor for his fragile heart). It is buried with the Cimetière of Montmartre to Paris.

Singer

The career of singer of Michel Berger begins in the Années 1960, period of the singers Yéyé S, that of Salut the buddies . But after having recorded of the 45 turns which do not meet a great success, it turns over to its role of artistic director at Pathé Marconi until it meets Veronique Sanson. Their rupture inspires to him one of its first albums solos, Cœur broken , in 1973. Only the titles to include/understand me and Await to me emergent album.

The first success of Michel Berger just goes back to 1974 with Écoute the music (Which fantastic consolation) after its meeting, in 1973, with its new MUSE France Gall.

In 1975, it a success mitigated with the album That the love is odd of which the song éponyme and Will be you are there? is successful two. The following year, only the song My piano dances , extracted the album éponyme, is a modest success.

But it is 1980 which is the pivotal year for Michel Berger: its new album Beauséjour is three great public successes: Groupie of the pianist , Some words of love and That which sings . The same year, it goes up on scene to the Théâtre of the Fields-Elysées, with same success.

Michel Berger still aligns other successes like Miss Chang in 1981, Voyou and the Princes of the cities in 1983, Chanter for those which are far from on their premises and Y 'does not have shame in 1985 then the white Paradise in 1990, her last success in solo.

Other successes are in the single album recorded in duet with France Gall in 1992: Surface and light and Let pass the dreams .

Reflections of the song writer and performer

To make songs, that takes time. That takes time to breathe, to live. Certain verses of Stevie Wonder or Georges Brassens, it is necessary to have taken much time to write them. I want to say to be able to write them. I have had two exceptional experiences for a few years while working at the same time for Starmania , with a Québécois author, Luc Plamondon, where I was only type-setter, and more recently with Elton John with which I worked contrary, only as an author whereas Elton wrote the musique.
J' twice was very dépaysé. For a Song writer and performer, to write and sing, it is all to give of oneself, without reserve, while going to seek possible further inside oneself. The work of author alone or type-setter alone requires more technique and it destroys a share of sensitivity. It is initially necessary to adapt to the sensitivity of another, at its rate/rhythm, to make psychological efforts which do not have inevitably something to see with a free artistic step. On another side, one, of course, is rewarded because one is enriched by what brings you the autre.
Les young musicians, today, are large melodists. It is something which everyone feels through the whole world and all the new musical techniques did anything nothing but add new means to the service of this melody which makes vibrate something indefinable in us. You can be sure that a brilliant text with a hollow music will never make a great song (in an opposite direction, it is less clear: Yesterday will never remain like a large text, but it is nevertheless drôlement a beautiful piece).
Il has there something of deeply natural in the writing of a successful song whereas a missed song rather makes test the vacuum or the complication. The vacuum, let us not speak about it, it is obvious. But, the complicated one, they is already more curious: how much songs are sympathetic nerves in the step, in the idea of the text, the search for erudite harmonies and do not do absolutely anything to us to feel. It is simply that the miracle does not occur. This absolutely unverifiable miracle which brings to an obvious kind. By listening to it, this “obviousness”, suddenly, one feels bien.
Je does not think that it is a question of taste, a personal question: the obviousness of a successful expression appears, with all, if it is diffused. And this magic contact, if one can establish it with all these people whom one does not know then something of extraordinary does. One speaks about gift, one rightly. The word even proves that there is no what to be especially proud about it. But the way in which one makes use of it makes that it or not is deserved, here is the cause of the angoisse.
C' is completely like the love.

Testimonys

  • Zouzou : I remember a voyage by car with Michel where he entrusts his anguishes about their Pauline daughter to me who is sick. Babou had left for Gordes a little front with the children. Me, I only went down with Michel. They was my first holidays since my return of the Antilles. This day, Michel releases himself completely, which surprises me because I always knew it very reserved, and starts to entrust to me what corrodes it. Its worst nightmare would be than it has suddenly disappeared the first leaving Babou only with the children. He adds: “I should not crack, I must always have the strong air so that Babou feels safe completely, and, believe, it is not easy for me. ” It has the embués eyes of tears, and, me, I am killed. I would have so much liked to be able to affirm to him that Pauline was going to leave herself there, but… One knows today unfortunately the end.

Anecdotes

  • It is the second composer-songwriter deceased who touches the most royalties in France, behind Joe Dassin.
  • the song It played of the piano upright is a homage to Jerry Lee Lewis and not to Elton John, a very frequent confusion of the media. Several years will have to be waited, although Michel Berger and France Gall many times repeated it or wrote, before exactitude by France Gall at the time of the publication is restored by it of her anthology: This song on the difference, inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, will be n° 1 whole the summer (1980).
  • the song Évidemment is a homage to Daniel Balavoine.
  • the album Dreams in Stone , left in 1982, conceived for a musical comedy with the the United States which forever considering the day. The album itself is not success, but nevertheless is marketed in 33 turns and CD. It is included in the integral to include/understand me of Michel Berger marketed by Warner in 2002.
  • One Michel Berger in “Chief of the explosives” like his fellow-members Michel Fugain and Michel Sardou in “resistant Students”, three observers not credited in film with Rene Clément, does Paris sees burn? (1966).

Discography

Albums studio

Albums live

Compilations

together

Rock opera

Videotex

  • 1989 : Starmania , live, 1 DVD Area 2 - Color, stereophony, remasterized and republished in 2002 - Biographies included of Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon - Duration 116 minutes - Warner Vision France
  • 2005: Emilie or the Small Siren 76 , televised musical tale, argument of Michel Berger & Franck Lipsick, 1 DVD Area 2, INA/Editions LCJ (televised original emission recorded in 1976) - Republication in May 2007 and November 2007
  • Publication announced for beginning 2008: Michel Berger with the Sport hall , 1 DVD Area 2, Warner Vision France

Television

Catalog of films (type-setter)

Random links:Amigacho | Euphrate | PR (undertaken) | Intel 80287 | Make Another World | Massed Pierre | Floorball