RIP Johnny Hallyday

[The Big Ragu]

How France fell in love with 'national rocker' Johnny Hallyday

French rock star Johnny Hallyday dies at 74 - CNN

I doubt this thread is going to resonate on here. If you are an American and you have no idea who this guy was, he's difficult to describe. He was an icon in France -- probably the biggest rock star the country had, and more recently, the guy who got trotted out to entertain at every big televised event. To me, he was like a bad Elvis / nightclub entertainer with a lot of Frenchy shtick mixed in, but I know I was missing something, because as much as they made fun of him, he was beloved in France. The article above in the Independent gives a good synopsis.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

When I was in Europe, I heard a lot of bad French radio. A lot. (It's worse even than German radio.)

But I couldn't tell you any song he did. At least it sounds like Jerry Lewis had some competition.

 

[Songbird]

This is the best French singer dude I've ever seen, and a message I always think of.

Really catchy tune. And how coked out of his gourd is he?

 

[The Big Ragu]

When I was in Europe, I heard a lot of bad French radio. A lot. (It's worse even than German radio.)

But I couldn't tell you any song he did. At least it sounds like Jerry Lewis had some competition.

I know his first big "hit" was a French version of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again" and he also did a remake of Hey Joe (the Jimi Hendrix song). And when I have been in France around Christmas, they always paraded him out during the Christmas TV specials and he did covers of other people's songs -- he looked like he had lived hard. But honestly, he was no joke in terms of success. From Wikipedia: 181 tours, had 18 platinum albums, and sold more than 110 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time.

Regarding the covers of American songs. ...

This is one thing I have found funny about the French music Ms. Ragu grew up with. ... some of the biggest hits in France from the 60s and 70s and 80s were French pop stars doing bizarre remakes of songs that were popular in the U.S. or U.K. And the French seemed to have no idea that they were rip offs. There was a pretty big pop star in the 70s named Claude François (who died by electrocuting himself in a bathroom accident, for what it's worth) who made a living off of doing remakes of Frankie Valli songs. For example, he did a remake of December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), except the melody and music is exactly the same, but the French lyrics are entirely different. It's kind of hysterical to me, for some reason.

 

[Songbird]

Les Gam's remade this one by The Exciters. It is a fantastic song.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

His birth name was Jean-Philippe Smet. He might've had more hits with that name.

His father was Belgian and his mother French.

 

[HC]

I know his first big "hit" was a French version of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again" and he also did a remake of Hey Joe (the Jimi Hendrix song). And when I have been in France around Christmas, they always paraded him out during the Christmas TV specials and he did covers of other people's songs -- he looked like he had lived hard. But honestly, he was no joke in terms of success. From Wikipedia: 181 tours, had 18 platinum albums, and sold more than 110 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time.

Regarding the covers of American songs. ...

This is one thing I have found funny about the French music Ms. Ragu grew up with. ... some of the biggest hits in France from the 60s and 70s and 80s were French pop stars doing bizarre remakes of songs that were popular in the U.S. or U.K. And the French seemed to have no idea that they were rip offs. There was a pretty big pop star in the 70s named Claude François (who died by electrocuting himself in a bathroom accident, for what it's worth) who made a living off of doing remakes of Frankie Valli songs. For example, he did a remake of December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), except the melody and music is exactly the same, but the French lyrics are entirely different. It's kind of hysterical to me, for some reason.

To be fair, there are plenty of popular American songs that are reworks of European tunes. "My Way" is just new lyrics to a much superior French song called "Comme d'habitude".

 

[Songbird]

"My Way" is just new lyrics to a much superior French song called "Comme d'habitude".

But does Comme d'habitude come close to Sal's Way?

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Dansons encore le twist!

(OK I googled that.)

 

[The Big Ragu]

To be fair, there are plenty of popular American songs that are reworks of European tunes. "My Way" is just new lyrics to a much superior French song called "Comme d'habitude".

Yup. Interestingly, that was Claude Francois also. I disagree with you that Comme d'habitude is abetter song. The lyrics are mushy compared to what Paul Anka did with the melody and then where Sinatra and Elvis took it.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Whipped out The Book™.

Johnny Hallyday never had a Hot 100 single in the U.S., but his son David Hallyday did.

Song called "He's My Girl" debuted on 8/29/1987, peaked at No. 79 and stayed in the charts for six weeks.

ADD: Because freedom fries

 

[Michael_ Gee]

A college friend of mine saw a Johnny Halladay concert in Paris in like 1970. He said it was right on the line where awful becomes amazing.

 

[HC]

Yup. Interestingly, that was Claude Francois also. I disagree with you that Comme d'habitude is abetter song. The lyrics are mushy compared to what Paul Anka did with the melody and then where Sinatra and Elvis took it.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. I honestly can't stand "My Way".

 

[The Big Ragu]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. I honestly can't stand "My Way".

Every day at around 5 pm, I have about an hour to get my "homework" done (while many markets pause). ... in preparation for the next day. First thing that happens. ... Spotify gets opened, and Frank starts crooning to keep me company.

My Way actually sin't my favorite Frank song, but for some it is his magnum opus. What I am trying to say is that you saying you honestly can't stand "My Way" ... well, them is fighting words. I'm just glad Jilly Rizzo isn't around to hear that. There would have been an international incident.

 

[HC]

Every day at around 5 pm, I have about an hour to get my "homework" done (while many markets pause). ... in preparation for the next day. First thing that happens. ... Spotify gets opened, and Frank starts crooning to keep me company.

My Way actually sin't my favorite Frank song, but for some it is his magnum opus. What I am trying to say is that you saying you honestly can't stand "My Way" ... well, them is fighting words. I'm just glad Jilly Rizzo isn't around to hear that. There would have been an international incident.

Sorry ... I'm with Sarah Vowell on this one.

 

[YankeeFan]