Michel Sardou: Sardou et nous

While the compilation album of younger artists performing the work of Johnny Hallyday is attracting  huge amount of attention and subsequent sales, there's also a similar work looking at the career of Michel Sardou, entitled Sardou et Nous.

Sardou, who is 70, recently announced that he intends to retire from performing and recording after a career in music and film that has lasted over 50 years/

His recently released album Le choix du fou has been a massive seller in France where his popularity over the decades has withstood changes in fashion and style, as well as political controversy.

The tribute album features contributions from much younger artists, alumni from Kids United and the Voice Kids, such as Nemo Schiffman, Lou, Ilyana, Dylan and YouTube star Angie Robba.

Robba's version of Sardou's song Rouge, originally from 1984 has been released with a promotional video, with Sardou himself appearing in the clip.

Sardou has been playing some final live dates across France, and plays at La Seine Musicale near Paris from December 26 to January 7 with more dates around the country in February and March 2018.

D-Day anniversary - Michel Sardou: Les Ricains

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, an event that was to be a turning point not only in
the history of France, but for the whole of Europe and beyond.

Elderly men from France, the UK and the USA will be gathering on beaches in Normandy to remember not only the bravery of those who survived, but the sacrifices made by those who did not.

One song that recalled the event in a particularly interesting way was the 1967 hit for Michel Sardou, Les Ricains.

The title, which would translate into English as 'The Yanks', makes the simple case that if it wasn't for the Americans, the French would all be in Germany, speaking who knows what and saluting who knows.

It recalls the sacrifices made by American soldiers, who many knowing no-one in France or little about the country, died on its beaches to defend its freedom.

The song was a hit in 1967, but incurred the anger of Charles De Gaulle, who wanted it to be removed from broadcast on account of it going against the official historical narrative that put France at the centre of it regaining its freedom at the end of the war. It also came as anti-American feeling in France was high due to the Vietman war and France's attitude towards  NATO at the time.

Time has passed since 1944. France, America, the UK and Germany too are very different places, living in a very different world. But the peace we enjoy now in Europe was very much made by those old men gathered on the beaches in France today, and by the young men that died there.


Si les ricains n'étaient pas là - Michel Sardou by phbarrau

Sarkozy's Deezer playlist II

More on Nicolas Sarkozy on Deezer, with the publication of the playlist of sings suggested to him by his supporters on his Facebook.

It's a polite selection, unlikely to upset the voters too much, as conservative as you'd expect.

cat Stevens, Leonard Cohen, Dire Straits and Adele are there to show a bit of anglophone sophistication.

Some Sibelius to show he's the kind of guy that gets classical music, but not too much.

meanwhile there are plenty of the big names in French music, Mylene Farmer, Boris Vian, Francis Cabrel and Michel Sardou, who has come a long way from being banned by Charles de Gaulle.

La Marsaillese also makes an appearance, perhaps surprising that it wasn't there in his original playlist.

Kavinsky's Nightcall, from the Drive soundtrack, is probably the most contemporary track in the selection.

You could spend hours analysing the selection. I'm sure Team Sarko's experts already have.

Take Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen, with the lyric: "Everybody knows the boat is leaking/everybody knows that the captain lied."

Or Michel Sardou's Le France, written from the point of view of the the ocean liner that no longer wants to be known by that name because France has let it down.

I suspect TV executives are already editing montage sequences with pictures of Sarko's campaign with some of these songs.