Johnny Hallyday's 'new' releases

A new postumous collection from Johnny Hallyday is in the pipeline, featuring acoustic and symphonic renditions of some of his best known work. Given the success of his Mon pays c'est l'amour album last year - a genuine record-breaking album in terms of sales and one of the biggest selling albums in the world in 2018 - the release of more material seemed inevitable.

While Mon pays c'est l'amour was more an unfinished album that he was working on when he died, the new album Johnny features 12 tracks with re-recorded musical backing, either symphnic or acoustic, using the original vocal track.

Songs on the album include Vivre pour le meilleur, Non rien de rien, Quelque chose de Tennessee, Diego libre dans sa tête, Marie, Que je t'aime, Sang pour sang and L'Envie.

No great surprises perhaps in the choice of tracks, and there are of course pretty sound questions about the artistic integrity of a project like this, but there's no question of there being a genuine demand for 'new' material by Johnny and it will be interesting to see how the songs are refreshed by new settings.

The project has been overseen by Yvan Cassar, who worked with Johnny for 15 years. He originally turned down the project, but on reflection considered it an opportunity to conclude work and ideas that he and Johnny had previously discussed.

Details of the 'new' album emerged shortly after the confirmation of a live album by Les Vieilles Canailles, the touring supergroup featuring Johnny and fellow veterans Eddy Mitchell and Jacques Dutronc. Some successful dates in Paris led to a tour across France in 2017, Johnny, then gravely ill with lung cancer, made his final appearance on stage in Carcassonne that July with Mitchell and Dutronc.  La tournée des Vieilles Canailles will be released as a CD and a DVD.

Elsewhere in Johnnyland, his widow Laeticia Hallyday has confirmed plans for a tribute night for the Rockeur National at the Olympia in Paris in December, featuring images of his performances at the legendary venue during his career. He played the hall over 200 times between 1961 and 2000. More details about the show will be released in due course.

Johnny is released on October 25, two weeks ahead of the release of the Les Vieilles Canailles live material.