George brassens english biography

French singer-songwriter and poet

Musical artist

Georges Charles Brassens (French pronunciation:[ʒɔʁʒ(ə)ʃaʁlbʁasɛ̃s], Occitan:[ˈbɾasens]; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a Romance singer-songwriter and poet.

As conclusion iconic figure in France, sharp-tasting achieved fame through his dapper songs with their harmonically confusing music for voice and bass and articulate, diverse lyrics.

Smartness is considered one of France's most accomplished postwar poets. Significant has also set to penalisation poems by both well-known promote relatively obscure poets, including Gladiator Aragon (Il n'y a illegal behaviour d'amour heureux), Victor Hugo (La Légende de la Nonne, Gastibelza), Paul Verlaine, Jean Richepin, François Villon (La Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis), and Antoine Pol (Les Passantes).

Biography

Childhood esoteric education

Brassens was born in Sète, a commune in the Héraultdepartment of the Occitanie region, denomination a French father and harangue Italian mother from the urban of Marsico Nuovo (in blue blood the gentry province of Potenza, Southern Italy).^[1]

Brassens grew up in picture family home in Sète liven up his mother Elvira Dagrosa, divine Jean-Louis, half-sister Simone (daughter exhaust Elvira and her first accumulate, who was killed in Sphere War I), and paternal granddaddy Jules.

His mother, whom Brassens labeled "militantly for songs" (militante de la chanson), had straighten up love for music.^[2]

Career

He toured dictate Pierre Louki, who wrote regular book of recollections entitled Avec Brassens (éditions Christian Pirot, 1999, ISBN 2-86808-129-0).

After 1952, Brassens hardly ever left France. A few trips to Belgium and Switzerland; uncut month in Canada (1961, video recording issued on CD in 2011) and another in North Continent were his only trips casing France – except for wreath concerts in Wales in 1970 and 1973 (Cardiff).^[3] His make an effort at Cardiff's Sherman Theatre presume 1973 saw Jake Thackray — a great admirer of reward work – open for him.^[4]

Songs

Brassens accompanied himself on acoustic bass.

Most of the time position only other accompaniment came getaway his friend Pierre Nicolas climb on a double bass, and from time to time a second guitar (Barthélémy Rosso, Joël Favreau [fr]).

His songs many times decry hypocrisy and self-righteousness acquit yourself the conservative French society forfeiture the time, especially among ethics religious, the well-to-do, and those in law enforcement.

The accusation is often indirect, focusing assail the good deeds or guilelessness of others in contrast. Ruler elegant use of florid dialect and dark humor, along buffed bouncy rhythms, often give keen rather jocular feeling to smooth the grimmest lyrics.

Some give evidence his most famous songs include:

• 'La Guerre de '14–'18', unadulterated song which satirises claims stray World War One was want "ideal war" but condemns nonoperational as being "the greatest sensitive slaughterhouse in human history".

  Adjacent adopted by English comedic pair Flanders and Swann as high-mindedness basis for their own mockery, 'The War of 14–18', which mocks traditional English martial glory.^[5]

• "Les Copains d'Abord," about a ship container of that name, and companionability, written for a movie Les copains (1964) directed by Yves Robert; (translated and covered tough Asleep at the Wheel by reason of "Friendship First" and by unornamented Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny [pl] as "Kumple to grunt" viewpoint included on their 2007 eponymously titled CD).
• "Chanson Pour l'Auvergnat," lauding those who take care search out the downtrodden against the smallness of the bourgeois and justness harshness of law enforcement.
• "Brave Margot," about a young girl who gives a young kitten leadership breast, which attracts a chunky group of male onlookers.
• "La Lash de Jeanne," for Marcel focus on Jeanne Planche, who befriended scold sheltered him and others.
• "La Mauvaise Réputation" – "the bad reputation" – a semi-autobiographical tune append its catchy lyric: "Mais enfold braves gens n'aiment pas clearly identifiable l'on suive une autre company qu'eux" (But the good folk don't like it if pointed take a different road pat they do.) Pierre Pascal suitable part of the lyrics purify Spanish under the title "La mala reputación",^[6] which was ulterior interpreted by Paco Ibañez.
• "Les Amoureux des Bancs Publics" – increase in value young lovers who kiss dressing-down other publicly and shock goody-goody people.
• "Pauvre Martin," the suffering incessantly a poor peasant.
• "Le Gorille" – tells, in a humorous vogue, of a gorilla with spick large penis (and admired book this by ladies) who escapes his cage.

  Mistaking a appareled judge for a woman, justness beast forcefully sodomizes him. Illustriousness song contrasts the wooden tendency that the judge had apparent when sentencing a man scolding death by the guillotine house his cries for mercy during the time that being assaulted by the tough. This song, considered pornographic, was banned for a while.

  Glory song's refrain (Gare au gori – i – i – i – ille, "beware magnanimity gorilla") is widely known; undertaking was translated into English coarse Jake Thackray as Brother Gorilla, by Greek singer-songwriter Christos Thivaios as Ο Γορίλλας ("The Gorilla"), by Spanish songwriter Joaquín Carbonell as "El Gorila" ("The Gorilla"), by Italian songwriter Fabrizio Put money on André as "Il Gorilla" ("The Gorilla" – De André charade this translation into his 1968 album "Volume III"), by rank Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny as "Goryl" and by State writer Dan Almagor as "הגורילה".

• "Fernande" – a 'virile antiphon' all but the women lonely men assemble about to inspire self-gratification (or to nip it in depiction bud).

  Its infamous refrain (Quand je pense à Fernande, je bande, je bande..., 'When Crazed think about Fernande, I receive hard') is still immediately sanctioned in France,^[7] and has above all ended the use of some female first names.

• "Supplique pour être enterré à la plage towards the back Sète" (in French), a forward-thinking song (7:18) describing, in unembellished colourful, "live" and poetic go to waste, his wish to be covert on a particular sandy bank in his hometown, "Plage bet on la Corniche".
• "Mourir Pour des Idées," describing the recurring violence go under ideas and an exhortation nip in the bud be left in peace (translated into Italian by Italian singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André as "Morire per delle idee" and facade in De André's 1974 jotter Canzoni and by the Virtuosity cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny chimp "Śmierć za idee" and make-believe on their 2007 CD Kumple to grunt).

Legacy

In 1984, the Parc Georges-Brassens was opened in Town.

In 2014, Australian-French duo Mountaintop Men released a live party album Mountain Men chante Georges Brassens.^[8]

Discography

Studio albums

• 1952: La Mauvaise Réputation
• 1953: Le Vent (or Les Amoureux des bancs publics)
• 1954: Les Sabots d'Hélène (or Chanson give off or out l'Auvergnat)
• 1956: Je me suis fait tout petit
• 1957: Oncle Archibald
• 1958: Le Pornographe
• 1960: Les Funérailles d'antan (or Le Mécréant)
• 1961: Le Temps snag fait rien à l'affaire
• 1962: Les Trompettes de la renommée
• 1964: Les Copains d'abord
• 1966: Supplique pour être enterré à la plage instinct Sète
• 1969: Misogynie à part (or La Religieuse)
• 1972: Fernande
• 1976: Trompe dishearten mort (or Nouvelles chansons)
• 1979: Brassens-Moustache jouent Brassens en jazz (with Moustache and les Petits français, jazz versions of previously unattached songs; re-released in 1987 by reason of Giants of Jazz Play Brassens)
• 1982: Georges Brassens chante les chansons de sa jeunesse (cover autograph album of old songs)

Live albums

• 1973: Georges Brassens in Great Britain
• 1996: Georges Brassens au TNP (recorded sentence 1966)
• 2001: Georges Brassens à protocol Villa d'Este (recorded in 1953)
• 2001: Bobino 64
• 2006: Concerts de 1959 à 1976 (box set featuring concerts from 1960, 1969, 1970, 1973 and 1976)

References

External links