Laurent Voulzy

Biography

Lucien Voulzy (French pronunciation: [lysjɛ̃ vulzi], born 18 December 1948), better known as Laurent Voulzy ([lɔʁɑ̃ vulzi]), is a French musician, singer, songwriter and composer.

Life and career

Laurent Voulzy was born in Paris, France. Early in his musical career, he led the English-pop-influenced group Le Temple de Vénus before joining singer Pascal Danel as a guitarist from 1969 to 1974. Voulzy is best known for his long-standing songwriting collaboration with Alain Souchon, as well as for his own successful solo career as a singer.
He achieved international recognition with the 1977 hit single "Rockollection×Rockollection1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARockollection, Part I3:50BRockollection, Part II3:40", which combined original French lyrics with excerpts from classic rock songs in English. Among his other major hits are "Paradoxal Système", which reached the Top 10 in France, and "Le Soleil Donne×Le soleil donne1988 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksALe soleil donne6:56B1Le soleil donne (dub)2:29B2Le soleil donne5:05", a multilingual song featuring lyrics in French, English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Another notable success was the double single "Belle-Île-en-Mer, Marie-Galante"/"Les Nuits Sans Kim Wilde×Les Nuits sans Kim Wilde1985 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALes Nuits sans Kim Wilde6:45BBelle-Île-en-Mer, Marie Galante3:33", the latter inspired by English pop singer Kim Wilde.
Other popular titles in his discography include "Bopper en larmes×Bopper en larmes1983 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracksA1Bopper en larmesA2MayenneA3Black PouleA4Meu samba pra voceA5L'OcéaneA6RickenB1Cadillac CruiseB2LiebeB3Plus d'un milliard de fillesB4FlirtB5JalousieB6En pas oublie'ouB7Aut'chose", "Le Cœur Grenadine×Le cœur grenadine1979 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Le cœur grenadine5:52A2He ! P'tite blonde4:08A3Karin Redinger2:32A4Grimaud3:23B1Lucienne est américaine3:55B2En tini4:05B3Cocktail chez mademoiselle6:41B4Qui est in qui est out3:42", and "Désir, désir×Désir, désir1984 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksA1Intro0:33A2Désir, désir, Part 14:54BDésir, désir, Part 24:53". Voulzy's music also found success in Belgium, Switzerland, and Québec, often incorporating multiple languages in his lyrics, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
In 2005, Voulzy co-produced and co-composed Nolwenn Leroy's second album, Histoires Naturelles.
His 2006 album La Septième Vague×La Septième Vague26 June 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Do You Wanna Dance?3:492La Madrague3:143Oh Lori3:394Smooth Operator4:455Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime4:176All I Have to Do Is Dream3:337La Septième Vague0:338À bicyclette3:289Here There and Everywhere2:3810Clair3:0611Derniers baisers3:0412The 59th Street Bridge Song2:1113Yesterday Once More4:2614Le Piano de la plage4:1215The Shadow of Your Smile2:2216The Captain of Her Heart4:3917Santiano4:1718Light My Fire / Duel au soleil11:28 topped the French charts. It included a cover of "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers, recorded as a duet with Irish singer Andrea Corr. The track was released as a single and featured on The Corrs' compilation album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection.
In 2007, Voulzy recorded a duet with French guitarist Jean-Pierre Danel for Danel's album Guitar Connection 2. The song reached No. 7 on the French charts in 2008. That same year, he also toured throughout France.
In 2011, Voulzy released the album Lys and Love, which featured the song "Ma seule amour", a duet with Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who.

Singles

1977: "Rockollection×Rockollection1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARockollection, Part I3:50BRockollection, Part II3:40"
1978: "Bubble Star×Bubble Star1978 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksABubble Star (part 1)BBubble Star (part 2)"
1979: "Le Cœur grenadine×Le cœur grenadine1979 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Le cœur grenadine5:52A2He ! P'tite blonde4:08A3Karin Redinger2:32A4Grimaud3:23B1Lucienne est américaine3:55B2En tini4:05B3Cocktail chez mademoiselle6:41B4Qui est in qui est out3:42"
1979: "Karin Redinger"
1979: "Cocktail chez Mademoiselle"
1980: "Surfing Jack"
1981: "Idéal simplifié×Idéal simplifié1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAIdéal simplifié4:30BRicken (Ballade pour une guitare disparue un été à New-York)4:53"
1983: "Bopper en larmes×Bopper en larmes1983 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracksA1Bopper en larmesA2MayenneA3Black PouleA4Meu samba pra voceA5L'OcéaneA6RickenB1Cadillac CruiseB2LiebeB3Plus d'un milliard de fillesB4FlirtB5JalousieB6En pas oublie'ouB7Aut'chose"
1983: "Liebe×LiebeOctober 1983 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksALiebe4:03B1Cadillac cruise1:30B2Meu samba pra voce1:50"