Pierre Bachelet

Biography

Pierre Bachelet (25 May 1944 – 15 February 2005) was a French singer-songwriter and film score composer.

Personal life

Pierre Bachelet was born on 25 May 1944 in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. He was the child of Maurice and Alberte Bachelet. Bachelet spent part of his childhood in Calais and developed a lifelong appreciation of the North of France, which later inspired his hit song "Les corons×Les Corons1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALes Corons4:12BNos jours heureux2:56" (1982). During his youth he learned to play the piano, but his fascination with Elvis Presley led him to learn the electric guitar. He started a band with his friends when he was young called The Volts.
Bachelet was married three times. His first son Yannick was born on 7 February 1964. After his first divorce, he married Danièle Bachelet. He had a second son Quentin, and his second marriage lasted 24 years. After that divorce, he married Françoise, the sister of Danièle, on 31 December 1998.
He died on 15 February 2005 at his home in Suresnes of lung cancer. He now rests in Marine Cemetery of Saint-Tropez.

Career

In the 1970s, Bachelet had some international success under the name Resonance with the hit "OK Chicago".
His other hit songs include "Elle est d'ailleurs×Elle est d'ailleurs1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1Elle est d'ailleurs4:00B1Carnaval4:18" (1980), "Écris-moi×Écris-moi1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Écris-moi3:272Sans amour4:05" (1982), "Marionnettiste×Marionnettiste1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Vivre4:02A2Le No man's land4:42A3Mais chez elle4:59A4Cœur de goéland4:02B1Marionnettiste4:52B2Les Petites Gens4:25B3La Fille solitaire4:00B4Mais j'espère...3:38" (1985), "En l'an 2001×En l'an 20011985 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1En l'an 20014:43B1La Chanson de Presley3:40" (1985) and "Vingt ans×Vingt ans1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAVingt ans4:30BTout se ressemble, rien n'est pareil3:40" (1987). He also composed music for movies, including Emmanuelle (1974), Story of O (1975), Black and White in Color (1976), Coup de tête (1979), Les Bronzés font du ski (1979), the British-made Sex with the Stars (1980), and Gwendoline (1984). Robert Fripp won an out-of-court settlement over the use of music in Emmanuelle based on King Crimson's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic". His songs from the film Emmanuelle called "Emmanuelle in the Mirror" and "Theme from Emmanuelle" were sampled in the Lily Allen song "Littlest Things", released in December 2006. He also wrote the score of a few commercials and TV films.
He would return to score further Emmanuelle films, such as Emmanuelle 5 (1987) and Emmanuelle 7 (1992). He also did the score for the French film Un crime au paradis (2001), which was another success for him.
His signature tune, "Les corons×Les Corons1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALes Corons4:12BNos jours heureux2:56", released in 1982, is notably used as the supporters' anthem for the football club RC Lens.
Bachelet bore a physical and voice resemblance to Jacques Brel, and had a similar onstage demeanor. Bachelet held Brel's work in high respect, and his last release while alive was a cover album of Brel songs.
In 2000, Bachelet was nominated for a Cesar Award for his musical score in The Children of the Marshland.
Bachelet wrote, composed and became artistic director for George Chakiris, who would sing songs such as "Mon pays c'est le soleil" (1979) and "La chanson de Bernardo" (1981). He also composed melodies for Véronique Jannot, notably the melody for "J'ai fait l'amour avec la mer" (1982) and "Si t'as pas compris" (1985). In 2004, he also composed three melodies for Patrizia Grilo including two previously unreleased songs and a cover of her hit "Elle est d'ailleurs" in the Italian version "Di un altro mondo".
Bachelet became an actor for the series Van Loc: un grand cop de Marseille broadcast on TF1 from 1992 to 1998. He appeared in the episode "For the Love of Marie" broadcast in January 1997 in which he played the role of a banker named Charleval.
He wrote the texts and took care of the staging of the spectacle of the transition to the year 2000 of the city of Marseille. This show consisted of playing skits for schoolchildren in Marseilles to recount the main events of the 20th century. Bachelet also intervened as "Monsieur Loyal" between the different scenes. His texts dealt with a man's choices, his doubts, his mistakes, his desire for love, and wars.

In modern culture

In 2015, a tribute album was released posthumously with various artists performing songs from Pierre Bachelet. The 13-track album was released on Smart label under the title Hommage à Pierre Bachelet: Nous l'avons tant aimé and includes interpretations by artists Quentin Bachelet, Marie Espinosa, Didier Barbelivien, Dave, Gérard Lenorman, Patrick Sébastien, Amaury Vassili, Gilbert Montagné, Philippe Lavil, Enrico Macias and Chico & the Gypsies. The album also contains two performances from Bachelet: "Les Corons×Les Corons1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALes Corons4:12BNos jours heureux2:56" with Chorale des Mineurs Polonais de Douai and a remasterised version of "Flo" with Florence Arthaud. The album charted in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Albums

1975: L'Atlantique
1980: Elle est d'ailleurs
1982: Les Corons
1983: Découvrir l'Amérique
1985: Marionnettiste
1985: En l'an 2001
1987: Vingt ans
1989: Quelque part... c'est toujours ailleurs
1992: Les Lolas
1995: La ville ainsi soit-il
1998: Un homme simple
2001: Une autre lumière
2003: Tu ne nous quittes pas (Bachelet chante Brel)
2008: Essaye (posthumously)

Live albums

1983: Un soir... Une scène
1986: Olympia 86
1988: Tu es là au rendez-vous
1991: La Scène
2005: 30 ans

Compilation albums

2015: 10 ans de Bachelet pour toujours (posthumously)

Singles

1975: "L'Alantique (toi, moi et la musique)"
1980: "Elle est d'ailleurs×Elle est d'ailleurs1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1Elle est d'ailleurs4:00B1Carnaval4:18"
1982: "Les Corons×Les Corons1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALes Corons4:12BNos jours heureux2:56"
1982: "Écris-moi×Écris-moi1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Écris-moi3:272Sans amour4:05"
1982: "Souvenez-vous×Souvenez-vous2007 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 54 tracks · 3 discsDisc 11Souvenez-vous3:352Elle est d’ailleurs3:543Les Corons4:164Emmanuelle (En public)3:185On s’aimera, on s’aimera3:506Des nouvelles de vous4:057Mais l’aventure3:368Écris-moi3:289Prends ton courage2:4410La Chanson du bon Dieu3:4611Embrasse-la3:2212Mais moi j’ai rien dit3:4013Quand on est un canal4:1214Laisse parler Dieu3:4515Quitte-moi4:0216Regarde la mer5:5517Pleure pas Boulou4:5318Étretat4:0219Pour l’une d’entre vous5:56Disc 21Vingt Ans4:192C’est pour elle5:303Mal à vie4:414Destinée3:415L’Amour à fleur de peau4:266Partis avant d’avoir tout dit4:467J’les oublierai pas4:338La terre est basse4:559Tout se ressemble, rien n’est pareil4:1610Vivre4:0511Le No Man’s Land4:4512Mais chez elle5:0213Cœur de goéland4:0814Marionnettiste4:5515Les Petites Gens4:2716La Fille solitaire4:0717Mais j’espère...3:39Disc 31En l’an 20015:282Un ami qui s’en va1:503Elle ne sait faire que ah4:164Reviens chez nous3:565Sans amour4:076Quand l’enfant viendra4:017Gloria humana4:388Derrière le grand abat-jour4:329La Chanson de Presley3:4310Flo4:4011Quelque part… c’est toujours ailleurs4:0712Elle avait tout peint en bleu3:4313Découvrir l’Amérique4:4414À l’aube des requins chagrins5:0115Dauphin de légende3:5616Le Testament de l’océan5:2217L’Homme en blanc4:2918Yé yé les tambours3:50"
1983: "Quitte-moi"
1983: "Embrasse-la"
1983: "Mais l'aventure"
1985: "Marionnettiste×Marionnettiste1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Vivre4:02A2Le No man's land4:42A3Mais chez elle4:59A4Cœur de goéland4:02B1Marionnettiste4:52B2Les Petites Gens4:25B3La Fille solitaire4:00B4Mais j'espère...3:38"
1985: "En l'an 2001×En l'an 20011985 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1En l'an 20014:43B1La Chanson de Presley3:40"
1985; "Elle ne sait faire que ah!"
1985: "Quand l'enfant viendra"
1987: "Vingt ans×Vingt ans1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAVingt ans4:30BTout se ressemble, rien n'est pareil3:40"
1987: "Partis avant d'avoir tout dit"
1987: "C'est pour elle"
1989: "L'Homme en blanc"
1989: "Pleure pas Boulou"
1989: "Flo"
1989: "Yé yé les tambours"
1989: "Le déversoir"
1992: "Les Lolas"
1992: "Elle est ma guerre, elle est ma femme"
1992: "Laissez chanter le français×Laissez chanter le français1993 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Laissez chanter le français3:432À contre vent3:43"
1995: "La ville ainsi soit-il"
1995: "Reconnais que tu pars"
1998: "Le voilier noir"
1998: "Un homme simple×Un Homme SimpleNovember 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Un Homme Simple4:202Le Voilier Noir5:173On Ne Prend Pas Le Temps D'aimer3:584Paysan4:085Tout Ce Qu'on Se Dit…4:556J'veux Danser !3:537Au-delà Des Apparences4:178C'est Toi Que J'aime3:449Je Pense À Toi, Je Pense À Nous3:5810À Perpétuité3:4011On Ne Sera Jamais Grand3:47"
2001: "Une autre lumière×Une autre lumière2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pour un monde bleu3:552Sans toi4:123Les Dimanches3:464Les Ports du monde entier4:305Prénoms d'emprunt3:196Dernière Ballade4:477Iqbal4:238Tout commence avec 20013:449Vingt ans après3:5010Elle me dit3:3211Il suffirait de presque rien2:5912Une autre lumière3:54"
2001: "Pour un monde bleu"
2001: "Sans toi"