France Gall

French singer

Born 9 October 1947 in Paris

France Gall's father Roger Gall was a "chansonnier" and has wrote some songs for her. In 1963 she made her first recordings, mainly singing about teenager themes ("Mes premières vraies vacances", "Le premier chagrin d'amour"). Eventually she decides to become a singer so she can leave school as she would have to repeat a class. In 1965 at the age of 17 she wins the Grand Prix Eurovision for Luxembourg in London with the song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", written by Serge Gainsbourg. She subsequently becomes a teenager idol, not only in France and other countries, but also in Germany. Hers is a strong piercing voice that gives character even to the worst of her German songs. Beneath her real bad popsongs she also sings tender love songs ("J'entends cette musique", "Chanson pour que tu m'aimes un peu") and experiments with jazz ("Jazz à gogo", "Pense à moi", "Le coeur qui jazze").

For the German market she re-records "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", translated by Carl-Ulrich Blecher as "Das war eine schöne Party". Serge Gainsbourg wrote more songs for her, among them "Laisse tomber les filles" and "Baby Pop". In 1966 she records his song "Les sucettes" in which she sings about the pleasure of lickin' candysticks... (Gainsbourg himself released the song in 1969).

In 1968 France Gall signs with Decca for the German market and she begins to sing more songs written by German songwriters. Her single "Der Computer Nr. 3" ranks at number 3 at the "Deutsche Schlagerfestspiele" and eventually sells more than a million copies. Another hit is "A Banda" which features a complete bullshit for a text. In 1969 France Gall again lands at No. 3 at the "Deutsche Schlagerfestspiele", this time with the song "Ein bisschen Goethe, ein bisschen Bonaparte" which also sells very well. At the beginning of the 1970s France Gall is slowly descending and she signs with BASF in 1972. In 1973 she eventually stops singing in German.

Her career also stagnates in France and she finds more publicity with her liaison with Julien Clerc than with her songs. Only at the end of the decade she gains some more success. In 1978 she takes part in Michel Berger and Luc Plandomon's musical "Starmania" (called "Tycoon" in Great Britain and the USA). She plays the role of the popular TV moderator Cristal and sings the ballad "Monopolis" and the disco hit "J'ai besoin d'amour". In 1980 she records "Les aveux", a duet with Elton John. She also marries the French musician and songwriter Michel Berger who starts writing all her songs. They have two children, Pauline (born 1978) and Raphaël (born 1980).

In 1988 she has a German number 1 hit with "Ella elle l'a" which is probably the most successful French sung title ever in Germany. The 1990s bring a series of tragic events: In 1992 Michel Berger dies at the age of 45 because of a heartattack during a tennis match. France Gall announces she wants to retire from music business - probably one reason is the cancer disease of her breast. In 1996 she releases the album France, recorded with session musicians in Los Angeles, and plays some concerts. Jean-Luc Godard directs the video clip for the song "Plus haut". In December 1997 her daughter Pauline dies of a rare disease she she was suffering since her birth.

German discography

1964	France Gall	7" single	Ne sois pas si bête / J'entends cette musique	DE: Philips 328 013 JF
1964	France Gall	7" single	Et des baisers / Mon bateau de nuit	DE: Philips 373 631 BF
1964	France Gall	EP	Et des baisers / Deux oiseaux / Attends ou va-t'en / Mon bateau de nuit	DE: Philips 437095
1965	France Gall	EP	La cloche	DE: Philips 434 914 BE
1965	France Gall	EP	Laisse tomber les filles	DE: Philips 434 949 BF
1965	France Gall	EP	Sacre Charlemagne	DE: Philips 434 962 PE
1965	France Gall	EP	Attends ou va t'en	DE: Philips 437 095 PE
1966	Mireille Darc and France Gall	EP	C'est à s'aime	DE: Philips 437 339 BE]
1966	France Gall	EP	Chanson indienne	DE: Philips 437 393 BE
196?	France Gall	7" single	Baby Pop / C'est pas facile d'être une fille	DE: Philips 373 732
1965	France Gall	7" single	Poupée de cire, poupée de son / La coeur qui jazze	DE: Philips 373 524 BF
1965	France Gall	EP	Poupée de cire	DE: Philips 437 032 PE
1965	France Gall	7" single	Das war eine schöne Party (Poupée de cire, poupée de son) / Meine erste grosse Liebe	DE: Philips 373 556
1965	France Gall	EP	Muneca de cera	DE: Philips 84 114
1965	France Gall	LP	France Gall	DE: Philips Standard B 77.728 L / Barclay 77728L
1966	France Gall	EP	Les sucettes / Je me marie en blanc / Quand on est ensemble / Ca me fait rire	DE:
1966	France Gall	7" single	Wir sind keine Engel (Nous ne sommes pas des anges) / Ich träume jede Nacht	DE: Philips 373 696 PF]
1967	France Gall	7" single	Die schönste Musik die es gibt / Samstag und Sonntag	DE: Decca D 19 866
1967	France Gall	7" single	Io si tu no / Se agli amici	DE: DIARAI 021
1967	France Gall	7" single	Haifischbaby (Bébé requin) / Hippie Hippie	DE: Decca D 19 896
1968	France Gall	EP	Les années	DE: La compagnie S015
1968	France Gall	7" single	A Banda / Mein Herz ist weg	DE: Decca D 19 919
1968	France Gall	LP	1968	DE: Philips 844706
1968	France Gall	7" single	Der Computer Nr. 3 / Alle reden von der Liebe	DE: Decca D 19 935
1968	France Gall	7" single	Merci, Herr Marquis / ...so einen jungen Mann	DE: Decca D 19 962] [rerelease: Decca SLK 16 576-P
1968	France Gall	LP	Die grosse Erfolge	DE: Decca ND 264
A Banda / Die schönste Musik, die es gibt (Music To Watch Girls By) / Hippie Hippie / Oh! Quelle famille / Love, L'amour und Liebe / Alle reden von der Liebe / Computer Nr. 3 / Samstag und Sonntag / Was will ein Boy / Mein Herz ist weg / Haifischbaby (Bébé requin) / Les yeux bleus
1968	France Gall	LP	Vive la France Gall	DE: Decca SHZT 560
Love, L'amour und Liebe / Mein Herz ist weg / La petite / Oh! Quelle famille / A Banda / Hippie Hippie / Teenie Weenie Boppie / Die schönste Musik, die es gibt / Les yeux bleus / Chanson pour que tu m'aimes un peu / Samstag und Sonntag / Was will ein Boy / Polichinelle / Haifischbaby
196?	France Gall	7" single	Die Playboys bei den Eskimos / I like Mozart	DE: Decca D 19 975
1969	France Gall	7" single	La Piogga / Homme tout petit	DE: Decca D 19 978	"La Pioggia" is the original recording from the San Remo Festival 1969
1969	France Gall	7" single	La Piogga / Matrimonio	DE: CGD 9709
1969	France Gall	7" single	Ein bisschen Goethe, ein bichen Bonaparte / Des Rätsels Lösung	DE: Decca D 19 991]	rerelease: Decca SLK 16 614-P
1969	France Gall	7" single	Links vom Rhein und rechts vom Rhein / Ich liebe dich - so wie du bist	DE: Decca D 29 019
1969	France Gall	7" single	Kilimandscharo / Wassermann und Fisch	DE: Decca D 29 028
1970	France Gall	7" single	Dann schon eher der Pianoplayer / Ich kann dir nicht böse sein (It's all coming back to me)	DE: Decca D 29050	A-side from "Deutscher Schlagerwettbewerb 1970"
1970	France Gall	7" single	Mein Herz kann man nicht kaufen / Ich singe meinen Song (I shall sing)	DE: Decca D 29 061
1971	France Gall	7" single	Zwei Verliebte zieh'n durch Europa / Ich war ein Kind	DE: Decca D 29 091
197?	France Gall	7" single	Ali Baba und die vierzig Räuber / Unga Katunga	DE: Decca D 29 132
1972	France Gall	7" single	Für dreissig Centimes / Lieber Leo	DE: Decca D 29 145
1972	France Gall	7" single	Ich bin zuckersüss / Kommst du zu mir	DE:
1972	France Gall	7" single	Ich habe einen Freund in München / Miguel	DE: BASF 05 11 481
1972	France Gall	7" single	Frankenstein / Les petits ballons	DE: Pathé C006 12207
1977	France Gall	LP	Dancing disco	DE: Atlantic 50 364
1977	France Gall	7" single	Si, maman, si / Ce garçon qui danse	DE: Atlantic 11 016
1977	France Gall	7" single	Le meilleur de soi-même / La nuit à Paris	DE: Atlantic 11 056
1978	France Gall	LP	Starmania (Version originale)	DE:	with Michel Berger, Luc Plamondon, Balavoine, Diane Dufresne, France Gall
1979	France Gall	12" single	Besoin d'amour	DE: WEA Filipacchi Music 20 140
1980	France Gall and Elton John	7" single	Les aveux / Donner pour donner	DE: Phonogram 6000 642
1980	France Gall	LP	Paris, France	DE: WEA Music 2292-42151-2
1981	France Gall	LP	Tout pour la musique	DE: WEA Filipacchi Music 50 857
1982	France Gall	LP	Palais des Sports	DE: WEA Filipacchi Music 2292-40029
1984	France Gall	LP	Debranche	DE:
1985	France Gall	2CD	Au Zénith	DE: WEA Music 2292-40601-2
1987	France Gall	LP	Babacar	DE: WEA / Apache 22924-20962
1987	France Gall	12" single	Papillon de nuit	DE: WEA Music 247 610-0
1988	France Gall	LP	La déclaration d'amour	DE:
1988	France Gall	LP	La tour de France '88	DE: Apache 2295-44214-2
1988	France Gall	CD	Ihre grössten Hits	DE: Teldec 8.26832 244 210-2
1990	France Gall	CD	France Gall	DE: Metronome 843 688-2
1992	France Gall	CD	Vol. 1 - Laisse tomber les filles (1963-1964)	DE: Polydor 849297-2
1992	France Gall	CD	Vol. 2 - Poupée de cire, poupée de son (1964-1966)	DE: Polydor 513132-2
1992	France Gall	CD	Vol. 3 - Les sucettes (1966)	DE: Polydor 513133-2
1992	France Gall	CD	Vol. 4 - Bébé requin	DE: Polydor
1992	France Gall	3CD	Drance Gall (Vol. 1-3)	DE: Polydor 529 182-2
1992	France Gall	4CD	Poupée de son (Vol. 1-4)	DE:
1992	France Gall	CD	Poupée de son	DE: Polydor 849296-2
1993	France Gall	CD	Simple je (Debranchée à Bercy)	DE:
1994	France Gall	CD	Simple je (Debranchée à Bercy 94)	DE:
1994	France Gall	CD	Les plus belles chansons de France Gall	DE: WEA 4509-95785
1994	France Gall	2CD	Simple je (L'intégrale Bercy)	DE:
199?	Michel Berger et France Gall		Double live (Michel Berger et France Gall à l'Olympia 96)	DE:
199?	France Gall		France Gall Vol. 1 (Babacar - Passionément)	DE:
199?	France Gall		France Gall Vol. 2 (Debranchée - Tout pour la musique)	DE:
199?	France Gall	CD	Greatest hits	DE:
199?	France Gall	CD	Les années musique	DE:
199?	France Gall	2CD	Les années musique	DE:
1996	France Gall	CD	Zwei Apfelsinen im Haar (A Banda)	DE: Convoy 552 731-2
1996	France Gall	CD	France	DE: WEA (Warner Music France) 0630-14008
1997	France Gall	CD	1968	DE: Polydor 537 644-2]	CD re-release
1998	France Gall	CD	Baby Pop	DE: Philips 539 842-2	CD re-release

Weblinks

• France Gall (Prevezanos Online! Magazin) - Biography in German
• France Gall (Prevezanos Online! Magazin) - Pictures of German records

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