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
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| 1964 | France Gall | 7" single | Et des baisers / Mon bateau de nuit | DE: Philips 373 631 BF
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| 1964 | France Gall | EP | Et des baisers / Deux oiseaux / Attends ou va-t'en / Mon bateau de nuit | DE: Philips 437095
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | La cloche | DE: Philips 434 914 BE
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | Laisse tomber les filles | DE: Philips 434 949 BF
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | Sacre Charlemagne | DE: Philips 434 962 PE
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | Attends ou va t'en | DE: Philips 437 095 PE
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| 1966 | Mireille Darc and France Gall | EP | C'est à s'aime | DE: Philips 437 339 BE]
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| 1966 | France Gall | EP | Chanson indienne | DE: Philips 437 393 BE
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| 196? | France Gall | 7" single | Baby Pop / C'est pas facile d'être une fille | DE: Philips 373 732
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| 1965 | France Gall | 7" single | Poupée de cire, poupée de son / La coeur qui jazze | DE: Philips 373 524 BF
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | Poupée de cire | DE: Philips 437 032 PE
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| 1965 | France Gall | 7" single | Das war eine schöne Party (Poupée de cire, poupée de son) / Meine erste grosse Liebe | DE: Philips 373 556
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| 1965 | France Gall | EP | Muneca de cera | DE: Philips 84 114
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| 1965 | France Gall | LP | France Gall | DE: Philips Standard B 77.728 L / Barclay 77728L
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| 1966 | France Gall | EP | Les sucettes / Je me marie en blanc / Quand on est ensemble / Ca me fait rire | DE:
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| 1966 | France Gall | 7" single | Wir sind keine Engel (Nous ne sommes pas des anges) / Ich träume jede Nacht | DE: Philips 373 696 PF]
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| 1967 | France Gall | 7" single | Die schönste Musik die es gibt / Samstag und Sonntag | DE: Decca D 19 866
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| 1967 | France Gall | 7" single | Io si tu no / Se agli amici | DE: DIARAI 021
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| 1967 | France Gall | 7" single | Haifischbaby (Bébé requin) / Hippie Hippie | DE: Decca D 19 896
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| 1968 | France Gall | EP | Les années | DE: La compagnie S015
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| 1968 | France Gall | 7" single | A Banda / Mein Herz ist weg | DE: Decca D 19 919
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| 1968 | France Gall | LP | 1968 | DE: Philips 844706
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| 1968 | France Gall | 7" single | Der Computer Nr. 3 / Alle reden von der Liebe | DE: Decca D 19 935
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| 1968 | France Gall | 7" single | Merci, Herr Marquis / ...so einen jungen Mann | DE: Decca D 19 962] [rerelease: Decca SLK 16 576-P
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| 1968 | France Gall | LP | Die grosse Erfolge | DE: Decca ND 264
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 1969 | France Gall | 7" single | Kilimandscharo / Wassermann und Fisch | DE: Decca D 29 028
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| 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
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| 1971 | France Gall | 7" single | Zwei Verliebte zieh'n durch Europa / Ich war ein Kind | DE: Decca D 29 091
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| 197? | France Gall | 7" single | Ali Baba und die vierzig Räuber / Unga Katunga | DE: Decca D 29 132
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| 1972 | France Gall | 7" single | Für dreissig Centimes / Lieber Leo | DE: Decca D 29 145
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| 1972 | France Gall | 7" single | Ich bin zuckersüss / Kommst du zu mir | DE:
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| 1972 | France Gall | 7" single | Ich habe einen Freund in München / Miguel | DE: BASF 05 11 481
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| 1972 | France Gall | 7" single | Frankenstein / Les petits ballons | DE: Pathé C006 12207
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| 1977 | France Gall | LP | Dancing disco | DE: Atlantic 50 364
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| 1977 | France Gall | 7" single | Si, maman, si / Ce garçon qui danse | DE: Atlantic 11 016
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| 1977 | France Gall | 7" single | Le meilleur de soi-même / La nuit à Paris | DE: Atlantic 11 056
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| 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
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| 1980 | France Gall and Elton John | 7" single | Les aveux / Donner pour donner | DE: Phonogram 6000 642
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| 1980 | France Gall | LP | Paris, France | DE: WEA Music 2292-42151-2
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| 1981 | France Gall | LP | Tout pour la musique | DE: WEA Filipacchi Music 50 857
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| 1982 | France Gall | LP | Palais des Sports | DE: WEA Filipacchi Music 2292-40029
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| 1984 | France Gall | LP | Debranche | DE:
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| 1985 | France Gall | 2CD | Au Zénith | DE: WEA Music 2292-40601-2
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| 1987 | France Gall | LP | Babacar | DE: WEA / Apache 22924-20962
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| 1987 | France Gall | 12" single | Papillon de nuit | DE: WEA Music 247 610-0
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| 1988 | France Gall | LP | La déclaration d'amour | DE:
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| 1988 | France Gall | LP | La tour de France '88 | DE: Apache 2295-44214-2
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| 1988 | France Gall | CD | Ihre grössten Hits | DE: Teldec 8.26832 244 210-2
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| 1990 | France Gall | CD | France Gall | DE: Metronome 843 688-2
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| 1992 | France Gall | CD | Vol. 1 - Laisse tomber les filles (1963-1964) | DE: Polydor 849297-2
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| 1992 | France Gall | CD | Vol. 2 - Poupée de cire, poupée de son (1964-1966) | DE: Polydor 513132-2
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| 1992 | France Gall | CD | Vol. 3 - Les sucettes (1966) | DE: Polydor 513133-2
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| 1992 | France Gall | CD | Vol. 4 - Bébé requin | DE: Polydor
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| 1992 | France Gall | 3CD | Drance Gall (Vol. 1-3) | DE: Polydor 529 182-2
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| 1992 | France Gall | 4CD | Poupée de son (Vol. 1-4) | DE:
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| 1992 | France Gall | CD | Poupée de son | DE: Polydor 849296-2
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| 1993 | France Gall | CD | Simple je (Debranchée à Bercy) | DE:
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| 1994 | France Gall | CD | Simple je (Debranchée à Bercy 94) | DE:
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| 1994 | France Gall | CD | Les plus belles chansons de France Gall | DE: WEA 4509-95785
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| 1994 | France Gall | 2CD | Simple je (L'intégrale Bercy) | DE:
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| 199? | Michel Berger et France Gall | Double live (Michel Berger et France Gall à l'Olympia 96) | DE:
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| 199? | France Gall | France Gall Vol. 1 (Babacar - Passionément) | DE:
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| 199? | France Gall | France Gall Vol. 2 (Debranchée - Tout pour la musique) | DE:
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| 199? | France Gall | CD | Greatest hits | DE:
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| 199? | France Gall | CD | Les années musique | DE:
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| 199? | France Gall | 2CD | Les années musique | DE:
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| 1996 | France Gall | CD | Zwei Apfelsinen im Haar (A Banda) | DE: Convoy 552 731-2
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| 1996 | France Gall | CD | France | DE: WEA (Warner Music France) 0630-14008
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| 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