Line Renaud C'est la vie (CD)

1-CD with comprehensive booklet, 14 tracks 1953-1963. Total playing time approx. 36 mns.

• , ,  ,French chansons are popular in Germany.
• , ,  ,As hardly any Germans were speaking French after WWII, chansonniers had to sing in German to be heard across the border.
• , ,  ,Line Renaud was a popular French Revue Star.
• , ,  ,Collection of her German language recordings.

In defiance of all the rivalries and wars in the last century, French chansons were popular entertainment in Germany. Although comprehension of the song lyrics was rather poor, they were consumed just like Baguette, Beaujolais or Camembert. In the Federal Republic of Germany after 1945 you were supposed to learn English in lieu of French. Consequently chansonniers from the neighboring country had to sing in German. In the case of Line Renaud it was advantageous that a German record company (Electrola) and a French record company (Pathé) were economically linked. Der kleine Dompfaffremains a negligible attempt in 1953. But then every endeavor has been made to make the acclaimed French Revue Star popular across the German border. In the movie '1000 Sterne leuchten' she appeared in person to present her German version of C'est la vie in cinemas in the Federal Republic.  ,

As a result of the internationalization of the music industry she also went to the USA where she recorded with Dean Martin at the Capitol Recording Studio. After a few singles, Electrola lost interest in Line Renaud. But at the dawn of the 1960s the Teldec company sent producer Wolf Kabitzky and orchestra conductor Gert Wilden to Paris with prepared playbacks and German lyrics to overdub Line Renaud’s vocals. Wilden already had contributed his music to the movie '1000 Sterne leuchten'. They got along well. Wilden spoke perfect French and Renaud had already approached the German pronunciation. The repertoire was a weird mix of German Schlager music and American Country songs, and the spark wouldn't ignite on these sessions.

Like Renaud’s recordings for Electrola, her German Paris masters are part of an era when international recording stars from Louis Armstrong to Frank Zappa were experimenting with German lyrics. Only Jacqueline Boyer, Sascha Distel and Mireille Mathieu could prevail upon the German pop audience. Line Renaud continuously experienced international success as a revue star, also in the movies. ‘Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis’ was a huge box office success in 2008 with the 80-year-old Line Renaud playing the role of Antoine’s dominant mother.