Paris – France – Grand Rex – November 5th, 2021
It was an amazing evening to rediscover the greatest masterpieces of the composer of A Man and A Woman : Francis Lai.
This exceptional concert, by The new Francis Lai Orchestra conducted by French musicians Jacky Delance and Jacques Ferchit, invited you to enter into the universe of Francis Lai who composed for more than 100 movies and more than 600 songs.
Strings of the Philharmonie of Paris, Fred Couderc’s brass team and Claude Egea (favorite european trumpetist of Quincy Jones), the piano of Jacky Delance which also conducted the show and the accordion of Jacques Ferchit (famous musician of late Charles Trenet) : 30 artists were united to pay tribute to one of the greatest French composers.
“Francis Lai was a genius of the melody – said Thierry WOLF (Chairman of FGL PRODUCTIONS who made this show with the help of the composer’s family) –
Francis has always remained himself, never yielding to the sirens of show business despite a name that resonates like an international brand. So we brought together the crème de la crème of French musicians and then asked his lifelong accomplice, the Director Claude Lelouch, to come and open the event…”
Francis Lai was born on April 26, 1932 in Nice, under the sign of Taurus. Very early on, passionate about music, he made his first scales in the orchestra of his region. In Marseille, he first heard jazz, met Claude Goaty, a popular singer of the 50s, of whom he would follow to Paris to discover Montmartre, where he settled. In this high place teeming with ideas and various artistic movements. The Attilo Tavern in Place du Tertre harobred the taletend Bernard Dimey, with whom Francis Lai composed his first song, soon followed by hundred others.
After a passage in the orchestra of the composer of « Angélique Marquise des Anges » Michel Magne, Francis Lai became the accompanist of Edith Piaf and then one of her composers.
He crossed paths with artist Pierre Barouh who introduced him to the young director Claude Lelouch. « Un Homme et une Femme » (A Man and a Woman) will mark the beginnings of Francis Lai’s success in composing music for the cinema.
Francis Lai wrote the music for more than 100 films and composed the melodis of more than 600 songs. Planetary stars, the greatest international orchestras recorded his works and to this day is one of the most succesful composers on the planet. A very discreet, shy and very humble man, Francis Lai nevertheless remains the French composer of film music who has sold the largest number of records in the world. As an indication, let us quote: Un Homme et une Femme 5.000.000 copies… Vivre pour Vivre 2.000.000 copies, Love Story 6.000.000 records sold, Emmanuelle II 1.000.000 copies, Les Uns et les Autres 2.000.000 or Bilitis with 7.000.000 records sold ! His work will be rewarded all over the world with in 1970, the most prestigious prize: An Oscar in Hollywood for the music of the movie « Love Story ». Married to the model Dagmar Puetz father of three children (Frédéric, Olivier, Laura), his relatives knew that he liked to work at night… The composer of « La Bicyclette » for Yves Montand, spent weeks or even months refining his compositions. Francis Lai was also one of the pioneers in the research of synthetic sounds, and in the use of computer music. These works are now published by US rap, British Pop and Euro- pean techno groups, of which he is one of the most trusted influences.
During the Francis Lai Story show, Nicole Croisille (the original voice of the famous “Un Homme et Une femme ») was surrended by Calogero (french pop star and last artist who collaborated with the composer), Anne Sila (winner of TF1 french The Voice All Stars), Irene Roussel (to replace Mireille Mathieu which was sick that night) Katia and Lexie (The French Mademoiselles, an american & french duet) which sang the worldwide hit “Love Story” or a sweet young Japanese artist (Reina Kitada) flying especially with her violin from Tokyo (Francis Lai remains cult in the land of the rising sun) and other French singers.
This show was unique but we hope to be able to see it again elsewhere than in Paris for the pleasure of all the composer’s fans around the world