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WHAT I LISTENED TO IN THE 80'S, vol. 34 - JEAN-JACQUES GOLDMAN

  Jean-Jacques Goldman, one of my great musical loves. I came across him thanks to the French Cultural Centre in Helsinki, where I used to go and borrow vinyls... He has written such great music that it was hard to choose the four songs here. My love for him continued all the way to the end of his recording career (as we know it) and his various projects and songs written and produced to other artists, like Céline Dion whose French success is mainly thanks to him in her adult life, Patricia Kaas and Patrick Fiori. Sadly his last studio album is from 2001 but he's still active somewhat writing and producing, and made an appearance in Fiori's Les gens qu'on aime video. Hopefully he will still release his music as a singer, too. Pretty please? He has had a huge impact in the French music industry and in 2012-2013 for example two tribute albums were recorded by the young talents under title Genération Goldman , both hitting #1 in the French charts and selling about one m...

REMEMBERING SIRIMA

Sirima who, you may ask unless you are Jean-Jacques Goldman fan. Here is her tragic story in a few words: Sirima was born in the United Kingdom of French mother and Sri Lankan father on Valentine's Day 1964. At 18 she moved to France and started singing in the Paris metro stations, usually Gare de Châtelet - Les Halles. A few year's later Philippe Delettrez, who played in Jean-Jacques Goldman's band noted her. He also knew Goldman was looking for a female duet for his song Là-bas . He recorded her voice and took it to Goldman who got interested and went to see her in the metro Barbès. He was impressed and wanted her as her duo partner. The song become a huge success (#2 for five weeks and nearly 600.000 copies sold). Sirima was living at the time with Kahatra Sasorith , an unsuccessful musician. He became jealous for her success and killed her with kitchen knife on December 7, 1989. he was about to release her debut album A part of me.  Sasorith did four year...

Albums that have shaped my music taste, vol. 8: Jean-Jacques Goldman - Positif

Jean-Jacques Goldman, the French superstar who saved Cèline Dion's career in French. What can I say? I came across, can't remember how, to his debut solo album Démodè (1981) with hits like Il suffire d'un signe as well as follow up Minoritaire (1982) with Comme toi , Quand la musique est bonne and Veiller tard but when Positif (1984) came out I was totally sold and continued my adoration to this guy well to the 1990's. Envole-moi (and the international release Love me away ), Nous ne nous parlerons pas , Dors bébé dors , Encore un matin , Ton autre chemin and most of all Long is the road  ( Americain ) are all songs from this album I knew by heart and still do... well, sort of (age doesn't come alone...). The album sold over one million copies in France alone and made him a megastar for years to come, especially when his following albums were filled with hits as well. He opened the French music to me and I was hunting several artists who remain favourites...