The title is “Chevalier and Trenet: They knew how to make us laugh!” and we evoke the memory of these two international giants of show business - Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet - with some of their most entertaining and clever songs, in their original language, French.
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This CD is dedicated to our friends François and Madeleine Vals, who were at Maurice Chevalier's side during the last twenty years of his long career.
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Ce CD est dédié a nos amis François et Madeleine Vals, qui étaient aux cotés de Maurice Chevalier pendant les derniers 20 ans de sa longue carrière.
(François Vals was Chevalier's manager and "homme de confiance" for twenty-two years, which bridged the last 20 years of his active career. His wife, Madeleine, also served as his personal aide and, together with his pianist Fred Freed, traveled all around the world with Maurice Chevalier. Maurice referred to them as "my family.")
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These songs all have one thing in common: they are all cleverly crafted. They were all easily identified with their creators. One of the songs was a hit for both of them: “Y’a d’la joie.” The song was written by Charles Trenet for Maurice Chevalier before Trenet himself was "discovered" for his unique talent as a performer by the public. Its success for Chevalier, therefore, brought attention to Trenet and started his performing career with a bang. Up until the time Trenet also recorded “Y’a d’la joie,” Chevalier had been a big supporter and promoter of Trenet. However, he felt rather "betrayed" when Trenet turned around and “took the song back” by recording it himself. (Singers in those days were very proprietary about their songs) Chevalier rightfully felt that “Y’a d’la joie” was his. Twenty years later he did forgive Trenet and they once again became good friends, with great mutual respect and admiration.
Another interesting fact is that the parody “C’est ma bonne” that Chevalier recorded of Mistinguett’s international hit “Mon Homme” (My Man) – even though it was very clever and funny – Maurice just let it "die on the vine" (from not promoting it at all) because, right after he recorded it, Mistinguett had gone to New York City. She was contracted to travel to the US to sing it in the Ziegfeld Follies for Florenz Ziegfeld. But when she got there, she and Ziegfeld did not see eye-to-eye and, in fact, clashed with each other. She was devastated when Ziegfeld gave the song to Fanny Brice to sing in English as “My Man.” (And, of course, Fanny Brice had a huge success with it in America.) Maurice could not - and would not - add to his dear Mistinguett’s despair and deep hurt from her devastating disappointment with Florenz Ziegfeld, by popularizing his parody of her huge hit and signature song, "Mon Homme." He did not want to call any attention to the song and certainly did not want to make fun ot it in any way; the timing was all wrong for his parody, as it turned out.
All accompaniments are by musical director, Khris Dodge.
All vocals recorded and mixed at Jim Brady Recording Studios, Tucson, Arizona.
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