A beautiful story...
Michel Fugain is a French singer-songwriter who originally should have become a neurosurgeon rather than a singer. It was his attraction to cinema, especially 'La Nouvelle Vague', that would push him to embrace an artistic career rather than a medical one.
Arrived in Paris at the age of 20, he enrolled in the Furet course from 1964, during which he met another beginner like him, namely a certain Michel Sardou. And it is precisely Michel Sardou who manages to introduce it to Barclay. A record company that will allow him to see his first compositions come out but not for him, the latter will be performed initially by other artists such as Hugues Aufray, Hervé Vilard, Dalida and other Marie Laforêt ...
It was from 1967 that things got serious when he finally managed to release his first solo album, which produced a first major success with the title "Je n'aurai pas le temps". The singer's career is well and truly launched. A career so well launched that he was asked to compose the official anthem for the Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble which took place the following year.
Despite these various successes, the artist still hesitates about what to do next in his career : continue singing or go back to cinema ? Unable to make up his mind, he prefers to let go of the slack at the end of the 1960s and ease off a bit.
Break that does not last since it returns in force on the music side at the beginning of the following decade with on the one hand the musical "Un enfant dans la ville" which will produce the flagship title "Ne cherche pas" and on the other hand a new album. New album with which he recorded two new successes thanks to the titles “Soleil” and “On laisse tous un jour”. The choice is therefore now obvious : he is made to sing.
Evidence which will find its culmination with the creation of the Big Bazar in 1972, a troupe of eleven musicians-singers-dancers with which he will experience an absolutely exceptional creative period. A troupe that left a deep mark on people's minds, and especially its time, with the sumptuous single "Une belle histoire".
The artist’s flagship title which was soon to be followed by "Fais comme l'oiseau", a luxury cover of the title "Vocé abusou" by Brazilian singer Maria Creuza and which was also to become a huge hit.
An exceptional adventure that continued in the years that followed with the release in 1973 of two other titles among the singer's most emblematic, namely "Chante…comme si tu devais mourir demain", but also, and above all, "La fête". As well as “Libre (En roue Libre)” a year later in 1974, “Les Acadiens” in 1975 and “Le Printemps” in 1976.
A euphoria that will begin to fade from the year 1977, when new musical trends emerge on a planetary level, changes that the artist do not really see coming and which will quickly darken his horizon. And who will above all sign the death warrant for his troops.
We therefore find a Michel Fugain once again in full doubt at the end of the 1970s, a delicate period for him where he will prefer to take a step back once again. He then took the opportunity to settle in the south of France in order to create a school workshop more especially for young emerging artists. Adventure that will last until 1982.
Then he left to live in the United States for a while but returned in 1985 despite the fact that everyone considered him finished. A winning comeback, to say the least, because that year he released the single "La fille de Rockefeller", a single which enjoyed significant success and which above all shows that we will have to count on him for the years to come.
But it is especially three years later, in 1988, that the singer obtains his most beautiful revenge with the album "Des rêves et du vent", album which will sell more than 100,000 copies and which will produce its most big success of the decade with the title "Viva la vida".
Title which will unfortunately be his last notorious success because all the albums which will be released thereafter will meet only a limited success. Repeated setbacks that will accelerate the gradual disappearance, and this time inexorable, of one of the most talented artists of his generation. An extraordinary artist who can always boast of having left in the musical history of this end of the 20th century treasures of which he can only be proud.
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
C’est que je t’aime 1966
Joe emmène moi 1966
Un moral d’acier 1967
Daisy 1967
Les fleurs de mandarine 1967
Je n’aurai pas le temps 1967
Je n’ai pas changé 1968
Le temps met longtemps 1969
Quand l’oiseau chante 1969
Balade en Bugatti 1970
Les rues de la grande ville 1971
Soleil 1971
On laisse tous un jour 1971
Ne cherche pas 1971
Fais comme l’oiseau 1972
Une belle histoire 1972
Attention Mesdames et Messieurs 1972
Chante…comme si tu devais mourir demain 1973
La fête 1973
Bravo monsieur le monde 1973
Tout va changer 1974
Sabbat 1974
Libre (En roue libre) 1974
Les acadiens 1975
Le vent se lève 1975
Le printemps 1976
Le grain de sable 1976
Le chiffon rouge 1977
Fantaisie bleue 1977
Papa 1978
La vieille dame 1978
Loulou 1979
Bonjour nostalgie 1979
Les ailes dans le dos 1979
Les Sud Américaines 1980
Le cœur au sud 1983
Ou tu voudras, quand tu voudras 1984
La fille de rockfeller 1985
Librement 1986
Viva la vida 1986
Des rêves et du vent 1987
Ou s’en vont 1989
Les années guitare 1989
Chanson pour les demoiselles 1990
Comme une histoire d’amour 1990
Chaque jour de plus 1991
Forteresse 1992
Les soirs d’été 1993
Plus ca va 1995
2000 ans et un jour 1998
Je laisse 1999
Encore 2001
L'eau qu'on boit 2001
Va vers le soleil 2001
Je parlerai de toi 2007
La terre est servie 2007
Les imbéciles heureux 2007
Ceux qui s'aiment 2011
Jamais je ne t'oublierai 2011
T'es où ? 2011
Rendez-vous 2012
La musique c'est magique 2012
Ca va commencer 2012
Dans 100 ans peut être 2013
Les filles d'avant 2013
Mes précieux souvenirs 2013
Clips :
1966 ... a nice ballad as an appetizer for this young unknown man. A young unknow man who won't stay that way for long ... unknown. But at this point, no one can imagine the immense career he will achieve behind ...
1966 ... trendy beginnings which saw the young Michel stick perfectly to the times. Unfortunately, success struggles to show the tip of its nose ...
1967 ... always so rhythmic, always so trendy but that is still not enough to move the lines. We will still have to be patient ...
1967 ... what is certain is that its versatility is evident. He is as good in rhythmic tracks as in tracks with a much more subdued tempo. Obviously a good omen for the rest of the events !
1967 ... his good will is obvious and he is not discouraged a bit. And the future will damn prove him right about not having let go ...
1967 ... then THIS title comes ! He will sign here quite simply one of the most beautiful ballads of the decade and enter One Shot into the big leagues. A sumptuous title that will change his destiny forever. MA-GIC !
1968 ... difficult, if not impossible for this title, to compete with its predecessor as the bar has been raised. Regardless, the dynamic for success is in place and all he has to do is unfold
1969 ... a decade of 60 which draws to its end and which will have seen the blossoming of a very future Great. Everything is now in place for the great fireworks display ...
1969 ... everything is in place but it is clear that the little extra that makes all the difference is still missing. In particular the festive and playful side that the young singer will have to quickly integrate into his compositions ...
1970 ... metamorphosis, here it is. A salutary change that comes at the right time and which will allow the artist to achieve very great things very soon ...
1971 ... the contrast is striking between the Fugain of the Sixties and what he offers today. Each title that comes out now is a real success and it is not about to stop !
1971 ... after the 1960s, which saw him braced for quality but somewhat dark titles, he is finally totally free and free to move around. We see the result !
1971 ... a beautiful and BIG year 1971 with a plethora of titles and above all a style and a sound that have nothing to do with what he offered before. All good !
1971 ... the singer perfectly captured the mood of his time and each title released corresponds exactly to the expectations of the public. So we imagine that the rest will be huge ...
1972 ... and that, to be huge, it will be huge afterwards. Starting with THIS title which will become a huge success in France and literally explode the notoriety of the artist. All thanks to this luxury cover of Antonio Carlos and Jocafi's title "Você abusou" dating from the previous year. MAS-TER-FUL !
1972 ... but without counting on THIS title ! The singer will deliver here quite simply one of the most beautiful titles of this end of the XXth century on the French side. A WONDER of finesse and lightness, on a very simple theme, but with formidable efficiency. MASTERPIECE !
1972 ... success reached a truly mind-blowing level. Each song that comes out now is an event in itself and the singer is quite simply one of the biggest phenomena of the moment. Stunning !
1973 ... he leaves nothing but crumbs for the competition, a competition which is incapable of fighting on an equal footing with a singer with truly insolent success. There is certainly insolent success, but above all, there is an extraordinary talent that alone makes all the difference !
1973 ... and as if that weren't enough, he adds another layer. Here he signs one of his most emblematic festive titles and definitely enters the musical legend of the end of the 20th century. A well-deserved consecration !
1973 ... it's an incredible succession of titles with extraordinary inspiration. There are times like this in a career moments of deep bliss ...
1974 ... he became the King of the party scene, but he reminds us here that he also excels in the Intimist domain. He delivers here a new title of any beauty which literally floats in the air and makes us good, quite simply. MA-GIC !
1974 ... well, it still happens to him to deliver basic. Anyway, given his level at the moment, everything coming to him corresponds to the best of the others. It is to say ...
1974 ... a slight lack of inspiration that does not last long, it is clear. Return of frank and massive success with this title. And when we see what is looming on the horizon, there is no need to fear what will happen next ...
1975 ... the singer reached here the height of his popularity thanks to this cheerful and festive title at will and which will inevitably remain as one of his major titles. Not necessarily the most inspired but surely one of the most effective in terms of butt shaking !
1975 ... he alternates with an obvious virtuosity the rhythmic tracks and the clearly softer tracks. A versatility among the best of the moment and that few artists can boast of possessing ...
1976 ... and here we go again for the festive ! In the mid-1970s, no one can compete with such a flood of titles of such high caliber. But how does he do it ?
1976 ... we tell ourselves that at some point, his level of inspiration will inevitably start to drop and that he cannot continue indefinitely on such a level of success. It won't be for now anyway ...
1977 ... even if he sometimes borders on caricature, the fact remains that the adventure continues to be exceptional and this even if the level of success begins to weaken somewhat ...
1977 ... musical trends begin to change seriously at the end of the decade and we can tell that the singer is not paying attention. Be careful not to be too easy and to forget to adapt accordingly ...
1978 ... he tries his hand at other fashions, finally. The essentials are preserved and allow the singer to remain in the leading pack. We were afraid ...
1978 ... on the Intimist side, inspiration remains at the Premium level, fortunately. But it is clear that even in this area, things are changing. Attention danger...
1979...a quiet end to the 1970s, with a level of success certainly in decline but which remains at a sufficient level for the moment. Hope it lasts...
1979 ... nothing exceptional but a good job, quite simply. A pretty ballad that doesn't ask for much except to be listened to. It's done !
1979 ... Disco period obliges, the singer tries to adapt and delivers a Dance song which my faith holds the road very well. Unfortunately, these efforts will not really pay off. Too bad, well tried ...
1980 ... anyway, he is not discouraged at the start of the new decade and his good will is a pleasure to see. Here he delivers a track with South American rhythm which works perfectly and which above all reassures us about its state of form...
1983 ... a deceptive form because he suddenly disappears from radar for 3 years. Here he is back in this year 1983 with a Intimist title with certain inspiration and which proves that he has not lost any of his talent. Phew ...
1984 ... unfortunately talent is not always enough. Fashions change, public tastes fluctuate accordingly, and what they loved a few years before suddenly becomes outdated. A well-known syndrome which now affects the singer ...
1986 ... he delivers here a high quality Ultimate Slow but the young audience does not really look in his direction. Hence a title that will go somewhat unnoticed ...
1986 ... then THIS title comes ! A title which allows him to make a resounding return to the front of the stage and which above all proves that talent does not evaporate overnight. HU-GE !
1987 ... a decade of 80 which will not have spared him but which sees him resist in an impressive way. Building on his previous huge success, he told himself that anything was still possible. And why not ?
1989 ... the 1970s will have consecrated him as one of the greatest French singers of the end of the twentieth century, the 1980s will have enabled him to prove in addition that his talent is multi-generational. This is not the case with all the singers of his generation ...
1989 ... a decade at the top of the bill, another decade in the middle of the bill. We can imagine the position he will occupy the following decade ...
1990 ... the 90s will unfortunately be the decade too many. The competition is now light years ahead of him and he doesn't really realize it. Things will get really complicated under these conditions ...
1990 ... what is certain is that in the Intimist, things changed little, hence his ability to resist better in this area. The proof with this title which shows once again that it still has some under the pedal in this area ...
1991 ... betting everything on the Intimist will not be enough to save Private Fugain. The dropout is irreversible and nothing and no one can prevent it from now on ...
1992 ... in this decade where everything goes at the speed of light and where the rhythms are crazy, how to fight on equal terms with this kind of title. It's beautiful, it's inspired but it's light years away from what young people expect as they say ...
1993 ... back to Dance but what the singer forgets is that we have skipped decades. This title could have appealed during the previous decade but in no way corresponds to the musical standards of the moment. Casting error ...
1995 ... the good surprise of the decade. A little late but we will be satisfied all the same. A much more adapted rhythm which necessarily hits the mark !
1998 ... an indescribable title, timeless and above all fashionable. And yet he dared. And my faith, the result is not that ridiculous, like what everything remains possible !
1999 ... already 3 decades spent singing and producing songs that are either exceptional or of a more than obvious quality, a real feat. Not sure that the artists who will emerge during the 1990s can say the same in 20 years, that's clear !
2001...here he is attacking this new decade of 2000 with the firm intention of not giving up and continuing the adventure as far as possible...
2001...a start to the decade which saw him particularly inspired, an inspiration which allowed him to stay afloat without too much difficulty as a result...
2001...well, we're not going to lie, the best years are now behind him but what he continues to offer is far from unworthy, that's clear...
2007...the machine will begin to seize up somewhat in the middle of the decade with a level of inspiration which will seriously decline...
2007...the weight of the years and especially the weight of the decades seriously begins to be felt and weighs heavily on his shoulders...
2007...it's not easy to renew yourself when you started your career a long time ago. There is inevitably a moment when emptiness begins to set in...
2011...he hangs on as best he can and he puts more than obvious good will into it but there are only his core fans left to follow him now...
2011...afterwards it's still crowded anyway. He will still have to be careful not to lose too much over the years...
2011...if he doesn't manage to reinvent himself quickly, even core fans will eventually get tired of it. It's up to him to see how far he is prepared to change nothing...
2012...we can't say that he's deserving either, but its style and sound are seriously starting to become obsolete in this 2010 decade...
2012...a rapprochement with the younger generation would not do any harm, on the contrary. Afterwards you simply have to choose which ones...
2012...whatever it is, he continues to believe it. On the other hand, as long as he enjoys what he does, why should he throw in the towel prematurely...
2013...a level of productivity that is high to say the least and which therefore impresses. After all, not all titles will end up at No.1 in the Charts, that's for sure...
2013...the average level remains sufficient in any case so that he is not completely out of the game. It now remains to be seen how he will manage future years...
2013...so last title or not ? Only he knows the future and especially with what musical project he intends to eventually return...
Wiki :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Fugain
Greatest Hits :
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/2900
Discography :
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3-oSY95rVKRIGrIucWHwLw/featured