C. Jérôme, whose real name is Claude Dhotel, was a French singer who began his artistic career at the age of 16 with a small group from the Nancy region called Les Storms.
Having moved to Paris, he befriended producer Jean Albertini, who allowed him to release his first Single "Les fiancés" in 1967. A title that unfortunately went somewhat unnoticed. The titles that will be released in the following years will meet with great esteem success, but nothing more.
It will take him 5 years and the year 1972 to finally see his dreams come true thanks to the release of the song "Kiss me". The title is a huge hit across Europe and will sell out to over a million copies.
A success which is confirmed thereafter with titles like "Himalaya" in 1972, "Manhattan" and "La petite fille 73" in 1973, "Bay.Bay 26/38", "Baby boy" and "C'est moi " in 1974," Cindy" in 1976 and another" Retro c'est trop" in 1977.
The end of the 1970s and the start of the following decade will prove to be more complicated to manage than expected with a largely declining level of success and the beginning of the 'Has been' label which begins to stick more and more to the singer's skin.
It will take the providential help of Didier Barbelivien (and yes, him again) in 1985 to put the artist back on track for success. Notably thanks to the enormous "Et tu danses avec lui" which will stay as one of the biggest hits of the year on the French side.
New success in 1986 with the Single "Derniers baisers". Which will unfortunately be his last notorious hit. Many Singles will be released thereafter but none will be a success worthy of the name.
The singer passed away on May 14, 2000 at the age of 53 as a result of cancer and left in its wake a rich musical work, some of which are now part of the Grands Classiques of French popular song.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
60s Decade :
Les fiancés 1967
Le petit chaperon rouge est mort 1967
Quand la mer se retire 1969
70s Decade :
Mélancolie 1970
La poupée désarticulée 1970
Les vagues mortes 1971
Kiss me 1972
Himalaya 1972
Manhattan 1973
La petite fille 73 1973
Bay.Bay 26/38 1974
C’est moi 1974
Baby boy 1974
Hop là dites moi 1975
O.K. Miami 1975
Cindy 1976
It's so long 1976
Quand tu danses 1976
Le charme français 1977
Caroline et moi 1977
Rétro, c’est trop 1977
Souvenirs 1978
Les mamans 1979
C. l’Amérique 1979
80s Decade :
Le monde à l’envers 1980
J’T’aime 1981
Chanter 1982
Julie à la folie 1982
Un ticket pour une blonde 1983
Eve et moi 1983
D.J. 1984
Et tu danses avec lui 1985
Comme si 1986
Derniers baisers 1986
Les larmes aux yeux 1987
C'est la nuit 1987
Emoi 1989
90s Decade :
Danièle s'en va 1990
Qu'est-ce que tu veux que je dise 1991
Pardonne moi 1991
Les manons de la nuit 1992
Pleure pas pour moi 1993
Nancy 1993
Je ne parlerai plus d'elle 1993
Nuits blanches 1994
Les bords de l'Atlantique 1994
Ma romantique 1995
Les filles du samedi soir 1996
A plein tubes 1997
Chanson pour Carole 1998
Les bleus lendemains 1999
Tracks :
1967 ... a first quality title for the man who in a few years would become one of the most important artists of the French music scene. Now it's up to him to produce the title that will propel him to the front of the stage ...
1967 ... 1967 will be essentially a breaking-in year. Story to find its marks and to make speak a little about himself ...
1969 ... the title that will change the game, here it is. A first major success which will make his coast soar and make him one of the big hopes of the moment
1970 ... the 1960s saw him bloom, the 1970s saw him literally explode. He still has a little way to go but the great fireworks display is fast approaching ...
1970 ... unlike most of the competition, his range is not limited to the Intimist. He has in his palette a significant asset : the cheerful and playful song. And that, during the 1970s, was worth gold !
1971 ... a year of transition before the big takeoff. The level is stable but it still lacks that little extra that will make all the difference ...
1972 ... the little extra, here it is ! The melody that goes well, carried by a cheerful and playful rhythm, the perfect recipe. Here he signs one of the most emblematic titles of the decade and explodes his notoriety as a result. MAS-TER-FUL !
1972 ... it is now set for an impressive succession of very high caliber successes. The singer becomes one of the biggest phenomena of the French music scene and the competition has better watch out !
1973 ... a unique, playful and festive style, which he masters to perfection and which now makes him one of the essential stars of the moment. All thanks to very simple songs but with formidable efficiency !
1973 ... the momentum that carries him now is not about to end. The decade 70 is his and he will not deprive himself of it !
1974 .... year after year, title after title, he asserts its supremacy and leaves only crumbs to the competition. His style works wonders and no one can compete, that's for sure !
1974 ... he definitely drives home the point with this title. With him, everything seems incredibly easy and he really has this incredible ability to find the right melody at the right time. HU-GE !
1974 ... the 1970s will have been a formidable playground for him. A decade tailor-made not only for his talent but also for his excessiveness and his natural joie de vivre !
1975 ... he unrolls quietly, carried by a wind of the most favorable success. But as they say, in life there is no miracle. This success he owes only to his talent !
1975 ... a year 1975 slightly behind in terms of success compared to previous years. But nothing to worry about, he maintains his position in the leading pack with an ease once again evident...
1976 ... no worries to have given the level of success met by this title. Return to the Intimist domain with this Ultimate Slow of very large caliber which once again allows him to crush the competition
1976 ... every title released almost instantly becomes a notorious success. Whether he is in the Intimist field or in the more playful field, everything is succeeding in an incredible way at this stage of the decade !
1976 ... why make it complicated when you can make it simple. A maxim that he repeats every day and which allows him to release titles that are also very simple but which correspond exactly to the expectations of the public. All good !
1977 ... a dynamic of success that does not weaken an iota. The years may pass, he continues to touch the stars with disconcerting ease. But he is well worth it !
1977 ... simple melodies, simple lyrics, a singer who does not take himself seriously, in short, the ideal recipe for success. A popular singer who knows exactly what to do and does it perfectly well !
1977 ... another of its strengths is being able to alternate styles. Whether he plays it at lightning speed like on this title or much more smoothly as we have seen on other titles, nothing scares him and that is also one of his great strengths !
1978 ... return to softness and tenderness as he knows how to do so well. All the same, he will have to be wary of this end of the 1970s when musical upheavals are happening everywhere and above all foreshadows an 1980s which will have nothing to do with the 1970s ...
1979 ... another nice Intimist title which allows him to end the decade in the best possible way. While waiting for a sequel which will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected ...
1980 ... he was damn right not to be surprised and produced titles that correspond well to new trends. Unfortunately, the success will be in free fall and gradually relegated him to oblivion. Incredible turnaround ...
1981 ... production of titles slows down considerably compared to the previous decade. A beginning of the 80s which saw the singer gradually lose his bearings ...
1982 ... what he continues to offer is far from being ridiculous, but young audiences see him as a singer that is too '70s' typed. Hence an increasingly important gap with the youngsters who come to increase the competition year after year ...
1982 ... all the more so when he thinks he is back in the 70s. A style error that he pays cash and which makes him even more out of date ...
1983 ... he may try to keep up with the times, when things don't want to, they don't. A serious questioning is necessary and quickly !
1983 ... but the questioning, it will not be for the moment unfortunately. Its inability to renew himself is simply sinking him. There is now a great danger of outright disappearance ...
1984 ... he takes refuge in the Intimist hoping to be able to save the furniture. This title is far from being ridiculous but he still does not manage to get its head out of the water and must be content to watch the competition quickly move away ...
1985 ... fortunately, Saint Barbelivien will still work miracles, as he has already done for many artists of his generation. The singer temporarily returns to success and moreover XXL success. An unexpected return and above all a winning return. HU-GE !
1986 ... he thinks that the Intimist is his only hope to catch up with the leading pack. Basically, he is not wrong but the public does not necessarily hear him the same ear. The enormous success he had on the previous title will unfortunately not be repeated ...
1986 ... his revisited version of the title of Four Voices dating from 1960 is far from ridiculous but he tries everything, nothing helps. Hard law of the trade ...
1987 ... whatever the case, he holds the course against all odds and continues on his way. The title he delivers here shows that he is right to believe it and that anything is still possible. For how long is that something else ...
1987 ... he tries to adapt, over and over again. But the lag behind the competition is impossible to recover and all its efforts will not change anything. Pity...
1989...an 80s decade which saw him gradually disappear from the radar like many of his colleagues from the 70s. The musical upheavals were such during this 80s that very few managed to save their heads...
1990 ... he will even attempt the transition to the 90s. But what will not have worked during the previous decade will not work either during this decade when everything is going even faster. Mission impossible as they say ...
1991 ... he is far from being ridiculous once again but his '70s' image sticks to him so much that it is literally impossible for him to exist among young people who are 20 years younger than him...
1991...now he does more extras than anything else. Anyway, we always enjoy listening to what he offers, that's clear. Too bad people don't follow...
1992...even if Saint Barbelivien is once again in charge, it is no longer enough to save Private Claude. This is to say...
1993... well yes, Claude, we cry for you because seeing you row against winds and tides like that does not make us happy, that's clear. But you will not have been neither the first nor the last to suffer this fate unfortunately...
1993...the delay with the competition is now irrecoverable but that in no way slows down his desire to believe in it until the end, it is clear...
1993...a nice title, one more, which frankly would have deserved to know the light but which remained in the shadows in a surprising way. Honestly a shame...
1994 ... in any case, he does not let go. Incredible resistance, where others would have thrown in the towel for a long time. We can only salute his courage !
1994...at least he continues to please his core fans who inevitably rejoice as soon as a new title is released. Unfortunately there are only them left...
1995...afterwards who would blame him for continuing to believe in a possible return to grace ? We know well that in music everything is always possible...
1996...well, it is true that at certain moments, we still border on caricature. This title is cheerful to say the least but releasing it during the 90s is the most blind utopia when we see what the competition is offering...
1997...we find a trendy sound friends it's especially the style which is out of phase this time. When it goes in one direction, it's in the other direction that it fails. How to get there in these cases...
1998...30 years of career, already ! Ultimately a career of the most extensive and which will have had the merit of leaving several of the most emblematic titles in the musical history of the end of the 20th century. So, dear Claude, bravo for all of your work !
1999...one very last title before fate decides to definitively strike poor Claude who fought until the end...
Wiki :
Official Website :
http://www.c-jerome.com/ Greatest Hits :
Discography :