Johnny Hallyday

[twm]

Johnny 'allyday is not my favourite at all (not in any way) but you might find this faintlyinteresting, even faintly amusing. It concerns his recent Albert Hall concert and the piece was written by Melvyn Bragg, who is a radio and TV "culture vulture" in Britain (actually he's very good and takes culture in its widest sense, which is admirable). It is from a circular e-mail:

And on we go. The week's been a very funny one. Andrew Lloyd Webber got a gang together to go and see Johnny Hallyday on his first ever concert in London. This seventy-something French rock star is a phenomenon. The French don't like rock and roll, or they didn't when I first went to Paris to work in the late 50s and then frequently in the 60s, the French loved jazz, especially black jazz, and their own chansons and ballads. Rock and roll they regarded as vulgar. Johnny Hallyday, who had spent part of his early life in America, loved rock and roll and set out to become the leading, in fact the solitary, rock and roller in the whole of France. He dominates France. His concerts are always sold out, but elsewhere in the world he is ignored and sometimes even dismissed.

He's a good old rocker and he filled the Albert Hall with wildly enthusiastic French people who sang along to his songs, and he did the rock and roll thing of holding out the mic so that they could sing while he took a break. He was dressed head to toe in leather. The light show was blinding so that you needed dark glasses just to pick him out on the stage. He has a voice which has the power of a Harley Davidson at full throttle.

Hallyday is actually 69, not 70, but, nevertheless, the idea of him "dressed head to toe in leather" and in front of the likes of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Melvyn Bragg brought a wry smile  to my lips. Sorry, Francophiles.

[Pottel]

Johnny's Belgian.

[herlock]

Johnny's Belgian.

As a French I feel ashamed that Johnny is all what we have to offer... I can't understand my fellow citizens queing by thousands dressed up like him. He is a showman, true, but I almost never composed or wrote a song...

As John Lenon put it briefly but efficiently: "French rock'n roll ? this is like British wine".

Music is one of the fields where us French has to give the nod to the Brits. With a few exceptions though... I love Hubert Felix Thi

[twm]

Wasn't Johnny Hallyday born in Paris? Wiki says so . And it says his father was Belgian and his mother French. I have no idea what Johnny's passport says.

I know that quite a few famous people thought to be French are in fact Belgian. such as Jacques Brel (indeed, I have even gone round the Jacques Brel museum in Brussels).  It#s a bit like all the famous Canadians who are thought of as American.

Also, while a Francophile loves France and the French, doesn't such a person also love French culture? And isn't Johnny Hallyday part of French culture?

[dmg]

Wasn't Johnny Hallyday born in Paris? Wiki says so . And it says his father was Belgian and his mother French. I have no idea what Johnny's passport says.

I know that quite a few famous people thought to be French are in fact Belgian. such as Jacques Brel (indeed, I have even gone round the Jacques Brel museum in Brussels).  It#s a bit like all the famous Canadians who are thought of as American.

Also, while a Francophile loves France and the French, doesn't such a person also love French culture? And isn't Johnny Hallyday part of French culture?

Too late, Pottel's claimed him!

[twm]

And, herlock, if John Lennon were alive today, he might revise his view of British wine. Some of it is even winning over French wine in international taste tests. It's a pity he might not revise his opinion of French rock'n'roll, however.

But I do have a few Hugues Aufray albums around  (the ones where he covers Dylan songs) and I did see him guest at a Dylan show outside Paris in 1984.

That aside, glossy monthly rock and pop magazines (maybe I should say "Rock & Folk" magazines) were around in France long before they had started here in Britain (where the pop weekly newspaper format predominated). I commented on this strange difference long ago in one of my Dylan news columns. A little after this, the glossy monthlies started over here. Someone told me that the wife of one of the first editors of Q (or whichever) had read my column and passed my comment along. I have no idea if that is true or false.

[herlock]

Wasn't Johnny Hallyday born in Paris? Wiki says so . And it says his father was Belgian and his mother French. I have no idea what Johnny's passport says.

I know that quite a few famous people thought to be French are in fact Belgian. such as Jacques Brel (indeed, I have even gone round the Jacques Brel museum in Brussels).  It#s a bit like all the famous Canadians who are thought of as American.

Also, while a Francophile loves France and the French, doesn't such a person also love French culture? And isn't Johnny Hallyday part of French culture?

I love French culture a lot, that's why I don't like Johnny. Massively overrated to me.

[herlock]

And, herlock, if John Lennon were alive today, he might revise his view of British wine. Some of it is even winning over French wine in international taste tests. It's a pity he might not revise his opinion of French rock'n'roll, however.

But I do have a few Hugues Aufray albums around  (the ones where he covers Dylan songs) and I did see him guest at a Dylan show outside Paris in 1984.

That aside, glossy monthly rock and pop magazines (maybe I should say "Rock & Folk" magazines) were around in France long before they had started here in Britain (where the pop weekly newspaper format predominated). I commented on this strange difference long ago in one of my Dylan news columns. A little after this, the glossy monthlies started over here. Someone told me that the wife of one of the first editors of Q (or whichever) had read my column and passed my comment along. I have no idea if that is true or false.

Interesting...
Anyway, even though there are a few top quality artists in France, a lot of them underground, how to compete with our best ennemy, the UK, which cannot produce decent food, but produced tons of stellar musicians such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, DS,... the list is too long.... the UK won the music battle, really, I hate to admit it but I have to.

[twm]

Pottel can have him, dmg.

[twm]

You don't really "hate" to admit it, you embrace it. That's wonderful. Your contributions to AMIT are testament to that.

Food in British restaurants has much improved in recent years. Fine French food, on the few occasions I've indulged, has not much grabbed me. More common-a-garden French restaurant food, in fairly ordinary restaurants that are less than fashionable, has certainly been a cut above their equivalents over here, in my experience.  But, even there, there has been a step up over here in recent times in many restaurants. A less extensive and less adventurous menu than in France, perhaps, but a reasoanbale standard of food..

I think that, despite the recession, we still eat out a lot, lot more than we used to do here.

As for traditional rivalries, yes they still exist but more in fun these days (apart from football, le rugby and so on, perhaps). And, anyway, mrs twm and other Brits on AMIT are Scottish and the "Auld Alliance" prevails up in Scotland.

[herlock]

You don't really "hate" to admit it, you embrace it. That's wonderful. Your contributions to AMIT are testament to that.

Food in British restaurants has much improved in recent years. Fine French food, on the few occasions I've indulged, has not much grabbed me. More common-a-garden French restaurant food, in fairly ordinary restaurants that are less than fashionable, has certainly been a cut above their equivalents over here, in my experience.  But, even there, there has been a step up over here in recent times in many restaurants. A less extensive and less adventurous menu than in France, perhaps, but a reasoanbale standard of food..

I think that, despite the recession, we still eat out a lot, lot more than we used to do here.

As for traditional rivalries, yes they still exist but more in fun these days (apart from football, le rugby and so on, perhaps). And, anyway, mrs twm and other Brits on AMIT are Scottish and the "Auld Alliance" prevails up in Scotland.

Yeah, of course, I embrace it
We always had a love-hate relationship... Since the 100 years war we are said to be ennemies. We are so close yet so different. And yet, I believe there is a huge respect on both sides. When the French say how much they "hate" the Brits, there is a great part of tease in the statement. And jaleousy maybe... the UK has a culture, as deep and rich as France, albeit very different; and there is this character... during WWII UK did not fall, did not surrender, the bombs were falling on London but the Brits and their queen chose to "never complain, never explain" and resist. The good side of France was operating from London. This is something than cannot be forgotten... De Gaulle and Churchil almost fought physically, but in the end, there was deep and mutual respect.

Oh, and I was not really serious about the food

[twm]

Mais oui. Bien s

[Pottel]

[Pottel]

Simply brilliant. Holy grail.....

[herlock]

Simply brilliant. Holy grail.....

Indeed.
Humour is one thing we are more on par - Bristish humorists are excellent, but we've a few outstanding ones. Well, at least in the past.... Inconnus anyone ?