Richard Anthony (French singer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Anthony is a French singer, born 13 January 1938 in Cairo
, Egypt
, as Ricardo Btesh.
.
In 1958 Richard Anthony decided to adapt English pop music to French lyrics. For Columbia he recorded You Are My Destiny by Paul Anka
and Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly
, but these two titles passed unnoticed. His third title, "Nouvelle Vague" ("Three Cool Cats") by The Coasters
was a huge success. That was followed by a whole series of recordings, both in London and Paris, including the famous Et j'entends siffler le train (500 Miles
) in 1962. At that time, Richard Anthony was the only French singer with 21 number one hits.
, a hotel in Jamaica, a country house in Chevreuse, a chalet in Crans
, motorcycles, cars and several boats.
In France in 1965, he had a great success with Je me suis souvent demandé, translated from a Dutch
song by Bobbejaan Schoepen
, released in Argentina under the title A veces me pregunto yo.
In 1968 he adapted Concierto de Aranjuez
by Joaquín Rodrigo
which was a worldwide success, with more than eight million copies sold.
In 1978, he moved to Los Angeles with his second wife Sabine as a producer. His plan was to bring French songs to the American public, and he had a success with Indian Summer, adapted from L'été indien by Joe Dassin
.
In the late 1980s, after another divorce and a serious boating accident, he went public. In 1993, he released a box set of 300 songs from EMI, which rapidly became triple gold. In 1996, he took the path of the studios to re-record his hits for France but also Spain with the album Sentimental.
He also wrote his autobiography, published by Michel Laffont. It celebrates 40 years of career in 1998 at the Zenith in Paris before a large enthusiastic audience.
He made a successful comeback in 2006, touring with Age tendre et Têtes de bois (Tender age, wooden heads).
Many artists like Mariah Carey, A-HA, alloy and the Enfoirés covered his songs and adaptations, not to mention dozens of times in the cut version and orchestrated by Richard's Concierto de Aranjuez.
He recorded more than 600 titles and sold over 50 million records
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, as Ricardo Btesh.
Biography
Richard's father was an industrialist, and his mother was the daughter of an English diplomat. He spent his childhood in Egypt, Argentina and the United Kingdom, then lived in Paris, France where he attended the Lycée Janson de SaillyLycée Janson de Sailly
Lycée Janson de Sailly is a lycée located in the XVIe arrondissement of Paris, France. It is generally considered as one of the most prestigious lycées in Paris...
.
In 1958 Richard Anthony decided to adapt English pop music to French lyrics. For Columbia he recorded You Are My Destiny by Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
and Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, but these two titles passed unnoticed. His third title, "Nouvelle Vague" ("Three Cool Cats") by The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
was a huge success. That was followed by a whole series of recordings, both in London and Paris, including the famous Et j'entends siffler le train (500 Miles
500 Miles
"500 Miles" is a folk song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveler who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return...
) in 1962. At that time, Richard Anthony was the only French singer with 21 number one hits.
The Sixties
By 1964, the singer had acquired the trappings of wealth, including a private plane, villas in St. Tropez and MarbellaMarbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, a hotel in Jamaica, a country house in Chevreuse, a chalet in Crans
Crans
-Place:*France* Crans, Ain, a commune in France|commune in the Ain département in France|département* Crans, Jura, a commune in the Jura |Jura département*Switzerland** Crans-Montana...
, motorcycles, cars and several boats.
In France in 1965, he had a great success with Je me suis souvent demandé, translated from a Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
song by Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen
Bobbejaan Schoepen is a pseudonym of Modest Schoepen was a Flemish pioneer in Belgian pop music, vaudeville, and European country music...
, released in Argentina under the title A veces me pregunto yo.
In 1968 he adapted Concierto de Aranjuez
Concierto de Aranjuez
The Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is probably Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the twentieth century. ...
by Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success...
which was a worldwide success, with more than eight million copies sold.
The Seventies
The Seventies were less successful for Anthony. He spent two somewhat unproductive years at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, but had a comeback in 1974 with Amoureux de ma femme.In 1978, he moved to Los Angeles with his second wife Sabine as a producer. His plan was to bring French songs to the American public, and he had a success with Indian Summer, adapted from L'été indien by Joe Dassin
Joe Dassin
Joseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
.
The Eighties
In 1982, the singer returned to France for a few months, but the French tax authorities caught up with him, and one year later he spent three days in prison.In the late 1980s, after another divorce and a serious boating accident, he went public. In 1993, he released a box set of 300 songs from EMI, which rapidly became triple gold. In 1996, he took the path of the studios to re-record his hits for France but also Spain with the album Sentimental.
He also wrote his autobiography, published by Michel Laffont. It celebrates 40 years of career in 1998 at the Zenith in Paris before a large enthusiastic audience.
He made a successful comeback in 2006, touring with Age tendre et Têtes de bois (Tender age, wooden heads).
Many artists like Mariah Carey, A-HA, alloy and the Enfoirés covered his songs and adaptations, not to mention dozens of times in the cut version and orchestrated by Richard's Concierto de Aranjuez.
He recorded more than 600 titles and sold over 50 million records
Discography
- Tu m’étais destinée (1958) – You Are My DestinyYou Are My Destiny"You Are My Destiny" is a song written and performed by Paul Anka. It was released in 1958 and reached number seven on the US Billboard 100 early that year. The song was also released in the UK, where it reached number six....
- Peggy Sue (1958) – Peggy Sue
- Suzie Darling (1958)
- La do da da (1958)
- Nouvelle vague (1959)
- Jericho (1959)
- Tu parles trop (1960)
- Clémentine (1960)
- Itsy bitsy petit bikini (1960) – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot BikiniItsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach, who in the first verse is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; in the second, she has made it to the beach but sits...
- Dis-lui que je l’aime (1961)
- Ecoute dans le vent (1961) – Blowing in the Wind, Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
- Ça tourne rond (1961)
- Let’s twist again (1961) – Let's Twist AgainLet's Twist Again"Let's Twist Again" is a song written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, and released as a single by Chubby Checker. One of the biggest hit singles of 1961, it reached number two in the UK and number eight on the U.S. Billboard pop chart. It refers to the Twist dance craze and his 1960 and 1961...
- Fiche le camp, Jack (1961) – Hit the Road JackHit the Road Jack"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
- Noël (1961)
- Tu peux la prendre (1961 ou 1962)
- Leçon de twist (1962)
- Délivre moi (1962)
- J’entends siffler le train (1962) – Five Hundred Miles
- Ne boude pas (1962)
- Fait pour s’aimer (1962)
- On twiste sur le locomotion (1963) – The Loco-MotionThe Loco-Motion"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times – each time in a different decade: for Little Eva in 1962 ; for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 ; and for Kylie Minogue in 1988 "The...
- En écoutant la pluie (1963)
- C’est ma fête (1963) – It's My PartyIt's My Party (song)"It's My Party" is a song most famously sung by American singer Lesley Gore in 1963. This song hit #1 on the pop and rhythm and blues charts in the United States. "It's My Party", peaked at #9 in the United Kingdom, becoming Gore's only major hit there...
- Tchin tchin (1963)
- Donne-moi ma chance (1963)
- Ce Monde (1964) – You're My WorldYou're My World"You're My World" is a ballad originally recorded in 1963 as "Il Mio Mondo" by Umberto Bindi, who co-wrote the Italian-language version with Gino Paoli. Rendered with English lyrics by Carl Sigman as "You're My World",the song has reached No...
- À présent tu peux t’en aller (1964) – I Only Want to Be with YouI Only Want to Be with You"I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz...
- À toi de choisir (1964) – Swinging on a StarSwinging on a Star"Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was sung by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since...
- La Corde au cou (1965)
- Je me suis souvent demandé (1965)
- Au revoir mon amour (1965)
- Jamais je ne vivrais sans toi (1965) – You Don't Have to Say You Love MeYou Don't Have to Say You Love Me"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is the title of a 1966 hit recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield which proved to be her career record reaching #1 UK and #4 US: the song subsequently charted in the UK via remakes by Elvis Presley , Guys 'n' Dolls and Denise Welch with Presley's version...
- Hello pussycat (1966) – What's New Pussycat?What's New Pussycat? (song)"What's New Pussycat?" is a song made famous by singers such as Tom Jones, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Anita Kerr and The Four Seasons; it was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It is the title tune of the movie starring Peter Sellers.Barbra Streisand performed several...
- La Terre promise (1966) – California Dreaming
- Sunny (1966) – SunnySunny (song)"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
- Et après (1967)
- Aranjuez, mon Amour (1967) inspired by Concierto de AranjuezConcierto de AranjuezThe Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is probably Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the twentieth century. ...
by Joaquín RodrigoJoaquín RodrigoJoaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success... - Le Grand Meaulnes (1967) – Le Grand MeaulnesLe Grand MeaulnesLe Grand Meaulnes is the only novel by French author Alain-Fournier. Fifteen-year-old François Seurel narrates the story of his relationship with seventeen-year-old Augustin Meaulnes as Meaulnes searches for his lost love. Impulsive, reckless and heroic, Meaulnes embodies the romantic ideal, the...
, song inspired by a novel by the French author Alain-FournierAlain-FournierAlain-Fournier was the pseudonym of Henri Alban-Fournier , a French author and soldier. He was the author of a single novel, Le Grand Meaulnes , which has been twice filmed and is considered a classic of French literature.-Biography:Alain-Fournier was born in La Chapelle-d'Angillon, in the Cher... - Un homme en enfer (1968)
- L’Été (1968)
- Les Ballons (1968)
- Le Sirop Typhon (1969) – Lily the Pink
- Les Petits Cochons (1969)
- L’An 2005 (1969)
- Bien l’bonjour (1970)
- Na na hé espoir (1970)
- Il pleut des larmes (1970) – La Nave del OlvidoLa Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del Olvido is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.With this album, José José became known nationally...
- Non stop (1970)
- New York (1978)
- Señora la dueña (1970)
- San Diego (1978)
- Un soleil rouge (1971)
- Tibo (1971)
- Maggy May (1971) – Maggie MayMaggie May"Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story....
- Sans toi (1972)
- Victoire je t’aime (1973)
- Marie Jeanne (1973)
- Amoureux de ma femme (1974)
- Nathalie (1975)
- Chanson de dix sous (1975)
- De la musique républicaine (1976)
- Voilà pourquoi je l’aime (1976)
- À l’aube du dernier jour (1977)
- Minuit (1980)
- Los Angeles (1981)
- Elle m’attend (1983)
- T'aimer d’amour (1985)
- Barrière des générations (1990)
- Le Rap pas innocent – Ronymix 98 (1998)
- Et je m'en vais – Sloop John BSloop John B"Sloop John B" is the seventh track on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records. It was originally a traditional West Indies folk song, "The John B. Sails," taken from a collection by Carl Sandburg . Alan Lomax made a field recording of...
- Autant chercher à retenir le vent – Catch the Wind
- Je n'ai que toi – All by MyselfAll by Myself"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18...
- Le soleil ne brille plus – The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine AnymoreThe Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine " is the name of a song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was originally released as a single by Frankie Valli in 1965 on the Smash label and has been recorded by numerous artists since, including The Walker Brothers, Cher, and Keane.- Frankie Valli original :The...
- J'irais pleurer sous la pluie – Crying in the RainCrying in the Rain"Crying in the Rain" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Carole King and was originally recorded by The Everly Brothers. The single peaked at #6 on the U.S. pop charts.-Track listing:-Chart performance:-A-ha version:...
- Après toi – The Next TimeThe Next Time"The Next Time" was the first of three number one hit singles from the Cliff Richard musical Summer Holiday. Both sides were marketed as songs with chart potential, and the release is viewed retrospectively as a double A-side single...
- Un papillon qui vole – Elusive ButterflyElusive Butterfly"Elusive Butterfly" is a popular song by Bob Lind released in 1966, which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also recorded and released in 1966 in the UK by the Irish singer Val Doonican...
See also
- List of French singers
- French popular musicFrench popular musicFrench popular music is a music of France belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and mostly distributed commercially. It stands in contrast to French classical music, which historically was the music of elites or the upper strata of society, and...
- Music of FranceMusic of FranceFrance has a wide variety of indigenous folk music, as well as styles played by immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia. In the field of classical music, France has produced a number of legendary composers, while modern pop music has seen the rise of popular French hip hop, techno/funk,...