“A little regret for the atmosphere of the 50s, but without melancholy”

Alain Souchon has been one of the major figures of French song since the 70s. His career is notably marked by his collaboration, his very strong friendship with Laurent Voulzy since 1974. He released, a few weeks ago, a best-of , (New collection, including three CDs with 57 very well-known titles or a little less and today, we are talking about the song Fifties soul.

franceinfo: The magic of this week spent with you will continue since you are on tour. Is the stage your playground today?

Alain Souchon: “Playground”, I did not expect that! It’s very nice to sing, but at the same time, when it’s every night and we make trips between, it’s a bit tiring. Not tiring like when you want to sleep, it’s for the voice. We’re anxious for her, as long as it’s okay tomorrow, I didn’t sleep well. These are physical things like footballers must have, it’s at that level, but without that, of course, to find friends who applaud you, it’s wonderful, really.

When we come to applaud you, we realize your humor, the love of the public. Your friendship with Laurent Voulzy finally gave in 2014, after 40 years of waiting, an album, which we no longer expected elsewhere: Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy. Why did you take so long?

“We made a record, with Laurent Voulzy, especially to be able to sing together songs that brought people together, that didn’t clash too much with his ideas or mine.”

Alain Souchon

to franceinfo

We each have our personalities, therefore. After that, it was a real pleasure because we like to sing in two voices.

I have the impression that it has, moreover, changed your way of interpreting, in particular with this first single: Behind the words, welcomed with open arms by the public and which flooded the airwaves very quickly. This song is a beautiful summary of this collaboration, this friendship, these moments of sharing.

Yes. It was a pleasure to do that. His music carries you, takes you on board and then we sing in two voices! And then, it was funny to say: “Behind the words. Behind our voices. Do we see our hearts?“

In 2019 came out Fifties souls, ten songs written to mark lots of things like your desire to come back to the forefront and then a collaboration with Edouard Baer.

I find Edouard Baer extraordinary. We were talking on the phone, he would say words and I would ask him: Don’t you mind that we make a song out of it? And then afterwards, he was even a little happy so we continued to do the song together. It is called Almost with music by Pierre and Charles. It was a pleasure.

This transmission to your children is also incredible.

Yes. Pierre has a gift for finding melodies that we remember. He doesn’t want to be a singer, although he was a little bit at first, but he didn’t like it at all. He likes to make melodies. And Ours is having a great career, it’s going well. He does concerts where there are always people, that’s good.

“I am happy to see Pierre and Ours making music. It amuses them that I am a singer, and I like that they are also singers because they thrive in it. either like that. “

Alain Souchon

to franceinfo

What is your view on this course?

How lucky I was! That’s all I can tell you. To have the wife that I have, to have met Laurent Voulzy, to have my children and my grandchildren as they are. To have this kind of little gift that is beyond me a bit, to make songs and have them soar among people like that, it’s quite wonderful.

Were there moments of doubt?

There are all the time! When we start a sentence, we say to ourselves: “This is silly“, so I ask Peter and Bear what they think about it.

What isFifties soul so ?

It is this look at the world of the 1950s that has stuck with me a little. That is to say that we always have a little regret for the cars of the time, the atmosphere of the time, but without melancholy. Just like that, it exists.

What does this last album represent?