“Friendship is as beautiful as love. It’s part of life”

The exceptional guest of Le Monde d’Élodie, from Monday December 25 to Friday December 29, 2023, is the singer, lyricist and actor, Eddy Mitchell. He has just published a “best of”: “The album of his life (1964-2021)” including 100 of his emblematic titles and a book: “Eddy Mitchell, my ideal discotheque” in which he has selected 50 albums that have marked his life.

Eddy Mitchell, a true living legend of French song, is also a notable actor in French cinema. When we talk about music, we invariably think of titles: Water mint color (1980), On the road to Memphis (1976), No boogie woogie (1976), The last session (1977) or even You can prepare black coffee (1979) and his five Victoires de la Musique.

When we talk about cinema, we remember this César for best actor for a supporting role for the film Happiness is in the meadow by Étienne Chatiliez in 1995, but also by Gaston Lapouge by Franck Apprederis (1981) or even to Wipe by Bertrand Tavernier (1991).

Eddy Mitchell spends five days with us to tell the photos of his life, the place of music, cinema and the public in this exceptional journey of more than 60 years with: 39 albums, 16 live albums, 500 songs, Victoires de la musique, millions of albums sold and a César.

He has just released a box set entitled Eddy Mitchell – The album of his life, i.e. 100 titles gathered in five CDs, or 50 in three CDs, or even a box set of vinyls. And then there is this book, Eddy Mitchell, my ideal nightclub by Alain Artaud-Macari and Marc Maret published by Hors Collection.

franceinfo: What also defines you is friendship. What does friendship mean to you?

Eddie Mitchell: This is something important. It is first of all as beautiful as love and then it is part of life. If we don’t have friends, we are alone, we are sad. Friendship is something very strong.

The first, in the music world, was Johnny Hallyday?

Yes, it’s true. Johnny has held and still holds an important place in my heart.

Do you miss him a lot?

Yes.

You were angry with him when he died.

Like with Pierre Papadiamandis. These people lied to me. Are you taking care of yourself? Do you take blood tests? “Yes, yes, don’t worry” and nothing.

I would like us to address these famous collaborations and therefore the old scoundrels, inevitably. It’s funny because you have three completely different personalities and at the same time it was fusional.

Yes, because we love each other very much. Jacques Dutronc is also a very long-time friend and Johnny the same, so all that was normal. It’s normal that this happens to us.

The public was immediately amazed by this trio. It has become a legendary trio of French song, with sold-out concerts. Did going on stage as a threesome change anything?

Yes, because I wasn’t the boss, but I supported Johnny a little, who wasn’t in great shape. As for Jacques, he often slept and he still had to be pushed!

There are other collaborations that I would like us to come back to, like the one with Christophe that we discover in this box set.

Oh yes. Christophe, it’s the same. He’s a long-time friend. We got to know each other, we played poker, we exchanged our 78s. He had jukeboxes.

“Christophe was an incredible character. He lived at night and slept during the day unlike me.”

Eddie Mitchell

at franceinfo

There is a collaboration with a woman we really like, it’s Véronique Sanson and The elephant cemetery. She spoke to so many people.

I first recorded the song in Los Angeles and then we were like: “Hey, it would be nice to make another version” when we were in New York. But in New York, things were going very badly for me, because there were big names like Richard Tee, etc. And one day, the drummer comes in saying: “Where is the cocaine?“I told myself that this was starting out very badly. I replied that there was no cocaine here.”oh good! “The guy gets angry. And then we start playing, it didn’t suit me. I let it go, I’m going to eat something, have a drink and it was Pierre’s wife and mine who discussed it again with the musicians , for them to come back and play. And there, it went well.

Véronique Sanson said “yes” straight away when you suggested this duo to her. It too is impregnated by the United States. What does Véronique Sanson, such an emblematic singer for France, mean to you?

I adore ! I love Véronique, that’s nothing new. I love his songs. The character is amazing and fun. She’s funny, she’s Véronique Sanson.

There is also Gregory Porter with his extraordinary, unique voice. We find this song in this box set. You have this ability to make your voice work with almost any voice. Was there any apprehension?

Yes, there was, because when you find yourself with big names like Sanson, Gregory Porter and Christophe, you have to be up to the task. You shouldn’t try to sing like them, but you should try to sing well.

What are your best collaborations?

I think it’s Christophe. I love the way he sings A portrait of Norman Rockwell.

You have been with us for 60 years. What does this journey mean to you?

It is not finished. It represents the past, but for me, it’s the future that interests me.

So what is the future?

The future is first of all a TV film that I am making with Laurent Gerra. Then, it’s a film that I have to make with Fred Testot. Then, an album that I have to prepare with Alain Souchon, Laurent Voulzy, Alain Chamfort, Michel Jonasz.