Richard Clayderman is a pianist. He has sold over 90 million records, performed over 2,000 concerts worldwide and received over 340 gold and platinum records. His work already consists of 1400 titles. He’s back and has just released a double album including unreleased tracks and covers from other artists: Forever Love.
franceinfo: Your journey has earned you the nickname: ‘The prince of romance’. Okay with you ?
Richard Clayderman: I’m OK with that. I think there’s this relationship between my music, which is quite romantic, and then my personality, so that’s fine with me, but all that, in 45 years of career, it’s not bad to still be there!
What is your view of these 45 years of career?
It is an extraordinary look. I remember when I was much younger, I didn’t think I would make this career, I was a piano accompanist and it amused me a lot. I was happy to earn my living with music and then afterwards, there was the meeting with my producers. So I still have a look of wonder, even after 45 years of career. Being able to continue to do concerts, tours, it touches me, especially since there are talented pianists around the world. I must say that I am quite lucky and then, I hope to continue like this for quite some time.
You are releasing a new album called: Forever Love. It’s a double album with new compositions on one side, and a best of album on the other. You cover a lot of things, like Coldplay. What does this album represent for you? This return, finally.
It’s true that with the Covid-19, the confinements, it’s been two years that we, musicians, artists, have been deprived of concerts, of stage. We thought during this period of trying to release an album, especially for France, which has been put aside with me for quite a while since I travel around the world. I’m welcomed with open arms almost everywhere, so it’s not that I’m taking it easy, but hey… I know that every time I have to do something in France, it requires a lot of promotions and it takes me a lot of time. It was the right time to release an album.
Your dad was an accordion teacher at the Romainville music school. You started studying the piano at age six. Didn’t you grow up too fast?
I always grew up with a love of music. My studies were not particularly brilliant, what I wanted was to play with musicians.
Richard Claydermanat franceinfo
Let’s say the piano was at home. My dad helped me a lot at first and then what interested me was music, sitting at the piano and playing. There were students parading at home with my dad, I was always intrigued with everything that was going on there.
You got fired by the way! You were kicked out because you were far too absent.
From the first class, it was catastrophic. I was already playing with other musicians, I was doing balls. I left on Friday, I came back on Monday, without sleeping, because we had played a lot. Yes, it was only the music that interested me.
You already had real predispositions. You joined the Paris Conservatory at the age of 12 and when you left, you started working as an accompanist and stage musician. When we say : “Richard Clayderman“, we obviously think of this angelic head and it’s true that a lot of women have fallen in love with you. In 1977, there was a changeover with: Ballad for Adeline, your first 45 rpm, which will become a colossal hit, composed by producer Paul de Senneville. Worldwide success, 22 million records sold in 38 countries. Did you lose your footing at that time?
A little. That is to say, even with my producers, we said to each other: “If we make a small success with this very simple, but touching piece, great. You can continue to support your artists. We’ll see what happens to you afterwards.“There was Spain, Germany, England, we were really overwhelmed by events.
What also suited you were the concerts. There was a time when you even chained 200 concerts over 250 days. Does that mean that the stage is part of your life, that it’s the most important element?
It’s good to release records, but you have to embody them on stage.
Richard Claydermanat franceinfo
I think that’s what got my career going. It was important to have this career on stage and I believe that if I am still there today, it is thanks to her.
It’s hard for you to hear:Return” in France ?
A little. I still remember having done the Olympia for ten or 12 concerts. The Salle Pleyel too, which at the time was a challenge for a pianist like me, half-variety, half-popular, a bit classical… Performing 13 concerts at the Salle Pleyel was extraordinary. So, I don’t have the feeling of having missed something, but of having left France aside a little and that’s why I’m trying to catch up, now, a little bit.
In this new album. We feel that you are having fun, that you also needed to unwind the thread of your career. Was it important to make a best of, to redefine where you had gone, the hits that have accompanied us for so many years?
Yes. It’s a double album with in one, covers and original songs and in the other album, these are songs that I interpreted, liked to play 10, 15, 20 years ago. It’s a bit like an unfolding of my career.