On August 2, 1992, Michel Berger was struck down by a heart attack. 30 years later, the singer leaves a great void in the world of French song. A look back at his songs and the muses who inspired him: Véronique Sanson and France Gall.
Michael Berger left us on August 2, 1992. 30 years after his death, his songs still capsize the hearts of the French, because love is at the center of his musical creations. In the show Hello Good evening night, of August 1, 1981, Michael Berger “finds that emotion is something very musical and that the song […] it’s really made, at the start, to talk about love to someone”.
On the occasion of the broadcast of the Grand-Est radio creation workshops series, Michel Berger, a few words of love, France Bleu interviewed its author, the journalist specializing in French variety, Valérie Alamo. During this interview, we focused on Muses of Michel Berger : Veronique Sanson and France Gall.
The role of Véronique Sanson and France Gall was the same, but in a different way […] Michel Berger needs muses to write for women, but also to write for him – Valérie Alamo
Both counted enormously in the life of Michel Berger, whether artistically or emotionally. Both loved him, inspired him and allowed him to become the artist who, 30 years after his death, is still remembered.
– Bertrand Laforet
Véronique Sanson, her artistic twin
After a career as a more than fleeting singer in the 1960s of the yéyés, Michael Berger, after studying philosophy, became artistic director at Pathé Marconi. In 1966, accompanied by Claude-Michel Schönberg, he auditioned for the group Les Roche Martin. This musical trio is made up of François Bernheim, Violaine Sanson and… Veronique Sanson.
Both were captivated by Véronique Sanson, by her grace, by her way of playing the piano, by her will. And of course, it was love at first sight – Valérie Alamo
Michael Berger and Veronique Sanson work together and they love each other. In 1971, he left for WEA Records and signed his companion to this new record label. The couple is in perpetual artistic competition. They set themselves composition challenges, to whoever will create the most in a given time. Michael Berger even imagine that they are part of the SAM, the Society of Mutual Admiration. It is true that everything brings them together. They both come from large bourgeois families and have an inconsiderate love for the piano and their ways of playing it. Added to this are their same musical influences, as well as their approach and musical phrasing.
We were very twins, on the approach of the music, on the approach of the songs – Véronique Sanson, 20 hours the newspaper on France 2, September 28, 1999
In 1972 the first album of Veronique Sanson, in love. A whole program even if during an interview given to Europe 1, May 20, 2012, Véronique Sanson affirms that none of her songs were intended for Michael Berger.
– United Archives
Veronique Sanson writes the text and the music while Michael Berger produced the album. This first album barely released, the couple is already working on a second disc, On the other side of my dream. While mixing this second opus, Veronique Sanson disappears.
Michael Berger, worried, looks for her everywhere. Nobody finds her. He later learns that she flew to the United States to join the American singer Stephen Stillsthis “bad boy” who offered him another much more rock’n’roll life.
Inconsolable, Michel Berger nevertheless finished the production of On the other side of my dream. As unlikely as it may seem, Michael Berger and Veronique Sanson never co-wrote a single song.
The rupture, it tore human beings apart […] but she grew up the artists. All his life Berger wrote small sentences for Véronique Sanson. And Véronique Sanson, the same – Valérie Alamo
France Gall, her feminine double
After the departure of Veronique Sanson, Michael Berger is annihilated. While continuing the production of the second album of Veronique Sansonhe’s working on his record that fans will call Broken Heart because of the cover created by Jean-Marie Périer representing a red heart torn in two.
The album was released on March 7, 1973 and the title Wait for me is broadcast on all radio stations. That’s when France Gall discover Michael Berger and decides to work with him. The singer is at the bottom of the wave and wants a new start. France Gall meets him during a radio broadcast on Europe 1 and asks him his opinion on the songs that are offered to him. Michel Berger is appalled by the texts and refuses France Gall’s proposal to write for her.
He didn’t want a kid, in quotes, who sang ‘Sacré Charlemagne’. This variety that he despised a little bit, anyway – Valérie Alamo
– Jacques Haillot
A few months later, Michel Berger offers him to put his voice on one of his songs My son will laugh at rock’n’roll. France Gall runs and he can’t believe it, because she sings the song as if it were hers and she has an incredible sense of rhythm. This is the beginning of their collaboration and little by little Michael Berger fall in love and compose The statement.
That’s the hardest thing is to find people who suit you and who write things that suit you and that you like – France Gall, Stay with us on Monday on TF1, the 14th June 1976
Michael Berger found in France Gall her ideal interpreter, he who “dressed her with his words [et] he also made him sing what he couldn’t say, couldn’t sing, because he’s modest, because he doesn’t have a voice”. Until his death in 1992, Michael Berger wrote him seven albums with words in which France Gall recognised itself.
When he sees how much France Gall inhabits his music, Michel Berger makes albums for him. He will do it to him until he disappears. It’s his muse, France Gall – Valérie Alamo
In June 1992, released the album Double-dealing, the first duet album of the singer couple. For the first time, there is no love song. Their relationship withers. France Gall, co-producer of the album, gives him a hard time during the recording. She makes him rewrite all the songs and finds that the music is wrong. She attacks the artist. Michael Berger comes out of the recording bruised and tired. While promoting the album, he succumbed to a heart attack in his house in Ramatuelle in the Var.
Bringing the memory of Michel Berger to life
After the death of Michael Berger, France Gall decides to defend their latest album alone on stage. The appointment is made at Bercy for the month of September 1993. The show, full of emotion, is sold out. Two years later, France Gall released an album of covers, France, in a new jack swing style. In 1997, a new drama touched France Gall. Pauline, the eldest daughter she had with Michael Berger, died of cystic fibrosis. The singer decides to stop her career. On January 7, 2018, France Gall died of a lung infection following a recurrence of breast cancer, she was 70 years old.
Paths have rarely crossed again Veronique Sanson and Michael Berger. After their separation, their relationship becomes epistolary through the lyrics of a few songs. In 1999, the singer decided to resume compositions of her childhood love with the album From a butterfly to a star. Success is there, as is the tour that follows.
Both have only one goal, that of keeping the memory of Michel Berger and his songs alive. 30 years after his death, his musical work has not fallen into oblivion.
For further
Find the podcast of the Grand Est radio creation workshops, Michel Berger, a few words of loveon France Bleu and in the Radio France application.