more and more popular artists are trying their hand at symphonic cover albums

Two cover albums in symphonic version were released on Friday: one of Renaud’s hits, the other by Johnny Halliday. More and more popular artists are embarking on this exercise.

In My Strings, this is the name of an album released Friday December 1st which brings together Renaud’s greatest hits in symphonic version. More and more popular artists are choosing to release “symphonic covers” of some of their songs. It’s a trend that continues, but there is a big disparity between albums. He knows it well, Renaud, that he no longer has the voice of his good years. On the videos of his current tour, we see him physically weakened, singing with great difficulty. Despite everything, the singer continues, and he has decided to adorn his greatest hits with strings, helped by a double female quartet. Strangely, no singles were scouted.

Unlike the integral Johnny Symphonic, also released. It is a posthumous version of Johnny Hallyday’s hits orchestrated by his friend Yvan Cassar. “My first reaction was to say no because I wasn’t sure if I was doing something righthe confided when the first part of this complete was released. Fortunately, I was given a lot of freedom of choice, I was told that if I didn’t want to do it, it didn’t matter. I said to myself: ‘Let’s give this audience who loves it the gift that I had, let’s see if it’s possible to do it and go for maximum quality.’ The important thing is to feel in tune, on a human level, with what we said to each other, what I experienced with him.”

The symphonic cover, marketing idea or real creative exploration?

The first part had exceeded half a million copies sold and the tour continues, a sign of the commercial success of the method. But when the artists are no longer there to validate, the process raises questions. The pieces of Edith Piaf or Elvis, constantly remodeled, are the perfect example. The commercial exploitation of the repertoire of a deceased person on one side, adventurous and original creations on the other. In quick succession in recent weeks, Rone, Benjamin Biolay and Bernard Lavilliers have released symphonic albums. “You shouldn’t put on your evening clothes at all, ‘I’m giving you classics because I’m cultured’, laughs the Saint-Etienne singer. VSIt must be complementary, it can even be seen as a diversion.”

And if symphonic dressing is not new, it often takes on the trappings of a tribute, whether it was Kyle Eastwood recently for his father Clint, or Jane Birkin singing Serge Gainsbourg surrounded by an orchestra, the quality often being the consequence of the purity of intention.