Plamondon and eternal glory

The show Plamondon: words that resonate presented this Saturday evening on Télé-Québec has several qualities. Firstly its production by Christian Lalumière, then the choice of performers which goes off the beaten track. Well done ! We find Clay and Friends, Lydia Képinski, LUMIÈRE, Cindy Bédard, Salomé Leclerc, Matiu, Martha Wainwright, Fanny Bloom, Ariane Roy, as well as Mélissa Bédard, Laurence Jalbert and Bruno Pelletier.

Don’t expect a big presence from Plamondon. He arrives at the very end for a simple cameo. As for his voice, it comes from archive extracts (Monique Giroux’s show in particular) in which he recounts the origin of the songs presented. That of Belmont Park is overwhelming.

Hats off to Alex McMahon for bringing the proposed works up to date so well (Summer paths, Belmont Park, Call girl, Heart of a rocker, Oxygen, Against each other, Love still exists, Words that ring, The businessman’s blues, The Cathedrals Time, A boy like no other, Hymn to the beauty of the world).

I’m warning you, you’re in for a bit of a shock. The vocals and arrangements are light years away from the original versions. Surprising and disappointing detail, these fabulous recordings will not be found on any platform.

You will have understood, we relied on well-known songs. The sharp admirer in me deplores a lack of audacity here. Despite the hundreds of creations by this prolific author, we always come back to the same titles.

Meanwhile, nuggets like Around the block, The bagomane, Twentieth floor, Five to seven, Weekend on the moon, This is where I want to live, Lullaby for a man, Going for glory, I am a woman of today, Roundabout, I had two lovers Or The straight singer continue to slumber.

Come on, designers, dare a little! “There has to be one who does it,” as Diane Dufresne said so well!

This tribute to Plamondon (followed by a special edition ofLive from the universe dedicated to the new team of Starmania) comes exactly 50 years after an incredible period of turmoil for the lyricist, a title he claims loud and clear.

In 1974, then aged 32, Plamondon came out of a fertile period of writing with the records Apart from that I feel good/Circus OperaDiane Dufresne’s most daring project, Tonight I make love with you who makes Renée Claude sing The world is crazyin the same way Fluffyundoubtedly Donald Lautrec’s best record (The sun is gone, The wall behind the barn, The groundhog).

In the mid-1970s, Plamondon was the one that performers tried to seduce to extract from him words that he knew how to make sound thanks to a method of which he had the secret. André Gagnon once told him that he wrote poems, not songs. This did not fall on deaf ears.

At this time, Plamondon wrote with extraordinary energy. His creativity seems bottomless. He creates for Denise Filiatrault, who wants to impress with the show A show that tempts me with people I lovethe song We all do showbusiness. It will be taken up in 1976 by Diane Dufresne in My first show.

He also signed some new titles for Renée Claude who presented the show in October 1974 at Place des Arts I’m a woman. Pauline Julien also wants her share of Plamondon. He makes him The trip to Miami. Pierre Lalonde raises his hand. It will be A woman in my life.

Added to this is the start of writing the songs for the record On the same wavelength by Diane Dufresne on which we will find bombs: The ups and downs of being a flight attendant, I need a boyfriend And Song for Elvis.

It was also during this period that he received a call from a certain Michel Berger. The French composer offers to team up with him to create a rock opera. The work will last two years. Starmania will be premiered on stage in Paris in 1978.

While he was developing the framework for this now legendary work, French artists took the opportunity to get hold of him: Françoise Hardy (Flashback), Catherine Lara (The last meeting, Plug into me) and Nicole Croisille (Everyone can sing their song).

Fifty years after experiencing this incredible whirlwind, Luc Plamondon is entitled to the same intoxication with the return of Starmania in Quebec and an international tour of Notre Dame de Paris. Never seen !

Luc Plamondon is rare. But every time I have seen him in recent months (he receives a generous ovation when he goes up to greet the public), I have felt him happy, so happy.

What blows my mind about Luc Plamondon is that this profession of lyricist that he wanted to do from the age of 8 was the only occupation of his life. While the arts world often forces creators to sell their soul to the devil, to clown in many spheres, this guy has always stayed in his groove.

In this day and age, that is a feat.

Plamondon: words that resonateApril 6 at 9 p.m. and April 7 at 8 p.m., Télé-Québec