Sacha Distel, The good life. We have been wondering for years whether to take this declaration of the great French crooner at face value: to live without love, normally, is suffering, not “the good life” – despite the last verse that s address to the loved one by claiming his presence. Here is a pretty tale; not exactly a Christmas tale, a show business tale.
At that time, in 1961, Sacha Distel is a star of the song who has not forgotten his first profession, guitarist and composer of jazz. And, for a movie, The seven deadly sins, he composes and records a small instrumental melody, which he calls Marina – quite simply because Marina Vlady is on screen.
And that melody is going to become a hit song … in America, thanks to two of America’s greatest crooners.
In this episode of These crooners who make parties, you hear excerpts from:
Sacha Distel, The good life, 1963
Sacha Distel, Marina (BOF The seven deadly sins), 1961
Tony Bennett, The Good Life, 1962
Sacha Distel, The good life, 1963
Frank Sinatra, The Good Life, 1964
Simone Langlois, The good life, 1963
Julie London, The Good Life, 1963
Thomas Dutronc, The good life, 2020
Bobby Darin, The Good Life, 1965
Thomas Dutronc, The Good Life, 2020
Sacha Distel, The good life, 1973
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Remember: during the summer of 2019, La Playlist de Françoise Hardy was a journey through the musical baggage of an author, composer and performer considered to be the arbiter of the elegance of pop in France.
In July and August 2017, we spent Un été en Souchon, during which Alain Souchon guided us on a tasty walk through a lifetime of love for song.