This Wednesday, June 21, on the occasion of the music festival, RTL unveiled the favorite title of the French. According to our colleagues, Desire, by Johnny Hallyday, broke all records. “Envy won 27.06% of the vote ahead of Renaud, Maxime Le Forestier, Céline Dion and Laurent Voulzy.reported Yves Calvi in particular before Steven Bellery said more about this iconic piece.
Favorite French song of the French: “L’Envie” by Johnny Hallyday! @StevenBellery In #RTLMatinpic.twitter.com/0wpFCq34Kc
—RTL France (@RTLFrance) June 21, 2023
“This song, Jean-Jacques Goldman had written it originally thinking of Michel Sardou. Legend has it that he refused it”, says the reporter. Johnny Hallyday almost missed out on one of his most famous titles! “1986, Johnny Hallyday wants to reiterate the success of Rock’n’roll Attitude concocted by Berger (Michel, editor’s note) an album written by a single songwriter”.
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Envy interpreted 989 times
“Goldman triumphs, Johnny met him here at RTL, two years ago to share a duet in Sunday Rock. Contacted, Jean-Jacques accepts on the condition of writing only one side, half of the disc. He sends 7 songs , all accepted, he will write, compose and finally produce the 10 tracks of the album Gang, the name of the studio where the tracks were recorded. Envy opens the album but will only be used as the 5th single. It was yet Hallyday’s favorite track”, continues Steven Bellery.
A title that “sticked to the skin” of the artist and that he has “performed 989 times on stage”. For the columnist, it is a “powerful piece, of communion, it is besides a live version which will be sent to the radios, recorded in Paris Bercy the previous year. Johnny interpreted it while crossing a curtain of water. A song that will become a standard in his repertoire.” And to conclude: “VSis the 6th most sung title of his repertoire. The second most listened to track on Spotify, the third on Deezer and today the favorite of RTL listeners.” Does Michel Sardou regret having refused such a piece? Mystery…
VB