HOMME STUDIO (vinyl)

Description

JAZZMAN, CROONER, ENTERTAINER, GUITARIST, CHILDREN'S SINGER... REDISCOVER THE GENIUS OF HENRI SALVADOR. A singing star who turned his back on showbiz to become an independent artist, guided by the visionary ideas of his wife Jacqueline in 1960s France. This is the unusual journey of Henri Salvador, which would lead him to become a star and then to distance himself from the entire record industry circuit to create his music from his living room with his guitars. At fifty, Salvador started using synthesizers, drum machines, multi-track recorders, voice collages, editing, mixing, and produced songs for young and old from Place Vendôme, all by himself. 'Unfortunately, beautiful songs don't make an extraordinary career. These are songs that will exist after my death.' (1969) How to tell Salvador's story? Seventy years of music, a thousand compositions covering all styles. He experienced every trend, every fad, invented others, and adopted some. He is sometimes associated with the yéyés, and it is said that he brought rock to France (1956, with Boris Vian). Yet, he is 26 years older than Johnny Hallyday. When he released "Zorro est arrivé" in 1964, he was 47... and "Jardin d'hiver", 83. Seen from today, it's dizzying. We never know if he's young or old, we don't know where to classify him: jazzman, crooner, entertainer, composer, guitarist, children's singer... "Unfortunately, beautiful songs don't make an extraordinary career. These are songs that will exist after my death." --- Henri Salvador (1969) ---. "What I remember well is his guitar playing. We saw him as an entertainer but he was a virtuoso." --- Louis Chedid ---. As a child, he mastered the guitar without knowing music theory and became so good that he accompanied Django Reinhardt. He taught himself to sing and compose. The 1930s marked his apprenticeship. The 1940s were those of emancipation within orchestras where his talents flourished. He developed his audience and his tricks: bursts of laughter and seduction. In the 1950s, he rediscovered the island tunes of his childhood, reconnected with jazz, swing, and blues. He sang for children. The unforgettable "chanson douce". His voice matured. His cheeky charm gave way to a multifaceted talent, he filled venues, surrounded himself with solid lyricists, and produced classics one after another. Le blues du dentiste, Dans mon île, Syracuse. INDEPENDENCE: Witnessing showbiz, his wife Jacqueline observed that artists, excluded from professional discussions, were often exploited. Henri successively broke the chains that bound him to Philips, Vogue, Barclay, his publisher, his manager, and became autonomous. The Salvadors familiarized themselves with the intricacies of production, publishing, pressing, distribution, and promotion. The Rigolo label was born on Place Vendôme. Homemade clips were broadcast on TV shows they produced themselves: Salves d'Or, Dimanche Salvador. The method proved successful. The Salvador couple entered the 1970s with confidence. How far would Salvador have gone in his living room if he had continued his recordings beyond 1975? Would he have been among the pioneers of rap or techno? In 1975, Jacqueline was diagnosed with cancer. As she managed everything, decided everything, initiated everything, the Rigolo house slowed down. Jacqueline passed away the following year. It was the end of an era. The end of the home studio. "In the 60s, artists were fleeced, with grotesque percentages. In the 80s, lawyers got involved. The economy changed, non-recoupable advances arrived. Record companies started to pay more so that artists wouldn't do what Henri Salvador did." Louis Chedid With Jacqueline, Henri Salvador should have set an example for all other artists: independence from an unjust and rigid system. From 1980, he re-recorded his hits, released lackluster singles, but remained a stage beast who made all of Paris dance and a champion of youth (Emilie Jolie, La petite sirène). The 1990s were artistically dark, but romantically rosy: he met his last wife, Catherine. Carried and enlightened once again, the 2000s would mark his great comeback thanks to Chambre avec vue.