Laurent Voulzy

Laurent Voulzy rose to prominence among leading figures in modern French pop as a composer, even with a modest discography that averaged roughly one album per decade. His extended partnership with Alain Souchon allowed obsessive studio focus to define the elegant melodies and layered productions that mark his signature style. Born in Paris on December 18, 1945, he passed much of his early years in Nogent-sur-Marne, where he formed a childhood friendship with fellow music enthusiast Christian Vander, who later fronted the French prog rock ensemble Magma. At age 14 he launched his first group, soon setting aside drums to concentrate on guitar.

Beatlemania shaped his artistic growth profoundly, and a 1965 trip to England amounted chiefly to a record-buying excursion that yielded numerous British Invasion releases. He soon began writing original material, claiming victory in a regional songwriting competition in 1967 with his composition “Timide.” Military obligations halted his initial momentum, after which he entered law school upon returning from service. Finding law unappealing, Voulzy formed the Paris rock band Le Poing in 1969; the group toured widely without ever recording, yet the two-year experience refined his songcraft, leading in 1971 to a demo that reached RCA. The label offered a contract, and the following year he released his first single, “L’Amour Est un Oiseau,” which failed to chart; its 1973 successor, “La Maison à Croquer,” met the same outcome.

In late 1973 Voulzy joined forces with Souchon, another aspiring singer-songwriter whose lyric-writing talent complemented his compositional approach. Their debut album, J’ai 10 Ans, appeared a year later and delivered their breakthrough via the title track. Bidon followed in 1975, solidifying their rising stature while drawing broad critical praise. Although Souchon handled public performances, extensive touring, and film roles, Voulzy gained a reputation as a perfectionist recluse devoted to prolonged studio sessions. Souchon’s solo path advanced steadily, yet Voulzy revived his own solo work only in 1977 with the single “Rockcollection,” a lively homage to the pop sounds of his youth. The track reached number one on the French pop charts, and its 1978 follow-up, “Bubble Star,” likewise achieved major success.

After extended refinement, his first solo album, Le Coeur Grenadine, reached stores in 1979 and yielded two chart-topping singles in “Karin Redinger” and the title song. Despite strong sales, Voulzy declined to tour, though he joined Souchon for a 1980 residency at Paris’ Olympia. He ended that year with another number-one single, the Beach Boys tribute “Surfin’ Jack,” and scored again in 1981 with “Idéal Simplifié.” His second solo album, Bopper en Larmes, arrived in late 1981, just four years after its predecessor. In 1983 he even performed a rare headline concert in the French West Indies, his parents’ homeland.

Voulzy remained largely studio-bound for the rest of the decade, partnering in 1984 with actress Véronique Jeannot on the hit duet “Belle-Ile-en-Mer,” later voted Best French Song of the 1980s in a 1990 industry poll. He renewed his songwriting alliance with Souchon in 1985, retreating to a telephone-free Brittany house to create C’Est Comme Vous Voulez. The 1986 single “Les Nuits Sans Kim Wilde” returned him to the top of the French pop charts, a feat repeated in 1988 with “Le Soleil Donne.” A 1989 compilation, Belle-Ile-en-Mer, gathered his earlier singles, yet fresh material waited until the 1992 release of Caché Derrière, more than a decade after Bopper en Larmes. Powered by the hits “Carib Islander,” “Le Rêve du Pêcheur,” and “Le Pouvoir des Fleurs,” the album earned the SACEM’s Grand Prix de la Chanson Française and Album of the Year at the Victoire de la Musique awards. The recognition led Voulzy to schedule his own Paris concerts; a three-week run at the Casino de Paris sold out rapidly, prompting an additional December 1993 appearance at Le Zénith. The Casino de Paris performances later produced the live album Voulzy Tour, featuring an 18-minute version of “Rockcollection.” He then withdrew once more, devoting the next two years to perfecting a new home studio beside the River Marne.

Following a brief return via Souchon’s Au Ras des Pâquerettes, Voulzy resumed work on his next solo project, Avril, released in late 2001 after three years of meticulous revision. The introspective, autobiographical album spawned the major hit “Une Heroine” as its lead single, while its 13-minute closing track, “I Want You”—a expansive Beatles tribute performed as a duet with Souchon—stood out most prominently. Avril brought the 57-year-old Voulzy a second Victoire de la Musique Album of the Year award and supported his most extensive tour to date. In 2005 he issued the two-disc greatest-hits collection Saisons, which included the new song “Là Où Je Vais.” He also collaborated with emerging pop singer Nolwenn Leroy, ultimately writing roughly half the tracks on her album Histoires Naturelles. Summer 2006 brought La Septième Vague, a covers set spotlighting personal favorites such as the Doors’ “Light My Fire,” Etienne Daho’s “Duel au Soleil,” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” the last performed with Souchon. Two years after La Septième Vague, Voulzy released 2008’s Recollection, a collection of older material partly rewritten and rerecorded with contemporary production. Lys & Love appeared in 2011 as his first collection of new songs since 2001’s Avril; inspired by his fascination with medieval history, the album featured a series of medieval pop compositions.