May 2024

A friendship that defies time. This Monday, Could 27, Alain Souffle celebrates his eightieth birthday. A birthday that Laurent Voulzy won’t fail to want him. For 50 years now, the 2 artists have been inseparable. Between them, all of it started within the early Nineteen Seventies. After successful a prize within the Antibes Rose d’or competitors, Alain Souchon determined to write down his first album. Whereas he was in search of an arranger, he crossed paths with Laurent Voulzy. This assembly thus gave beginning to the album Labeled Advertlater renamed I am ten years previoushowever above all to an extended collaboration. “We did I’m 10, which was profitable. Afterwards, it was gone. All the pieces we did labored. I say this with out pretension as a result of we ourselves had been shocked by it. We made our songs I am bogus, There’s rumba within the air… All of it labored, it was loopy”says Alain Souchon on the airwaves ofEurope 1in November 2020.

And to proceed: “It fascinated us to be so depending on one another. For it to vary our lives to this extent is extraordinary.”. The duo enjoys unparalleled success and types a real tandem of French selection. Then, for Rockcollection, the roles are reversed. Whereas Laurent Voulzy is behind the microphone, Alain Souchon takes up his pen. “Alain thought the concept was good. The factor is, your lyrics might be written a little bit higher. I instructed him, my pricey Alain, the pen is yours. Hop, he rewrote”, remembers Julien Voulzy’s father. End result ? 1,300,000 information are bought in three months. The 2 pals then signed one of many hits of the summer season of 1977. Nevertheless, a small falling out virtually undermined their complicity.

The cellphone name of discord

In the course of the Nineteen Eighties, Alain Souchon made quite a few appearances on the massive display screen. After having loved cinema success with the movie The murderous summer season (1983), Françoise Souchon’s husband impatiently awaits his subsequent collaboration together with his good friend. “I needed to write songs with Alain and I used to be recording an album and I used to be taking, as traditional, much more time than anticipated (…) He was ready to make songs with me. I instructed him: ‘Pay attention Alain, I am not completed, I am removed from completed.’ ‘Ah good ? However you instructed me you needed to end…’ And clack, he hung up !”says Laurent Voulzy on the set of Telematin on France 2in November 2021.

If this cellphone name is the place to begin of an argument, it solely lasts just a few moments. Certainly, tensions between the 2 artists shortly eased. “Thirty seconds later, I referred to as Alain once more. I instructed him, ‘We won’t argue regarding that.’remembers the interpreter of Stunning Island at Sea, Marie Galante within the documentary Alain Souchon: the soundtrack of his lifebroadcast in September 2022 on France 3. The 2 pals can not do with out one another.

© Patrick Carpentier / BestimageLaurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon on the Victoires de la Musique in 2005.

Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy: “A few artists”

This little disagreement is the one and solely within the historical past of their friendship. Whereas the 2 accomplices every commit themselves to their solo careers, they arrive collectively for an distinctive album soberly titled Alain Souchon & Laurent Voulzy in 2014. Though they’ve completely different influences and tastes, they’re at all times able to stunning one another. “I stay admiring the expertise of Laurent who (…) has immense information, and I nonetheless really feel the identical pleasure as following we began on the thought of ​​him introducing me to issues. We’re a few artists who make songs collectively”confides the daddy of Charles and Pierre Souchon within the columns of Launch in October 2014.

For his half, Laurent Voulzy stays amazed by his good friend’s expertise as a songwriter. The years go by and the chemistry remains to be there. “With Laurent, it’s been happening for greater than forty years. It is virtually a love story. He’s a refined musician, whereas on the piano I’m annoying”he admits with tenderness within the columns of Madame Figaro, in November 2021. A decidedly everlasting friendship.

Picture credit: CYRIL MOREAU / BESTIMAGE