Les Fleurs du Mal (Therion album)

Les Fleurs du Mal
Les Fleurs du Mal
	Cover art by Saturno Buttò
Studio album by Therion
Released	28 September 2012
Recorded	2011—2012
Studio	Adulruna Studio, Sweden
Genre	Symphonic metal, ye-ye
Length	47:56
Language	French
Label	Self-publishing
Producer	Christofer Johnsson
Therion chronology
Tour album CD cover

Les Fleurs du Mal is the fifteenth studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion. It is a cover album that was released on 28 September 2012 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band.^[1] Named after the 1857 volume of poetry Les Fleurs du mal, the album is fully sung in French language. It consist of metal cover versions of French pop songs from 1960s and 1970s, mostly from the ye-ye genre.

Production edit

The album was financed by Christofer Johnsson who considers the album a part of an art project.^[1]^[2] It was made available for pre-order at Therion's webstore on 2 September 2012.^[3] Johnsson announced that the version sold at concerts with a different cover, would include a bonus track and a poster, and that his "aim is to sign and personally dedicate every single one of them at the shows".^[2]

Track listing edit

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
1.	"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" ("Wax Doll, Rag Doll")	Serge Gainsbourg	France Gall (1965)	2:51
2.	"Une fleur dans le cœur" ("A Flower in the Heart")	Christophe Schaeffer, Pawson/Chambers	Victoire Scott (1968)	3:03
3.	"Initials B.B." (B.B. is for Brigitte Bardot)	Serge Gainsbourg	Serge Gainsbourg (1968)	3:44
4.	"Mon amour, mon ami" ("My Love, my Friend"^[4])	Eddy Marnay, André Popp	Marie Laforêt (1967)	4:35
5.	"Polichinelle" ("Pulcinella")	Pierre Saka, Jean Bernard	France Gall (1967)	2:28
6.	"La Maritza" ("The Maritsa")	Pierre Delanoë, Jean Renard	Sylvie Vartan (1968)	3:54
7.	"Sœur Angélique" ("Sister Angelica")	Michel Rivgauche, Georges Liferman	Annie Philippe (1966)	3:05
8.	"Dis-moi poupée" ("Tell me Doll"^[5])	Jean Albertini, Johnny Rech	Isabelle (1967)	3:24
9.	"Lilith"	Léonie Lousseau, Karl Heinz Schäfer	Léonie (1972)	2:30
10.	"En Alabama" ("In Alabama")	Sébastien Poitrenaud, Jean-Claude Vannier	Léonie (1971)	2:39
11.	"Wahala Manitou"	Étienne Roda-Gil, Christophe	Léonie (1971)	2:34
12.	"Je n’ai besoin que de tendresse" (I Need Only Tenderness")	Claire Dixon, Daniel Faure	Claire Dixon 1967	2:14
13.	"La Licorne d’or" ("The Gold Unicorn")	Christian Turban, Michel Bernholc	Victoire Scott (1968)	2:45
14.	"J’ai le mal de toi" ("I Miss You")	Michaële/Georges Costa, Gabriel Yared	Betty Mars (1974)	2:51
15.	"Poupée de cire, poupée de son" ("Wax Doll, Rag Doll")	Serge Gainsbourg	France Gall (1965)	2:31
Total length:				45:16

Bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
16.	"Les Sucettes" ("The Lollipops")	Serge Gainsbourg	France Gall 1966	2:40
Total length:				47:56

Personnel edit

The album was recorded by the following artists:^[6]

Band

Lori Lewis - soprano and main vocals
Thomas Vikström - tenor and main vocals
Christofer Johnsson - rhythm guitars, synthesizers, Hammond organ and programming, of tubular bells, timpani, clarinet, double bass and harp. Arrangements, audio engineer and record producer.
Christian Vidal - solo guitars, electric sitar
Nalle "Grizzly" Påhlsson – 4 and 8 string bass guitars
Johan Kullberg - drums

Guest musicians

Snowy Shaw - vocals in "Initials B.B." and "Dis-moi Poupee"
Mari Paul - vocals on "Mon Amour, Mon Ami"
Johanna Najla - vocals on "Initials B.B."
Mattias Olsson - synthesizers, mellotron and percussion on "En Alabama", "Mon Amour, Mon Ami" and "Lilith"
Mattias Torrel - acoustic guitars on "Mon Amour, Mon Ami" and "La Licorne D'or"
Stefan Jernståhl - accordion on "Wahala Manitou"^[7]
Violin

Anders Åkered
Fredrik Syberg
Hanna Ekström
Isa Holmesund
Lars Wehlin
Natalia Migdal

Cello

Anna Manell
Pär Lindqvist

Horn

Eva-Tea Lundberg
Ida Freji
Johan Ahlin
Magnus Wretblad

Trombone

Kristoffer Siggstedt
Magnus Werner
Staffan Findin

Erik Rodell – oboe
Rolf Pilotti – flute
Johan Norin – trumpet

References edit

^ ^a ^b "THERION's 'Long-Term Plans' Revealed". Blabbermouth. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b Christofer Johnsson: Important news Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine. 14 September 2012, accessed on 6 October 2012.
^ Christofer Johnsson: New album Archived 2012-09-12 at the Wayback Machine. 2 September 2012, accessed on 6 October 2012.
^ "Encyclopédisque - Disque : Mon amour, mon ami". Encyclopedisque.fr. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ "Encyclopédisque - Disque : Dis-moi poupée". Encyclopedisque.fr. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
^ Les Fleurs du Mal (Album notes). Therion. End of Light. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ [1] ^{[dead link]}

[bb-1] "THERION's 'Long-Term Plans' Revealed". Blabbermouth. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.

[important-news-2] Christofer Johnsson: Important news Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine. 14 September 2012, accessed on 6 October 2012.

[3] Christofer Johnsson: New album Archived 2012-09-12 at the Wayback Machine. 2 September 2012, accessed on 6 October 2012.

[4] "Encyclopédisque - Disque : Mon amour, mon ami". Encyclopedisque.fr. Retrieved 22 May 2023.

[5] "Encyclopédisque - Disque : Dis-moi poupée". Encyclopedisque.fr. Retrieved 22 May 2023.

[6] Les Fleurs du Mal (Album notes). Therion. End of Light. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[7] [1] ^{[dead link]}

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