Le Temps des fleurs (album)

Le Temps des fleurs (The time of the flowers) is the twenty-first studio album by French singer Dalida. Named after the title song, it was first released in 1968 and became her penultimate album to be released under Barclay Records.[1]

Le Temps de fleurs
Dalida posing in studio in front of orange background, looking aside she wears 1960s style shirt and her signature minimalistic makeup around eyes.
Standard French edition cover artwork; international issues artwork was the same photo in different tones or the title song was included on front in various fonts.
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 1968
1974, 1978 and 2004 (Reissued)
RecordedSeptember 1956 – January 1968
StudioHoche Studios
Genre
Length37:20
LanguageFrench
LabelBarclay
Producer
Dalida chronology
Un po' d'amore
(1968)
Le Temps de fleurs
(1968)
Ma mère me disait
(1969)

Described by critics as "a poetic masterpiece with very sweet, sweet music",[2] it was also commercially successful with international sales of around 100,000 units, becoming the best selling album released in 1968 by a French artist.[3]

The tracks in the album are based on pop music, each one making a mixture with easy listening, schlager, folk or chanson genres. Most songs are moody ballads, which gives a seriousness to album.[4] While "Les anges noirs" (Black angels) addresses the issue of black children's position in society,[5] there is also a child number "Le petit perroquet" (Little parrot), for which Dalida appeared on animated television series accompanied by bird cage.

Four of twelve songs on album are cover versions. "Quelques larmes de pluie" is cover of Rain and Tears, which Dalida also recorded in German as "Regenzeit-Tränenleid" and in Italian as "Lacrime e pioggia", and released them as B-side to German and Italian singles of "An jenem Tag" and "Quelli erano giorni", respectively.

Dalida's own decision was to cover her friend Patty Pravo's songs "Io per lui" as "Je m'endors dans tes bras", and La bambola, which achieved success peaking at number 6 in Spain and Germany, 20 in France and 48 in Belgium.[6]

Release

edit

Le Temps des fleurs was first issued in France, Belgium, Greece and Mexico in December 1968, and the next year in Canada and Germany, in 30 cm (12 inch) format under catalog number 80 378. Cover photo is credited to Vic Nova, and orchestral conduction to Guy Motta, Jean Claudricto and Giancarlo Gazzani. The album was produced by Franz Auffray and mixed by Claude Achallé.[7]

In 1974, it became Dalida's first album ever to be reissued, this time with completely different artwork and under catalog number 950 055. In 1978, Barclay reissued it again under catalog number 95 018, but with original cover. In 2002, Barclay Records, then as part of Universal Music France, reissued the album for the last time, in original vinyl format and digitally remastered in CD. Both with original French cover art and track list, it was a part of series of re issues of all Dalida's albums released under Barclay. Thus, it became Dalida's most times re-released record, with total of five issues.[8]

Track listings

edit

Below is the first edition track list. While in the second pressing "Le petit perroquet" and "Le septième jour" exchange places and in third the tracklist disappears from front cover, the fourth pressing is same as the first except that it features "Je me repose" instead of "Le petit perroquet".[9]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Le Temps des fleurs"Boris Fomin & Eddy Marnay3:57
2."Le petit perroquet"Nicolas Péridès, Hubert Ithier & Jean-Claude Decamp2:46
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Je m'endors dans tes bras"Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe & Michel Jourdan3:10
2."Le septième jour"Boris Bergman & Michel Bernholc2:42
Total length:12:35

Album

edit
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Le Temps des fleurs"Boris Fomin & Eddy Marnay3:57
2."Quelques larmes de pluie"Boris Bergman & Evangelos Papathanassiou2:56
3."Manuella"Boris Bergman & Pete Seeger2:45
4."Dans la ville endormie"Claude Lemesle & William Sheller3:05
5."Le Septième Jour"Boris Bergman & Michel Bernholc2:46
6."La bambola"Michel Jourdan & Ruggero Cini3:34
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Les Anges noirs"Andres Eloy Blanco, Jacques Larue & Manuel Alvarez Maciste2:50
2."Je m'endors dans tes bras"Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe & Michel Jourdan3:10
3."Tire l'aiguille"Eddie Barclay, Eddy Marnay & Emil Stern3:25
4."Le Petit Perroquet"Nicolas Péridès, Hubert Ithier & Jean-Claude Decamp2:50
5."Je me repose"Gérard Manset & William Sheller2:42
6."Tzigane"Franck Gérald & Hans Blum3:20
Total length:37:20

References

edit
  1. ^ "Album release". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  2. ^ Rihoit, Catherine (2011). Mon frere tu ecriras mes memoires. France: Plon. p. 1. ISBN 9782259000833.
  3. ^ "Classements des chansons". Le Figaro. April 1968. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Album genre". Last fm. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Les anges noirs". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Song charts France". Artiste Charts Ventes. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Album details". Discogs. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Re release". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Arrangement and release". Encyclopedisque. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
edit