Franck Pourcel

Franck Pourcel (14 August 1913 – 12 November 2000) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor of popular and classical music.

Biography Early life Born in Marseille, France, It peaked at number 9 on the United States Billboard pop chart during a 16 weeks chart run.

Succès de Films, orchestra instrumental album

Conducting Between 1956 and 1972, he was the conductor for France at the Eurovision Song Contest, with the exceptions of 1957 and 1968. Four of the songs that he conducted won first place for France. As a result, France became the most successful country in the contest's early years, until Luxembourg matched its four wins in 1973.

By 1958, Pourcel started recording classical music. His series of Pages Célèbres led him to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra, The Society of Concerts for the Conservatoire, The BBC Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, and the Lamoureux Orchestra at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. In 1961, he co-composed with Paul Mauriat the hit "Chariot", which was recorded by Petula Clark and followed up by Peggy March as "I Will Follow Him". The song became the main theme for the film, Sister Act.

In 1975, at the request of Air France, Pourcel composed an anthem for their new supersonic plane, Concorde.

Pourcel recorded 250 albums, and over 3000 songs, and he conducted famous orchestras such as the London Symphonic Orchestra, BBC Orchestra and Orchestre des concerts Lamoureux. He created the series Amour Danse et violons (54 albums) and the classical series Pages Célébres. His first recordings from 1956 to 1962 were released under the series Originals.

Pourcel recorded until 1995 with EMI.

He died on 12 November 2000 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at the age of 87, from Parkinson's disease. His daughter Françoise Pourcel, is taking care of his musical legacy.

Awards He was rewarded with the following distinctions: 1956: The Grand prix du disque Français 1957: The Grand prix du disque in Brazil 1963: The Golden disc in Venezuela Discomoda 1965: Amsterdam: The Edison Prize for his orchestrations of pop music 1966: Gold record for his sales in France 1968: Golden disc in Colombia for Disco Mundo 1969: Grand Prix du disque of the Charles Cros Academy in Paris 1969: Gold record in Japan for the album Continental Tango 1970: Gold record in Japan for album Adoro, featuring "Adoro" 1972: Tokyo Music Festival; Arranger award 1973: Guacaipuro de Oro in Venezuela 1973: Gold record in Japan for the album For Your Lovely Baby

Albums

Pourcel in Paris (1959) Capitol Pourcel Pastels (1961) Mosaïque Orientale (1963) Our Man in Paris (1966) Imperial Beautiful Obsession (1967) Somewhere My Love (1967) A Man & a Woman (1967) New Sounds Tangos (1968) Love is Blue (1968) Aquarius (1969) Atco Midnight Cowboy (1969) Paramount Adoro (1969) Odeon I'll Never Fall in Love Again (1969) Meets the Beatles (1970) All About Franck Pourcel (1970) 2 LP set Love Story (1971) Odeon Hits by a Grand Orchestra EMI Western (1972) Odeon For All We Know (1972) Day by Day (1972) Femmes (1972) Mammy Blue (1972) Hymne a L'amour (1972) The Godfather (1972) Live & Let Die (1973) Papillon (1973) Meets the Beatles, 2 (1973) World is a Circle (1973) Cole Porter Story (1974) EMI Yesterday Once More (1974) Singing in the Rain (1975) History D'O (1976) Odeon Hi-Fi 77 (1977) Latino Americano 78 (1978) Franck Pourcel conducts A Digital Concert (1979) Turbo Rapsody (1981) In a Nostalgia mood (1984) For Your Lovely Baby (1986) Dancing in the Sun/And Now ... (1997) Les Meilleurs (1998) This is Pourcel/Plays the Cole Porter Story (1999) 2 CD set Importance of Your Love/Thinking of You (2006) Vocalion Originals (2008) EPM 3 CD set Girls/Magnifique (2011) Vocalion

Singles Only You (US #9, 1959) Tango Militaire (1959) Milord (US #112, 1961) Twistin' the Twist (1962) I Will Follow You (1963) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) Those Were the Days (1968) The Lonely Season (AC #38, 1969) Aquarius (1969) Mister Lonely (1970) Odeon, Japan If You Could Read My Mind (1971) Day by Day (1972) The World Is a Circle (1973) I Only Want to Say (AC #22, 1981)