Le temps des fleurs

"Le temps des fleurs" ("The time of the flowers") is a song recorded by French singer Dalida for her twenty-first studio album of the same name. While the French lyrics were written by Eddy Marnay, the melody was taken from Russian romance song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" ("Дорогой длинною"), composed by Boris Fomin in 1924.[1] Dalida covered the song after Mary Hopkin popularised the original with her English version one month earlier.[2]

Le temps des fleurs
Cover of first release; France
EP by
Dalida
Releasedearly October 1968 (October 1968)
Recorded20 September 1968
StudioStudio Hoche
Genre
Length12:35 or 12:31
LanguageFrench
LabelBarclay
ProducerEddie Barclay
Dalida EPs chronology
Pars
(1968)		 Le temps des fleurs
(1968)		 L'anniversaire
(1969)
An jenem tag
The German equivalent of the song was released on single, with a completely different photo that can also be found on 1965 cover of Viva la pappa. The Italian equivalent single has the same cover photo as French, but tracklist included is in Italian and in a different font.

Le temps des fleurs is Dalida's first recording to debut atop of French song chart, while it peaked the newly established "Centre d'Information et de Documentation du Disque" sales chart two weeks after entry.[3] The record was a sales success and earned Dalida her twenty-eighth gold disc,[4] which made Dalida record it also in Italian as "Quelli erano giorni", and in German as "An jenem Tag". In France, the song remains as one of 1960s classics, and Dalida's signature songs.[5]

Background

Two weeks after the release of Those were the days, while it was still unknown that it was plagiarism as the Gene Raskin took over the credits of melody's composer Boris Fomin, Eddie Barclay obtained the melody from Raskin legally. In 1973, after it was discovered that Raskin was just a songwriter and not a composer, Barclay stopped giving Raskin a portion of the song's annual profit, but abandoned the lawsuit and didn't received a refund.[6]

Recording and composition

Le temps des fleurs is a romantic ballad, with elements of Russian folk and French chanson. Lyrics describe innocence of childhood and youth and reflect on the passage of time.[7] It features violin, mandoline, string, clarinet and background vocals highlighted refrain.[8] The French lyrics were written by renowned French Jewish lyricist Eddy Marnay, and the song was recorded on 20 September 1968 from one cut in Studios Hoche under orchestral conduction by Guy Motta. Journalist of ORTF was present and Dalida was interviewed for television and live radio transmission.[9]

Other songs from EP were recorded during following week, under orchestral conduction by Guy Motta and Jean Claudric; "Le petit perroquet", "Je m'endors dans tes bras", "Le septième jour" and "Je me repose".[10]

Release and acclaim

Le temps des fleurs was released in early October on EP, in 18 cm (7 inch) format under catalog number 71 296, with cover photo credited to Georges Dambier.[10] It immediately scored a success in its first week, selling roughly around 30,000 copies and reaching top of the French radio charts where it remained for four consecutive weeks.[11] Dalida promoted the record during her current concert tour, over radio and television, mostly for title song, but also making several appearances for others. Paris Match described: "to watch Dalida performing [the song] on television is as incredible as listening to the song itself".[12] Until late 1969, the record was reissued for three more times, Barclay Records' personal record, and sold over 415,000 units.[13]

Other languages

Dalida was first one to record the song in French, German and Italian. Lyrics of German version "An jenem Tag" were written by Heinz Korn, and Italian "Quelli erano Giorni" by Daiano. Both were recorded and released in October on singles, with B-side each having their language equivalent of Dalida's French song Quelques larmes de pluie.[14][15] With them, Dalida charted fairly, entering Top 10 in Germany and Top 20 in Italy, collectively selling additional 90,000 copies.[16][17]

All three language versions by Dalida received covers from other artists like Ima, but also Mary Hopkin and Sandie Shaw, failing to leave an impact.

Charts
Chart (1968) Peak position
France (RMC airplay) [11] 1
France (CIDD) [3] 1
Belgium [18] 7
Germany [11] 9
Italy [16] 16
Monte Carlo (RMC airplay) [11] 1
Switzerland [19] 2

Le temps des fleurs album
Le temps de fleurs
Studio album by
Dalida
ReleasedDecember 1968
1974, 1978 and 2004 (Reissued)
RecordedJanuary 1968 - September 1956
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)
Alternative cover

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.[20]

Described by critics as "a poetic masterpiece with very sweet, sweet music",[6] 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.[13]

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.[21] While "Les anges noirs" (Black angels) addresses the issue of black children's position in society,[22] 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.[11]

Release

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.[23]

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.[24]

Track listing

EP

Below is the first edition tracklist. 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".[10]

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
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
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See also

References
  1. "Dorogoj dlinnoju". Language hat. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  2. "Those were the days". Space records. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  3. "Sale charts France". Artiste Charts Ventes. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  4. "Gold disc". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. "1968 hits". Le soleil de Châteauguay. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  6. Rihoit, Catherine (2011). Mon frere tu ecriras mes memoires. France: Plon. p. 1. ISBN 9782259000833.
  7. "Lyrics". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. "Music sample". I tunes. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. "Recording". Universal Music. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  10. "Arrangement and release". Encyclopedisque. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. "Song charts France". Artiste Charts Ventes. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  12. J., Clouthier (Autumn 1968). "Le temps des fleurs de Dalida". Paris Match. 1: 1.
  13. "Classements des chansons". Le Figaro. April 1968. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. "An jenem Tag". Discogs. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  15. "Quelli erano giorni". Discogs. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  16. "Charts Italy". Hit parade Italia. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  17. M., P. (Summer 1969). "Quelli erano giorni". Cente. 1: 1.
  18. "Charts Belgium". Ultrapop. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  19. "Charts Switzerland". Swiss charts. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  20. "Album release". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  21. "Album genre". Last fm. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  22. "Les anges noirs". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  23. "Album details". Discogs. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  24. "Re release". Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
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