- Category
- PREMIERE JOHNNY PALAIS DES SPORTS 69
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Sylvie Vartan at the la premiere of Johnny Hallyday at the Palais des Sports 1969
("Que je t'aime") 26 April 1969
In 1967, he had been the first French singer to perform under his own name at the Palais des Sports de Paris in an exceptional Musicorama. From the 26 April to the 4 May 1969, Johnny Hallyday again chose the biggest venue of the capital, but this time for several consecutive concerts, something that before then no other singer had ever done. There he presented his first grand show, of unprecedented pageantry and extravagant proportions. A psychedelic show: five aluminium platforms linking to a central stage, two orchestras, projections onto giant balloons, dancers, acrobats, all directed by Lester Wilson ...
The evening of the show could be found, amongst other big names, Claude François, Jean-Claude Killy, Régine, Françoise Hardy... The concert was broadcast live on Europe 1. Sylvie Vartan made a striking entrance into the room in a black fringed hippy outfit, an "oversize hat" on her head, much to the dismay of those sitting immediately behind her, including Françoise ... That evening, any modest discretion was out of the question as Johnny performed for the first time in front of 5000 spectators his new song "Que je t’aime", whose audacious lyrics leave little doubt as to whom it was adressed:
A declaration written by Gilles Thibault, the couple's favourite songwriter... An ode to physical love to which Sylvie would respond in song the following year with "Aime-moi " ...
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FLASHBACK
"Johnny sang this song looking Sylvie Vartan in the eye, she's there, in the front row between Jean-Claude Killy and Claude François" * (* Europe 1, live broadcast of Johnny Hallyday's premiere at the Palais des Sports, 26 April 1969) |
Sylvie Vartan between Jean-Claude Killy and Claude François
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Sylvie Vartan and her "oversize hat", to the great dismay of Françoise Hardy (photo on the right)
Left: Johnny Hallyday in his dressing room between his director Lester Wilson and Sylvie Vartan |