Francis Christian Cabrel (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃sis kʁistjɑ̃ kabʁɛl]; born 23 November 1953) is a French singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist.[1] Considered one of the most influential French musical artists of all time, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux", "Je l'aime à mourir", "Petite Marie", "La Dame de Haute-Savoie", "Encore et encore", "Il faudra leur dire", "Sarbacane", "C'est écrit", "Je t'aimais, je t'aime, je t'aimerai" and "La corrida", have become enduring favourites in French music. Since the start of his career, Cabrel has sold over 25 million albums.
His first hit song was "Petite Marie" in 1974, which was about the woman who soon became his wife, Mariette.[2] His song "Je l'aime à mourir" was covered by Shakira; this version, both sung in French and Spanish, became a major hit single.[3] His song Edition Spéciale was featured in the 1987 film Broadcast News starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and William Hurt.
Although Francis Cabrel is best known as a French-speaking singer, he also sings in Spanish ("La quiero a morir", "Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón"), and even a little in Occitan ("Giors", "Rockstars du Moyen Âge") and Italian.
An unauthorised biography was published in 2015. Cabrel, who is one of the most private French singers, attempted to have the book suppressed.[4]
Biography
Francis Cabrel was born in Agen, Lot-et-Garonne into a modest family of Venetian Veneto descent. His father was a labourer in a biscuit factory and his mother a cashier in a cafeteria. He has a sister, Martine, and a brother, Philippe. He spent his childhood in Astaffort, in Lot-et-Garonne.[5]
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Fl) [6] |
BEL (Wa) [7] |
CAN | QUE | ROD | SWI | ||||
| Les Murs de poussière[lower-alpha 1] | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Les Chemins de traverse |
|
2 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
||
| Fragile |
|
2 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
||
| Carte postale |
|
— | — | — | 15 | — | — |
|
||
| Quelqu'un de l'intérieur |
|
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | |||
| Photos de voyages |
|
6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |||
| Sarbacane |
|
1 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| ||
| Samedi soir sur la Terre | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | ||||
| Hors-saison |
|
1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | ||
| Les Beaux Dégâts |
|
1 | 75 | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | 3 | ||
| Des roses et des orties |
|
1 | 81 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 |
| |
| Vise le ciel ou Bob Dylan revisité |
|
1 | 63 | 1 | — | 14 | 3 | 10 |
| |
| In extremis |
|
1 | 81 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 |
| |
| À l'Aube revenant |
|
1 [21] | 49 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Fl) [6] |
BEL (Wa) [7] |
CAN | QUE | ROD | SWI | ||||
| Cabrel Public |
|
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | |||
| D'une ombre à l'Autre |
|
— | — | — | 33 | — | — |
|
||
| Double Tour (Électrique & Acoustique) |
|
2 | — | 15 | — | 43 | — | — |
|
|
| La tournée des Bodegas |
|
15 | — | 21 | — | — | — | 63 |
|
|
| L'In Extremis Tour |
|
4 | 110 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 16 |
|
|
| Trobador Tour |
|
16 [22] | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Sales | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Fl) |
BEL (Wa) |
CAN | QUE | ROD | SWI | ||||
| Canta en Español |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Cabrel 77-87 |
|
28 | — | 12 | — | 19 | — | — | ||
| Algo más de amor (1990) |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Algo más de amor (1998) |
|
— | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | ||
| L'Essentiel 1977–2007 |
|
44 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 13 | 13 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
Box sets
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | ||||
| Les Murs de poussière / Les Chemins de traverse / Fragile |
|
— |
|
|
| Carte postale / Quelqu'un de l'intérieur / Photos de voyages |
|
— | ||
| Cabrel Public / Sarbacane / Samedi soir sur la Terre |
|
193 | ||
| Collection 1977-1989 |
|
— | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Wa) |
QUE | ||||
| "L'instant d'amour" | 1977 | — | — | — | Francis Cabrel | |
| "Petite Marie" | 137 | — | — | |||
| "Pas trop de peine" | 1978 | — | — | — | ||
| "Les Murs de poussière" | — | — | — | |||
| "Je l'aime à mourir" | 1979 | 1 | — | — |
|
Les Chemins de traverse |
| "Je rêve" | 15 | — | — |
| ||
| "L'Encre de tes yeux" | 1980 | 5 | — | 13 |
|
Fragile |
| "Je pense encore à toi" | 18 | — | — |
| ||
| "La dame de Haute-Savoie" | 1981 | — | — | — | ||
| "Carte postale" | — | — | — | Carte postale | ||
| "Répondez-moi" | 1982 | — | — | — | ||
| "La fille qui m'accompagne" | 1983 | — | — | — | Quelqu'un de l'intérieur | |
| "Saïd et Mohammed" | 1984 | — | — | — | ||
| "Question d'équilibre" | — | — | 2 | |||
| "Encore et encore" | 1985 | 14 | — | 4 |
|
Photos de voyages |
| "Tourner les hélicos" | — | — | 17 | |||
| "Je te suivrai" | 1986 | — | — | — | ||
| "Il faudra leur dire" (Cabrel and the children) |
2 | — | 1 |
|
Cabrel 77-87 | |
| "Sarbacane" | 1989 | 30 | — | 1 | Sarbacane | |
| "C'est écrit" | 6 | — | 4 |
| ||
| "Animal" | 31 | — | 1 | |||
| "Tout le monde y pense" | 1990 | 19 | — | — |
| |
| "Petite Marie" (live) | 5 | — | 8 |
|
D'une ombre à l'autre | |
| "Je t'aimais, je t'aime, je t'aimerai" | 1994 | 78 | — | 1 | Samedi soir sur la Terre | |
| "La cabane du pêcheur" | — | — | 1 | |||
| "La Corrida" | 7 | — | 3 |
| ||
| "Octobre" | 1995 | 88 | — | 1 | ||
| "Samedi soir sur la Terre" | — | — | 14 | |||
| "Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón" (with Mercedes Sosa) |
1997 | — | 39 | — | Algo más de amor (1998) | |
| "Presque rien" | 1999 | — | — | 8 | Hors-saison | |
| "Le reste du temps" | — | — | 1 | |||
| "Hors-saison" | 133 | — | — | |||
| "Le monde est sourd" | 2000 | — | — | 2 | ||
| "Ma place dans le trafic" (live) | — | — | — | Double Tour | ||
| "Bonne nouvelle" | 2004 | — | — | 7 | Les Beaux Dégâts | |
| "Qu'est-ce que t'en dis?" | — | — | 9 | |||
| "Tu me corresponds" | — | — | — | |||
| "Les gens absents" | 2005 | — | — | 15 | ||
| "Je pense encore à toi" (live) | — | — | — | La tournée des Bodegas | ||
| "Gardien de nuit" | 2006 | — | — | 40 | Le Soldat Rose | |
| "Le gorille" | 2007 | — | — | — | L'Essentiel 1977-2007 | |
| "La robe et l'échelle" | 2008 | — | 2 | 11 | Des roses et des orties | |
| "Le chêne liège" | — | 31 | 34 | |||
| "Des hommes pareils" | 2009 | — | 22 | 21 | ||
| "Né dans le Bayou" | — | — | 23 | |||
| "Les cardinaux en costume" (live) | — | 17[lower-alpha 2] | — | — | ||
| "Comme une femme" | 2012 | 130 | 5[lower-alpha 2] | — | Vise le ciel ou Bob Dylan revisité | |
| "Je te veux" | — | 26[lower-alpha 2] | — | |||
| "Partir pour rester" | 2015 | 42 | 39 | — | In extremis | |
| "Dur comme fer" | — | 13[lower-alpha 2] | — | |||
| "À chaque amour que nous ferons" | 141 | — | — | |||
| "Le pays d'à côté" | 2016 | — | 28[lower-alpha 2] | — | ||
| "Te ressembler" | 2020 | 25 | — | — | À l'Aube revenant | |
| "Peuple des fontaines" | 2021 | 144 | — | — | ||
| "À l'Aube revenant" | 88 | — | — | |||
| "Rockstars du Moyen Âge" | 98 | — | — | |||
| "Un morceau de Sicre" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Wa) | |||
| "La complainte de la butte" (with Patrick Bruel) |
2002 | 48 | — | Entre deux |
| "Tout reste à faire" (with Souad Massi) |
2010 | — | 15[lower-alpha 2] | Ô houria |
| "Petite Marie" (with Umberto Tozzi) |
2012 | — | 25[lower-alpha 2] | Yesterday: The Best of 1976-2012 |
| "Sueno" (Gipsy Kings featuring Francis Cabrel) |
2014 | — | — | Savor Flamenco |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA | BEL (Wa) | |||
| "Madame n'aime pas" | 2009 | — | 12[lower-alpha 2] | Des roses et des orties |
| "Les filles à quoi ça sert" (with Bénabar, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Alain Souchon) |
2011 | — | 3[lower-alpha 2] | Titeuf |
| "Lucie" (with Nolwenn Leroy) |
2014 | 193 | — | Kiss & Love |
| "Mademoiselle l'aventure" | 2015 | 150 | — | Des roses et des orties |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Videography
- Sarbacane tour (1989)
Footnotes
- These songs did not enter the Ultratop 50 (Walloon), but rather the sales chart Ultratip 50.
References
External links
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