Georges Chatelain
Encyclopedia
Georges Chatelain was born at 36 rue Ballu in Paris
. This address is where the world renowned musical celebrities Nadia
and Lili Boulanger
lived and worked. Georges became an author/ composer and musical producer and, in 1966, founded what was the most advanced recording studio of its time in France, CBE. Georges Chatelain was also the sound producer and casting director for France's most popular television show, Les Guignols de l'Information, a spoof on daily newscasts.
Spe. He obtained a degree as an electronics engineer. This formation helped him in the world of show business with his rigorous, disciplined approach. Working in parallel to his scientific schooling, Georges studied at the Jean Périmony school of dramatic arts while also making made in-depth musical studies. Georges appeared as a young lead in Jean Cocteau
's The Testament of Orpheus. While on the set Georges made several photographic portraits of the celebrated poet and screen director and of the renowned photographer Lucien Clergue
. He appeared in television productions with actress Odile Versois : Les Petits Demoiselles, a film by director Michel Deville appearing with Macha Meril.
Because of his outstanding physical appearance Georges also worked as a photo model which gave him the opportunity to learn technical aspects of photography with famous artists, in particular, Harry Meerson. While on a photo shoot for a magazine Georges posed with a
young actress, Mireille Darc
, who went on to a long successful career in film and television. An athlete, George practiced fencing, judo, karate, aikido.
Fresh out of school Georges became the guitarist for American-in-Paris singer Nancy Holloway working with another young musician who became a famous singer in France, Nino Ferrer
. Georges advised Nancy to record what became the hit which made her famous, Don't Make Me Over (T'en va pas comme ca).
To learn recording techniques George went to Chicago
where he worked as a student sound engineer. While there he attended The Old Town School of Folk Music and learned to play country and folk music on the guitar and five-string banjo. He also discovered folk singer Reverend Gary Davis
and his very personal style. On his return to France he wrote and published the first folk guitar method (Picking
). In France, in 1963 only Chatelain and singer Hugues Auffray could play country style.
Georges taught country guitar to two future French music artists, Pierre Bachelet
and Dan Ar Braz
.
Georges also attended courses at the Actor's Studio under Lee Strasberg's direction. This method was a revelation for Georges, who uses this technique when directing or coaching singers or actors.
Returning to Paris
Georges cut a country/folk album and two singles for Mercury Records
with several of his compositions including Allez Viens, On Danse. This song which was adapted in Dutch under the title De Clown by Pierre Kartner
, alias Vader Abraham
, was recorded by Ben Cramer, who became a major star thanks to the tune. The song is now a standard in Holland with more than 90 covers including recordings by Frans Bauer, James Last
, DJ Otzi
, Rob de Nijs
, Dario
, Beppie Kraft, Ronnie, etc.
After recording his first album Georges went to London to seek new songs for his follow up disk. After listening to more than 100 songs he chose one by an unknown composer, Paul Simon's "Sound of Silence." Paul Simon came to Paris and worked with Georges, teaching him guitar techniques . He also taught Georges the instrumental "Anji" composed by Davy Graham. Georges recorded the song in his now-famous studio, CBE, orchestrated by Jean-Claude Petit. The record came out on Barclay in 1975 under the name George Whiteman. It was programmed for three years by French radio stations.
Under Paul Simon's guidance Georges recorded "Sound of Silence" in French.
Georges was a regular at the "Hootenany" organized by Lionel Rocheman in Paris. Among other debutants were Joe Dassin
, Long Chris, Claude Lemesle, Martine Habib, Alan Stivell
.
In August of the same year Georges and his Swiss friend, Gunther Loof, recorded Nino Ferrer in a Dijon nightclub using a Revox tape recorder, a home-made mixing box with four faders and a few resistors . The hit single, "Je Voudrais Etre Noir" was recorded there. Georges also made the cover photo of the record jacket.
Thanks to Jack Robinson and his friend Lee Hallyday, Georges Chatelain recorded and mixed Johnny Hallyday 's "Amour d'éte", the French adaptation of "Love Me Tender," which became a summer hit in 1967.
At the end of 1967 a series of Georges photos were published by Louis Pauwels in his magazine, Plexus. By late 1967 CBE was becoming well known in music circles, especially since Georges had contracted Gunther Loof to build Europe's first eight-track tape recorder which was a veritable technical revolution for the recording industry. Most of the French singing stars came to record at CBE as well as Paul Simon and (thanks to Jack Robinson) Lee Hazlewood, one of America's leading composers/producers (Nancy Sinatra/Frank Sinatra etc.)
Georges imported the Mellotron and the Chamberlin, precursors of today's sound sample players, further revolutionizing recording techniques in France.
Went to London to produce his French language version of a song recorded by the Beatles' Apple artist Mary Hopkins.
With American publisher/record producer, Jack Robinson, Georges produced a young French singer, Gilles Marchal
. Together they recorded seven hit singles in a row on AZ records, the company which belonged to Europe 1 radio directed by Lucien Morisse. Gilles went on to appear at the Olympia Music Hall, once as the opening act for Liza Minnelli.
While on his frequent visits to London Georges befriended singers such as Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, the group Pentangle and bassist Danny Thompson. They often came to visit and to record in Georges ' studio. They worked on a demo album for French singer Martine Habib which lead to her signing by Clive Davis on CBS Records. Martine's album was produced in Nashville by Norbert Putnam with some of the top players including Elvis Presley's background singers, the Jordanaires. Jack Robinson and Georges worked with Putnam on the production.
Back in London Georges was introduced to the famous guitar-maker Tony Zamaitis by Ralph McTell. Georges ordered a 12 string and a 6 string.
Georges attended a concert in London of the Rev. Gary Davis and photographed the show. His pictures were used to illustrate the Stefan Grossman guitar method: « Rev. Gary Davis Blues Guitar».
Back to the world of music in 1982: He started a new company and built a "home studio" with a 24 tracks recorder and once again was the first to introduce new technology: this time the first Linn Drum (electronic drum machine) to France. He launched into audio productions doing advertising jingles. At the same time he produced singer Fabienne Guyon whom he signed to Trema Records. She played featured roles in Les Misérables and the Jacques Demy film "Une Chambre en Ville" and recorded two songs by Miserables composer Claude Michel Schoenberg, arranged by Jean Musy. In 1984 she was chosen to represent Luxemburg for the Eurovision with a song by Georges Chatelain, "A Song of Life," but had other engagements which prevented her to participate.
Georges created the first jingles for what was to become "Skyrock" one of France's leading fm radio stations. One of George's best known compositions is a theme which became French telecoms "hold the line" music over the past 10 years. Although millions have heard this theme and thousands have called to know where to buy the record, no record label has as yet commercialized it.
In the spring of 1988 the television production company VCF asked Georges to work on audio sector of a new program which was a daily satire of the day's news then called "Les Arenes de l'Info" (The News Arenas) which later became known as Les Guignols de l'Info (The News Puppets). Georges became the show's sound designer and casting director to hire the imitaters for the show. One of whom, Yves Lecoq was propelled to stardom by the show to whom he still lends his voice.
After several years Georges dropped the television activity to undertake a new series of studies: the Marie Jael piano method (a contemporary and friend of Liszt), the Werbeck singing method, biodynamic agriculture
with wine-grower Nicolas Joly
in Angers
who produces one of the world's greatest wines, the "Coulée de Serrant."
In 1998 Georges was called on by Bertrand Burgalat (thanks to Jean-Max Riviere) to direct singers and actors for a musical comedy written by humorist, Professor Choron: "Dead Drunk for the Country," produced by Canal Plus. Georges give singing and performance directions to such known French artists as Arielle Dombasle, Dick Rivers, Moustique and Benoit Delepine for the Guignols team, Yvan Le Bolloc'h
, Bruno Solo, Alain Chabat and television announcer Evelyn Leclerc. Georges was also called on to coach Japanese singing start Cano Caoli with whom he sang and was featured in her clip. Georges also worked with celebrated novelists Michel Houellebecq.
Georges continues his research on learning techniques and the perfecting of his vocal coaching using the Werbeck singing method and the Marie Jael piano method which he taught for two years in a popular music school in Nyon, Switzerland, created by Eliane Dambre and sponsored by singer Michel Fugain and lyricist Claude Lemesle. Considering that the best way for artists to perfect their art is to perform in public every quarter, Georges organizes a show which he has created and directs with his young students.
He just finished a CD album of instrumental music called "Elves stories" which has recently been put on sale on line by CD Baby. Currently he is writing a show, a musical, for which he actively seeking young performers from the four corners of the world.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. This address is where the world renowned musical celebrities Nadia
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
and Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger was a French composer, the younger sister of the noted composer and composition teacher Nadia Boulanger.-Early years:A Parisian-born child prodigy, who was good at piano...
lived and worked. Georges became an author/ composer and musical producer and, in 1966, founded what was the most advanced recording studio of its time in France, CBE. Georges Chatelain was also the sound producer and casting director for France's most popular television show, Les Guignols de l'Information, a spoof on daily newscasts.
The beginnings
Although extremely interested in artistic endeavors, especially music (piano, guitar, clarinet) and photography and acting, Georges Chatelain chose scientific studies for his higher education. Georges studied mathematics at two of France's top schools "Math SUP and MathSpe. He obtained a degree as an electronics engineer. This formation helped him in the world of show business with his rigorous, disciplined approach. Working in parallel to his scientific schooling, Georges studied at the Jean Périmony school of dramatic arts while also making made in-depth musical studies. Georges appeared as a young lead in Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
's The Testament of Orpheus. While on the set Georges made several photographic portraits of the celebrated poet and screen director and of the renowned photographer Lucien Clergue
Lucien Clergue
-Biography:Lucien Clergue was born in Arles. From the age of 7, he learned to play the violin. Several years later, his teacher revealed to him that he had nothing more to teach him. From a family of shopkeepers, he could not pursue further studies in a conservatory. In 1949, he learned the...
. He appeared in television productions with actress Odile Versois : Les Petits Demoiselles, a film by director Michel Deville appearing with Macha Meril.
Because of his outstanding physical appearance Georges also worked as a photo model which gave him the opportunity to learn technical aspects of photography with famous artists, in particular, Harry Meerson. While on a photo shoot for a magazine Georges posed with a
young actress, Mireille Darc
Mireille Darc
Mireille Darc is a French model and actress. She was Alain Delon's longtime co-star and companion. She appeared as a lead character in Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film Week End...
, who went on to a long successful career in film and television. An athlete, George practiced fencing, judo, karate, aikido.
Fresh out of school Georges became the guitarist for American-in-Paris singer Nancy Holloway working with another young musician who became a famous singer in France, Nino Ferrer
Nino Ferrer
Nino Ferrer was a famous French – Italian singer, actor and jazz musician.- From prehistory to jazz :...
. Georges advised Nancy to record what became the hit which made her famous, Don't Make Me Over (T'en va pas comme ca).
To learn recording techniques George went to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where he worked as a student sound engineer. While there he attended The Old Town School of Folk Music and learned to play country and folk music on the guitar and five-string banjo. He also discovered folk singer Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
and his very personal style. On his return to France he wrote and published the first folk guitar method (Picking
Picking
Picking can mean:* Various styles of guitar playing:**Fingerpicking**Flatpicking**Hybrid picking**Pattern picking**Alternate-picking**Sweep-picking**Tremolo picking* A gathering to pick fruit or various products....
). In France, in 1963 only Chatelain and singer Hugues Auffray could play country style.
Georges taught country guitar to two future French music artists, Pierre Bachelet
Pierre Bachelet
Pierre Bachelet was a French singer-songwriter with a gentle romantic voice.Bachelet spent part of his childhood in Calais and developed a lifelong appreciation of the North of France, which inspired his hit song "Les corons" .His other hit songs include "Elle est d'ailleurs" , "Écris-moi" ,...
and Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz, born Daniel Le Bras , is a French guitarist and the founder of Héritage des Celtes.- The apprenticeship years :...
.
Georges also attended courses at the Actor's Studio under Lee Strasberg's direction. This method was a revelation for Georges, who uses this technique when directing or coaching singers or actors.
Returning to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Georges cut a country/folk album and two singles for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
with several of his compositions including Allez Viens, On Danse. This song which was adapted in Dutch under the title De Clown by Pierre Kartner
Pierre Kartner
Petrus Antonius Laurentius "Pierre" Kartner is a Dutch musician who sings under the alias Father Abraham, and who has written around 1600 songs.- Early life :...
, alias Vader Abraham
Pierre Kartner
Petrus Antonius Laurentius "Pierre" Kartner is a Dutch musician who sings under the alias Father Abraham, and who has written around 1600 songs.- Early life :...
, was recorded by Ben Cramer, who became a major star thanks to the tune. The song is now a standard in Holland with more than 90 covers including recordings by Frans Bauer, James Last
James Last
James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
, DJ Otzi
DJ Ötzi
DJ Ötzi is the stage name of Gerhard Friedle , an Austrian entertainer and singer. Successful mainly in German-speaking countries, he is best known in the English-speaking world for his 2001 cover version of the Bruce Channel song "Hey Baby".-Biography:DJ Ötzi was born Gerhard Friedle in St...
, Rob de Nijs
Rob de Nijs
Rob de Nijs is a Dutch singer and actor, active since the 1960s.-1962-68:De Nijs, backed by The Lords, released his first single in 1962, Ritme van de Regen. In 1966 he embarked on a joint circus-tour with Johnny Lion...
, Dario
Dario
Dario is a masculine given name, etymologically related to Darius.-Given name:*Dario Argento, an Italian film director*Dario Badinelli, an Italian triple jumper*Dario Bellezza, an Italian poet*Dario Benuzzi, an Italian test driver...
, Beppie Kraft, Ronnie, etc.
After recording his first album Georges went to London to seek new songs for his follow up disk. After listening to more than 100 songs he chose one by an unknown composer, Paul Simon's "Sound of Silence." Paul Simon came to Paris and worked with Georges, teaching him guitar techniques . He also taught Georges the instrumental "Anji" composed by Davy Graham. Georges recorded the song in his now-famous studio, CBE, orchestrated by Jean-Claude Petit. The record came out on Barclay in 1975 under the name George Whiteman. It was programmed for three years by French radio stations.
Under Paul Simon's guidance Georges recorded "Sound of Silence" in French.
Georges was a regular at the "Hootenany" organized by Lionel Rocheman in Paris. Among other debutants were Joe Dassin
Joe Dassin
Joseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
, Long Chris, Claude Lemesle, Martine Habib, Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell
Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...
.
CBE
Thanks to his experiences and the people he met, Georges decided in June 1966 to build his own recording and photo studio in an old clothing shop at the foot of a public housing building in Paris' 18th Arrondissement. The studio, named CBE, was designed by Georges after having visited all the major recording centers of London. Georges used wood lathes to give the CBE studio its outstanding acoustics.In August of the same year Georges and his Swiss friend, Gunther Loof, recorded Nino Ferrer in a Dijon nightclub using a Revox tape recorder, a home-made mixing box with four faders and a few resistors . The hit single, "Je Voudrais Etre Noir" was recorded there. Georges also made the cover photo of the record jacket.
Thanks to Jack Robinson and his friend Lee Hallyday, Georges Chatelain recorded and mixed Johnny Hallyday 's "Amour d'éte", the French adaptation of "Love Me Tender," which became a summer hit in 1967.
At the end of 1967 a series of Georges photos were published by Louis Pauwels in his magazine, Plexus. By late 1967 CBE was becoming well known in music circles, especially since Georges had contracted Gunther Loof to build Europe's first eight-track tape recorder which was a veritable technical revolution for the recording industry. Most of the French singing stars came to record at CBE as well as Paul Simon and (thanks to Jack Robinson) Lee Hazlewood, one of America's leading composers/producers (Nancy Sinatra/Frank Sinatra etc.)
Georges imported the Mellotron and the Chamberlin, precursors of today's sound sample players, further revolutionizing recording techniques in France.
Went to London to produce his French language version of a song recorded by the Beatles' Apple artist Mary Hopkins.
With American publisher/record producer, Jack Robinson, Georges produced a young French singer, Gilles Marchal
Gilles Marchal
Gilles Marchal is a French songwriter and singer who reached the height of his career during the 1970s....
. Together they recorded seven hit singles in a row on AZ records, the company which belonged to Europe 1 radio directed by Lucien Morisse. Gilles went on to appear at the Olympia Music Hall, once as the opening act for Liza Minnelli.
While on his frequent visits to London Georges befriended singers such as Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, the group Pentangle and bassist Danny Thompson. They often came to visit and to record in Georges ' studio. They worked on a demo album for French singer Martine Habib which lead to her signing by Clive Davis on CBS Records. Martine's album was produced in Nashville by Norbert Putnam with some of the top players including Elvis Presley's background singers, the Jordanaires. Jack Robinson and Georges worked with Putnam on the production.
Back in London Georges was introduced to the famous guitar-maker Tony Zamaitis by Ralph McTell. Georges ordered a 12 string and a 6 string.
Georges attended a concert in London of the Rev. Gary Davis and photographed the show. His pictures were used to illustrate the Stefan Grossman guitar method: « Rev. Gary Davis Blues Guitar».
After CBE
The CBE adventure ended in 1974 for Georges Chatelain. Georges took advantage of his free time to delve into other fields that impassioned or intrigued him. Among them:- Parallel medicine. This led him to study Philippine faith healers accompanied by television producer Claudine Kirgener who worked for French television personality Denise Glaser.
- The Theory of Colors by Goethe
- The art of speech and theater by Rudolf Steiner who replied to many of the questions posed by Lee Strasberg in his autobiography.
- The book, "Talking with Angels", retranscribed by Gitta MallaszGitta MallaszGitta Mallasz was a graphic designer and an artist, but is today best known for her transcription of a series of extraordinary spiritual instructions she was one of the recipients in Hungary during World War II...
, whom he met at her latest conference in Paris where she signed her own book, "Little Dialogues of Yesterday and Today" who dedicated the book writing "Joy is air of new world."
Back to the world of music in 1982: He started a new company and built a "home studio" with a 24 tracks recorder and once again was the first to introduce new technology: this time the first Linn Drum (electronic drum machine) to France. He launched into audio productions doing advertising jingles. At the same time he produced singer Fabienne Guyon whom he signed to Trema Records. She played featured roles in Les Misérables and the Jacques Demy film "Une Chambre en Ville" and recorded two songs by Miserables composer Claude Michel Schoenberg, arranged by Jean Musy. In 1984 she was chosen to represent Luxemburg for the Eurovision with a song by Georges Chatelain, "A Song of Life," but had other engagements which prevented her to participate.
Georges created the first jingles for what was to become "Skyrock" one of France's leading fm radio stations. One of George's best known compositions is a theme which became French telecoms "hold the line" music over the past 10 years. Although millions have heard this theme and thousands have called to know where to buy the record, no record label has as yet commercialized it.
In the spring of 1988 the television production company VCF asked Georges to work on audio sector of a new program which was a daily satire of the day's news then called "Les Arenes de l'Info" (The News Arenas) which later became known as Les Guignols de l'Info (The News Puppets). Georges became the show's sound designer and casting director to hire the imitaters for the show. One of whom, Yves Lecoq was propelled to stardom by the show to whom he still lends his voice.
After several years Georges dropped the television activity to undertake a new series of studies: the Marie Jael piano method (a contemporary and friend of Liszt), the Werbeck singing method, biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system. Biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts...
with wine-grower Nicolas Joly
Nicolas Joly
Nicolas Joly, born 1945, is a French winegrower in the Loire wine region, and one of the pioneers and leading personalities of the biodynamic wine movement.- Biography :...
in Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
who produces one of the world's greatest wines, the "Coulée de Serrant."
In 1998 Georges was called on by Bertrand Burgalat (thanks to Jean-Max Riviere) to direct singers and actors for a musical comedy written by humorist, Professor Choron: "Dead Drunk for the Country," produced by Canal Plus. Georges give singing and performance directions to such known French artists as Arielle Dombasle, Dick Rivers, Moustique and Benoit Delepine for the Guignols team, Yvan Le Bolloc'h
Yvan Le Bolloc'h
Yvan Le Bolloc'h is a French television and radio host and actor.-Biography:Yvan Le Bolloc'h began as a teacher for four years in Brittany...
, Bruno Solo, Alain Chabat and television announcer Evelyn Leclerc. Georges was also called on to coach Japanese singing start Cano Caoli with whom he sang and was featured in her clip. Georges also worked with celebrated novelists Michel Houellebecq.
Georges continues his research on learning techniques and the perfecting of his vocal coaching using the Werbeck singing method and the Marie Jael piano method which he taught for two years in a popular music school in Nyon, Switzerland, created by Eliane Dambre and sponsored by singer Michel Fugain and lyricist Claude Lemesle. Considering that the best way for artists to perfect their art is to perform in public every quarter, Georges organizes a show which he has created and directs with his young students.
He just finished a CD album of instrumental music called "Elves stories" which has recently been put on sale on line by CD Baby. Currently he is writing a show, a musical, for which he actively seeking young performers from the four corners of the world.