Renee Martel "Renee Martel" (DSP Records, 1968) (LP)
(Produced by George Lagios)
Her debut album found Renee Martel working very much in the French-language teenybopper ye-ye style of Euro gals such as Petula Clark and Nancy Holloway. Martel already had a backlog of singles in a similar style, dating to around 1964, and this groovy youth scene set may have drawn on some of those earlier releases -- meanwhile, she was enjoying success in the pop world, winning an award in '68 hailing her as a bright, new, up-and-coming artist. On this album she covers the likes of Burt Bacharach, Sam Cooke ("Cupid") and of course the ever-present Beatles, in a particularly breathy version of Paul McCartney's "Good Day Sunshine," (rendered in French as "Entre Tes Bras.") Her country roots are hardly in evidence here, though that transition would inevitably arrive...
Renee Martel "Renee Martel" (Spectrum Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by George Lagios)
She was still tapping into the rock music youth market here, with French-language versions of pop hits from artists such as The Beatles ("Goodbye," "Rien Pour Faire Une Chanson"), Ellie Greenwich, Joni Mitchell ("La Vie, La Amour Et Moi") and Joe South. The album opens with "Nos Jeux D'Enfant," an oddly-translated cover of Joe South's "Games People Play," with mildly bombastic horn arrangements and otherwise tepid pop backing. In comparison to her previous album, though, Martel seems to be emerging as a more confidant, substantive singer with a deeper, less breathy approach. She is also credited as a composer on one track, "Le Train De Nuit," along with producer George Lagios.
Renee Martel "Mon Roman D'Amour" (Spectrum Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by George Lagios)
Though the artwork still looks pretty teen-singer-y, Renee Martel's transition into country music begins here with covers of contemporary countrypolitan hits such as Anne Murray's "Snowbird,"and Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden," clumsily and unexpectedly rendered in English. (Oh, well.) Her version of Gene McClellan's "Put Your Hand In The Hand" ("Prends Ma Main") is satisfyingly Frenchified, and also has a subtle country touch, with just enough twang to pass as countrypolitan... Plus it's genuine Canadian content! Also includes covers of Bob Dylan, Terry Jacks and Les Beatles, so the rock-pop vibe continues.
Renee Martel & Michel Pagliaro "Pagliaro & Martel" (Trans-World Records, 1971) (LP)
Renee Martel "Un Amour Qui Ne Veut Pas Mourir" (Spectrum Records, 1972) (LP)
Renee Martel "Reflexions" (Spectrum Records, 1974) (LP)
Renee Martel & Rene Simard "Souvenirs De Vacances" (Les Disques #1, 1978) (LP)
Renee Martel "Chante Connie Francis Et Brenda Lee" (Les Disques #1, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Luc Caron, Guy Cloutier & Tim Hewlings)
Despite the French-language album title, these were English-language covers of pop vocals oldies from Connie Francis and Brenda Lee, thus rendering this album useless to listeners seeking something new and different... or different, at least. Also, the arrangements are just terrible, the worst possible iteration of Sha-Na-Na-esque retro nostalgia. For country fans, the Brenda Lee connection can sorta-kinda get you there, twangwise, though Connie Francis, not so much.
Renee Martel "Un Coin Du Ciel/El Lute" (Les Disques #1, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Guy Cloutier & Tim Hewlings)
Renee Martel "C'est Mon Histoire" (Polydor, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Andre Di Cesare & Gilbert Morin)
Renee Martel "Cadeau" (Les Disques Star Records, 1984) (LP)
Renee Martel "Authentique" (Les Productions Guy Clothier, 1992) (LP)
(Produced by Guy Clothier)
A slick sounding but largely pleasant set, with several songs that seem rooted in the glossy country-rock sound on the 1970s... One track, "Le Gout De Te Retrouver," has a cajun fiddle bounce, nicely neutered and kept all tidy -- it's funny, though, when placed in the context of such a notoriously gritty musical style, Renee Martel's accent sounds incredibly prim and "proper," despite her own deep country roots. Anyway, this is antiseptic but easy on the ears; you can see why she popular on the country charts.
Renee Martel "Les Grandes Chansons" (PGC Musique, 1993) (LP)
Renee Martel "Chantons Noel" (Les Disques Star Records, 1995)
Renee Martel "Country" (Les Disques Star Records, 1998) (LP)
Renee Martel "A Mon Pere: Ses Plus Belles Chansons" (Les Disques Star Records, 1999) (LP)
Renee Martel "Un Amour Qui Ne Veut Pas Mourir" (Digimusik, 2006) (LP)
Renee Martel "L'Heritage" (Les Disques Musicor, 2008) (LP)
Renee Martel "Une Femme Libre" (Les Disques Musicor, 2012) (LP)
(Produced by Marc Perusse)
A more pop-oriented "chanson" set, with several guest appearances from singers Paul Daraiche, Paul Flynn, Daniel Lavoie and Steve Marin, with Daraiche the most country-sounding of the lot.
Renee Martel "La Fille De Son Pere" (Productions Martin Leclerc, 2014)
Leaning once again into her father's legacy, Martel bookend this album with two performances by Marcel Martel, his song for his daughter, "Pour Toi Renee," and a father-daughter duet, "Mon Petit Bateau De Bois." All the songs on the album were penned by her papa, except for the title track, "La Fille De Son Pere," an homage she co-wrote with pop artists Nelson Minville. Georges Hamel also guests on one track, "Sois Fidele Et Sincere," a song that was covered by several artists over the years.
Renee Martel & Patrick Norman "Nous" (Productions Martin Leclerc, 2016)
A set of duets with bilingual country crooner Patrick Norman, who once recorded a full album of Kenny Rogers cover songs. Nuff said? Perhaps.
Renee Martel "Arriere-Saison" (Productions Martin Leclerc, 2018) (LP)
Renee Martel & Paul Daraiche "Contre Vents Et Marees" (MP3 Disques, 2021) (LP)
A sleek, elegant duets set recorded with fellow old-timer Paul Daraiche, who shares a similar sense of world-weary satisfaction. One of their videos off this album shows the two of them singing "Contre Vents Et Marees" together on a back porch, staring off contentedly into the rural landscape... and I pretty much buy it. This was recorded the same year she passed away after a bout of severe pneumonia, exactly two months after this album was released.. It's not clear if she had lingering health issues that spurred the album's nostalgic feel, though it's plain that she and Deraiche were both conscious of their advanced years, and for her part Renee Martel made little effort to appear younger, letting her close-cropped, chalk-white hair just be what it is: old lady hair. The arrangements are pretty slick, but the feel of this album is pretty soulful and sincere. A lovely capstone to a long and celebrated career.
Renee Martel (1947-2021) was the daughter of French-Canadian country stars Marcel Martel (1925-1999) and Noella-Therrien (1926-2015) though she became an immensely popular country singer in her own right, with a career that spanned several generations of stylistic modernization. Her early work included a significant chunk of Quebecois teenybopper ye-ye rock'n'roll, and though she shifted into a country career, Ms. Martel also recorded plenty of pop vocals-oriented chanson. Here's a quick look at her work...
