Rene Louis Lafforgue "Chante" (Pathe) (LP)

Rene Louis Lafforgue "Julie-La-Rousse" (Marianne Melody, 2008)

Rene Louis Lafforgue "Marguy" (EP) (Vintage Music, 1956/2011)

Annette Lajon "Grandes Chansons" (TSK, 2012)

La Palma "1930-1936" (Chansophone, 1996)

Simone Langlois "Succes Et Raretes" (Marianne Melodie)

Gloria Lasso "Gloria Lasso" (EMI-Pathe, 1998)

Gloria Lasso "Du Moment Qu'On S'Aime: Collection Pathe" (EMI-Pathe, 2004)

Gloria Lasso "Platinum Collection" (EMI-Pathe, 2008)
A 3-CD set...

Odette Laure "Mes Chansons Coquines" (Marianne Melodie, 2006)

Renee Lebas "Etoiles De La Chanson" (Marianne Melodie, 1995)
I imagine Lebas was a secondary figure in wartime chanson, (although, with Piaf around, who wasn't a second-stringer?) Still, these tracks, recorded from 1942-44, have their charm... Leblas seems to have specialized in songs that had a blues and swing influence... She's not the most moving of singers, but the recordings themselves have a certain nostalgic air to them, and with songs such as "La Legende Du Swing" and a Frenchified version of "Ridin' Home," this disc has definite novelty appeal.

Renee Lebas "Renee Lebas" (Box Set) (Universal, 2006)
A 3-CD collection..

Raymond Legrand "Grands Orchestres Du Music-Hall: El Rancho Grande" (Marianne Melodie, 2006)
An excellent 2-CD set of classic material by Raymond Legrand, a popular 1940's bandleader also known as the father of composer Michel Legrand. He had several wives, including swing-chanson singer Irene de Trebert, who is featured extensively on this collection. (All the Irene de Trebert tracks on this collection are also included in the 2-CD set of her work put out by Fremeaux & Associes, an overlap of twenty tracks, about half the material on either collection.) Other artists are included as well, such as Blanche Darlys and Roger Toussaint and some comedic numbers credited to a vocal trio. All in all, a marvelous set, with great nostalgic material and a "softie" feel compared to some American big band, as well as a whiff of older French musical motifs. Nice stuff!

Francis Lemarque "In Paris" (Intense, 2006)

Francis Lemarque/Various Artists "Chansons De Ma Jeunesse" (Marianne Melodie, 2008)
A collection of hit songs by composer Francis Lemarque, covered by a variety of artists...

Francis Lemarque "1949-1959" (Fremeaux, 2011)
As French popular music changed radically after World War Two, shedding its rougher edges in favor of a swank, more sophisticated sound, a new generation of artists emerged to define the new style. One of the key players in this shift was songwriter Francis Lemarque, who was best known for his association with film star and pop crooner Yves Montand, for whom he wrote numerous new songs. Lemarque penned hits for many artists, including some older chanson stars but largely for the new generation of singers who took up the torch in the late '40s and early '50s. He also became a performer in his own right, and this deluxe 2-CD set collects dozens of tracks Lemarque recorded for the Fontana label in the decade between 1949-59. It features Lemarque singing in front of the orchestras of Michel Legrand, Emil Stern, and Rudi Revil (whose career was closely linked to his own...) as well as a number of tracks with Lemarque as bandleader. Some of the arrangements are dynamic and inventive, some feel staid or antiseptic, compared to the accordeon music and swing jazz of the prewar years. It's a fine document of French music transitioning into the modern postwar era, of sure interest to student of French pop.

Lily Lian "Chansons Des Rues" (Marianne Melodie, 2007)

Robert Lamoureux "Mes Toutes Premieres Chansons: 1949-1952" (Marianne Melodie, 2007)

Robert Lamoureux "La Chasse Au Canard" (Forlane, 2008)

Lily Lian "Chansons Des Rues" (Marianne Melodie, 2007)

Jean Lumiere "Le Charmeur Des Ondes" (Forlane, 1992)
Delightfully prissy, maudlin love songs, recorded between 1932-39. This is about as twee as early French pop can get, solidly within the "sweet band" tradition of American bandleaders such as Jean Goldkette and Glen Gray, or Britain's Ray Noble Orchestra. Great stuff.

Jean Lumiere "Etoiles De La Chanson" (Disky, 1999)
A nice 22-song collection... Only three tracks overlap with the Le Charmeur Des Ondes collection above... Like that volume, this is exceedingly fey and genteel, but also delicious. The tracks where he sings with just piano accompaniment are quite revealing; when he's got a full orchestra behind him, though, it can feel a little smothering.

Jean Lumiere "La Petite Eglise" (Marianne Melodie, 2006)

Jean Lumiere "Le Prince De La Chanson De Charme: 100 Titres D'Or" (Marianne Melodie, 2009)
A 4-CD set...

Christiane Lys "Mes Chansons d'Amour" (Marianne Melodie, 2006) *

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French Music Index
French Rock & Pop

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