In newsreel footage of the Beatles’ January 1964 appearances at the Paris Olympia, Sylvie Vartan’s name appears on the venue’s marquee.
Sylvie Vartan was already a star in France, on the strength of Panne d’essence ("Out Of Gas"), written by American country and western singer John D. Loudermilk. Other covers followed: Quand le film est triste ("Sad Movies," another Loudermilk song); Twiste et chante (a pre-Beatles hit for the Isley Brothers); Baby c’est vous ("Baby It’sYou"), the ever-present Dadou ron ron, and Le locomotion (yes, THAT "Locomotion").
She and Johnny Hallyday married in April 1965 (they were to split twelve years later). French music was developing its own identity, and covers now shared the charts with songs by French writers. Of those, Mme. Vartan’s greatest success was Comme un garçon, recorded in the then-fave music hall style of Peter and Gordon’s "Lady Godiva," covered itself in 2002 by the retro-pop duo Stereo Total.
But record buyers wanted covers, and that’s what they got. Homme en noir ("Pretty Woman"). L’amour est bleu ("Love Is Blue"). Je te cherche ("Rocket Man"). On a 1977 album, Warren Zevon’s "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" became Pauvre Sylvie. Later, Bob Seger got the treatment twice: Pour l’amour tu me garderas, "You’ll Accomp’ny Me"(three semesters of college French tell me the title translates as "for love, you’ll keep me") and Le bon temps du rock and roll ("Old Time Rock And Roll" never sounded like this before!)
Sylvie Vartan also played Las Vegas, sometimes performing a few hotels down the Strip from her ex. She’s still recording, and filling concert halls in France, throwing in a cover now and then to keep things interesting. Most are Broadway show tunes and pop standards. Fans of Eighties flashbacks, however, might want to search out the album with "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" (Déprime) on it.