Georges Chatelain

Georges Chatelain was born July 24, 1938 of a Romanian father and a French motherfrom Brittany 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, [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBE_%28studio%29 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, guitare, clarinette) 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 Perimony 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 [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odile_Versois Odile Versois] : "Les Petits Demoiselles", a film by director [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Deville Michel Deville] appearing with [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macha_Meril 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 ayoung 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 [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Holloway 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 ReverendGary 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 [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugues_Auffray 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 40 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.

CBE

Thanks to his experiences and the people he met, Georges decided inJune 1966 to build his own recording and photo studio in an oldclothing shop at the foot of a public housing building in Paris' 18thArrondissement. The studio, named CBE, was designed by Georges afterhaving visited all the major recording centers of London. Georges usedwood lathes to give the CBE studio its outstanding acoustics.

In August of the same year Georges and his Swiss friend, GuntherLoof, recorded Nino Ferrer in a Dijon nightclub using a Revox taperecorder, a home-made mixing box with four faders and a fewresistors . The hit single , "Je Voudrais Etre Noir" was recordedthere. Georges also made the cover photo of the record jacket.

Thanks to Jack Robinson and his friend Lee Hallyday, Georges Chatelainrecorded and mixed Johnny Hallyday 's "Amour d'éte", the Frenchadaptation of "Love Me Tender," which became a summer hit in 1967.

At the end of 1967 a series of Georges photos were published by LouisPauwels in his magazine, Plexus.By late 1967 CBE was becoming well-known in music circles, especiallysince Georges had contracted Gunther Loof to build Europe's firsteight-track tape recorder which was a veritable technical revolutionfor the recording industry. Most of the French singing stars came torecord at CBE as well as Paul Simon and (thanks to Jack Robinson) LeeHazlewood, one of America's leading composers/producers (NancySinatra/Frank Sinatra etc.)

Georges imported the Mellotron and the Chamberlin, precursors oftoday's sound sample players, further revolutionizing recordingtechniques in France.

Went to London to produce his French language version of a songrecorded by the Beatles' Apple artist Mary Hopkins.

With American publisher/record producer, Jack Robinson, Georgesproduced a young French singer, Gilles Marchal. Together they recordedseven hit singles in a row on AZ records, the company which belongedto Europe 1 radio directed by Lucien Morisse. Gilles went on toappear at the Olympia Music Hall, once as the opening act for LizaMinnelli.

While on his frequent visits to London Georges befriended singers suchas Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, the group Pentangle and bassist DannyThompson. They often came to visit and to record in Georges ' studio.They worked on a demo album for French singer Martine Habib which leadto her signing by Clive Davis on CBS Records. Martine's album wasproduced in Nashville by Norbert Putnam with some of the top playersincluding Elvis Presley's background singers, the Jordanaires. JackRobinson and Georges worked with Putnam on the production.

Back in London Georges was introduced to the famous guitar-maker Tony Zamaitisby Ralph McTell. Georges ordered a 12 string and a 6 string .

Georges attended a concert in London of the Rev. Gary Davis andphotographed the show. His pictures were used to illustrate theStefan Grossman guitar method: « Rev. Gary Davis Blues Guitar».

After CBE

The CBE adventure ended in 1974 for Georges Chatelain. Georges tookadvantage of his free time to delve into other fields that impassionedor intrigued him. Among them:

*Parallel medicine. This lead him to study Philippine faith healersaccompanied by television producer Claudine Kirgener who worked for Frenchtelevision personality Denise Glaser.

*The Theory of Colors by Goethe

*The art of speech and theater by Rudolf Steiner who replied to manyof the questions posed by Lee Strasberg in his autobiography.

*The book, "Talking with Angels", retranscribed by Gitta Mallasz, 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 builta "home studio" with a 24 tracks recorder and once again was the firstto introduce new technology: this time the first Linn Drum (electronicdrum machine) to France. He launched into audio productions doingadvertising jingles. At the same time he produced singer FabienneGuyon whom he signed to Trema Records. She played featured roles inLes Miserables and the Jacques Demy film "Une Chambre en Ville" andrecorded two songs by Miserables composer Claude Michel Schoenberg,arranged by Jean Musy. In 1984 she was chosen to represent Luxemburgfor 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" oneof France's leading fm radio stations.One of George's best known compositions is a theme which became Frenchtelecoms "hold the line" music over the past 10 years. Althoughmillions 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 askedGeorges to work on audio sector of a new program which was a dailysatire of the day's news then called "Les Arenes de l'Info" (The NewsArenas) which later became known as Les Guignols de l'Info (The NewsPuppets). Georges became the show's sound designer and castingdirector to hire the imitaters for the show. One of whom, Yves Lecoqwas propelled to stardom by the show to whom he still lends his voice.

After several years Georges dropped the television activity toundertake a new series of studies: the Marie Jael piano method (acontemporary and friend of Liszt), the Werbeck singing method, bio-dynamicagriculture with wine-grower Nicolas Joly in Angers who produces oneof the world's greatest wines, the "Coulee de Serrant."

In 1998 Georges was called on by Bertrand Burgalat (thanks to Jean-MaxRiviere) to direct singers and actors for a musical comedy written byhumorist, Professor Choron: "Dead Drunk for the Country," produced byCanal Plus. Georges give singing and performance directions to suchknown French artists as Arielle Dombasle, Dick Rivers, Moustique andBenoit Delepine for the Guignols team, Yvan Le Bolloch, Bruno Solo, Alain Chabatand television announcer Evelyn Leclerc. Georges was also called onto coach Japanese singing start Cano Caoli with whom he sang and wasfeatured in her clip. Georges also worked with celebrated novelistsMichel Houellebecq.

Georges continues his research on learning techniques and theperfecting of his vocal coaching using the Werbeck singing methodand the Marie Jael piano method which he taught for two years in apopular music school in Nyon, Switzerland, created by Eliane Dambreand sponsored by singer Michel Fugain and lyricist Claude Lemesle.Considering that the best way for artists to perfect their art is toperform in public every quarter, Georges organizes a show which he hascreated 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 activelyseeking young performers from the four corners of the world and thetheme will be close to "Joy is air of new world."

External links

* [http://www.georgeschatelain.com/en/ Georges Chatelain's official site]
* [http://cdbaby.com/cd/georgeschatelain CD Baby]