Ronnie Bird

Ronnie Bird
Ronnie Bird
	Ronnie Bird at Rock'n'roll jubilee, Paris 2010
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Méhu
Born	24 April 1946 (age 78); Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Genres	Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	since 1964
Labels	Decca; Philips, Phonogram, Mercury

Ronnie Bird (born Ronald Méhu; 24 April 1946 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine) is a French singer.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Career

As a student, Bird attended Lycée Claude-Bernard in Paris until he had an argument with a teacher.^{[citation needed]}

As a young singer, he preferred to perform in English in a desire for authenticity.^[4]^[5] He debuted his recording career in 1964 with Decca, with the title track Adieu à un ami, which was a homage to Buddy Holly; this song later appeared in the film US Go Home (1994).^[6] According to author Jonathyne Briggs, Bird and other French pop stars of that era, such as Jacques Dutronc, Hugues Aufray, Antoine, and Serge Gainsbourg "created a more diverse pop music landscape".^[7] Richie Unterberger later wrote, "During the mid-'60s, Ronnie Bird was the only French artist to successfully emulate the sounds of the British Invasion across the channel".^[8]

He was voted the eighth most popular male singer in France in a 1965 poll by Salut Les Copains.^[9] He hosted a Radio Luxembourg 208 broadcast on 1 April 1966.^[10]

He regularly appeared with popular singers visiting France, including Chuck Berry^[11] and Tom Jones.^[12]

He recorded the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time" and "Down Home Girl" in French.^[13] He recorded songs by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown in English for Philips.^[14] He recorded two songs, "Rain on the City" and "Sad Soul" for the U.S. market before his U.S. tour.^[15]

Bird appeared with many other artists in the "photo du siècle" or "photo of the century" taken by Jean-Marie Périer. The photograph published in the magazine Salut les copains in 1966.^[16]

Despite his evident ability and the apparent success of songs like Elle m'attend, Où va-t-elle ?, Bird ended his artistic career after 5 years.^[17]

He is also noted for participating in the French production of the musical Hair between 1968 and 1972 . Moreover, he wrote the lyrics of the song, Precious Things, sung by Dee Dee Bridgewater, in a duet with Ray Charles, which saw success in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

The song Le Pivert (the woodpecker) was prohibited from being played on Radio-France because of, according to an internal memo, its "vulgar attack on good taste". The memo was published in Charlie Hebdo.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Super 45 tours, singles, CD singles

1964 : Adieu à un ami / Tu ferais mieux de filer / On s'aime en secret / Dis aux montagnes (Decca)
1964 : L'amour nous rend fou / Pour toi / Je ne mens pas / Tout seul (Decca)
1965 : Elle m'attend / Tu perds ton temps / Fais attention / Pour être à toi (Decca)
1965 : Où va-t-elle ? / Ma vie s'enfuit / Je voudrais dire / Ce maudit journal (Decca)
1966 : Chante / Ne t'en fais pas pour Ronnie / Cette maudite solitude / Cheese (Philips)
1966 : N'écoute pas ton cœur / Seul dans la nuit / Hey girl ! / Ça n'est pas vrai (Philips)
1967 : Tu en dis trop / C'est un hold-up / Je serre les poings / Tu ne sais pas (Philips)
1967 : La surprise / Si quelque chose m'arrivait / Les filles en sucre d'orge / Ne promets rien (Philips)
1967 : Le pivert / De l'autre côté du miroir / SOS mesdemoiselles / Aimez-moi (Philips)
1969 : Sad soul / Rain in the city (Philips)
1992 : One world (version courte) / One world (version longue) / Jazz it up (Philips)
1995 : Live 65 & 67 : Route 66 / Fais attention / C'est un hold-up / Fa fa fa fa fa (Sad song) (LCD)

Original studio albums

1965 : Ronnie Bird (LP Decca 154134) (France) (réédition 2010 LP Universal 134154S) (regroupe les EP 1,2,3 : Elle M'Attend / Je Ne Mens Pas / Pour Toi / Tu Perds Ton Temps / Dis Aux Montagnes / On S'Aime En Secret / Fais Attention / L'Amour Nous Rend Fous / Adieu A Un Ami / Tout Seul / Pour Être A Toi / Tu Ferais Mieux De Filer)
1966 : Ronnie Bird (LP London MLP 10062) (Canada) (version canadienne du précédent, 4 titres remplacés par ceux du EP 4 : Où Va-T-Elle ? / Ma Vie S'enfuit / Je Voudrais Dire / Ce Maudit Journal / Tu Perds Ton Temps / On S'aime En Secret / Pour Toi / Je Ne Mens Pas / Fais Attention / L'amour Nous Rend Fous / Tu Ferais Mieux De Filer / Elle M'Attend)
1967 : Ronnie Bird (LP Philips 70452) (Canada) (réédition 2008 LP Mercury 5309083) (France) (regroupe les EP 5,6,7 : N'Écoute Pas Ton Cœur / Seul Dans La Nuit / Hey Girl! / Ce N'Est Pas Vrai / Chante / Ne T'En Fais Pas Pour Ronnie / Je Serre Les Poings / Tu Ne Sais Pas / Tu En Dis Trop / C'Est Un Hold-Up / Cette Maudite Solitude / Cheese)
1992 : One World (CD Philips 512292–2) (France) (One World / Jazz It Up / A Dollar A Dance / Russian Cruise / Jungle / Make My Day / Tango / Don't Disturb / Go Ronnie Go / Sister Don't - (Ronnie Bird / Leslie Winston))

Collaborations

2016 : Ronnie Bird & M. Mader : The Demos (CD Loon Music) (Beau fixe / Elle est si belle / Si seulement / Elle en a vu / Pêle-mêle / Le beau Gégé / J'suis à court / Tu frappes ta mère / J'ai envie de toi / Respire - (Ronnie Bird / Mader))
2017 : Himiko : Nebula (CD Assai Records)

Live albums

1983 : En public (LP Eva 12025) (France)

Compilations albums

1976 : 63-66 (LP Decca 278 145)
1984 : Le style anglais (LP Philips 818986–1)
1985 : 1965 (LP ou CD Big Beat Records 70342)
1990 : Fais attention (LP ou CD Club Dial 900.048.1)
1990 : N'écoute pas ton cœur (LP ou CD Club Dial 900.057.1)
1990 : Le rock c'est ça ! (CD Polygram Distribution 842 055–2)
2002 : Twistin' the rock vol. 7 (2xCD Mercury France 586495–2)(+)
2006 : EP & singles collection 1964-1969 (coffret 9 CD EP + 2 CD SP Magic Records)(+)
2009 : Tendres Années 60 (CD Mercury 530 604–7)
2015 : Salut les copains (2xCD Mercury)(+)

As writer

1992 : "Someone to lead me" (Ronnie Bird / FR David) - (SP Pense A Moi) by F.R. David.
1989 : "Precious thing" (Ronnie Bird / Pierre Papadiamandis) - (SP Polydor) by Dee Dee Bridgewater & Ray Charles.
1996 : CD Strong love affair: Say no more (Ronnie Bird / Pierre Papadiamandis) - (CD Qwest) by Ray Charles.
1988 : CD Haunted: Haunted, Memorial, King for a day (Ronnie Bird / Bernard Paganotti) - (CD Bleu Citron) by Paga Group (avec Bernard Paganotti).
1993 : CD Gnosis: Caravan (Ronnie Bird / Bernard Paganotti) - (CD Bleu Citron) by Paga Group (avec Bernard Paganotti).

Miscellaneous

2003 : François Jouffa – Pop Culture: Interviews & Reportages 1964-1970: Ronnie Bird - 10/10/65 - (CD Frémeaux & Associés)
2014 : En Direct ! (LP Jukebox Magazine JBM 027) (Route 66 / Je Ne Mens Pas / Elle M'attend / Tu Perds Ton Temps / Fais Attention / I Can't Stand It / Chante / Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song) / C'est Un Hold-Up / I Will Love You)

References

^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (11 September 1965). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ Inc, Broadcast Music (1965). BMI: The Many Worlds of Music. Broadcast Music, Incorporated. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ Dister, Alain (1993). The Age of Rock. Abrams. ISBN 978-0-8109-2831-2.
^ Conway, M.; Patel, K. (29 October 2010). Europeanization in the Twentieth Century: Historical Approaches. Springer. ISBN 978-0-230-29312-0.
^ "Music Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 20 November 1965. p. 29.
^ Mayne, Judith (30 March 2005). Claire Denis. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09639-6.
^ Briggs, Jonathyne (2 March 2015). Sounds French: Globalization, Cultural Communities and Pop Music, 1958-1980. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-026664-6.
^ Unterberger, Richie. "Ronnie Bird | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (11 September 1965). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^ Neill, Andrew; Kent, Matthew (2009). Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the WHO 1958-1978. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-6691-6.
^ "International News Reports" (PDF). Billboard. 26 February 1966. p. 45.
^ "From the Music Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 30 July 1966. p. 48.
^ "Musical Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 29 May 1965. p. 26.
^ "From the Music Capitals of the World". Billboard. 11 May 1968. p. 50.
^ Brillie, Michel (2 November 1968). "Paris Promenade". Record World. p. 43.
^ "Les années yé-yé en photos". leparisien.fr (in French). 13 January 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
^ Legrand, Emmanuel (21 November 1992). "Global Music Pulse" (PDF). Billboard. p. 51.

External links

[1] Inc, Nielsen Business Media (11 September 1965). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)

[2] Inc, Broadcast Music (1965). BMI: The Many Worlds of Music. Broadcast Music, Incorporated. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)

[3] Dister, Alain (1993). The Age of Rock. Abrams. ISBN 978-0-8109-2831-2.

[4] Conway, M.; Patel, K. (29 October 2010). Europeanization in the Twentieth Century: Historical Approaches. Springer. ISBN 978-0-230-29312-0.

[5] "Music Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 20 November 1965. p. 29.

[6] Mayne, Judith (30 March 2005). Claire Denis. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09639-6.

[:0-7] Briggs, Jonathyne (2 March 2015). Sounds French: Globalization, Cultural Communities and Pop Music, 1958-1980. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-026664-6.

[8] Unterberger, Richie. "Ronnie Bird | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2020.

[9] Inc, Nielsen Business Media (11 September 1965). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)

[10] Neill, Andrew; Kent, Matthew (2009). Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the WHO 1958-1978. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-6691-6.

[11] "International News Reports" (PDF). Billboard. 26 February 1966. p. 45.

[12] "From the Music Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 30 July 1966. p. 48.

[13] "Musical Capitals of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 29 May 1965. p. 26.

[14] "From the Music Capitals of the World". Billboard. 11 May 1968. p. 50.

[15] Brillie, Michel (2 November 1968). "Paris Promenade". Record World. p. 43.

[16] "Les années yé-yé en photos". leparisien.fr (in French). 13 January 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

[17] Legrand, Emmanuel (21 November 1992). "Global Music Pulse" (PDF). Billboard. p. 51.

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