Jean-Claude Vannier

Jean-Claude Vannier (born 1943) is a French musician, composer and arranger. Vannier has composed music, written lyrics, and produced albums for many singers.

Vannier is regarded as an important musician in his native country; music critic Andy Votel noted his Eastern music influences and named him a pop-culture icon of 1970s France, alongside Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin.

Vannier was born during a bomb scare in Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine. Self-taught, he began playing the piano at age 18, later arranging for Michel Magne and Alice Dona, his first notions of orchestration taken from the books of the "Que sais-je ?" collection.

Jean-Claude collaborated on several film soundtracks including: "Les guichets du Louvre" by Michel Mitrani, "La horse" by Pierre Granier Deferre, "Paris nous appartient" by Robert Benayoun, "Slogan" by Pierre Grimblat, "Projection privée" by François Leterrier, "L'amour propre" by Martin Veyron, "La nuit tous les chats sont gris" by Gérard Zingg, and "Comédie d'été" by Daniel Vigne.

Besides his own concerts and diverse musical entertainments, Jean-Claude staged numerous shows for artists such as Véronique Sanson’s show with the Prague Symphonic Orchestra at Paris’ Châtelet Theatre, Jane Birkin at the Olympia, “Children's Opera" (for which he also composed the music) and for the Festival of Avignon.

Jean-Claude Vannier has written and recorded six solo albums. Each release has been played live, at venues such as the Campagne Première Theatre, the Ranelagh Theatre, the Théâtre de la Ville, the Dejazet Theatre, the Trottoirs de Buenos Aires, the Auditorium des Halles, and the Théâtre des Abbesses.

“L’enfant assassin des mouches” is a concept album by Vannier that was released by Night & Day in 2003. This instrumental album, which inspired Serge Gainsbourg to write the well known cruel tale, was originally recorded in 1973. Finders Keepers, a UK record label, released it in 2005 with outstanding quotes from Jarvis Cocker, Jim O’Rourke, David Holmes, Tim Gane, Andy Votel International release in 2006 by Finders Keepers. “Because Music” decided to republish the album in October 2008. The album has since attained a more notable cult classic status.

Jean-Claude Vannier performed an enormous live show "L'enfant Assassin des Mouches & Melody Nelson" at London's Barbican on 21 October 2006 with guest vocalists Jarvis Cocker, Badly Drawn Boy, Brigitte Fontaine, The Bad Seeds’ Mick Harvey and lead singer from Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys.

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