RIP Alain Goraguer

 

 Death of Alain Goraguer, arranger of Serge Gainsbourg and composer of film music, at the age of 91

Alain Goraguer, composer of film music, arranger and orchestrator of Serge Gainsbourg or France Gall, died Monday, February 13, 2023, at the age of 91.

 

Voici

By Manon Moreau

2/17/2023

 

His name may not ring a bell, but you must know his music. Alain Goraguer passed away on Monday, February 13, 2023, at the age of 91. As an arranger and orchestrator, he has worked on the songs of many French artists, from Serge Gainsbourg to France Gall, Jean Ferrat, Georges Moustaki or even Abd Al Malik. "To arrange is to rectify a melody written with clumsiness so that it is elegant. It can be a harmonic passage, a change of tone. To orchestrate is to dress by instrument, to find a counter-chant that helps the song to live, "he explained in 2019, in an interview with Le Monde.

Hits, film music and the credits of Gym Tonic

Passionate about jazz and pianist, Alain Goraguer had met Boris Vian in a club in Saint-Germain des Prés, Paris. Together in life and sharing the same love of jazz, they had worked together on the songs Je bois, La complainte du progrès or Fais-moi mal Johnny. Alain Goraguer also directed the soundtrack of the film J'irai cracher sur vos tombes, adapted from the book by Vernon Sullivan (aka Boris Vian). It is to Alain Goraguer that we owe the arrangement and orchestration of many hits of French song: Le poinçonneur des Lilas by Serge Gainsbourg; Les solettes et Poupée de cire poupée de son, by France Gall; Les petits papiers de Régine, Le métèque de George Moustaki. He had also collaborated with Boby Lapointe, Jean Ferrat, Serge Lama, Mireille Darc, Marie Laforêt and, more recently, Abd Al Malik.

Also a composer, Alain Goraguer had written several film scores (including porn films in the 1970s). He had notably directed the music for La planète sauvage (1973), by René Laloux. He had also imagined the credits of the show Gym Tonic, by Véronique and Davina, broadcast on Antenne 2.

GORAGUER, Alain (Alain Yves Réginald Goraguer)

Born: 1931, Rosny-sous-Bois, Île-de-France, France

Died: 2/13/2023, Paris, Île-de-France, France

 

Alain Goraguer’s western – composer:

The Eagle and the Horse (TV) - 1994