Although this single does not specify a year of release, it is safe to assume that Paul Mauriat released this in 1969, when Frida Boccara was one of the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Un jour, un enfant'. Like the previous year, Mauriat delivered an instrumental version of a Eurovision song with his orchestra, although this time it was actually a winning song.
Curiously though, this single features the self-composed track 'Nocturne' on the A-side. Perhaps Mauriat felt that he couldn't make a worldwide hit of his version, like he did with 'L'amour est bleu' in 1968.
My collection: 7" single no. 6737 Found: Discogs.com, received 24 June 2022 Cost: $3 Tracks: 'Nocturne' / 'Un jour, un enfant'
I already bought a copy of 'L'amour est bleu' by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra in January 2015, and in the very same store too, but when I saw this copy I just couldn't leave it there last Saturday. This is the original French single, complete with a small price tag attached to the sleeve (not scanned here) and a different B-side.
It does happen occasionally that I buy different releases of the same single, especially when it comes to Eurovision releases. And since we're in a winning mood this week, why not listen to this great instrumental version of the Vicky Leandros song all over again?
My collection: 7" single no. 6070 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, May 18, 2019 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love is blue' / 'Comme un garçon'
Isabelle Aubret competed in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest with 'La source', representing France. Paul Mauriat and his orchestra were quick to profit from the commercial success of the song, recording an instrumental cover version of it for a single release quickly after the Contest took place.
He did a similar thing the year before with L'amour est bleu. That single sold millions of copies, this single went by almost unnoticed in most territories.
My collection: 7" single no. 5795 Found: Revolver Records, Barcelona, September 22, 2015 Cost: 2 euro Tracks: 'La source' / 'Ne sois pas triste'
'L'amour est bleu' was the 1967 Eurovision entry by Vicky Leandros, representing Luxembourg that year. She actually won the contest with the song, prompting chart success all over Europe - and a flurry of cover versions.
The most famous cover version is the one by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra, although his version was entirely instrumental. It didn't bother the audiences in Europe, where it became a hit in 1968. Amazingly, his version became the best known version in the United States, where it ranked as the second best sold song of the year.
My collection: 7" single no. 5603 Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'L'amour est bleu' / 'A banda'
