Annie Philippe

Our pick of the pops

Angelic-looking blonde singer Annie Philippe enjoyed a number of hits in the mid-1960s, although she never quite joined the premier league of French stars.

Annie Philippe was born in the Parisian district of Ménilmontant on 17 December 1946.

After leaving school, she became a DJ in the Twenty One club, off the Champs Élysées, where she met Paul Mauriat, the musical arranger and orchestra leader who went on to enjoy worldwide success with L’amour est bleu, originally performed by Greek-born German star Vicky.

The young singer impressed him enough for him to help her land a recording contract with the Rivièra label, and she released her first four-track EP in 1964. It included Vous pouvez me dire (a song also recorded by Britain’s Lulu as He don’t want your love anymore) and Une rose, a version of Elvis Presley’s Love me tender.

Though it flopped, she was given a second chance and released a version of the Supremes’ Baby love (with the same title). The US girl group-influenced J’ai raté mon bac, which also appeared on the EP, was even better and the disc sold well.

Though Annie had taken singing lessons, she retained an almost child-like vocal style, which, with some justification, drew comparisons to that of yé-yé star France Gall.

1967 began well, with the release of Le mannequin, which made the top ten in the February and stayed in the top 20 for three months. The EP also featured Tu peux partir où tu voudras, a version of Mama Cass’s Go where you wanna go, and the excellent Pas de taxi.  

When the follow up, Une petite croix, issued in the spring of 1968, flopped, she teamed up with French superstar Claude François on his Flèche label (home of Belgian singer Liliane Saint-Pierre, amongst others) for Le même amour and Je découvre tout, issued in 1969.

Finally, after appearing on tour with the likes of Jacques Dutronc, she decided to take a break from her recording career.

The 1970s proved a quiet period for Annie professionally, until she elected to attempt a comeback late in the decade with Appelle Jack, a Dolly Parton cover. She also caused a few raised, erm, eyebrows when she posed naked in Lui.

In the early 2000s, she began to perform again, and went on to tour with Frank Alamo. (The pair also recorded together.)

Pas de taxi

1967

Pour la gloire

1967

J’ai raté mon bac

1964

Indeed, her follow up, J’ai tant de peine, could also have passed easily for a Gall release.

She made her mark with her fourth EP, the melancholic Ticket de quai. The disc charted in March 1966 and gave the singer her biggest hit. The EP also included the distinctly Brit

girl-sounding On m’a toujours dit (albeit sung in French, of course).

A change of label to Philips saw her enjoy a further, smaller hit in the summer of 1966 with the mournful Mes amis, mes copains.

However, C’est la mode, another very

British-sounding tune, proved a return to form upon its release in late 1966.

Annie Philippe on YouTube

Ticket de quai

1966

C'est la mode

1966

Vouz pouvez me dire

1964

Baby love

1964

An album was released on the back of her success.

She wrote the lyrics for the title track of her next EP, Lettre pour Annie, which also included the pounding fan favourite Pour la gloire.

After recording the title track for the film La blonde de Pékin, she released Les enfants de Finlande, her last chart hit, in the autumn of 1967.

Cover cuts

On m'a toujours dit

1966

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Annie Philippe

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