Jean-Claude Vannier

The influence of Jean Claude Vannier on French popular and film music cannot be overstated. Vannier's list of collaborators includes Serge Gainsbourg, Michel Legrand, Johnny Hallyday, Jane Birkin, and dozens more. As a recording artist, Vannier's 1972 debut album L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches became the stuff of cult legend, featuring a dizzying array of sounds and styles including library music, cartoon and film soundtracks, classical tropes, Euro-funk, prog, and hard rock. During the '70s, Vannier cut a series of charting chanson albums for Warner and RCA, and scored a slew of films. When Gainsbourg was rediscovered by English-speaking audiences in the 21st century, so was Vannier. He began recording again, releasing Fait Maison in 2005, Roses Rouge Sang in 2011, and Corpse Flower with Mike Patton in 2019. In 2025, Vannier returned with Orchestre de Mandolines, a collection of new pieces for the mandolin.