Mylene Farmer and Laurent Boutannat

[Scruffydog777]

I wanted to know more about the two people who played such an important role in Alizée's early career, so I did a little research on line.

As for Mylene Farmer, I never realized she was born in Quebec, Canada. Apparently her family moved to France when she was at an early age. She will be 48 in September. Wikpedia says, "Farmer is the most successful and provocative female French recording artist, the only artist to have each of her studio albums gaining platinum status in France." It also says in 1984, she was a student at a drama student at Cours Florent, a drama school in Paris, when she met Lautent Boutonnat, who was studying film and she has worked with him, though not exclusively, on numerous ocassions. Her first #1 hit was "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", produced in 1988. It was very controversial and lasted 17 minutes. Here is the address for people who'd like to read more about her.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myl%C3%A8ne_Farmer
Wikpedia describes Laurent Boutannat (who was born in the same year as MF, 1961) as "He is mostly known in France as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and director of epic music videos", which does not seem to be much of a tribute for a man of his talents. Below I listed a number of videos and albums he has worked on.
Wikpedia says about them discovering Alizée, "In 2000, Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat had assembled songs and video ideas they felt appropriate for a younger, new star. They began the hunt to break a female singer into the French charts - they found Alizée, a contestant on the French television show Graines de stars. Farmer and Boutonnat wrote and produced Alizée's albums Gourmandises and Mes courants électriques. Her hit "Moi... Lolita" reached the top of the charts and Alizée became the most successful French singer that year. In 2001 IFOP announced Farmer as top earning French entertainer of the year thanks to her writing, recording, and producing credits of Alizée's music, which earned 10.4 million euros."

The main question I wanted to ask with this thread was where did the Graines de Star talent show take place? By the way, for those who didn't know, graine means seed. So these people on the show were stars in their seed stage. I also wonder if this was the only talent show that MF and LB had looked at for a potential new star?.


Here is a list of videos and albums LB has produced.
[edit] Music videos
Mylène Farmer - Maman a tort (1984)
Mylène Farmer - Plus Grandir (1985)
Mylène Farmer - Libertine (1986)
Mylène Farmer - Tristana (1986)
Mylène Farmer - Sans Contrefaçon (1987)
Mylène Farmer - Ainsi soit je... (1988)
Mylène Farmer - Pourvu qu'elles soient douces (1988)
Mylène Farmer - Sans Logique (1988)
Mylène Farmer - A quoi je sers... (1989)
Mylène Farmer - Allan (Live) (1989)
Mylène Farmer - Plus Grandir (Live) (1990)
Mylène Farmer - Désenchantée (1991)
Mylène Farmer - Regrets (1991)
Mylène Farmer - Je t'aime mélancolie (1991)
Mylène Farmer - Beyond my control (1992)
Nathalie Cardone - Hasta Siempre (1997)
Nathalie Cardone - Populaire (1998)
Nathalie Cardone - ...Mon Ange (1999)
Nathalie Cardone - Baila Si (2000)
Alizée - Moi... Lolita (2000)
Alizée - Parler tout bas (2001)
Mylène Farmer - Les Mots (2001)
Mylène Farmer - Pardonne-moi (2002)
Alizée - J'ai pas vingt ans(2003)
Kamal Kacet - Ifkis (2004)

[edit] Albums
Laurent Boutonnat works as composer and producer on all the listed albums
Mylène Farmer - Cendres de Lune (1986)
Mylène Farmer - Ainsi soit je... (1989)
Mylène Farmer - L'autre... (1991)
Mylène Farmer - Dance Remixes (1992)
Mylène Farmer - Anamorphosée (1995)
Nathalie Cardone - Album éponyme (1999)
Mylène Farmer - Innamoramento (1999)
Alizée - Gourmandises (2000)
Mylène Farmer - Les mots (2001)
Alizée - Mes courants électriques... (2003)
Mylène Farmer - Avant que l'ombre... (2005)
Mylène Farmer - Point de

[Ben]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

The main question I wanted to ask with this thread was where did the Graines de Star talent show take place? By the way, for those who didn't know, graine means seed. So these people on the show were stars in their seed stage. I also wonder if this was the only talent show that MF and LB had looked at for a potential new star?

Don't know if they looked anywhere else, but for dates, places, and such there's always Homer's Chronology:

# 2000: Alizée auditions for "Graines de star". First in Corsica (in the césar palace) and then in Paris interpreting the song "waiting for tonight". Although for several reasons the precise date of this is not clear for example it appears in some videos that it is actually 19th December 1999. Whilst when Graines de Star was broadcasted, a fragment of the video appears with the label: Audition January 2000.
# 25th February 2000: Alizée on "Graines de Star" performs "Ma Prière" which was originally sung by Axelle Red. In which Alizée comes first (source Nidalizée) However another source states it is the 26th of January (gourmand'alizée).
# 14th April 2000: She returns again on "Graines de Star", performing once again "Ma Prière" and this time Alizée also sings "Oh Happy Days" alongside three others; Marie and Sydney aged 13 and Claire 16. Claire won, whilst Alizée 15 at the time came second. (source Nidalizée). Claimed on another site it was 27th of February (gourmand'alizée). There is some doubt about the exact dates of "Graines De Star" performances by Alizée due to schedule changes on the show. Some videos show Alizée performances as dated in 1999, however Homer feels the above dates are correct.
# Spring 2000: L. Boutonnant and P. Soloman do the photo session that will be the official promotional photo's for Moi...Lolita.
# 21st May 2000: Moi... Lolita begins to be aired on the radio

And for more info on Mylene, we've got a few threads about her, like this one: http://alizeeamerica.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2587

[SimonH]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

I also wonder if this was the only talent show that MF and LB had looked at for a potential new star?.

They didn't look at the show at all. What happened was there was a "casting call" by a mysterious producer... no one knew who it was. It just so happens Alizee was convinced by family and friends to send in the tape of her Graines de Star performance & Mylene ended up picking her.

If Mylene was looking at Graines de Star for a person then she would of most likely picked the person who won first place since that would make the most sense.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by SimonH

If Mylene was looking at Graines de Star for a person then she would of most likely picked the person who won first place since that would make the most sense.

Her?



I doubt it. Mylene was looking for something pretty specific, and the voting on Graines de Star was far from scientific (literally an applause-o-meter).
But yeah, Alizée did send in her tape. Maybe just the one where she won? So I guess we do know two people who have that "lost" recording!

[edgar93]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

As for Mylene Farmer, I never realized she was born in Quebec, Canada.

Pierrefonds, right? That's like a 1hr ride from Montreal.

The main question I wanted to ask with this thread was where did the Graines de Star talent show take place?

Well, working on Homer's DVD subtitles, I noticed some dates:

Originally Posted by Alizée

*In November 1999 « Graines de Star » came to Ajaccio for castings.

*After that I sang « La vie ne m'apprend rien », from Liane Foly, And I was chosen to go to the castings in Paris.

*On March, I knew that there was going to be a tryout in Paris. So I sent my cassette to « Graines de Star », a pic, and a recording. And then I went to Paris to make the studio castings.

Well, according to Homer's subtitles, Alizée met with Laurent Boutonnat after the march castings. I assume that was after the 1st Graines de Star.

I just wanted to point this quote from Laurent, which made me think about the way everything started:

Originally Posted by Alizée

After that I listened to it many times (Moi Lolita). After the 20th time I listened to it I started to sing it. And after the 5th time of singing it, Laurent Boutonnat told me: "Well, I think we will work together".

Originally Posted by Laurent

Well, I think we will work together. Now I can tell you our Secret. It's me who has made the music. and it is Myléne who has written the lyrics.

I find it interesting how picky Laurent and Mylene were there. I recall reading some other quote where he said something else about the girl they were going to pick. Everything was so planned.

[SimonH]

Originally Posted by Ben

Her?



I doubt it. Mylene was looking for something pretty specific, and the voting on Graines de Star was far from scientific (literally an applause-o-meter).
But yeah, Alizée did send in her tape. Maybe just the one where she won? So I guess we do know two people who have that "lost" recording!

Good call, but what I said is still partly true. They weren't looking specifically at this show, just it turns out someone from it got picked. Right?

[C-4]

No way that picture is of Alizée. Not even close.
I hope you were joking when you put that pic up. I hope, I hope, I hope.

[Bigdan]

I don"t get the point, here....

What do you try to find? A picture of her at her debut ?



Here it is. The first casting ,with Laurent. (16 dec 1999)

[dreamer]

I think it's not Laurent. It's just some guy working for the Graines de Star show. This was an audition to be admitted to the competition.

Originally Posted by C-4

No way that picture is of Alizée. Not even close.
I hope you were joking when you put that pic up. I hope, I hope, I hope.

Of course it's not Alizée. It's the girl who won Graines de Star (Alizée came in second). I thought that was clear from Ben's post.

[Bigdan]

Originally Posted by dreamer

I think it's not Laurent. It's just some guy working for the Graines de Star show. This was an audition to be admitted to the competition.

yes. You're right. I was a little too quick on this one...

By the way, talking about Mylène, let's see her at the same age of Alizée (23) in those picts...



Don't you think there is some common grace?