A masterpiece of film music following "Man and Woman" by the tag team of Claude Lelouch and Francis Ray. This is an artistic documentary film that only features footage of the Winter Olympics held in Grenoble, France, and Francis Ray's brilliant music. The performances by the actual star athletes of the time and the astonishing talent of Francis Ray, which can be described as a French soundtrack, make this a masterpiece. The theme song "White Lovers" was produced with Japanese lyrics and covered by The Peanuts, Saori Yuki, Ayumi Ishida, and others.
Artist Profile
The French composer who composed the world-famous scat "Dabadabadah♪" is Francis Lai. He was also renowned as an accordion player and vocalist. He was born in Nice, France in 1932. After learning piano and accordion, he traveled with regional orchestras before moving to Paris in 1953. There, he entered the world of film music. He provided songs for the famous Michel Magne Orchestra, as well as for artists like Juliette Gréco and Yves Montand. In his later years, he became the accompanist and musical director for Edith Piaf. He made his mark in the world of film music, gaining international recognition with Claude Lelouch's 1966 film "A Man and a Woman." He continued to create numerous hit songs in Lelouch's films such as "Live for Life," "The Ski Bum" (the official film of the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics), "Bilitis," "And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen," as well as in non-European films like "Love Story."
With his simple yet sweet and melancholic melodies influenced by the chanson genre, Francis Lai sparked an explosive "Francis Lai boom" in the 1960s and 1970s. He also composed music for Japanese films such as "A Story of Raccoons" and TV commercials like "The World of HONDA Accord." In 1970, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film "Love Story." Francis Lai passed away on November 7, 2018.