Jean-Jacques Goldman celebrates his 71st birthday on October 11, 2022. The opportunity to look back on the history of one of his most emblematic titles I give you. Jean-Jacques Goldman, helped by his lifelong accomplice, Michael Jones, unveiled this title in October 1985. Fabien Lecoeuvre, press officer and specialist in French song, told Planet the genesis of this successful title. According to him, “I give you is above all a story of friendship between a guitarist, Michael Jones, and Jean-Jacques Goldman. The author of 1001 secret stories of songs recalls that the meeting between the two men dates back to 1977.
“At that time, Jean-Jacques Goldman was part of a group called Taï Phong and to be replaced during a tour he placed an ad in a specialized magazine to find a guitarist. This Welsh guitarist was Michael Jones”, details Fabien Lecoeuvre. After having sympathized, Michael Jones will even compose several titles in 1979 for an album of the group of Jean-Jaques Goldman, Taï Song.
The two men would stay in touch as Goldman’s career took off. It is only natural that the artist will ask his Welsh friend to accompany him on stage. “It was while he was working on his fourth solo album, Unapproved, that Jean-Jacques Goldman had the idea of recording a duet with his lifelong accomplice Michael Jones”, reveals the specialist in French songs.
A title that has the particularity of combining French and English lyrics. “Goldman always tries to rhyme with English phonetics when he composes. That’s why he wanted to leave the emotion with the English words of Michael Jones. Above all, he wanted to make a song that evokes strength and wealth of differences”, assures Fabien Lecoeuvre. He recalls that this song comes “in a period when there is a very strong rise in France of the FN and that it was a response and a hymn to tolerance between men. A song that meets from December 1985 a huge success by ranking in the top 50. “She will even remain top 1 for eight weeks, it’s a huge success”.
“A song that has remained in the memories and which, even today, is learned in schools to new generations”, insists the specialist in French song. “Today, ‘I give you’ is more than a song, it’s a hymn, chants the press officer. Fabien Lecoeuvre specifies that Jean-Jacques Goldman has given his agreement for a group of artists takes up this song as the anthem of the association “Le refuge”, which helps young homosexuals rejected by their families. “The rights to the song therefore finance the program of this association”, adds the expert of French song who emphasizes the avant-garde side of Jean-Jacques Goldman to engage in causes. “He is very happy that this song is a standard bearer for these LGBT generations. This is not unrelated to the fact that he is very often the favorite personality of the French.
“Je te donne remains Jean-Jacques Goldman’s best-selling single and one of the artist’s most covered songs.” the impulse of their manager”, recalls Fabien Lecoeuvre. Amir will resume it more recently and there is even a triumphal tour at the moment of which Michael Jones is part and of course the song Je te donne remains the anthem of the show.
On the occasion of his birthday, this Tuesday, October 11, 2022, it is also important to remember that this date is not insignificant since it was on October 11 that Jean-Jacques Goldman began his immense career at the age of 30 years. “His solo career began on his 30th birthday on October 11, 1981 with his first hit Il suffira d’un signe”, concludes Fabien Lecoeuvre.
