He liked to build puppets...

Nostra Dam
Dec 26, 2020
10 min read

Updated: Nov 22, 2024

Christophe, whose real name is Daniel Bevilacqua, was a French singer-songwriter who launched his artistic career by creating in 1961 the group Danny Baby and the Hooligans. Singing in very broken English, moreover in playback, the adventure for this embryonic group will end as quickly as it began.

It was from 1963 that things took off when he recorded his first Single "Reviens Sophie" for the Golf Drouot label. Unfortunately, success still does not follow.

He will have to wait two years and the year 1965 to finally be rewarded for his efforts. A reward that comes thanks to a new Single named…“Aline”. This time, it is not a simple success that he obtains but a colossal success. It will sell for around a million copies. His notoriety explodes overnight and makes people jealous. Singer Jacky Moulière sues him for plagiarism. Christophe will lose in the first instance but will win in appeal.

The singer's career is well and truly launched and successes will now follow one another. Notably with titles like "Les marionnettes" and "J'ai entendu la mer" which came out the following year in 1968.

The end of the 1960s, like the beginning of the 1970s, proved to be more difficult to manage than expected. With a Christophe who is steeped in debauchery and excess, to the point of having many run-ins with law enforcement, including many speeding tickets behind the wheel of his luxury cars. Excesses that hinder his creativity, hence a notorious lack of success despite the cascading releases of titles.

Noticeable change at the beginning of 70 with a mustache that grows in the middle of his face and which will now be an integral part of his stage character. Despite a few major titles, the years 1971 and 1972 did not allow the artist to catch up with the pack.

The year 1973 finally saw him return to the race with the release of the title "Belle". But it is above all thanks to the arrival at his side of a young up-and-coming youngster named Jean-Michel Jarre that everything will change. A tandem that will produce wonders, starting with the album "Les paradis perdus" which was released in 1973. Album from which the eponymous Single will be extracted and which will be a real hit, radically relaunching the singer's career. So much so that the singer allows himself the luxury of appearing in the hit parades in front of headliners like Gainsbourg, Polnareff and other Dutronc.

The tandem reformed in 1974 for the album "Les mots bleus". An album which is a hit in turn and which allows the singer to permanently change his image. He then goes from a 'go anywhere' and a little too smooth image to a more offbeat image, playing on the ambiguity of the decadent dandy. The titles "Les mots bleus" and "Señorita" will become huge hits. Paradoxical as it may seem, while the artist is at the height of his art, he will for a time sink into depression and drugs.

Back in 1976 with the album "Samourai", album with less success and which will contain only one major title with "Merci John d'être venu" in homage to John Lennon. Followed in 1977 by the album "La dolce vita" which nevertheless produced two new small hits with "Une autre vie" and "Daisy" but also and above all the title "Dolce vita", a title that will remain as the one of the best ranked of all his discography.

New album "Le beau bizarre" in 1978, a critically acclaimed album that allows the artist to explore new musical paths. Much more rock-oriented, and despite an obvious quality, the album will struggle to find the desired success. Just like "Pas vu, pas pris" which he released in 1980. The artist seems to have real difficulties in moving calmly through the new decades.

It took three years and 1983 to see the release of his new album "Clichés d'amour" from which one of his biggest hits, "Succès fou", was to be extracted. Even if the success of this kind of title somewhat devalues its image and relegates him to the rank of singer with the marshmallow, it puts him back in the race with more than 600,000 copies sold.

A decade of contrasted 80s with sawtooth results on the solo career side (his astonishing "J'l'ai pas touché" would have frankly deserved better in terms of recognition in 1984) and an increasingly marked commitment to certain humanitarian causes. But also great successes when he writes for others, and in particular Corinne Charby to whom he will offer on a set the enormous “Boule de flipper” in 1986. His nod to Stéphanie de Monaco through the song “Ne raccroche pas” did not go unnoticed in 1985 either. Unfortunately, his last title of the decade“ Chiqué chiqué ”which was released in 1988 only met with mixed success.

The following decade saw him release a single album called "Bevilacqua". Released in 1996, it will hardly meet the public's favor. A decade where the singer will withdraw while waiting for better days.

Better days that will really struggle to come despite extraordinary writing skills.

An incredible adventure that will end for good on April 16, 2020, when the singer will die at the age of 74 from respiratory complications.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

60s Decade :

Reviens Sophie 1964
Aline 1965
Les marionnettes 1965
Je chante pour un ami 1966
J’ai remarché 1966
La danse à 3 temps 1966
Excusez-moi monsieur le professeur 1966
J’ai entendu la mer 1966
Maman 1967
Confession 1968

70s Decade :

The girl from Salina 1970
La petit e fille du 3ème 1971
Oh mon amour 1972
Belle 1973
Les paradis perdus 1973
L’amour, toujours l’amour 1974
Senorita 1974
Les mots bleus 1974
Petite fille du soleil 1975
Merci John d’être venu 1976
Une autre vie 1976
Daisy 1976
La dolce vita 1977
Un peu menteur 1978

80s Decade :

L’Italie 1980
Succés fou 1983
Mon amie jalousie 1983
J’l’ai pas touché 1984
Voix sans issue 1984
Ne raccroche pas 1985
Chiqué chiqué 1988

90s Decade :

Le tourne cœur 1996
Qu’est-ce que tu dis là ? 1996
Enzo 1997

2000s Decade :

La man 2001
Ces petits luxes 2001
Mal comme 2008

2010s Decade :

Dangereuse 2016

Tracks :

1964 ... at the genesis of the beginning of the first fruits. The first title of a little singer then totally unknown. And which will not be for very long ...

1965 ... then comes THIS title. An incredible track, with a very simple melody but formidable efficiency. Here he signs quite simply one of the most striking titles of the decade and of the end of the twentieth century, propelling him so vertiginously to the heights of glory and success. MAS-TER-FUL !

1965 ... an incredible 1965 which saw him literally walking on water. He signs in the wake of 'Aline' a second title of very very large caliber which undoubtedly confirms him as one of the biggest phenomena of the moment

1966 ... impossible to compete with an extraordinary year 1965 which consecrated him as one of the very best singers of the moment. What he offers in this year 1966 is nice but cannot match the phenomenal level of success of the titles of the previous year

1966 ... and it's not for lack of trying. The year 1966 will see him release an impressive number of titles. Most in the Intimist area ...

1966 ... a completely offbeat title that contrasts radically with what he offered until then. A disconcerting 360° to say the least ...

1966 ... there is really everything in this year 1966. All styles, all genres, all possible and imaginable inspirations. Everyone will find his account...

1966 ... his biggest hit of the year. Once again in the Intimist register, an area that is particularly successful for him ...

1967 ... a mixed year 1967 in which the singer struggles to find the inspiration that worked wonders during 1966. Can and must do better !

1968 ... 1968 will not do much better, even if the singer puts the best will in the world. Let's be patient ...

1970 ... small air gap during the year 1969 followed by a comeback, still in Intimist mode, at the start of the new decade. A slight improvement on the inspiration side which augurs well for a most interesting sequel ...

1971 ... well, it is clear that we will have to wait a little longer to see him return to the success he was able to experience a few years before ...

1972 ... in the Intimist, he is able to deliver the all-rounder or the exceptional. This title would be rather halfway between the 2 trends ...

1973 ... in the same vein. There is really not much missing for the singer to find his best level. A level worthy of the one he had known in the early 1960s ...

1973 ... you just had to be patient. It is thanks to the providential help of a little youngster named Jean-Michel Jarre that everything suddenly accelerates. A tandem which produces here in any case an absolutely sumptuous title and which revives the singer like never before. MA-GIC !

1974 ... a sequel which may seem somewhat pale compared to the Premium quality of the previous title. And that's without counting on what is looming on the horizon ...

1974 ... an absolutely exceptional year for the artist with a plethora of titles, several of them exceptional. The artist literally walks on water, especially when you see the title that will follow !

1974 ... his Mona Lisa ! He signs here quite simply one of his most beautiful titles, if not the most beautiful. An absolutely sublime title and which will undoubtedly remain as one of the most beautiful titles of this end of the XXth French side. On this one, we play squarely in the category Masterpiece !

1975 ... and what to say about it ! Admittedly, it cannot match the incredible quality of its predecessor but comes close to it. The artist is on an incredible dynamic and everything he touches, or at least sings, turns to gold ! UN-BE-LIE-VA-BLE !

1976 ... after two absolutely exceptional years in terms of inspiration, we suspected that it was not going to continue at the same pace indefinitely. Anyway, it remains of a very high level and the singer maintains himself without too much difficulty in the leading pack of the best singers of the moment

1976 ... after an almost uninterrupted series of Intimist titles, for some very rare ones, he arrived in the Dance register, an almost first for him. Well, it is clear that there is still a little work in this area ...

1976 ... hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop. You can take out the handkerchiefs, here he is back in his favorite field, a field that he really has a hard time leaving ...

1977 ... a single title year but what a title again ! A title that literally floats in the air and in which he once again proves his exceptional talent for all that is 'emotional'. MA-GIC !

1978 ... a very mixed end of the decade. We feel that the artist is at the crossroads of his musical destiny and that he is looking for himself. Will he be able to innovate the following decade, and above all face competition from young starving young people, a good question ...

1980 ... a change of decade which is once again combined in Intimist mode, a word which can, and which will forever sum up, almost the entirety of his career

1983 ... then nothing for 3 years. But it is to better come back to this year 1983 and sign this 100 % marshmallow title. A very simple title but which will remain as one of the big hits of the decade and which allows him to show that he is still there, still alive ! HU-GE !

1983 ... a year 1983 which sees him playing it thoroughly the serial-lover and my faith, that succeeds him rather well once again. Certainly, this title will not remain as the biggest success of all his discography but we take, we take !

1984 ... a title that fits perfectly with the times and yet will only meet with limited success. Frankly shame because it is not devoid of a quality more than certain ...

1984 ... a truly extraordinary gift for the Ultimate Slow. He produced a staggering number of them and for the most part, of a very above-average quality. A truly exceptional talent !

1985 ... he signs here a particularly astonishing song, inspired and entirely dedicated to Stephanie of Monaco. But what went through his mind ...

1988 ... new 3 years hole. We feel that the singer is struggling and begins to have more and more difficulty in this decade where everything is going fast, more and more quickly in terms of evolutions of styles and sounds. But he hangs on ...

1996 ... so there, it's downright a slump of 8 years that will follow. A particularly painful passage to the 1990s and which saw him having more and more difficulty in situating himself in all these new musical trends ...

1996 ... and yet he hangs on and tries to adapt by all means. And he is far from being ridiculous, that is clear. But the train of novelty has passed and unfortunately he missed it ...

1997 ... his last title of the decade, but not in his career, far from it. An incredible longevity for one of the most brilliant artists of the last 30 years on the French side ...

2001 ... he will have crossed the decade 60, then the decade 70, then the decade 80, then the decade 90 and here he begins without complex this decade 2000. And the least we can say is that his inspiration still holds water !

2001 ... an Intimist estate that will forever remain his favorite garden. And when we see what he is still capable of producing in this area, we can only salute the performance ...

2008 ... far from the star system, far from everything, he continues his adventure through thick and thin. Unfortunately, there will be no miracles and this title of more than certain quality will go completely under the radar ...

2016 ... the end of the adventure, a little over 50 years after its beginnings. An extraordinary career to say the least of a singer whose musical genius will have profoundly marked his time ...