Voila (album)

For other uses, see Voila.

{{Infobox Album | Name = Voila | Type = studio | Artist = Belinda Carlisle | Cover = I36357o1vke.jpg | Released = February 5, 2007 (Europe)
February 6, 2007 (N. America) | Recorded = | Genre = Chansons, Pop | Length = | Label = Rykodisc | Producer = John Reynolds | Reviews = *Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic Template:Rating-5 [[1] | Last album = A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits
(1999) | This album = Voila
(2007) | Next album = }}

Voila is the seventh studio album by Belinda Carlisle, released in February 2007. It is described as "an album of classic French Chansons and pop standards", much different than Carlisle's previous English pop records. Although all of the songs are sung in French, interestingly many of the musicians featured on the album are Irish.

Background and writing

In an October 2006 press release describing the album, Carlisle said "After I moved to France, I became familiar with the classic French chansons and a lot of French pop music. I realized there was a whole world of artists and singers I was not familiar with. As I discovered all these amazing songs, I came to love this music and wanted to record some of them with a playful, contemporary feel."

Describing how music can transcend any language barrier Carlisle stated, "You don't really have to know what's being sung to know that 'Avec Les Temps' [sic] is a devastating love song. When I heard that song the first time, it broke my heart."

Reception and chart performance

The album has gone on to reach a respectable #8 placing in the UK and has gone Gold in the UK and Australia. While again achieving critial acclaim the album has gone unnoticed by the U.S. due primarily being a foreign language concept album.

Track listing

1. "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp" (Guy Bontempelli)
2. "Bonnie et Clyde" (Serge Gainsbourg) – 5:15
3. "Avec le Temps" (Leo Ferre)
4. "Sous le Ciel de Paris" (Hubert Giraud, Jean Drejac)
5. "Des Ronds Dans L'Eau" (Pierre Barouh, Raymond Lesenechal)
6. "Pourtant Tu M'aimes" (Françoise Hardy, Jimmie Cross, Johnny Cole)
7. "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (Jacques Brel)
8. "La Vie en Rose" (Édith Piaf, Louiguy, Mack David)
9. "Contact" (S. Gainsbourg)
10. "Merci Chérie" (Udo Jürgens, Thomas Horbiger, Baker Cavendish)
11. "Jezebel" (Wayne Shanklin)

Upon initial release, a limited edition version is available with a bonus second CD containing four additional tracks sung in English:

1. "I Still Love Him"
2. "La Vie en Rose"
3. "Bonnie and Clyde"
4. "If You Go Away"

Album credits

Personnel

• Belinda Carlisle - vocals
• Natacha Atlas - additional vocals on "Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp", "La Vie En Rose," "Bonnie et Clyde" and "Des Ronds Dans L'Eau"
• Brian Eno - keyboards
• Sagat Guirey - Flamenco guitar
• Graham Henderson - accordion
• Winnie Horan - violins
• Clare Kenny - bass guitar
• Fiachna Ó Braonáin - guitars and vocals, male vocal on "Bonnie et Clyde"
• John Reynolds: drums, programming
• Nikki Leighton-Thomas - backing vocals
• Pauline Scanlon - backing Vocals
• Sharon Shannon - button accordion
• Julian Wilson - piano, Hammond B-3, strings, keyboards

Production

• Producer: John Reynolds

External links

• Belinda Carlisle at Rykodisc - Record company