The Secret Life Behind Edith Piaf | 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' | Vocal Coach React and Analysis

[@BethRoars]

🎵 Book a Lesson with Beth email [e-mail] 📖 Get your signed copy of my album Fable here: www.bethroars.com/shop ☀ Find me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1W0He1MTuQoG0Yt2ccmhyL?si=b5qm82DmSRip8L4abe2-nw 🥁 Become a Patreon Supporter: www.patreon.com/bethroars

[@jasonbean2764]

Edith Pilaf is one of the most distinctive voices of the 20th century. Thanks, Beth.:)

[@renalareveuse2155]

*Piaf

[@jasonbean2764]

@@renalareveuse2155 yeah, autocorrect.

[@1957PLATO]

No lies detected

[@petepeterson5337]

A magnificent choice! I have had a recording of this exact performance for most of my life, yet when I was thinking; "Who would be really be cool for Beth to review?", I never thought of Edith Piaf! I am glad the viewers have the opportunity to watch this!

[@WendyDarling1974]

Something I find extraordinary about her is that I don’t know a lick of French and I can put her on for hours, and I just find it, so soothing, moving, and wonderful. There’s emotion in it, even if you don’t understand the meaning of the words.

[@rs-ye7kw]

There is a movie about Edith Piaf's life entitled "La Vie En Rose". It came out in 2007 with Marion Cotillard in the starring role. She won an oscar for it.

[@Batwam0]

Great movie 👍

[@kickerjim3461]

The title is "la Môme"... not "la vie en rose". La môme (her nickname), means something like "the kid". La vie en rose is one of her greatest hits. Btw.. she also was a star in the US late 50ies. She is just a legend... if you compare her with todays "talents"... boy... Mrs Swift & Co... you all are soooo far away from this!!! ... la môme restera à jamais un monument de la chanson. Sa technique vocale inné. Son trémolo. Sa présence. Sa manière de faire passer et ressentir des émotions grâce à sa voix. Pas besoin de parler français pour se faire transpercer l'âme par son don du ciel.

[@Dannyboy.]

A song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear the first notes of it. One of the most iconic song of the French repertoire.

[@Ethrianor]

She was my nan's (dad's side) favourite singer. She'd be teary eyed no matter what song it was. As far as I'm aware she spoke no french, so it was all feeling.

[@leftcoaster67]

Pure emotion. So beautiful.

[@roger1296]

You’re so right…this song is very emotional, and I always find myself crying when I hear it.

[@stephanedaguet915]

I was born on October 11, 1963, the day Edith Piaf died. In fact, on October 10, shortly before midnight, by the time the midwife came down to register me in the maternity register, midnight had passed. My mother told me that as I was being born, a midwife came into the delivery room to say that the radio had just announced the death of Edith Piaf. She died officially on the 11th but in reality on the 10th.

[@davidmclintock7164]

I heard that Edith Piaf's last wish was to die in Paris, so they got the attendant doctor to postdate to the 11th and overnight moved her back to her home in Paris.

[@stephanedaguet915]

​@@davidmclintock7164 It's true, she died at her home in the south of France and her friends brought her body illegally to her Parisian home... I don't know why but in France there is a tax to bring dead bodies througt the country and you must pay it for each departement you cross and between Provence and Paris there are a lot of departements.

[@stephanedaguet915]

@@davidmclintock7164 Interesting, I didn't know that ...

[@davidmclintock7164]

​@@stephanedaguet915They persuaded the doctor to delay the announcement, and obviously paid people off to get her to Paris. Her last wish was to die in Paris.

[@Haroun-El-Poussah]

N ote : Charles Dumont also composed, with lyrics mainly written by Michel Vaucaire, for Dalida, Gloria Lasso, Luis Mariano or Tino Rossi and had hits on his own even in the 80's , issuing 26 studio albums under his own name as well as 11 movies' original soundtracks. To my great surprise, I just discovered that he's still alive despite very old : he's 95 (!) and only stopped touring in 2019 at 90y old (!) after 63 years in the music business

[@davidcronan4072]

If you are ever in Paris please visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Edith is buried there. You will usually find flowers left there by her admirers.

[@laurengaudette7497]

Edith is one of my favorite voices! I took French in HS and a semester in college. My college professor turned my attention to her and I just adore hearing her sing! One of my favorites that I would love to hear you react is "Les Trois Cloches" (The 3 Bells) with Les Compagnon De La Chanson!

[@GaryNoone-jz3mq]

My wife and I were huge fans of Edith. We had many of records and loved every one of them. 😊

[@ptrlxc]

Whenever I hear this song this is the voice I always expect.

[@bhumphries1360]

Anyone who can appreciate Edith Piaf as much as I do, is a friend of mine! I subscribed immediately following the video. I love your method of music video reviews. It is a lot different than many of the others out there. I cannot wait to see more.

[@alan2007-x8x]

i was teaching a one-day course to people I hadn't met before. Before the class started I got chatting to one lady. She said that part-time she was an Edith Piaf impersonator! Towards the end of the day the lady answered a question incorrectly, so I said: 'For getting that wrong, you will have to perform "Je Ne Regrette".' She was reluctant, but eventually she got up and sang. It was astonishingly good. Quite difficult to tell when not looking at her that it wasn't Piaf. After that, everything was an anti-climax. I'd been completely overshadowed! Not sure what the students thought about the class, but I reckon they would remember it for a long time to come thanks to Edith.

[@mikefinity7129]

Oh Beth. Wonderful reaction to a legendary singer. I really enjoy your interweaving of biographic and historical information along with musical technique and style. So instructive and entertaining!. Well done!

[@BethRoars]

Thank you so much!

[@RobertoDiAguiar]

Very good Pretty

[@lindafletcher1628]

Great choice! Charles Aznavour is another one of my favourite French singers and I love his song Non je n'ai rien oublié

[@geralddemeulemeester4961]

Her voice gives me goosebumps !

[@williamthelast1]

The best of them all !! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@marciolino2186]

Que voz! Tanto talento, tanto sucesso , quanta tristeza foi sua existência.

[@darkpitcher5242]

Piaf is a one-off once you have heard he sing you will never forget it and you will never hear a voice like that again

[@KneeJerkReactions13]

Wonderful! No one else has done this classic chanteuse.

[@robertcampopiano6001]

Growing up I heard her music. Both my parents and my uncle (who taught French for 45 years) would play it. Her song “Tu es Partout” was featured in the film “Saving Private Ryan”, just before the climax of the film.

[@msreid52]

WhenI as a youngsterbof about seven years my older brother taught me an EdithPiaf tune phonetically. I loved singing along with her to Milord.

[@stamasd8500]

I'm happy I helped choose this song for the reaction. I knew you'd have a lot to talk about. :) As for Rs, I can do both fricative and guttural but the former are much easier for me to do in normal speech - which is why my French sounds a bit weird to a Parisian, but not to people from southern France.

[@edilsonsouza1607]

Beth você precisa ver o clip Deo Vero de Guilherme de Sá, é simplesmente uam montanha russa de técnica e controle vocal Beth you need to see the clip Deo Vero by Guilherme de Sá, it's simply a roller coaster of technique and vocal control

[@tangopapavictor]

It could be interesting that this song was dedicated to the Foreign Legion, and adopted as an anthem. Edith Piaf dedicated two other songs to Foreign Legion (Fanion de la Légion and Mon Legionaire)

[@mariaeendler599]

Loved her when I 1st heard her as a 4 yr old! Still one of my very favs! Mahalo for doing this!!!🌺😻🐾

[@Aussiecris214]

Awesome reaction Beth ❤❤❤

[@bastiangugu4083]

She is, for me, together with Mireille Mathieu and ZAZ the quintessential French female voice. And I don't even speak French :-). Whoever had the idea to us this song in Inception was a genie. You should take a listen to ZAZ, great voice and "very French":-) I would suggest her duet with Till Lindemann Le jardin des larmes. Great song, great video. Great choice of a song for your very interesting video, by the way. 🙂

[@stamasd8500]

Check out another nice French singer from the 1980s, Patricia Kaas. You may like her.

[@bastiangugu4083]

@@stamasd8500 I know her, but she didn't spring to mind in the moment of writing. Thank you for reminding me.

[@garryiglesias4074]

@@stamasd8500 I guess he knows French singers, because I bet that he's French :).

[@KlausJLinke]

... or Barbara, say her song "Götingen", which touched me deeply as a German.

[@DennisNelson-ee2il]

There was a point in my life,when virtually all I was listening to was Edith Piaf.

[@rickstevens1479]

This tune is so famous. I don't remember seeing the clip, but it's pretty cool..

[@ludwigvanzappa9548]

Goose bumps everytime I hear her. She was a 4.8 foot tall giant!

[@noggogo6932]

A quite young Diana Ankudinova covered this. Memorable ending.

[@yannhollister9091]

This woman had a really rough life, you should check out her biopic "La Vie en Rose" from 2006 if you guys want to know more about her.

[@schattenfell4474]

Great reaction. Please hear Charles Aznavour. He was also a fantastic french singer, had great chansons like: La Boheme or Comme ils disent.

[@mr__jan_]

Lovely analysis and story time, Edith Piaf is always worth a listen. The same goes for Beth’s Fable, if you haven’t listened to it yet, now is the time. Do not tarry! 🎼🎵🖤🎶

[@BethRoars]

Thank you!

[@stamasd8500]

Completely agree with both parts of this statement. :)

[@lawrencebaker2318]

I am so happy that you have reviewed a live performance of Edith Piaf! While the studio versions were musically perfect, the live versions showed her emotions. I do wish you had commented on why No Regrets was so personal for her and on her collaborations with Charles Dumonde.

[@andreasboos-okle4432]

Edith❤ Thank you!

[@RaphaelLeite]

I'm binge watching your channel, I love Piaf. A suggestion: listen and react to Elis Regina - Como Nossos Pais, she was a Brazilian singer and her voice is amazing, her history is also incredible.

[@Miosotis]

Just the other day I was thinking "It would be nice to see Beth react to Edith Piaf..." and here it is! :D

[@brossjackson]

It’s funny, I now have two very different things that immediately pop into my head every time I listen to this. The first is its use in Hans Zimmers score for inception, where the music gets progressively slowed down until the little trumpet toots get slowed to that low ominous Inception BWAAAH sound. The second is Bec Hill’s hilarious comedy routine where she mistranslates the song accompanied by amazing visual aids.

[@roxannekabotsky2997]

I adore Edith Piaf. Always have, always will. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@brianabare7515]

Love this!!!

[@legitor513]

You re a real teacher!

[@matthewrandom4523]

The woman. The song. The story. The passion. The impact. There's no other song like this. The hymn for the gay community all around the world. Merci, Edith! Merci, ma reine!

[@anthonyburn1010]

Edith Piaf is the musical addiction I did not think I needed or wanted. I was wrong.

[@kafeclem6438]

The way she rolls rrr is typical of french singers of the period, the best rrr you can listen are in George brassens 's songs !

[@davidmclintock7164]

George Brassen, that's so weirdly cool, I was thinking about Jake Thackray earlier, sure he learnt guitar, and more, from Brassens

[@stephenstrudwick8095]

Awesome analysis! It's always refreshing to hear professional analyses of songs/artists that do not reside in the domain of the Beatles, 70s rock, or mainstream 80s, etc. Not that I don't like any of this music. For example, I absolutely love the Beatles. But I also love it when KZbin commentators deviate from the expected algorithm. 🙂

[@johnhmaloney]

You definitely can't tell what someone's voice will sound like by looking at them. I'm the opposite end of the spectrum from Edith Piaf, I'm broad-shouldered, barrel-chested and, if I could stand (I use a wheelchair), I'd be a little over 6' tall. But I have a relatively soft, quiet voice. Incidentally, I studied French online for several months in 2017-2018 and could never get a handle on the R sound. At the time, I had a very close friend in France, who was born and raised there, and she would try to help me remember it by holding up her hands like claws and making a growling sound by over-exaggerating the sound that you described. Eventually, I could make the sound in isolation, but never figured out how to do it in the middle of a word. lol

[@TheDriller-Killer]

Another interesting singer is Belgian Jacques Brel, who was famous for singing 'Torch Songs' which were popularised by the likes of David Bowie and Marc Almond. Probably his best song was Me Ne Quitte Pas.

[@TimLeeSongs]

Such a fascinating person with such a distinctive voice. If you haven’t already, definitely check out La Vie En Rose, superb film about her life with excellent performances.

[@shelleybleu4903]

I listen to CBC French Radio and listened to a program on early 20th century French female singers. They all sounded similar. Always thought it was just Piaf.

[@thibauthanson7670]

I was waiting for a comment about how far the microphone is... It's like the audio engineers of the time were like "nope, can't handle that, place it further... further..."

[@gillessotty8156]

Ton sourire dit tout... Plein d'Amour de France..

[@scottski51]

I got the feeling, listening, that she was a fearless woman... and then she raises both fists to kinda prove it !!!

[@wp9860]

Beth, You can see her story in a movie. The movie's been out for a number of years. Recommend it.

[@Umeavisby1]

Edith Piaf vient de Belleville, un quartier populaire de Paris avec beaucoup de provinciaux et d'étrangers qui s'y sont installé et qui cherchaient à prendre l'accent parisien.

[@micade2518]

It"s a shame that there are no subtitles of the lyrics because, outside of the vocal performance, that is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.

[@sandgroper1970]

I have seen the movie La Vie en Rose about Edith Piaf. I also have the soundtrack to this movie.

[@gerardomr8231]

HELLO BEAUTIFUL BETH ROARS ❤️😍💋

[@spike_kulu]

Great choice, intemporel... But, to me her most "grande chanson" is "l'Hymne à l'amour", and I love also very much 2 others songs of her repertoire "Mon Dieu" and "Les amants d'un jour" (less famous but great). I hope, one day, you'll make a react on one of these songs.

[@chatnoir9242]

le R roulé était la façon de le chanter dans ces années en France

[@luisdaumas]

I read once that much of her particular singing style was something she developed as street singer, that they have a special technique, how much of that is true?

[@rhonafenwick5643]

Small nitpick regarding the phonetics, Beth, and my apologies in advance for being so anal about it! Even within the label of the so-called "guttural" /r/ there's yet another phonetic distinction, between the voiced uvular _fricative_ [ʁ] (with continuous frication) and the voiced uvular _trill_ [ʀ], which has multiple discrete contacts just like the alveolar trill [r]. It's an important distinction here: the two are in free variation in everyday spoken Parisian French, but it was the trill specifically that was the "ideal" for formal singing voices, and Édith's uvular /r/ is one of the clearest, cleanest examples of the trill realisation you'll ever find. If you slow her singing down to about 1/4 speed, you can hear every individual bounce of her uvula off the back of her tongue. (Legit, it's so clean that they should play this song in first-year phonetics classes.)

[@VeteranWhoCares]

A very close sounding voice to Edith Piaf also from France, Mireille Mathieu. Suggest you try her music some time. You will not regret it.

[@silverlobo2135]

It is good to understand where and why they used this for the chocolate commercial. )) In the first few seconds, I got confused and was thinking Edith Plath instead of Edith Pilaf.)) While I did not understand the entire song, it is good to know that i can still remember some of my high school French class to understand some phrases.))

[@frankfertier34]

"Piaf" is the common french name for "sparrow", but "Pilaf".)) is a way of cooking rice.

[@silverlobo2135]

@@frankfertier34 yes, I realized after. I was typing so fast that I mistakenly pressed the 'L' button by mistake. )))

[@bessonnet]

Another Edith Piaf song is likely to be sang for Paris olympics opening ceremony by Aya Nakamura (l'hymne à l'amour)

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

Ranks right up there with "La Vie En Rose"...

[@tomgruitt6563]

Perfect 😊

[@sig7049]

Not my genre at all, but ofc I know and kinda like the song. Super interesting reaction with a lot of backstory. Great reaction. I also believe we music lovers should all respect what came before 😊

[@kimbozw1808]

the sound comes at the back of the tongue by the throat. the rolling r. hard to say if one is not french.

[@oscararzate7956]

Disculpa la belleza de la coach me distrajeron 💙 perdón 👏👏🍀🍀

[@flowerdolphin5648]

Oh, Edith Piaf takes me back to the karaoke club. Not this song, but La vie en rose, which I love to sing, despite not knowing the melody of the verses that well. One woman there heavily insulted me through the backdoor for singing half the song wrong. I was not happy, lol. Should have sung this song, Je ne regrette rien, which I can sing decidedly better. But yeah, my personal grudge aside, Edith's voice is so cool and unique. I grew quite fond of it in French class.

[@alwaysflushinpublic]

Can anyone explain how one would love Russian classical, gospel choirs, very little rock, 1980's country, mountain/hillbilly/bluegrass, along with a LOT of French musicians?

[@asch7906]

If this is the 1961 performance at the Olympia, she single-handedly saved it with that song/performance. It was under threat of being closed down. And she was drugged as hell to be able to stand up, she was in very bad shape and died two years later.

[@riverdart2068]

When members of a Foreign Legions Parachute Regiment were arrested and their unit broken up ahead of a possible coup by said regiment, they marched out of their barracks singing a somewhat pointed version of this song. Afterwards Piaf would dedicate the song to her boys in the Legion which was a politically brave thing to do.

[@GaryNoone-jz3mq]

Actually, it would have been on Bakelite. As vinyl had not yet become popular with the record industry.

[@russelmurphy4868]

She dedicated this song to the men of the French Foreign Legion. It is now one of their marching songs.

[@frankfertier34]

You sure ? I bet it should rather be "Mon Légionnaire"

[@DannyDep17]

I’m more familiar with her and the song “La Vie En Rose”…. as a very good friend performs it with a Ukulele 😳 in a hot tub 😳 in the middle of the forest. 😳. Those kinds of recollections you never forget. 😜😇😉🙏

[@henrique_farinha]

Thank you for reacting to my mother’s favourite singer, one of mine too, with an extraordinary story. My mother had to face a polítical exile with my father, never saw her parents after that, neither many other relatives. She coud speak a perfect French and Piaf’s songs talked to her soul. There was a Brazilian actress, Bibi Ferreira, who played Piaf in theatre for about four decades. You could hear her here singing. It was brillant! This was recorded in 2004, when Bibi was 82. She died at 96, in 2019. An importante detail: the channel where you find this link is from Biscoito Fino, a record label. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6LaeYeNYq6jfLMsi=0KJm_ENwhuzoYbzJ

[@nedludd7622]

Congratulations for reviewing a song in foreign language, hardly anyone does that. There were many great French singers in the 30's. One of my favorites is Fréhel, for example "Où sont tous mes amants". There are lots of great singers in Spanish too.

[@garryiglesias4074]

Charles Trenet, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Brassend, Moustaki, etc.

[@StevenTyree-sl2nx]

The song from the Dove chocolate commercial. I regret nothing.

[@markoconnor995]

It behooves ya to care for your uvula- SNL I used to have this song on punk rotation for a club. Someone would always viva le France. I heard she won a stadium standing O for this after the war. Should do the French national anthem scene from Casablanca. They say several of the cast members were refugees from nazi controlled Europe.

[@MichaelPallada]

You should see Piaf with Marion Cotillard, amazing film!

[@renalareveuse2155]

The movie about Edith Piaf you're referring to is called "La Vie en Rose", which could be translated as "The rosy (meaning sweet/ beautiful) life", same as "La Dolce Vita" in Italian, which of course is used quite sarcastically here, since her life was, as Beth mentions in her video, filled with tragedies.

[@MichaelPallada]

@@renalareveuse2155 Oh yes, sorry, you're right

[@kimbozw1808]

edith's MY WAY / comme d'habitude. a few years before that song came out and was made a success in english by Frank Sinatra.

[@celinel9750]

At the time of this recording she was already very ''old'' in her boddy and received morphine shot many time a day to be able to stand up. You can see how her fingers are already twisted by arthritis but she is not even 45yo... Incredible life.

[@7heavenlyvirtues]

❤❤❤

[@kristiansibert187]

Diana Ankudinova 2017.02.05. "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien". (Age 13) : kzbin.info/www/bejne/sISokHupgdahqrc

[@karpatigeorges343]

madame piaf éternel❤

[@lawrence5503]

Have you done Roberta Flack?

[@bernardfinocchiaro6349]

French writer Colette had a rolled r from her bourguignon's origin . But nowadays it doesn't exist anymore. Piaf 's rolled r is a conventional way of pronouncing it.

[@Dani-jv5fe]

Eso es cantar bien,eso.

[@michaelgilreath1025]

❤❤❤❤

[@robertjaget5742]

Song hyme a l amour please

[@Jose_Nestor_Fontoura]

Assista Anna Maz cantando Wuthering Heights no "Canta Comigo" (programa deTV), então faça um react. Acho que seria uma boa ideia.

[@stephenreiner1523]

The hyoid bone the bone which the tongue is attached to and shaped like a U in women and is shaped like a V in men. Without the hood bone you can't talk, eat or swallow so the hyoid bone is responsible for essentially any sounds that are emanated from the vocal tract. She vibrates her tongue repetitively. Scrolling her vibrato.

[@BethRoars]

Hey Stephen. The shape of the hyoid is not consistent with gender. According to some studies there are slightly more v shapes hyoids with men but v shaped hyoids do not solely belong to men. The hyoid bone is part of a larger system that is responsible for all those things. Without it of course we would not be able to make sound but we also would not be able to with many other parts of the system. They are all equally important :)

[@stephenreiner1523]

Of course, I assure you that I am totally in agreement with you. Just drawing on my clinical experience. Thank you.