"The Windmill Song" is the English version of the French popular song "Maître Pierre", composed in 1948 by

Henri Betti Henri Betti, born Ange Betti (24 July 1917 – 7 July 2005), was a French composer and a pianist. Pianist and composer of Maurice Chevalier from 1940 to 1945, Henri Betti is best known for composing the music of the songs '' C'est si bon'' (lyr ...

with the lyrics by Jacques Plante. "Maître Pierre" had already been recorded by numerous French performers when

Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...

wrote the English lyrics in 1951, titled "The Windmill Song", which became popular in the United States when performed by

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezzo ...

that year.

Story

In 1948,

met Jacques Plante at the

SACEM The Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music or SACEM () is a French professional association collecting payments of artists’ rights and distributing the rights to the original songwriters, composers, and music publisher A mus ...

who told him that he had the idea of writing a song referring to the 1947 strikes by coal miners in France. Plante told Betti that the song would speak about a young employee who works in the countryside in a mill which is directed by a man whose name is Maître Pierre. The employee is tired, and decides to leave and find a new job in Paris. Unable to find a job, he returns to the mill where he worked before. When he arrives at the mill and he sees the director again, he tells him : "Il fait bon chez vous Maître Pierre" ("It's good to be home, Master Pierre"). The song was a great success and the Ministry of Culture asked that the song be learned in schools.

Cover versions

On November 16, 1948, Tohama recorded the song with

Raymond Legrand Raymond Paul Legrand (May 23, 1908, in Paris – November 25, 1974, in Montreal) was a French composer and conductor. Career Legrand studied harmony and orchestration as a pupil of Gabriel Faure. In the realms of jazz and light music, he made a ...

and his Orchestra. On December 10, 1948,

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...

recorded the song with an orchestra led by

, the song's composer. On January 5, 1949,

Georges Guétary Georges Guétary (), born Lambros Vorloou ( ; 8 February 1915 – 13 September 1997) was a French singer, dancer, cabaret performer and film actor, best known for his role in the 1951 musical ''An American in Paris''. Early life and career ...

recorded the song with Marius Coste and his Orchestra. In 1974, he sang the song on the TV show ''Midi trente'', in 1976 on the TV show ''Système deux'' with Jean Claudric and his Orchestra and in 1984 on the TV show ''Cadence trois'' with

Jean-Claude Borelly Jean-Claude Borelly is a French trumpeter and composer. Background At the age of seven he developed a passion for the trumpet after discovering Louis Armstrong on television. He met a prominent trumpeter of the Paris Opera who, touched by his f ...

and his Orchestra. On January 21, 1949, Jacqueline François recorded the song with Guy Luypaerts and his Orchestra. On January 28, 1949, Jean Patart recorded the song with Maurice Jeanjean and his Orchestra. On February 14, 1949,

Yvette Giraud Yvette Giraud (16 September 1916 – 3 August 2014) was a French traditional pop singer. Career Giraud began singing in 1946 with "Mademoiselle Hortensia", or ''La Danseuse est Créole''. With her husband, former ''Compagnon de la Chanson'' Ma ...

recorded the song with Jacques-Henry Rys and his Orchestra. On February 15, 1949, Louis Ferrari recorded the song with his Orchestra. On March 28, 1949,

Les Compagnons de la chanson Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French harmony vocal group, formed in 1946 from an earlier group founded in Lyon, France in 1941. Their best known song was " Les trois cloches" recorded with Edith Piaf in 1946. Consisting of eight or nine mem ...

recorded the song with Marc Herrand and his Orchestra. On September 22, 1949,

Jean Marco Jean Marco (born Jean Marcopoulos; 17 December 1923 – 24 June 1953), was a French singer and composer. Lead singer of the orchestra of Jacques Hélian from 1947 to his death in 1953, Jean Marco is the first performer of '' C'est si bon'' in ...

, Jo Charrier and

Ginette Garcin Ginette Garcin (4 January 1928 – 10 June 2010) was a French actress of stage, film and television. Biography She lived in Audresselles, Pas-de-Calais. Ginette Garcin made her musical debut with Jacques Hélian and his orchestra in 1946. She ...

recorded the song with

Jacques Hélian Jacques Mikaël Der Mikaëlian better known as Jacques Hélian (born in Paris, 7 June 1912 - died 29 June 1986), was a famous French orchestra conductor for French music-hall. Biography Born of an Armenian father (descendant of Armenian bourge ...

and his Orchestra. The same year, Lucille Dumont recorded the song with

Allan McIver Joseph Allan McIver (17 January 1904 – 15 June 1969) was a Canadian composer, arranger, pianist, and conductor. As a pianist he performed with orchestras in the Quebec region in his early career and was the longtime accompanist and arranger ...

and his Orchestra. In 1950, Betti sang the song with Paul Durand and his Orchestra on the radio program ''Paris Montréal'' and with piano on the radio program ''Gala de Bernay''. The same year, Linette Lemercier recorded the song with

Marcel Cariven Marcel Auguste Antoine Cariven, (18 April 1894, Toulouse – 5 November 1979, Crosne near Paris)Jula De Palma Iolanda Maria Palma (born 21 April 1931 in Milan), known as Jula De Palma, is an Italian singer. Biography De Palma began her career in the early 1950s as a radio singer, collaborating with pianist, composer, and showman Lelio Luttazzi. Initia ...

recorded the song with Bruno Quirinetta and his Orchestra. In 1957, Betti,

Andrex Andrex is a British brand of toilet roll. It is owned by the United States, American company Kimberly-Clark. The "Andrex Puppy", a Labrador Retriever puppy that appears on the company's television advertisements, is synonymous with the brand. T ...

and Roger Lanzac sang the song with Georges Dervaux and his Orchestra on the TV show ''36 Chansons''. In 1961,

Fernand Gignac Fernand Gignac (March 23, 1934 – August 18, 2006) was a French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Ca ...

recorded the song with Roger Pilon and his Orchestra. The same year, Paulette Rollin recorded the song for the album ''Paulette Rollin Chante pour les Enfants''. In 1966, Les Trois Ménestrels sang the song with

Raymond Lefèvre Raymond Lefèvre (20 November 1929 – 27 June 2008) was a French easy listening orchestra leader, arranger and composer. Biography and career Born on 20 November 1929 in Calais, France, Raymond Lefèvre is best known for his interpretation o ...

and his Orchestra on the TV show ''Le Palmarès des chansons''. In 1974,

Marcel Amont Marcel Amont (; born Marcel Jean-Pierre Balthazar Miramon, ; 1 April 1929 – 8 March 2023) was a French singer of the 1960s and 1970s. Amont also recorded in Occitan and promoted Bearn culture from the 1950s.Cinéma - Numéros 301 à 312 1984 ...

sang the song on the TV show ''Toutankhamont''. In 1980, Jacqueline François and Jacques Martin sang the song with Robert Quibel and his Orchestra on the TV show ''Thé Dansant''. In 1985, Charles Level performed the song on ''Thé Dansant''. In 1995, Sophie Darel recorded the song in duet with

Pierre Perret Pierre Perret (born 9 July 1934 in Castelsarrasin, Tarn-et-Garonne) is a French singer and composer. He lives in Nangis, France. Biography Perret spent much of his childhood in a café which his parents owned, where he learned to use jargon ...

for the album ''C'était les Années Bleues''. In 2013,

Jean-Jacques Debout Jean-Jacques Debout (born 9 March 1940, in Paris) is a French singer-songwriter. In addition to his albums, he has written for a number of renowned artists like Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan, Dalida, and Chantal Goya. He has also composed a gr ...

recorded the song with musical arrangements by Jacques Ferchit for the album ''Sous le Soleil des Guinguettes''.

Adaptation

In 1951,

wrote the English lyrics for the recording of the song by

with

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

and his Orchestra. This adaptation is titled "The Windmill Song".

Filmography

In 1951,

Jacques Pills Jacques Pills (born René Jacques Ducos; 6 March 1906 – 12 September 1970) was a French singer and actor. His impresario was Bruno Coquatrix. In 1959, Pills was the Monegasque entrant at the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 with the song " Mon ami ...

sang the song with an orchestra led by

in '' Compositeurs et Chansons de Paris''. In 1953, the melody was played in '' Le Portrait de son père''.

Bibliography

* ''Henri Betti : Récit autobiographique'', Embrasure, Paris, 1993. * ''Henri Betti : une Vie en chansons'', Paul Beuscher, Paris, 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Windmill Song 1948 songs French songs Songs with music by Henri Betti Songs with lyrics by Mitchell Parish Yves Montand songs The Andrews Sisters songs Works about windmills