Jean
Michel Jarre was
born
on 24th August 1948. in Perrache, Lyon. His parents are Maurice
Jarre
(awarded composer for film music, like Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence Of Arabia,
Ghost) and
France Pejot.
In 1953 Maurice
Jarre
went to America and
Jean Michel Jarre
starts to learn piano lessons
In 1960
Jean Michel Jarre studied on Paris
Conservatoire under Jeannine Rueff
In 1964
Jean Michel Jarre went to see
"Denny Logan & The Pirates", after which he set up his first school band
"Mystere IV", which won 1st price on Paris Street Festival.
In 1967,
Jean Michel
and his new band "The Dustbins" feature in a small party scene for the film "Des
Garcon Et Des Files".
In 1968
Jean-Michel
finishes his thesis on comparative literature entitled "The Faust Of Literature
and Music" with main emphasis on Goethe and Berlioz. Short while after,
Jean Michel
leaves the Paris Conservatoire, and meets a person which will change his way of
music - Pierre Schaeffer, the director of G.R.M (Groupe de Recherches
Musicales). When he joined G.R.M he was introduced to electroacoustic music and
techniques. With this knowledge he recorded his first track "Happiness is a Sad
Song" for the Maison The Culture.
In 1969 his first electro-acoustic single is released - "La Cage", and then in
1970 another electro-acoustic track is released - "Erosmachine", which is later
used as a part of Chronologie part 2.
In 1971 with
AOR, a piece specially made for Opera, here he becomes the youngest person which
ever played in Paris Opera, and the first person who ever played electronic
music in Opera.
In 1972 he
meets Francis Dreyfus. Deserted Palace,
Jarre
first album is released. This was his first and experimental album. In the same
year he compose the soundtrack for
Jean
Chapot's film "Les Granges Brûlées", staring Alain Delon and Simone Signoret.
These two albums were released on LP
In period 1972-1975 he was doing commercials for TV, ballet and he was lyricist
for other artist. In 1974 he meets
Michel
Geiss, who made instruments like Matri Sequencer and Digi Sequencer
In
1976 he released album "Oxygene", which becomes the top 5 albums worldwide.
Today, this album is still popular, and up till these days, this album is sold
in more than 12 millions of copies. For this album he received the the award
"Grand Prix Du Disques" from Charles Cross Academy. By researching the fans of
his music, this album is consider as the best album he ever made.
In 1977 Polydor license the "Oxygene", and other future recordings for release
around the world.
In 1978 he released his new album "Equinoxe" which was a big success.
Jean Michel
Jarre's music is used in the Peter
Fleischmann's movie "The Illness of Hamburg" and he marries the British film
star Charlotte Rampling.
In 1979 a million people attend the
Jean Michel Jarre
concert at Place de la Concorde in Paris, on 14th July. This show was
broadcasted in Eurovision. After the concert
Jean Michel
receives the medal for musical broadcasting from S.A.C.E.M for contribution of
France
Music. Tracks from Oxygene were used in in Peter Weir's film "Gallipoli"
starring Mel Gibson.
In 1981 he released his third album "Magnetic fields", two weeks after release
of this album, it entered in top 10 albums in every European country. In the
same year, he done Concerts Peking and Shangai,
Jean Michel
is first Western musician to be invited to post-Mao China. The concert has huge
success, one of the reasons was that "Oxygene" and "Equinoxe" were first were
first non-Chinese albums played on radio. he becomes the honorable citizen
Republic Of China.
In 1982 new "The Concerts In China" album is released, a double album that was a
sounds of Concerts in Peking and Shangai. In the same year he entered in
Guinness Books Of Records for largest number of people ever attend on some
concert.
In 1983 new album is released "Music For Supermarkets" which was sold in auction
for 10000£. the album was released in only one single copy, and before the
auction this album was broadcasted in Radio Luxemburg. He entered again in
Guinness Books Of Records for largest amount of money for a record that has been
sold. Some works from this album were released in future albums.
In 1984 he
made fantastic album "Zoolook". This album was something completely new in
Jarre's
music and the world music also. The album was voted for the best instrumental
album in United States and
France.
This album was one of the first album which was printed on CD.
In 1986 one
of the most spectacular concert in history of music,
Jean Michel
celebrate the 150th birthday of city Houston in April 5th, and the 25th birthday
of NASA. There he presents his new album "Rendez-Vous". New album was presented
in front of about half million Texans, and
Jean Michel
became the honorable citizen of Houston. In October 5th
Jean Michel
performs the concert in honor of the visit of Pope John-Paul II in his hometown,
Lyon. After blessing the town Lyon, concert started. In the same year, The
Guinness Books Of Record recognize about 1.3 millions of people which attend on
Concert Houston.
In 1987, from the Concerts in Houston and Lyon, a new album came out "Concerts
In Houston/Lyon" he also received the award for the nest instrumental album
"Rendez-Vous", and also he received the award for the best for the best musical
spectacle for Houston concert.
In
1988 he released new album "Revolutions", historical album dedicated to
revolutions, a combination between Arabian music, technology and revolt. He
promote his new album in Docklands, which was firstly canceled because of
weather conditions, the concert was scheduled for September 24th, but since
weather was bad, he split the concert in October 8th and 9th.
In 1989 he realized the album "Jarre
Live" from Dockland concert. Francis Dreyfus repromote a
Jean Michel
music with a special promotion entitled as "Jean
Michel Jarre - The Laser Years".
In 1990,
Jean Michel Jarre
release new album "Waiting for Cousteau", a tribute to oceanographer Jacques
Ywes Cousteau. In same year he also performs the new concert Paris - La defense
- City In Concert. This concert was attended by 2 millions people, and he again
entered into Guinness Books Of Records for largest amount of people.
In 1991 a compilation "Images" was released.
In 1993 he released a new album "Chronologie", and he also presents Europe in
Concert, his tour across the fifteen major cities, this concert has huge success
in these cities. He was nominated for Ambassador of Goodwill by UNESCO
In 1994 he again went to China, where he gave a new concert in Hong Kong, and he
published a new album "Hong Kong".
In 1995 he gives the first in the series of "Concerts Pour La Tolerance", a
concert for celebrating 50th anniversary of UNESCO. In the same year a new album
was published "Jarremix", album which contain a remixes of his tracks. He is
decorated "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" by the French government.
In 1997 a new album "Oxygene 7-13" was released, and he also released a double
box CD set "Complete Oxygene". In September he performs concert in Moscow, a
concert for 850th anniversary of Moscow. In December 1997 he released a limited
special edition, which contained the Oxygene and Oxygene 7-13 tracks mixed
together, there was also a new track called "Oxygene In Moscow". This album was
only available for 3 months.
In 1998 a new album came out, album which contains a remixes of Oxygene 7-13
tracks - "Odyssey Through O2". On the official album for Football World Cup
1998, he made a new Rendez-Vous 98 track, a remix of his Rendez-Vous 4 track. On
14th July
Jean Michel Jarre
celebrates with one million people
France's
World Cup football victory in Paris at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with his
performance Electronic Night.
In 31st December 1999
Jean Michel Jarre
presents a Twelve Dreams To The Sun, a concert for celebration of new millennium
in 3 great Egyptian pyramids in Cairo.
In 2000, a
new album "Metamorphoses" was presented, album with the vocals of Laurie
Anderson, Sharon Corr (The Corrs) and Natasha Atlas.
In 2001
Jean Michel Jarre teams up with the
science fiction writer Arthur C. Clark, to celebrate 2001 Rendez-Vous In Space,
a concert premiered in Okinawa, Japan. In the same year he also had concert in
Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
In 2002 he performed the AERO concert at Grammel Vrå Enge wind
farm, just outside Aalborg in Denmark, to a rather wet audience
of approximately 50,000.
On
October 10, 2004 he gave a big concert in the Forbidden City and
the Tiananmen Square in China, to commemorate the "Year of
France in China". The audience comprised about 15,000
spectators, most of them special guests. This concert was
broadcast in HDTV with 5.1 sound by some satellite channels. 5.1
sound was also used on the stage.
On
August 26, 2005 he performed a long concert "Space of Freedom"
in Gdańsk, Poland, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the
Solidarity. There were circa 170,000 people at the concert. Lech
Walesa was present on stage.
On
September 10th 2005 Jarre performed at the LinX Live Show for
the Official Opening of the Eurocam Media Centre, containing
Belgian HDTV Company Euro1080's NEW HDTV Studios, in Lint,
Belgium.
On
October 10, 2004 he gave a big concert in the Forbidden City and
the Tiananmen Square in China, to commemorate the "Year of
France in China". The audience comprised about 15,000
spectators, most of them special guests. This concert was
broadcast in HDTV with 5.1 sound by some satellite channels. 5.1
sound was also used on the stage.
