1949-1969

1949 to 1961 : Alain Le Govic learnt classical piano

   Alain Chamfort, whose real name is Alain Le Govic, was born on March 2nd, 1949 in Paris, to Yvonne Escabasse and Denis Le Govic, three years after his eldest sister Geneviève. The Le Govic family was living in Clichy, close to Paris, in a small two-roomed flat. When he was three years old, his parents registered him, along with his sister at a local rhythmic dancing and piano school. In spite of his young age, Alain remembers the upright piano in the flat very well; it used to stand against the wall of the living-room next to the window ! By the age of three and a half, Alain had already 5 piano lessons to his credit.

   During the summer of 1952, the Le Govic family moved to Eaubonne (North-West of Paris) and settled in a four-roomed semi-detached house. The Le Govic children were registered at the music school of Enghien-les-Bains. Alain used to attend piano lessons with a teacher in one of the rooms of the famous town Casino. When he was five, Alain performed his first concert. At the end of each year, Alain used to go through an audition in the Enghien town hall in front of many pupils' parents : there were microphones and light, and the children wore suits !

   Around 7/8 years old, Alain proved himself to be very gifted; he had great ability in music. Alain studied Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, then the romantic composers which he preferred such as Schubert, Schumann, Chopin …. When he was a teen-ager, he started to prepare the entrance examination for the music higher national  Conservatoire of Paris, but in the end he gave it up.

1962 :  1^st jazz band - the Dreamers

   When in secondary school, Alain had a friend called Patrice whose father was an amateur ex-jazz drummer and owned lot of jazz records. Alain became a fan of jazz. So with his friend Patrice, he started playing jazz and some rock'n' roll music. They decided to form their first band : The Dreamers comprising 3 members  : Alain at the piano, Patrice on drums, and another friend as a guitarist. Their repertoire was only instrumental.

   Every evening, after school, Alain used to listen to the famous radio program "Salut les Copains". He became familiar with all the Rock'n roll records. But his first musical shock was Ray Charles. Alain noticed that, on the records he used to buy and the ones he listened to on the radio, more organ could be heard than piano ! For his 13^th birthday, his father bought him a organ "Honner" with a small incorporated sono and a connected microphone making it possible to sing and play at the same time !

1963 :  2nd rock'n' roll group - the Shakers

   Alain now had an organ and that was lucky because a group in Houilles (a Western suburb of Paris) just happened to be looking for an organist : Alain was taken on. This band was called : The Shakers and Alain became the organist. Every Saturday, Alain used to put his organ into his father's car who would then drive him to Houilles where Alain used to rehearse with the other members. The Shakers played instrumental rock music : Eddie Cochrane, the Shadows … They even won a competition. After the prize- giving, Alain Le Govic was approached by a competitor band : the Murators and he was engaged by them.

1964 :  3rd rock'n' roll group - the Murators

   From now on the Murators had five members : one bass player, two guitar players, one drummer and one organist (Alain). Every Sunday afternoon, they used to play the rock repertoire of that time : the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who … as well as the songs of the early 60s.

   By that time Alain was 15 and during the holidays, the Murators set off on a tour and played in dance halls. Alain started to do some vocals, even one or two songs as solo.

1965 : Alain as a singer of the Rhythm'n'blues group :    the Mods

   In the Summer of 1965, Alain was 16. With his first fees, he left for London with Alain Truffaut (the Murators drummer). In the evening, they used to go to the Marquee's Club where the Alan Price Set was on show. In this very place, Alain even had the opportunity to attend a performance given by Jimmy Hendrix ! He also discovered the Rhythm'n'blues music.

   Back in Paris, they wished to enlarge and change the Murators by adding brass instruments, but the other members disagreed; which led to the break-up of the group. The two Alains left the Murators and formed a new music band of 7 members which was named the Mods, with Alain was appointed as the leader.

1966 : 1^st record for the Mods

   This time, Alain started to sing for good. The Mods reworked all the Rhythm'n'blues repertoire : from Otis Redding to James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave … Alain Le Govic wrote his first compositions.

   One evening, at the Golf Drouot (frequented by young singers and musicians), the artistic manager of the "Vogue" record company suggested to the Mods that they record some material. The first single record of the Mods was released just before Summer 1966. The four songs were composed by Alain and written by Alain Truffaut. The three first title tracks were sung by Alain and the fourth one by Alain Truffaut.

   It should be mentioned that at the same time, the first single of the famous French singer Jacques Dutronc was commercialized. The main track song by the Mods did not sell well whereas the song "Et moi, et moi" by Jacques Dutronc was a huge success.

   After some promotion work, the Mods ended up in Cannes without any money left … That was when their record company "Vogue" offered them to go and meet Dutronc in Aix-les-Bains for a TV show because his own musicians were not available. Dutronc decided to employ the Mods to accompany him as musicians in the important radio and TV shows.

   At the end of Summer, Jacques Dutronc worked again with his own musicians but he asked Alain Le Govic and Jean-Pierre Alarcen (guitar player) to stay with him.

   The Mods released a second single. But in Autumn 1966, they decided to split up.   Alain bought a more sophisticated organ to accompany Dutronc. In Autumn 66, Dutronc's second single, with the title track  "Les Plays-boys" was a big hit. And at the end of this song, we can hear Alain Le Govic play at the piano the well-known small "jazzy" notes.

1967 : Organist of Jacques Dutronc

   At the beginning of the year 1967, Dutronc and his musicians toured France and played 2-3 live dates per week.   At school, Alain was then in "Terminale" (equivalent to Upper Sixth). He was following correspondence courses and studying in hotel rooms when he was on tour. In 1967, he passed his "baccalaureat philo" (equivalent to A-Levels).   The Dutronc tour was the most successful one. Dutronc and his musicians frequently performed in concert halls filled with 4 000 people. They were even invited to play in very select parties for the king of Morocco or Georges Pompidou ! It was also the smartest band; they were all dressed by "Cardin" and their shoes were made by "Carville" !

1968 : 1^st solo single of Alain Le Govic

   In May, because of the railway strikes, Alain Le Govic could not go back home to Eaubonne, he was held up in Paris. Thanks to a friend, he met Dick Rivers (a well known French rock'n'roll singer) who lodged him at his own home for one month. Even though Dick Rivers had never heard Alain sing, he suggested that he record some material. Dutronc was informed about this plan and consequently asked him to choose between him and Dick Rivers ! Alain decided to leave, feeling especially upset at the reaction of Dutronc, and took Jean-Pierre Alarcen with him.

   At the end of Summer, the first 4- track single of Alain Le Govic as solo was released. On side A, the songs "Ce n'est qu'un rêve" and "L'harmonica". On side B "La semaine" and "Sur l'étoile où je vis". All the music was composed by Alain and the lyrics were written by Alice Malachina. The song "La semaine" was often on the radio, but the record was not successful.

1969 : studio pianist and accompanying pianist

   At the beginning of 1969, the first album of the group Le Système Crapoutchik was issued. For the song "Aussi loin que je me souvienne", Alain Le Govic was at the keyboards. Among the members of this band, there was Michel Pelay (drums) and Claude Puterflam (vocals).

   At that time, Alain met Véronique Sanson in studio. They did vocals for advertising jingles.

   In Spring, another single of Alain was released by Odéon/Pathé-Marconi with the title tracks : "J'aime la vie" and "Dans les jardins de Babylone", music by Alain. This single was also issued in Germany but without any picture on the cover.

   Some months later, Alain Le Govic and Michel Pelay left the Système Crapoutchik.

   In the Summer of 69, Alain went off on a 2 months trip to the States with two friends. They stayed one month in New-York, then they drove across the States in a small car from East to West as far as Los Angeles. In the night, they used to go to clubs and listen to music and during the day they did little jobs. That was how Alain ended up as an ice cream seller at a concert performed by Diana Ross in New York, Central Park.

   At that time, Alain met Julien Clerc who was in the same record company. Alain especially made friends with his lyricists, writers Maurice Vallet and Etienne Roda-Gil. Roda-Gil suggested that he make a record. The single was released in November with the title track "Locmariaquer" (music by Alain and words by Roda-Gil) on the A side. At that time, Alain Le Govic accompanied many singers on tour.