Recorded - circa Spring or Summer, 1967
Released - 1967 (France), December 1967 (US)
#1 for weeks of February 10, 17 and 24 & March 2 and 9, 1968.
When I saw what the next song on the itinerary was, I couldn't believe it. An easy listening instrumental? What is this 1961!? It does seem a bit out of place, and I can't for the life of me figure out why this song was #1 for five weeks. Perhaps in light of the troubled times and an increasingly unpopular war, people just needed something mellow to get them through their day.
Paul Mauriat remains the only French artist to score a US #1. He had been releasing material since the mid 1950's, and his specialty was orchestral arrangements of pop songs. By 1967, he was already pushing 40, yet he managed to keep up with what was popular. His 1967 album, Le Grand Orchestre De Paul Mauriat - Volume 5, contained easy listening orchestral covers of such songs like "Penny Lane" and "Somethin' Stupid". Also included was a cover of "L'amour Est Bleu". This song was written for the 1967 Eurovison contest, and originally sung by Vicky Leandros.
As for Paul Mauriat's rendition of the tune, the keyword is inoffensive and non-pretentious. Honestly, there's nothing terrible to say about "Love Is Blue", as it has a nice melody overall. Even the production manages to sound relatively fresh and not dated. You could tell someone who is unfamiliar with the tune that it was the theme song to a modern drama and they would believe you.
Yet despite any positive comments I can give to "Love Is Blue", I still just can't get over the fact that this charted at #1. Easy listening music was primarily a niche market, and it has never truly gone away. However, this was during a time period when pop music charts welcomed the likes of The Doors, and The Beatles, both of whom pushed pop music past its limitations. To have an orchestral cover of a corporately written pop song reach #1 is such an anachronism.
Final Verdict - "Love Is Blue" is a bit of a neutral song in the context of #1 hits. It's certainly not bad, and it has a good melody, but it's also woefully out of place in an era of artistic creativity. Not a bad song by any stretch of the imagination, but not a knockout either.
Coming Up Next - "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding.
Until Next Time, Je M'appelle Dr. Rock -
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