Francis Christian Cabrel (; born 23 November 1953) is a French singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist. Considered one of the most influential French musical artists of all time, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'Encre de tes yeux", "Je l'aime à mourir", "Petite Marie", "La Dame de Haute-Savoie", "Encore et encore", "Il faudra leur dire", "Sarbacane", "C'est écrit", "Je t'aimais, je t'aime, je t'aimerai" and "La corrida", have become enduring favourites in French music. Since the start of his career, Cabrel has sold over 25 million albums.

His first hit song was "Petite Marie" in 1974, which was about the woman who soon became his wife, Mariette. His song "Je l'aime à mourir" was covered by Shakira; this version, both sung in French and Spanish, became a major hit single. His song "Edition Spéciale" was featured in the 1987 film Broadcast News, starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and William Hurt.

Although Francis Cabrel is best known as a French-speaking singer, he also sings in Spanish ("La quiero a morir", "Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón"), and even a little in Occitan ("Giors", "Rockstars du Moyen Âge") and Italian.

An unauthorised biography was published in 2015. Cabrel, who is one of the most private French singers, attempted to have the book suppressed.

Cabrel brings support, with the song "Un gramme de terre" with multilingual interpreters, to accompany the documentary Une langue de plus.

Biography

Francis Cabrel was born in Agen, Lot-et-Garonne, France, into a modest family of Venetian Veneto

descent. His father was a labourer in a biscuit factory and his mother a cashier in a cafeteria. He has a sister, Martine, and a brother, Philippe. Cabrel spent his childhood in Astaffort, in Lot-et-Garonne.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="7" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Sales

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| FRA

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Fl)<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Wa)<br />

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| CAN

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| QUE

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| ROD

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| SWI

|-

! scope="row" | Les Murs de poussière

|

  • Released: 1977
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette

| — || colspan="2"| — || — || — || — || —

|

  • FRA: Platinum

|

|-

! scope="row" | Les Chemins de traverse

|

  • Released: 1979
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette

| 2 || colspan="2"| — || — || — || — || —

|

  • FRA: 2× Platinum

|

|-

! scope="row" | Carte postale

|

  • Released: 14 September 1981
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette

| — || colspan="2"| — || — || 15 || — || —

|

  • FRA: 2× Platinum

|

|-

! scope="row" | Sarbacane

|

  • Released: 21 February 1989
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette • CD

| 1 || colspan="2"| — || — || 1 || — || —

|

  • FRA: Diamond

|-

! scope="row" | Samedi soir sur la Terre

|

  • Released: 3 April 1994
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP • cassette • CD • MiniDisc

| 1 || colspan="2"| 1 || — || 1 || — || —

|

  • FRA: Diamond
  • CAN: 2× Platinum

|

|-

! scope="row" | Hors-saison

|

  • Released: 29 March 1999
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP • cassette • CD • digital download

| 1 || — || 1 || — || 1 || — || —

|

  • FRA: Diamond
  • CAN: Gold
  • SWI: Gold
  • SWI: Platinum

|-

! scope="row" | Vise le ciel ou Bob Dylan revisité

|

  • Released: 22 October 2012
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP • CD • digital download

| 1 || 63 || 1 || — || 14 || 3 || 10

|

  • FRA: 2× Platinum

|

  • FRA: 120,000

|

  • FRA: 300,000

|-

! scope="row" | À l'Aube revenant

|

  • Released: 16 October 2020
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP • CD • digital download

| 1<br /> || 49 || 1 || — || — || — || 1

|

|

|-

| colspan="11" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

Live albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of live albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="7" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Sales

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| FRA

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Fl)<br /> || — || 7 || — || — || — || —

|

|

|-

| colspan="11" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="7" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" | Sales

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| FRA

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Fl)

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Wa)

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| CAN

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| QUE

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| ROD

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| SWI

|-

! scope="row" | Canta en Español

|

  • Released: 1985
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette • CD

| — || colspan="2"| — || — || — || — || —

|

|

|-

! scope="row" | Cabrel 77-87

|

  • Released: 17 November 1987
  • Label: CBS
  • Format: LP • cassette • CD

| 28 || — || 12 || — || 19 || — || —

|

  • BEL: 2× Platinum
  • FRA: Diamond
  • CAN: Gold

|-

! scope="row"| "L'Encre de tes yeux"

| rowspan="2"| 1980

| 5 || — || 13

|

  • FRA : 400 000

| rowspan="3"|Fragile

|-

! scope="row"| "Je pense encore à toi"

| 18 || — || —

|

  • FRA : 150 000

| rowspan="3"|Photos de voyages

|-

! scope="row"| "Tourner les hélicos"

| — || — || 17

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Je te suivrai"

| rowspan="2"| 1986

| — || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Il faudra leur dire" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Cabrel and the children)</span>

| 2 || — || 1

|

  • FRA : 500 000

| Cabrel 77-87

|-

! scope="row"| "Sarbacane"

| rowspan="3"| 1989

| 30 || — || 1

|

| rowspan="4"|Sarbacane

|-

! scope="row"| "C'est écrit"

| 6 || — || 4

|

  • FRA : 200 000

|-

! scope="row"| "Animal"

| 31 || — || 1

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Tout le monde y pense"

| rowspan="2"| 1990

| 19 || — || —

|

  • FRA : 60 000

|-

! scope="row"| "Petite Marie" (live)

| 5 || — || 8

|

  • FRA : 100 000

|-

! scope="row"| "Octobre"

| rowspan="2"| 1995

| 88 || — || 1

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Samedi soir sur la Terre"

| — || — || 14

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Mercedes Sosa)</span>

| 1997

| — || 39 || —

|

| Algo más de amor (1998)

|-

! scope="row"| "Presque rien"

| rowspan="3"| 1999

| — || — || 8

|

| rowspan="4"|Hors-saison

|-

! scope="row"| "Le reste du temps"

| — || — || 1

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Hors-saison"

| 133 || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Le monde est sourd"

| rowspan="2"| 2000

| — || — || 2

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Ma place dans le trafic" (live)

| — || — || —

|

| Double Tour

|-

! scope="row"| "Bonne nouvelle"

| rowspan="3"| 2004

| — || — || 7

|

| rowspan="4"|Les Beaux Dégâts

|-

! scope="row"| "Qu'est-ce que t'en dis?"

| — || — || 9

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Tu me corresponds"

| — || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Les gens absents"

| rowspan="2"| 2005

| — || — || 15

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Je pense encore à toi" (live)

| — || — || —

|

| La tournée des Bodegas

|-

! scope="row"| "Gardien de nuit"

| 2006

| — || — || 40

|

| Le Soldat Rose

|-

! scope="row"| "Le gorille"

| 2007

| — || — || —

|

| L'Essentiel 1977-2007

|-

! scope="row"| "La robe et l'échelle"

| rowspan="2"| 2008

| — || 2 || 11

|

| rowspan="4"|Des roses et des orties

|-

! scope="row"| "Le chêne liège"

| — || 31 || 34

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Des hommes pareils"

| rowspan="3"| 2009

| — || 22 || 21

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Né dans le Bayou"

| — || — || 23

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Les cardinaux en costume" (live)

| — || 17|| —

|

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Comme une femme"

| rowspan="2"| 2012

| 130 || 5 || —

|

| rowspan="2"|Vise le ciel ou Bob Dylan revisité

|-

! scope="row"| "Je te veux"

| — || 26 || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Partir pour rester"

| rowspan="3"|2015

| 42 || 39 || —

|

| rowspan="4"|In extremis

|-

! scope="row"| "Dur comme fer"

| — || 13 || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "À chaque amour que nous ferons"

| 141 || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Le pays d'à côté"

| 2016

| — || 28 || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Te ressembler"

| 2020

|| 25 || — || —

|

| rowspan="4"|À l'Aube revenant

|-

! scope="row"| "Peuple des fontaines"

| rowspan="3"|2021

|| 144 || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "À l'Aube revenant"

|| 88 || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Rockstars du Moyen Âge"

|| 98 || — || —

|

|-

! scope="row"| "Un morceau de Sicre"

| 2023

|| — || — || —

|

|

|-

|colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|FRA

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Wa)

|-

! scope="row"| "La complainte de la butte" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Patrick Bruel)</span>

| 2002

| 48 || —

| Entre deux

|-

! scope="row"| "Tout reste à faire" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Souad Massi)</span>

| 2010

| — || 15

| Ô houria

|-

! scope="row"| "Petite Marie" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Umberto Tozzi)</span>

| 2012

| — || 25

| Yesterday: The Best of 1976-2012

|-

! scope="row"| "Sueno" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Gipsy Kings featuring Francis Cabrel)</span>

| 2014

| — || —

| Savor Flamenco

|-

|colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

Other charted songs

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of songs, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album

|-

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"|FRA

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| BEL<br>(Wa)

|-

! scope="row"| "Madame n'aime pas"

| 2009

| — || 12

| Des roses et des orties

|-

! scope="row"| "Les filles à quoi ça sert" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Bénabar, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Alain Souchon)</span>

| 2011

| — || 3

| Titeuf

|-

! scope="row"| "Lucie" <br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(with Nolwenn Leroy)</span>

| 2014

| 193 || —

| Kiss & Love

|-

! scope="row"| "Mademoiselle l'aventure"

| 2015

| 150 || —

| Des roses et des orties

|-

|colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:8pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

Videography

  • Sarbacane tour (1989)

Footnotes

References

  • Official Francis Cabrel website
  • Biography of Francis Cabrel, from Radio France Internationale