Cerrone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cerrone
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Cerrone in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marc Cerrone |
| Born | 24 May 1952 Vitry-sur-Seine, France |
| Genres | Euro disco, post-disco, funk, electronic, French house |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums, keyboards, synthesizers |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Malligator Productions |
Marc Cerrone (born May 24, 1952) is a famous French musician. He is a drummer, composer, and record producer. Cerrone is best known for his disco songs from the 1970s and 1980s.
He has sold over 30 million albums around the world. This includes more than four million albums in France alone. His album Supernature sold eight million copies. His song "Love in C Minor" (1976) was a huge hit. It sold three million copies and stayed on the music charts for two months.
With his song "Supernature" (1977), Cerrone mixed big orchestra sounds with electronic synthesizers. This was a new and exciting sound. In 1978, he won six awards at the Billboard Disco Forum. One of these was for Disco Artist of the Year.
Besides Love in C Minor and Supernature, Cerrone had other successful albums. These include Cerrone IV: The Golden Touch (1978) and Hysteria (2002). He is also famous for his amazing live shows. In 1991, he performed a show called Harmony in Tokyo, Japan. Over 800,000 people watched this rock opera. In 1992, his musical Dreamtime was shown on Broadway in New York City.
Cerrone has worked with many famous artists. These include Nile Rodgers, Toto, and La Toya Jackson. Other musicians like the Avalanches and Beastie Boys have used parts of his music in their own songs.
Contents
Early Life and Music Career
Cerrone was born in Vitry-sur-Seine, France. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He started playing drums when he was 12 years old. He loved listening to music by artists like Otis Redding.
His father did not want him to be a musician. But Cerrone kept following his passion. In the late 1960s, he was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana.
When he was 17, he convinced Gilbert Trigano to hire rock bands for his holiday clubs. These were called Club Med. Cerrone became a talent scout for 40 Club Med locations worldwide. He helped find new musical acts.
First Recordings with Kongas
Cerrone's first recordings were with a group called Kongas. They released their music on Barclay Records. Their first hit song was "Boom." In 1974, they released the album Afro-Rock.
One of their most famous songs was "Anikana-O." Cerrone helped write and produce this song. A special version of the song was made for its release in the US.
Solo Success: Love in C Minor
Cerrone then started his solo career in Paris. He recorded his first solo album, Love in C Minor. Copies of the album were sent to the US by mistake. But New York DJs heard it and started playing the songs.
Atlantic Records then signed Cerrone to a music contract. He moved to the United States. The album was later released with a new cover. It included the hit song "Love in C Minor." It also had a cover of "Black Is Black" and an instrumental song called "Midnite Lady."
Cerrone's Paradise and Supernature
Cerrone's second album was Cerrone's Paradise. He worked with Alain Wisniak and Raymond Donnez on this album.
His third album, Supernature, sold over eight million copies. This album was different because it used more electronic sounds. The lyrics for the song "Supernature" were written by Lene Lovich. They tell a science fiction story about mutant creatures. These creatures were made by scientists to help end hunger. But they rebel against humans. The album also had a cool drum solo called "Sweet Drums."
The song "Supernature" was used as the theme music for a TV show in the United Kingdom. More recently, in July 2024, the song was played at the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. It was part of an amazing light show at the Eiffel Tower.
The Golden Touch
After Supernature became a big hit, Cerrone released Cerrone IV: The Golden Touch. This album also did very well. It had popular songs like "Je Suis Music" and "Look for Love." It also featured the famous guitarist Jimmy Page on the song "Rocket in the Pocket."
Cerrone also started making music for movies. He created the music for a French film called Brigade Mondaine.
Amazing Live Performances
Cerrone is known for his huge and exciting live shows. He has performed for hundreds of thousands of people.
- In 1989, he played a concert in Paris for the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. Over 600,000 people watched this show.
- In 1991, he performed his "Harmony" concert in Tokyo, Japan. This was to celebrate the launch of Japan's first high-definition TV channel.
- In 2000, he performed at the Los Angeles Millennium Celebration. He created a special show with lights that spelled out "Hollywood."
- In 2005, he held a free concert at the Palace of Versailles in France. He called it "the biggest discotheque in the world."
- In 2008, he organized the "NY Dance Party" in Central Park in New York City. This celebrated 30 years of dance music. He worked with his friend Nile Rodgers for this event.
Cerrone is often given credit for being one of the first artists to make the kick drum a very important part of modern dance music.
Recent Projects
In the 2000s, Cerrone continued to release new music. His 2002 album Hysteria was very successful in Europe. In 2007, he released the song "Laisser Toucher." This was the main song from his album Celebrate!.
In 2008, Cerrone released his twentieth album, Love Ritual. The main song from this album was also called "Love Ritual." He also released two more singles from the album: "It Had to Be You" and "Tattoo Woman."
In 2009, Cerrone released an album called Cerrone by Jamie Lewis for free online. He believed that music should be free. He said that musicians need to find new ways to make money.
In 2016, he released the song "Move Me" with Brendan Reilly. This song was a preview of his album Red Lips.
In 2005, Cerrone was given a special award in France. He was made a "Commandeur" in the Order of Arts and Letters. This is a high honor for artists.
In 2010, he released Cerrone Symphony, Variations of Supernature. He also started a tour called "Supernature Symphony." This tour included shows in Los Angeles, London, and Rome.
Images for kids
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Cerrone in 1977
See also
In Spanish: Cerrone para niños
- List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
