Eddie Barclay dies

[brownie]

Eddie Barclay who started his career as a jazz pianist in the '40s and then went on to create his label 'Blue Star' that distributed records from the Norman Granz catalogue and recorded musicians like Django Reinhardt, Don Byas, Bernard Peiffer, Rene Urtreger, Chet Baker among others, died in Paris yesterday. Blue Star became Barclay Records in the fifties, the label blossomed into one of the most important French music business venture.

Barclay also financed the French review 'Jazz Magazine' when it was created in 1954.

From AP:

FRENCH MUSIC PRODUCER EDDIE BARCLAY DIES

PARIS - Eddie Barclay, a flamboyant French music producer whose stable of singers included Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour and who worked for years with    Quincy Jones, has died. He was 84.

Barclay died overnight Thursday at the Ambroise Pare hospital in Paris, the Barclay organization said Friday. He had been in the hospital since April 29 and suffered from urinary and pulmonary infections in recent weeks.

Born in 1921 in Paris, Barclay started his production house in the 1950s and marketed artists from the U.S. company Mercury. After selling 1 1/2 million copies of The Platters' "Only You," Barclay's label rose to become France's top music production company at the time.

He was famous for wearing white and holding exclusive parties in Saint-Tropez where guests also wore white.

"After the death of Eddie Barclay, there's no more showbusiness, there's only business left," the French singer Carlos, a close friend, told RTL radio.

Barclay started his career as a jazz pianist before setting himself up as a music producer and changing his name from Edouard Ruault.

Jones, who composed and arranged two of Barclay's albums — Et Voila in 1957 and Twilight Time in 1960 — said a close friend and mentor "has left the room, but he will never, ever leave my heart."

In a statement, Jones said Barclay hired him at the age of 24 to be musical director of Barclay Records, "introducing me to a life that I never dreamed of."

Brel, the poet-singer from Belgium who died in 1978, started a long relationship with Barclay in 1962, and recorded hits such as "Le Plat Pays," ("The Flat Country") and "Les Bigotes" ("The Holier-than-thous") on his label.

Aznavour, who met Barclay more than 60 years ago, said he had lost a close friend.

"He came looking for me late but he gave me the freedom to do what I wanted," he told France Info radio. "He taught himself about music, he had music in his heart and his head."

[GA Russell]

Thanks for posting that, brownie.

[mikeweil]

French/German arte TV broadcast a well done obituary last evening - quite an interesting career, although it seem he retired to a playboy status in the last decade of his life, his parties being among the most desireableon the Côte d'Azur.

For all the things he's done for French recorded jazz, he deserves a place in jazz history.

Now how jazzy are these records with Lucky Thompson et al. guesting?

[sheldonm]

although it seem he retired to a playboy status in the last decade of his life, his parties being among the most desireableon the Côte d'Azur.

I have no problems with this . RIP, very sad to hear of his passing!

Mark

[brownie]

although it seem he retired to a playboy status in the last decade of his life, his parties being among the most desireableon the Côte d'Azur.

I have no problems with this . RIP, very sad to hear of his passing!

Mark

Barclay who looked a bit like Artie Shaw in his old age was also married eight times!

Each of his wedding turned into huge celebrations.

Mike, the only jazzy Eddie Barclay et son Grand Orchestre album was 'Et Voila!' which had Lucky Thompson among the players on most side, and Don Byas on others. Fresh Sound reissued this on vinyl with two additional tunes.

I grew up on the Blue Star ten-inchers that came out in the 50s. Most were from the Mercury/Clef/Norgran label with the original covers (mostly by David Stone Martin) and Blue Star vinyl inside.

The first Charlie Parker album I ever bought (Bird was still alive at the time) was a Blue Star album of the Dial sides with Wardell Gray, Errol Garner, etc...