Adapted from a title from Italy, L'Eté Indien became a huge hit in 25 countries in 1975, thanks to Joe Dassin. A real and seductive summer slow that has won over many lovers ... Here is its story.
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A title that Claude François let pass
The biggest record sale of Joe Dassin's career, L'été Indien , was originally an Italian song by the group Albatros, entitled Africa and co-signed by a certain Toto Cutugno. Well known by French artists who are used to adapting his songs in French, Toto Cutugno regularly travels to Paris to offer his music to French publishers. There is nothing romantic about this title since it is more of a committed song which advocates the return to true values and the escape from an artificial and stressful world. Claude François, always on the lookout for potential hits, let himself be seduced in the spring of 1975 by this beautiful Italian song. However, he lets her pass, not being at the rendezvous in his offices in Paris with Toto Cutugno.
It is finally the editor and producer, Jacques Plait, who will sign the adaptation contract and have the title recorded by Joe Dassin. The first text that the adapters, Pierre Delanoë and Claude Lemesle, present to Joe Dassin, does not please him at all. He asks them to come up with another idea. This will come to them over the course of a weekend, in Deauville in Normandy.
A text written in Deauville, in Normandy
We are not in autumn but in spring. The two lyricists then isolated themselves in Deauville to write. The sun is shining on the small Normandy seaside resort, of international renown. This beautiful weather makes them think of "Indian Summer", this American expression which designates a sunny and softened period, after the first frosts of autumn, which exists in the North of America and in Canada.
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Based on this Indian summer, Pierre Delanoë and Claude Lemesle then imagine a text recounting with nostalgia an old love story. Joe Dassin really liked their idea, who then agreed to record the song. The voice recording took place on May 24, 1975, at Studio CBE on rue de Championnet in Paris, under the watchful eye of the sound engineer, Bernard Estardy. The 45 rpm record L'Eté Indien was released on June 6, 1975 and became a huge hit in France as well as in 25 other countries, almost making you forget the original version.