Alain Goraguer

Alain Goraguer – born in Rosny-sous-Bois, France on August 20, 1931 – was an acclaimed pianist, composer, and arranger best-known for his soundtrack work and for accompanying artists such as Serge Gainsbourg and Nana Mouskouri. He would sometimes publish his work under the pseudonyms Paul Vernon and Milton Lewis. When Alain Goraguer was young, his family moved to Nice, where he studied violin and then piano. At the age of 20, pianist Jack Diéval encouraged him to focus solely on the piano and studied under composer Julien Falk. He moved to Paris and became involved with the jazz scene in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. While he was accompanying vocalist Simone Alma, he met songwriter and musician Boris Vian and co-wrote songs such as "Je bois," "La Java des bombes atomics," and "Fais-moi mal, Johnny." Alan Goraguer composed the soundtrack to the 1959 film I Spit On Your Grave while also beginning a collaboration with iconic French songwriter, producer, and performer Serge Gainsbourg. He also collaborated with singer-songwriter Boby Lapointe before becoming involved in the popular yé-yé scene with vocalist France Gall. In 1965, Gall won the Eurovision Song Contest with Alain Goraguer’s arrangement of the Serge Gainsbourg song "Poupée de wax, doll de son." Throughout the 1960s, Alain Goraguer also collaborated with artists such as Brigitte Bardot, Salvatore Adamo, Brigitte Fontaine, Juliette Gréco, Joe Dassin, Nana Mouskouri, Régine, Georges Moustaki and Jean Ferrat, who appointed him as his primary arranger for several decades. Alain Goraguer composed music for many films including Le Belâge (1960), Les Héritiers (1961), Striptease (1963), Secret Paris (1965), La Planète Sauvage (1973), and L’Affaire Dominici (1973). Under the pseudonym Paul Vernon, he also composed music for adult films. In 2005, he arranged and produced singer Bruno Marman’s self-titled album and also handled arrangements for his 2008 release Faire l’amour. He also arranged the music for Abd al Malik’s 2008 album Dante. Alain Goraguer died on February 13, 2023, at the age of 91.

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