William Sheller

William Sheller (born William Hand on 9 July 1946) is a French classical composer and singer-songwriter.

Biography

He left school at 16 to study composition with teacher Yves Margat (himself a student of Gabriel Fauré) and later harmony, fugue and counterpoint at the Paris conservatoire. He turned to pop music after hearing the Beatles. Since then, he has had a successful career both as a classical composer and as a pop singer. His works often mix both genres. For example, some of his songs include carefully crafted orchestral passages (the Baroque introduction to Le nouveau monde) as well as instruments that are seldom found in pop music (such as a horn in Les miroirs dans la boue and a clarinet in Fier et fou de vous). On the other hand, his Lux æterna is written for orchestra, choir and rock band. He has toured several times with transcriptions of his songs for voice and orchestra as well as for voice and piano quintet. Additionally, he has also written film music and songs or arrangements for other artists (Dalida, Barbara... etc.).^[1][2]

The "Introit" from his Lux æterna (1972) was heavily sampled for the title track from Deltron 3030 (2000), produced by Dan the Automator.

Music

Classical Works

• 1972: Lux æterna
• 1984: String quartets "Book 1 and 2" by "Quatuor Pasquier"
• 1985: Suite française
• 1990: Cello concerto
• 1992: Symphonie pour un jeune orchestre
• 1993: Trumpet concerto
• 1994: Symphonie alternative
• 1995: Symphonie de poche
• 2003: New recording of the string quartets "Book 1&2"+"Les Viennois" by "Quatuor Parisii"
• 2004: Symphony in three movements "Sully"
• 2006: Recording of symphonic works in Ostinato

Albums

• 1975: Rock'n dollars
• 1976: Dans un vieux rock'n'roll
• 1977: Symphoman
• 1980: Nicolas
• 1981: J'suis pas bien
• 1982: Olympia 82 (live)
• 1983: Simplement
• 1984: Wiliam Sheller et le quatuor Halvenalf (live)
• 1986: Univers
• 1989: Ailleurs
• 1991: Sheller en solitaire (live)
• 1993: Le nouveau monde
• 1994: Albion
• 1995: Olympiade (live)
• 2000: Les machines absurdes
• 2001: Live au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (live)
• 2004: Épures
• 2005: Parade au Cirque Royal (live – filmed concert, available on DVD)
• 2005: Chemin de traverse (totalling his 30 years of songs)
• 2008: Avatars

Singles

• 1968: "Couleurs"
• 1968: "Les 4 saisons"
• 1968: "My Year is a Day" (interpreted by Les Irrésistibles)
• 1969: "Adieu Kathy"
• 1969: "Leslie Simone"
• 1970: "Living East, Dreaming West"
• 1970: "She Opened the Door"
• 1976: "Saint-Exupery Airway"
• 1976: "Fier et fou de vous"
• 1976: "J'me gênerai pas pour dire que j't'aime encore"
• 1976: "La toccatarte" (with Catherine Lara)
• 1976: "Les petites filles modèles"
• 1982: "Message urgent"
• 1982: "Rosanna Banana"
• 1983: "Chanson lente"
• 1983: "Mon Dieu que j'l'aime"
• 1984: "I keep movin'on"
• 1993: "Vienne"
• 1998: "Centre ville"
• 2008: "Tout ira bien"
• 2013: "Un homme heureux"

Compilations

• 1987: Master série
• 1993: Carnet de notes
• 1998: Tu devrais chanter
• 2004: Promenade française

Film Music

• 1968: Soundtrack from the film Érotissimo
• 1980: Soundtrack from the film Retour en force
• 1981: Soundtrack from the film Ma femme s'appelle reviens
• 1993: Soundtrack from the film L'écrivain public
• 1997: Soundtrack from the film Arlette

References