Paule was a former fashion model that had a short but successful career as a singer before she felt the musical trends change and decided to leave room for a new generation singing rock instead of chanson.
Chanson is exactly what "La belle amour" is - and let us all remember that the original name for the Eurovision Song Contest hinted that chanson was a most suitable genre to enter with.
Just as Paule felt in her musical bone, there would be a big and profound change in light music only a couple of years after this. That's why the first years of the ESC can look like a completely different planet for younger viewers, as it took a few years for pop music to work its way into this family friendly programme.
However, anyone should be able to appreciate "La belle amour" as it is a beautiful timeless piece of chanson, elegantly performed. A child of its time but a most endearing one.
A deserved 2nd place?
Absolutely. No other song in this edition has aged as gracefully as this. Perhaps not quite as personable as the winner, but a most qualified runner-up.
Paule Desjardins - La belle amour (France 1957)
Good song. What astonishes me the most is the sound quality of the currently circulating 1957 contest recording, which unlike the picture quality is almos hifi. Same applies to the 1958 contest. The dynamics of the sound of both of these is better than any recording I've hear of, say, the 1971 contest. It does not matter why, we can just listen and enjoy Paule Desjardins and other acts, and hope that better quality (sound) recodings of other contests appeared as well.
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