Jean-Pierre Danel (born 4 June 1968) is a French
guitarist, record producer, music writer, and songwriter.[1] Jean-Pierre Danel has recorded a large number of guitar albums as well as
guitar teaching materials. In 2006, his album Guitar Connection, released by
Sony BMG, was certified gold in France, followed by several other records certified gold or platinum.[2]
Biography
1980s to 1990s
Born in
La Varenne, Val-de-Marne, France, Danel, the son of the French pop singer
Pascal Danel and the nephew of opera director
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, started his career as a professional guitarist in July 1982, at the age of 14.[3] After many tours and studio recordings with French session musicians, he released various guitar albums.[4]
Danel's album Guitar Connection was released by Sony/BMG in July 2006 and reached the #1 spot in the charts in France, followed by several other records certified gold or platinum (
https://www.upfi.fr/les-certifications/) [7][8][9][10] It was certified Gold and soon became a series of hit albums, with Guitar Connection 2 released in March 2007. It contains a duet with British guitarist
Hank Marvin. Danel also recorded many duets with French stars
Laurent Voulzy,
Louis Bertignac,
Axel Bauer, Michael Jones and
Paul Personne, among others.[11][12][13] In June 2007, Danel received the Grand Prix Français de la Guitare award.[4]
Out of the Blues (2010)
In November 2010, Danel's Out of the Blues guitar album was released by Universal, with sales going towards AIDS research. Danel recorded duets with a number of guitarists such as
Hank Marvin again,
Albert Lee (recorded at the
Abbey Road Studios),
Scott Henderson,
Andy Powell of
Wishbone Ash,
Jake Shimabukuro and various popular French artists.[14] The album was supported by
Carla Bruni,[15] then First Lady of France, and
Brian May of
Queen, who also wrote a note in the booklet. The pair was reunited in a charity organized by Danel in 2013: The album is certified Gold and the DVD gets a Platinum disc[16][17]
The Hit List (2013)
Danel's digital compilation album The Hit List debuted on the French compilation albums chart at number 18.
Guitar Tribute (2016)
On 25 March 2016, Danel released Guitar Tribute (Sony Music), a box set containing 2 CDs (a compilation and a live album) and the DVD of a private live show, All You Need Is Live, given for his daughter. Half of the concert consisted of Danel's hits, with two new songs, while the other half is a collection of covers of classics that influenced the guitar player (The Beatles, The Shadows, Elvis Presley, etc.). Half of the tunes are vocal. Several duets are included, as well as video tributes to Danel by
Brian May of
Queen,
Hank Marvin of
The Shadows, several French artists and Sony Music and Warner Music CEOs[18] Danel embarked on a promotional tour, with a primetime TV show,[19] several other TV appearances[20][21] and TV advertising.[22] The album entered the compilation albums chart at number 7. The DVD All You Need is Live is certified double Platinum.[23]
In 2017, after Génération Guitare, a double album with guitarist Jean-Félix Lalanne, Sony Music released an anthology, a 10-CD box set called Guitar Player,[9] that includes 214 of Danel's recordings, selected from his various albums.
In 2019, a rose was named after him.[24] In 2020, a documentary was announced[25] and a biography was published.[26] His album Côté Jazz reached the top of the Jazz Albums Chart in France.[27]
Guitar Story (2020) and Guitar Safari (2022)
In 2021, he released the TV special Guitar Story on DVD. His album and DVD Hats Off to the Boys was then released in several countries. His DVD Guitar Video Connection, celebrating 40 years of career in 2022, followed by Christmas. A triple album, Guitar Safari, was released at the same time, also celebrating 40 years of recording with a new album, a best-of and a live album.
Puzzle Productions
As a record producer, Danel started his own company, Puzzle Productions, in 1989. He produced dozens of hit records and also bought the rights for many songs from other companies, creating an 18,000-song catalogue.[8] In several TV documentaries, record industry specialists called Danel one of the biggest independent producers in France.[28]
His work also includes the production, with DJ Da French Guy, of radio remixes for artists such as
Madonna,
Britney Spears,
Daft Punk, and
Moby.
In 2014, he received a multi-diamond disc for 25 years as a record producer at Sony Music headquarters as well as 23.3 million records sold and 191 gold and platinum discs received as a producer.[29][30]
Since then, in 2023, he has 206 gold and platinum records.
Writer
Danel is also the author of several books, the best known of which are biographies of French playwright and actor
Sacha Guitry.[31] His second book about Guitry is featured on the book list for French students at Berkeley University, CA. In 2023, he published a biography of French theater star
Sarah Bernhardt. Danel also published in 2012 a book about the
FenderStratocaster (foreword by
Hank Marvin).[32] In 2014, he released the video "The
Fender Stratocaster Story", based on the book and on his vast collection of guitars, in which can be found "Miss Daisy", a scarce 1954 pre-production
Stratocaster, worth US$250,000.[33]
Guitar Player (10-CD anthology box set; 214 tracks) (2017)
Guitar Story TV Special (DVD) (2020)
Côté Jazz (2020)
Les Notes Bleues (2020)
All the Jazz (2021) (compilation)
Guitar Safari (2022)
Participation
Les Masters De La Guitare – Les Plus Grands Guitaristes (1 track among other guitar players) (2001)
Books
Femme, mode d'emploi : la femme vue par les hommes : 3000 citations par plus de 500 auteurs (édité par Jean-Pierre Danel), éditions NM7, Paris, 2000, 313 p.ISBN2-913973-09-4BnF377101648
Le destin fabuleux de Sacha Guitry, éditions Marque-Pages, coll. « Beaux livres », 2007, 269 p.ISBN978-2915397147
Chroniques d'une vie passionnante : enfin, je crois : journal pour de vrai d'un futur papa dans les ennuis, Courcelles publishing, Paris, 2008, 288 p.,
ISBN978-2-916569-26-0,
BnF41237809k
Petites explications sur les femmes à l'attention des hommes perdus et désespérés : près de 2,700 citations sur les femmes par plus de 800 auteurs (réunies par Jean-Pierre Danel), Courcelles publishing, Paris, 2008, 317 p.ISBN978-2-916569-31-4BnF413696993
365 moyens de se faire pardonner, enfin, de tenter d'essayer : petit guide à l'attention des hommes qui ont gaffé, et s'ils l'ont pas fait exprès, eh ben c'est grave quand même !, Courcelles publishing, Paris, 2010, 92 p.ISBN978-2-916569-34-5BnF42136792d
365 moyens d'adopter le life style des people : et de devenir hyper-intéressant chez son coiffeur, Courcelles publishing, Paris, 2010, 93 p.ISBN978-2-916569-35-2BnF421367734
365 moyens de rendre son homme heureux : tout ce qu'il faut dire, faire et savoir pour que votre homme ronronne de bonheur ! : petit guide à l'attention des femmes optimistes et motivées, Courcelles publishing, Paris, 2010, 92 p.ISBN978-2-916569-36-9BnF421367854
Elvis Presley : La légende du king, Courcelles Publishing, Paris, janvier 2010
ISBN978-2-916569-37-6
Légende de la Fender Stratocaster , Auteurs du Monde, préface de Hank Marvin, septembre 2012
ISBN979-10-91301-12-1
Elvis Presley intime : L'icône perdue (avec un CD audio), Editions Contre-dires, Décembre 2013
ISBN9782849333839
Miss Daisy : Le graal de la Fender Stratocaster Auteurs du Monde, octobre 2020
Cordes Sensibles – Un guitariste au pays du show business Auteurs du Monde, préface de Gilbert Mitterrand, juin 2021
Sarah Bernhardt : La Belle Etoile Auteurs du Monde, avril 2023