Biography
Louis Philippe is the stage name of singer/songwriter (not to mention BBC correspondent, football journalist, chef and wine buff) Philippe Auclair. Raised in Normandy, France, Louis studied and taught philosophy in Paris before releasing his first EP under the name of The Border Boys on the Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1985.
Splitting from his subsequent band The Arcadians, Louis moved residence to London, England, and crossed paths with Mike Alway, legendary eminence grise behind the él label. Quickly becoming the label's house songwriter, Louis contributed to many él releases and released three albums under his own name. After the demise of él, five more albums followed on the Japanese Trattoria label, courtesy of longtime Louis fan Keigo Oyamada (aka Cornelius). Louis has also worked as songwriter and producer for many other artists.
Louis's music covers the range from pure bubblegum to symphonic sweep, with detours via jazz and soul along the way. A typical Louis Philippe album might mix influences from vintage pop, French chanson, Ravel, bossa nova, Duke Ellington, the Shirelles, or The Beach Boys. Classical instruments and intricate backing vocals often feature in the arrangements.
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