Carla Bruni performed for the first time on UK TV September 16th, 2008 on Later Live…with Jools Holland.

We have a clip of her appearance on the show, which includes an interview with Jools Holland where she discusses her songwriting, her husband French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s participation, and a performance of her song “Tu Es Ma Came” from her album, ‘Comme Si De Rien N’était (As if Nothing Had Happened)’ on Downtown Records.

Watch video – Carla Bruni interview + “Tu Es Ma Came”:

According to the Guardian UK, nearly 1 million viewers tuned into the program.

On the program, she also performs Bessie Smith’s “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” with Jools Holland and her song “L’amoureuse” also from her album ‘Comme Si De Rien N’était (As if Nothing Had Happened)’, which Jools mentions will be aired later.

Metallica, Kings of Leon, VV Brown, Sway and Nicole Atkins also performed on the show.

About Carla Bruni

Born in 1967 in Turin, Italy to a concert pianist (mother) and an industrialist and opera composer, Carla Bruni moved with her family to France at the age of five to flee the Red Brigades terrorist group.

She learned to play the piano and guitar at a young age, inheriting her family’s love of music, which surrounded her from her earliest childhood. Also passionate about literature and writing, she composed songs in her spare time.

After studying architecture, Bruni embarked on a modelling career in 1985, attaining super model status and becoming the symbol for top fashion houses until 1997.

In the late 1990s, Bruni changed direction when she decided to launch a music career, first as a songwriter for Julien Clerc, for whom she wrote several songs for his album Si j’étais elle (If I Were Her), then as a singer-songwriter-composer for her first album, Quelqu’un m’a dit (Someone Told Me), released in 2002.

Composed with the help of Louis Bertignac, who also produced the album, Quelqu’un m’a dit was an instant hit. Acclaimed by critics, the album sold two million copies.

In 2003, Bruni won the Prix Raoul Breton, awarded by SACEM (French association of songwriters and composers) to recognize and encourage an up-and-coming songwriter or composer. She was awarded the Victoire de la Musique for Best Female Artist the same year.

On January 15, 2007, Bruni released her second album, ‘No Promises’, which sets English poems to music. Among the poets she selected were Yeats, Auden, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Walter de la Mare and Dorothy Parker. This second work, which sold more than 400,000 copies worldwide, shot to the top of the charts in both France and Europe.

On July 11, 2008, Carla released her third album entitled ‘Comme si de rien n’était (As If Nothing Happened)’, the title of a photographic work by her brother Virginio Bruni Tedeschi that appears in the album’s packaging.

Produced by Dominique Blanc-Francard, the album comprises 14 titles, most of which were written and composed by Bruni with the exception of “La Possibilité d’une Ile,” a poem by French author Michel Houellebecq and set to music by Bruni; “Déranger les Pierres,” with lyrics by Bruni set to music by Julien Clerc; and two previously performed pieces, “You Belong To Me,” a title popularized by Bob Dylan and featured in the original film score of Natural Born Killers, and “Il Vecchio e Il Bambino,” written by Italian anarchist Francesco Guccini.

Comme si de rien n’était (As If Nothing Happened) Musicians:

Denis Benarrosh: drums, percussion
Dominique Blanc-Francard: electric and acoustic guitar, tambourine, organ, vibraphone, pedal steel guitar, bass guitar, 6-string bass
Laurent Vernerey: basse électrique / bass guitar, double bass
Freddy Koella: acoustic and electric guitar, baryton, Dobro guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin
Michel Amsellem: Rhodes piano, piano, keyboards
Charles Pasi: harmonica
Benjamin Biolay: string arrangements
Thierry Farrugia: flute, soprano saxophone, clarinet
String quartet
Christophe Morin: cello
Elsa Benabdallah: 2nd violin
Florent Bremond: alto
Karen Brunon: 1st violin
Recorded by Bénédicte Schmitt at labomatic studios, Paris
Produced, mixed and mastered by Dominique Blanc-Francard at Labomatic Studios, Paris
p& © 2008 TEOREMA exclusively licensed to naïve
cover photo : JB Mondino
Inside photo : JB Mondino
Photo “comme si de rien n’était” : © Virginio Bruni Tedeschi
Drawings: Florence Deygas
Artwork: Add a dog, Paris

Comme si de rien n’était on amazon.co.uk

Carla Bruni Official Website

Last night I was excited to see that Nicole Atkins was scheduled to play on Later Live…with Jools Holland.

A few months ago I was lucky to have had the opportunity to interview Nicole Atkins over the phone – and then the next day to watch her play an intimate show at the Soho Review Bar in London. I was able to see first hand what a talent she was and knew then that she had the ‘full package’ to reach out to many, many more people – with her excellent songs, charming stage presence and determination.

Originally from Neptune, New Jersey and having toured across the US, making appearances on shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien and David Letterman, Nicole is probably more known in the States than here in England, however, after her strong performance last night on Jools Holland (her British television debut), I’m sure she’s gained even more fans from across the pond.

Other acts included:

Kings of Leon (”Sex On Fire”); when VV Brown came on, at first I wasn’t quite sure what to think, but then as the song went on (”Crying Blood”), her quirky soulful/punk grew on me and now I’ll be interested to hear more about her; Sway featuring Lemar (”Saturday Night Hustle”); and the First Lady of France Carla Bruni was interviewed by a flirtatious Jools Holland and then later was on with her “Tu Es Ma Came” single. It’s strange seeing a President’s wife hanging out with musicians and then singing live with a band…a first for me anyway. Has this ever happened before? With any other country’s First Lady?!

Nicole Atkins performed her dreamy pop single, “Maybe Tonight” off of debut album, ‘Neptune City’ and then Metallica closed the 30 minute night of varied music with their single, “The Day That Never Comes”. All members ended up taking solos, which was interesting on live TV, coming dangerously close to running over time. Now that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll…BBC style!

Later with Jools Holland Official Website

By: Jenny May