Boris Bergman

Boris Bergman was born from Esther Sanders and Baruch Yakov Bergman in London after World War 2. The Bergmans moved to Paris in the late fifties and little Boris became a songwriter in 1967. On May 5th 1968 he wrote a song for a Greek band (Aphrodite's Child) with Vangelis - the song was called "Rain and Tears" and became a major hit (the song has sold over a six million records in its original version, and is still considered a classic). Apart from his English lyrics for Aphrodite's Child ("end of the world… I want to live…") he starts writing some French lyrics for Richard Anthony, Dalida, France Gall. In the early seventies, Carlo Ponti asks him to write some English lyrics for Sofia Loren, based on the theme from "The Priest's Wife" (a film by Dino Risi). He will spend some time in Rome, writing for Marcello Mastroianni, Anthony Quinn, including a title song for the film "Maddalena" with Enio Morricone (he will later put a French lyric to The Godfather's song for Andy williams).

From 1967 to 1974 B. Bergman has mainly adapted English and American songs such as "Deportees" (Woody Guthrie), "My Sweet Lord", "Something" (The Beatles), Pete Seeger's, Don Mclean's, "The Great Discovery" (Elton John & B. Taupin), Maggie May (Rod Stewart) and some Brazilian songs as well "Fio Maravilhia" by Jorge Ben).

From 1974 he worked with Christophe, and the French rock singer Alain Bashung (Gaby, Vertige de L'amour) for which he was awarded best songs of the year in 1982 and best lyricist in 1987 by the French society of songwriters (S.A.C.E.M). The same years he also wrote for Paul Personne (a blues singer) and Maxime Le forrestier. He has recently written lyrics for Gregory Isaac and Chaka Demus and Pliers (Big Men: Rai meets Reggaé), adapted some Serge Gainsbourg songs for various British and American performers (M. Faithfull, Tricky, Marc Almond, Franz Ferdinand, The Rakes, Placebo) and a few songs for the actor–singer Lambert Wilson.

He has directed a few short films and has appeared in several movies as an actor (Denis Arcand's Jesus of Montreal, R. Polanski's Bitter moon), directed a few short films, written a few dialogues (Two much by Y. Robert), 3 novels...and has in 2006 written and produced a musical called "Night of the Rat" at the Dejazet theatre in Paris. He will soon direct his own musical version of Chekov's "Lady with the Little Dog" at the Theatre du Gymnase. In 2016 comes out the compilation "Boris Bergman et ses interprètes", 3 CDs dedicated to his work, 64 titles including unpublished and rarities, interpreted by the greatest including for example Jimmy Cliff, Juliette Greco, Marianne Faithfull, Christophe, Dalida, Jean Louis Aubert and many others.