Roland Gerbeau

1919-2012 · French singer-songwriter

Roland Gerbeau was born in Vincennes on 12 November 1919 and died in Saint-Sébastien-de-Morsent on 28 December 2012. He is remembered chiefly for one thing: in December 1945 he made the first recording of Charles Trenet’s “La Mer,” ahead of the composer’s own version. The disc survives — a Sofradi 78 (S. 1273), digitised from the shellac by the Great 78 Project ↗, with the orchestra credited on the label to Pierre Guillermin. Nothing else in his career travelled remotely as far as the song he happened to sing first.

Who recorded it

Songs Roland Gerbeau recorded first

Beyond the Sea

Recorded it first — now often credited to Bobby Darin

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