Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inducts “As The Years Go By” and “Câline de blues”

Interpreted by A*STAR and Quatuor Orphée for Covered Classics series

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inducts two legendary songs this month: As The Years Go By written by Pierre Sénécal, and Câline de blues co-written by Gerry Boulet, Pierre Harel and Michel (Willie) Lamothe.

As part of Covered Classics, a collaboration between the CSHF, CBC Music and ICIMusique, Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A*STAR (Antoine Gratton) performs his rendition the songs.

As The Years Go By
Written by Pierre Sénécal
Performed by A*STAR and Quatuor Orphée

As The Years Go By was a million-seller that made Montreal four-man progressive-rock band Mashmakhan an overnight sensation in 1970. The French-speaking, musically self-taught Sénécal actually wrote the lyrics in English, since his band-mates were all English-speaking. These lyrics suggest various meanings of the question “Do you love me?” and of the expected response “Yes, I love you.” Sénécal’s insights into the many possible forms of love from childhood to old age made As The Years Go By a natural for middle-of-the-road radio and easy-listening charts. Learn more about As the Years Go By.

Câline de blues
Written by Gérald (Gerry) Boulet, Pierre Harel, Michel (Willie) Lamothe
Performed by A*STAR and Quatuor Orphée

Câline de blues is a song revered as a classic in the blues-rock repertoire that established the international reputation of the group Offenbach, and that was born from the bass of Michel Lamothe, the melody of Gerry Boulet, and the pen of Pierre Harel. The song is a tongue-in-cheek lament on a bluesman’s girlfriend having left him because he spends too much time playing the blues. Câline de blues has received many awards but the most telling honour is that the phrase “câline de blues” has entered the French language, for example, in reference to the winter blues. Learn more about Câline de blues.

A*STAR (Antoine Gratton)
Montreal’s Antoine Gratton is a remarkable singer-songwriter whose musical skills are large and inclusive. He’s a great pianist, an impressive singer, a multi-instrumentalist coveted for his orchestral arrangements, and successful record producer. Gratton has several successful albums under his belt and won a Juno Award in 2007 for his album called Il était une fois dans l’est. In 2011 he was invited to perform for some of the biggest names in music at MUSEXPO in California. His performance blew everyone’s mind and confirmed that he was ready for an international career. He made his English debut under the pseudonym A*STAR with his 2014 album A Star is My Name. Featuring Quatuor Orphée and guest artists Saukrates, SoShy, Stephanie Boulay mixed by Andros Rodriguez (Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Shakira), A Star is My Name sees Gratton branch off into rhythmic pop, funk and R&B.