1971
The triumph of ‘Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris’ lasted for several years and in 1971 the French release of the record is supported by the scheduling of "Jacques Brel is Alive..." at La Taverne de l’Olympia.Mort finds there the ambiance of Village Gate.
The few short trips he had made to Paris in previous years had charmed him. The reception of the show, the city, the way of life, had seduced him to such an extent that he decides to settle there. The balcony of his first Paris apartment opens out onto the Eiffel Tower and towers over the Champ de Mars.
1972
Collaboration with Etienne Roda-Gil.
Recording of "AMERIKA".
The lyrics of Roda-Gil are almost de rigueur to get into Mort’s new world.
In France, he writes “Slave”, forgetting rock and the blues which had built his fortune and international glory. He composes finely subtle melodies with classical nuances. Unlike the tragic, aggressive and angry style of Brel, he opts for tenderness and discretion. He sings nonchalantly, without forcing, with a melancholic, world-weary tone, and above all tender in its inspiration. "Le Lac Majeur" becomes the hit of the year and is subsequently recognised as one of the most successful singles of all time in France.
1973
Two albums.
1- A version for the French market of an album in English which mixes tracks from Brel, Bertold Brecht, Baudelaire.
2- Second collaboration Roda-Gil/Shuman with "VOILA COMMENT"
1974
A French/Canadian musical film is made of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" Directed by Denis Heroux and starring Mort, Elly Stone, Joe Masiell and Jacques Brel himself. The film had no dialogue – the entire film was song. The film was released in Canada and USA in 1975 and France in 1976.
"DES CHANSONS SENTIMENTALES" is a semi-flop.
Mort writes the music for a film by Michel Mitrani "Les guichets du Louvre".
Re-release of the double album "Jacques Brel Is Alive..."
1976
Original soundtrack for a film by Michel Lang "A Nous les Petites Anglaises". He acts in and writes the original soundtrack for a film by Michel Vianney "Un type comme moi ne devrait jamais mourir".
A stay in Brussels for the complete filming of a remarkable film by André Ernotte "Rue Haute". Mort acts extremely well alongside Annie Cordy.
He continues to write music. New collaborators, Elisabeth Moreau and Philippe Adler, write texts and achieve popular success with the album "IMAGINE" on which "Papa Tango Charly", "Sorrow" and "Save The Last Dance For Me" appear among others. He writes the original soundtrack for the film by Roger Vadim, "Une femme fidèle".
1977
Take Elisabeth Moreau and Philippe Adler, add Alain Souchon, and you get "MY NAME IS MORTIMER".
A successful year for original film soundtracks.
Huge success for the original soundtrack of "L’Hôtel de la Plage" by Michel Lang.
Less commercial, "Plus ça va, moins ça va" by Michel Vianney, enables Mort to meet the film actors Michel Serrault and Jean Carmet.
He plays alongside Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen in "La petite fille au bout du chemin" – ‘The Little Girl That Lives down The Lane") by Nicolas Gessner before writing the music for the documentary by François Reichenbach "Sex O’Clock USA".
1978
New gold disc for "LE NEGRE BLANC". The cult track of "L’Hôtel de la Plage", "Un Eté de Porcelaine", is next to more personal pieces such as: "Le Nègre Blanc", "Comme avant", or "On a déjà donné" which Michel Sardou took up. While the stage is not his main cocern, Mort signs up for a three-month summer tour of the Europe 1 Podium. The group "Il Etait Une Fois" performs the first part.
1979
Original soundtrack for the film by René Gainville "L’associé" with Michel Serrault.
