Artist: Gilles
Author: Jean Villard
Year: 1939
Written for Radio Lausanne, where he first performed it solo on piano (the recording survived and can be found on cd Gilles à Radio Lausanne - Inédits). Real name: Jean Villard, part of cabaret duo Gilles Et Julien. Jean had his own cabaret in Lausanne (Au Coup De Soleil), where he revisited the song with singer Edith Burger shortly after the war. In '46 La Môme Piaf had a contract there and that's when he gave her this song. She declined at first and gave it to Les Compagnons De La Chanson. That's when compay Marc Herrand entered the (Swiss) belfry as coauthor.
Covers:
Edith Piaf [featuring Les Compagnons De La Chanson]
Albert de Booy [as O Mooie Grijze Laurenstoren, about this Rotterdam church, heavily damaged during WW II]
Melody Maids [as The Three Bells]
Anne Shelton [as While The Angelus Was Ringing]
Bob Scholte [as De Drie Klokken]
Josef Locke [as When The Angelus Was Ringing]
Compagnons De La Chanson [as The Three Bells]
Esterella [as De Drie Klokken]
Browns [n°1 US; with Jim Ed Brown]
Mieke Telkamp [as De Drie Klokken]
Tobi Rix [as Drie Wekkers]
Brian Poole & The Tremeloes [hit UK]
André van Duin [as Bim Bam; n°1 NL]
Leon Russell [on Piaf tribute]
Lisa del Bo [as De Drie Klokken]
Ben Keith [with Neil & Pegi Young]
There are two English translations. The one called The Three Bells was translated by Bert Reisfeld in 1948. Only with The Browns did it reach the top of the charts in America. The version as While The Angelus Was Ringing was written by Dick Manning in '49.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)