There is also the story as told by Danièle Feuillerat, who worked at Disques Dreyfus - an account slightly different from JMJ's. The section below is taken from a long interview Feuillerat gave to Spansih site Fairlight Jarre in 2013. It's no longer on the site but it can be read at
https://issuu.com/vientdeme/docs/interv ... feuillerat. A very interesting read indeed, with many photos. (This section is on pages 30-31.)
The album Metamorphoses was not successful despite millions invested in marketing and promotion ; on Oxygene 7-13 and Metamorphoses, both licensed to Sony (almost) worldwide, all expensive videoclips and remixes costs were shared with Sony Music. Neither, Jarre or Dreyfus, were happy with the sales results and we had the feeling that Jarre was somehow blaming Dreyfus for that situation.
Although Jarre was still our main artist, Francis Dreyfus had launched his Dreyfus Jazz label in 1993 (the dream of his life, Franciss favourite music had always been jazz). This began to take more of Franciss time (sign artists, record them, spend time with them, etc). The Jazz signings included famous and talented artists such as Michel Petrucciani, Richard Galliano, Marcus Miller, and many others.
Francis did not attend the concert in Cairo for family reasons. I understand Jarre felt quite offended and their relations got a bit tense.
During year 2001, Jarre and Dreyfus had several meetings to discuss the future. He Jarre proposed to Dreyfus to terminate the contract immediately, although we had two more albums to release. It was impossible for us to accept this proposed termination without any indemnity.
A few days before Christmas, a messenger delivered to our receptionist a bag containing two CD masters + album cover artworks, one was entitled Sessions 2000 and the other one Experimental 2001.
We understood they were presented as the last 2 albums due per contract. We listened to both tapes and did not think much of the music; it did not sound very original or innovative, like dispersed music presented in two albums. Although we were obliged to release both albums, we had to remind the artist that it was impossible to release them at the same time as usually each release takes place with a gap of 18 months minimum. In addition, Sony Music did not pick their option on the two optional albums they had in their contract.
This was when our direct relations ended. It was early 2002.
We then negociated through our respective lawyers a compromise: we would release one album only Sessions 2000, and let the artist free of contract after it was released.
Sessions 2000 was released in October 2002. The sales were small (62.000 to this day) because we did not have SONY to release outside France and we had to export the CDs to our European Jazz distributors without any promotion supported by the artist.
Concerts: 2017: Upper Darby < 2010: Lille, Liège, Paris < 1997: Lille < 1990: La Défense
