JEAN MICHEL JARRE - Oxygene 2

In the 1970's, French composer and producer Jean Michael Jarre paved the way for electronic music. In the late-1960's Jarre began to experiment with electronic music and devices, and he would become one of the most influential figures in modern music. In 1976 Jarre recorded a low budget album in his home studio which was produced with a variety of synthesizers and drum machines. When the album - Oxygene - was finished, Jarre couldn't find any record labels that were interested in it. Jarre eventually found a label to release his album, it ended up selling over 12 million copies - making it the all-time best selling record from France. When Jarre recorded his follow-up album Equinoxe, the 1978 release was promoted with free outdoor concert celebration of Bastille Day in Paris. The crowd of over a million people set a world record for open air concerts. Jarre's performance was accompanied by a light show, projected images and fireworks - which would become a regular part of his stage shows. In 1986 Jarre broke his record at a concert in the US, his performance at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Houston that was attended by 1.5 million people. In 1990, Jarre broke his record again at a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution - attended by 2 million people. On September 6, 1997 (as Princess Di was being buried), Jarre broke his record for a forth time in Russia, where he performed to a crowd of 3.5 million at the 850th anniversary of Moscow.