He appeared on TV variety shows in the UK throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including "Seaside Special" and "The Val Doonican Show". Maintaining his popularity in his homeland, however, Distel recorded French versions of English-language hits, such as "Vite, Chérie, Vite" ("Beach Baby"), "Chanson Bleue" ("Song Sung Blue") and "Je T'Appelle Pour Dire Que Je T'Aime" ("I Just Called To Say I Love You"). He also recorded in German, Spanish and Italian to satisfy his audiences in other parts of Europe.