L'Âme-stram-gram
Encyclopedia
"L'Âme-stram-gram" is a 1999
song recorded by French singer-songwriter
Mylène Farmer
. It was the lead single
from her fifth studio album Innamoramento
and was released on 9 March 1999. The lyrics were written by Farmer and the music was composed by Laurent Boutonnat
. Musically, the song has techno and dance sonorities which marked an artistic change in the singer's career, although the rest of the album contains more pop songs. Based on a famous children's counting rhyme, the song is primarily about confidence, secret, and confession and uses the lexical field of psychoanalysis
; however, the many puns and double entendre
s can also provide another meaning explicitly referring to sexuality.
Inspired by the romantic comedy horror film A Chinese Ghost Story
, the expensive eight-minute music video was shot by Hong Kong film director Ching Siu-Tung
in Beijing
and displays Farmer portraying twin sisters who have supernatural powers; the first being kidnapped by Chinese bandits and rescued by her sister, who dies in the process, causing the first twin to commit suicide. Farmer promoted the song by performing it on three TV shows and then singing it on two of her subsequent tours. The single peaked at number two in France and was certified as silver for having over 125,000 sales. It was also a top ten hit in Belgium (Wallonia).
. At that time, it was rumoured that the singer's return was imminent, with the release of a very rhythmic single named "The Small World" and a new album whose name would be "Mes Moires". These rumours were incorrect; however, as early as February, the radio station NRJ aired Farmer's new single, titled "L'Âme-stram-gram". This techno
and dance song seemed to display a major change in Farmer's musical register. According to Farmer, the choice of this single was made haphazardly, as she said in an interview: "This happened like that. Laurent [Boutonnat] wrote a rhythm, and I confess that I really want, precisely, something rhythmic, even a little lighter."
Promotional envelopes were released in a limited edition respectively on 2 and 6 March and contained, in addition to the CD single, the song's lyrics written by Farmer. As noted in the magazine Instant-Mag, there was a spelling mistake in the word "immiscer" and an erasure. The remixes, deemed "rather successful" by French author Julien Rigal, were not produced by Boutonnat, unlike Farmer's previous singles, but by Perky Park and Lady B. The art cover of the various formats, made by Italian photographer Marino Parisotto Vay, showed Farmer behind blue veils.
"L'Âme-stram-gram", whose lyrics were written in Milan
, has techno sonorities and a subdued singer's voice, making it more heavenly. The music used more synthesizer
s and bass guitar
than the songs from the previous album, Anamorphosée; the song, however, was not representative of the musical universe of Innamoramento. The song marked a change of influences by Farmer who "abandon[ed] the Slavonic and American universes to be interested in Asia
", as noted by author Erwan Chuberre.
Lyrically, the song deals with sex, childhood and psychoanalysis. It contains numerous erotic pun
s inspired by the Marquis de Sade
's works: "J'ouïs tout ce que tu confesses / Et l'essaim scande l'ivresse", "J'ouïs tout ce que tu susurres / L'essaim bat la mesure", "Immisce et glisse l'abdomen / Dans l'orifice à moi", "L'âme-stram-gram, pique-moi dans l'âme / Bourrée bourrée de nœuds mâles / L'âme-stram-gram pique dames". The sound associations refer to the orgasm
, the female organs ("cunt
", "buttock", "breast
") and sexual penetration
. The song also refers to the childhood rhyme known as eeny, meeny, miny, moe
— a song recited by children to point out a person at random from a group — and to the vocabulary of psychoanalysis
through the subjects of the sofa and Sigmund Freud
's "Oedipus complex
". In an April 1999 interview, Farmer explained: "I tried to evoke the idea of confidence, secret, confession, the idea of "the other", simply. One's double, perhaps. In all cases, a friendly ear". Psychologist Hugues Royer said the song evokes "pleasure in all its forms which is seen as a way out" and, with "many encryoted puns", talks about "many amusing sexual practices".
in Beijing
over five days and four nights, although Farmer spent two weeks in China to oversee its production. Like most of the singer's other videos, it was a Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production. The screenplay, written by Farmer, is based on a Chinese legend and the film series
A Chinese Ghost Story
, made by Ching. The staging was done extremely carefully and the images were very aesthetic. The video had a budget that reached 900,000 euro, as the construction of scenery included a reconstruction of the Great Wall of China
and digital special effects. Despite the cold temperatures during the shooting, Farmer was not wearing a T-shirt under her costume and also directed most of the stunts. She explained: "We worked a lot, sometimes twenty hours without interruption. Weather conditions were difficult. I had a permanent change of costumes. But it was exciting and it was the most important." Valérie Bony, a dancer in Farmer's concert tours, played Farmer's body double when the latter was showed from her back. Although the song deals with sexual issues, there are no sex scenes in the video.
The video features twin sisters
, played by Farmer, and several Chinese
bandits. Initially, the sisters are dressed in green and purple veils and play together amongst pastel veils and hangings. A troupe of bandits arrives on horseback and pursues the sisters. Suddenly, the women flick out their long tongue
s, producing a powerful magical effect, causing the bandits to fall from their horse
s. Nevertheless, the bandits manage to kidnap one sister and knock the other one down, leaving her for dead. The kidnapped sister is brought to an immense stable
where captives are being tortured, and she is threatened with violation. The other sister rushes to rescue her twin, despite being injured and exhausted. As she climbs the long staircase leading to the stable, she falls and dies. Her soul leaves her body, rises to the sky, and flies to her sister's aid. The sisters work their magic again to kill their enemies and escape. They then play in the air under the full moon
; however, in the early morning, the soul of the dead sister disappears in the sky. The living sister, desperate, throws herself from the top of the Great Wall of China
to be with her sister in the afterlife. At the end, the two sisters' souls, now dressed in white veils, frolic in the sky.
According to journalist Caroline Bee, the video illustrates the idea of "a myth overtaken by reality"; indeed, "the image of a serene life enshrined in the completeness, came to be overtaken by the harsh reality. This fantasy can exist and be realised only outside reality".
), Hit Machine (17 April, M6
) and Tapis rouge (24 April, France 2
). On these occasions, she performed a self-made choreography — crouching at the beginning with many arms gestures, then standing with suggestive movements of the pelvis — with two male dancers and displayed a new hairstyle with curls.
"L'Âme-stram-gram" was performed during the 1999 Mylenium Tour
in an energetic Hispanic-oriented version, later included in the live album and DVD Mylenium Tour
. Farmer wore an orange costume composed of privateer trousers, a thick jacket and orange shoes with high heels, and her dancers had costumes with different colors; they performed the same collective synchronised choreography as on television before Farmer repeated the refrain with the audience. The song was also performed on stage as the second song during the 2009 Mylène Farmer en tournée tour in an electro version, in which Farmer and her dancers, wearing a tight suit showing the human's muscular system, performed almost the same choreography. Royer qualified this choreography as being "wild".
's hit "Tu m'oublieras
". According to French chart expert Élia Habib, many people thought at the time that Mylène Farmer could become the first artist to obtain a number-one single from four studio albums, the first three being "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
" from Ainsi soit je...
, "Désenchantée
" from L'Autre...
, and "XXL
" from Anamorphosée
. Against all odds, the single dropped during the next weeks and remained in the top ten for four weeks, in the top 50 for ten, and on the chart for sixteen. The single was certified as a silver disc
by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
on 15 December 1999 and was ranked number 58 on the Annual Singles Chart.
In Belgian (Wallonia), the single featured on the Ultratop 40
for thirteen weeks. It started on 20 March at number number 22 before climbing to a peak of number nine the week after. Then it fell slowly, and was eventually the best-selling single from the album Innamoramento
in the country, with the longest chart trajectory and the highest peak position. It was 53rd on the Belgian year-end chart.
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
song recorded by French singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
. It was the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from her fifth studio album Innamoramento
Innamoramento
Innamoramento is the fifth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on April 7, 1999.-Background and release:By 1999, Farmer had barely appeared in the media since her 1996 concerts at Paris-Bercy...
and was released on 9 March 1999. The lyrics were written by Farmer and the music was composed by Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
. Musically, the song has techno and dance sonorities which marked an artistic change in the singer's career, although the rest of the album contains more pop songs. Based on a famous children's counting rhyme, the song is primarily about confidence, secret, and confession and uses the lexical field of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
; however, the many puns and double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s can also provide another meaning explicitly referring to sexuality.
Inspired by the romantic comedy horror film A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...
, the expensive eight-minute music video was shot by Hong Kong film director Ching Siu-Tung
Ching Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung , also known as Tony Ching, is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, film director and producer, who has directed over 20 films, including the critically acclaimed supernatural fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story .-Career:...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and displays Farmer portraying twin sisters who have supernatural powers; the first being kidnapped by Chinese bandits and rescued by her sister, who dies in the process, causing the first twin to commit suicide. Farmer promoted the song by performing it on three TV shows and then singing it on two of her subsequent tours. The single peaked at number two in France and was certified as silver for having over 125,000 sales. It was also a top ten hit in Belgium (Wallonia).
Background and writing
As of January 1999, Farmer had not appeared on television for over a year and a half, the last time being the release of the live singles from the album Live à BercyLive à Bercy
Live à Bercy is the second live album by Mylène Farmer, released on May 21, 1997. It was also produced as a video.-Background:After the successful concerts tour of 1996, whose shows were spread out from May 25 to December 15, a live album was recorded and produced by Thierry Suc, and sponsored by...
. At that time, it was rumoured that the singer's return was imminent, with the release of a very rhythmic single named "The Small World" and a new album whose name would be "Mes Moires". These rumours were incorrect; however, as early as February, the radio station NRJ aired Farmer's new single, titled "L'Âme-stram-gram". This techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and dance song seemed to display a major change in Farmer's musical register. According to Farmer, the choice of this single was made haphazardly, as she said in an interview: "This happened like that. Laurent [Boutonnat] wrote a rhythm, and I confess that I really want, precisely, something rhythmic, even a little lighter."
Promotional envelopes were released in a limited edition respectively on 2 and 6 March and contained, in addition to the CD single, the song's lyrics written by Farmer. As noted in the magazine Instant-Mag, there was a spelling mistake in the word "immiscer" and an erasure. The remixes, deemed "rather successful" by French author Julien Rigal, were not produced by Boutonnat, unlike Farmer's previous singles, but by Perky Park and Lady B. The art cover of the various formats, made by Italian photographer Marino Parisotto Vay, showed Farmer behind blue veils.
Lyrics and music
 En moi, en moi, toi que j'aimeDis-moi, dis-moi quand ça n'va pas Immisce et glisse l'abdomen Dans mon orifice à moi  |
| — End of the chorus |
"L'Âme-stram-gram", whose lyrics were written in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, has techno sonorities and a subdued singer's voice, making it more heavenly. The music used more synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
than the songs from the previous album, Anamorphosée; the song, however, was not representative of the musical universe of Innamoramento. The song marked a change of influences by Farmer who "abandon[ed] the Slavonic and American universes to be interested in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
", as noted by author Erwan Chuberre.
Lyrically, the song deals with sex, childhood and psychoanalysis. It contains numerous erotic pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s inspired by the Marquis de Sade
Marquis de Sade
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
's works: "J'ouïs tout ce que tu confesses / Et l'essaim scande l'ivresse", "J'ouïs tout ce que tu susurres / L'essaim bat la mesure", "Immisce et glisse l'abdomen / Dans l'orifice à moi", "L'âme-stram-gram, pique-moi dans l'âme / Bourrée bourrée de nœuds mâles / L'âme-stram-gram pique dames". The sound associations refer to the orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
, the female organs ("cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
", "buttock", "breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
") and sexual penetration
Sexual penetration
Sexual penetration is a sexual activity that involves the entry into a bodily orifice, such as the vagina, anus or mouth, with a body part or an object....
. The song also refers to the childhood rhyme known as eeny, meeny, miny, moe
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", which can be spelled a number of ways, is a children's counting rhyme, used to select a person to be "it" for games and similar purposes such as counting out a child that has to be stood down from a group of children as part of a playground game...
— a song recited by children to point out a person at random from a group — and to the vocabulary of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
through the subjects of the sofa and Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
's "Oedipus complex
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
". In an April 1999 interview, Farmer explained: "I tried to evoke the idea of confidence, secret, confession, the idea of "the other", simply. One's double, perhaps. In all cases, a friendly ear". Psychologist Hugues Royer said the song evokes "pleasure in all its forms which is seen as a way out" and, with "many encryoted puns", talks about "many amusing sexual practices".
Music video
The 7:50 video - 4:42 in a shorter version - was filmed by Hong Kong film director Ching Siu-TungChing Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung , also known as Tony Ching, is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, film director and producer, who has directed over 20 films, including the critically acclaimed supernatural fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story .-Career:...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
over five days and four nights, although Farmer spent two weeks in China to oversee its production. Like most of the singer's other videos, it was a Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production. The screenplay, written by Farmer, is based on a Chinese legend and the film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...
, made by Ching. The staging was done extremely carefully and the images were very aesthetic. The video had a budget that reached 900,000 euro, as the construction of scenery included a reconstruction of the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
and digital special effects. Despite the cold temperatures during the shooting, Farmer was not wearing a T-shirt under her costume and also directed most of the stunts. She explained: "We worked a lot, sometimes twenty hours without interruption. Weather conditions were difficult. I had a permanent change of costumes. But it was exciting and it was the most important." Valérie Bony, a dancer in Farmer's concert tours, played Farmer's body double when the latter was showed from her back. Although the song deals with sexual issues, there are no sex scenes in the video.
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
, played by Farmer, and several Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
bandits. Initially, the sisters are dressed in green and purple veils and play together amongst pastel veils and hangings. A troupe of bandits arrives on horseback and pursues the sisters. Suddenly, the women flick out their long tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
s, producing a powerful magical effect, causing the bandits to fall from their horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. Nevertheless, the bandits manage to kidnap one sister and knock the other one down, leaving her for dead. The kidnapped sister is brought to an immense stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
where captives are being tortured, and she is threatened with violation. The other sister rushes to rescue her twin, despite being injured and exhausted. As she climbs the long staircase leading to the stable, she falls and dies. Her soul leaves her body, rises to the sky, and flies to her sister's aid. The sisters work their magic again to kill their enemies and escape. They then play in the air under the full moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
; however, in the early morning, the soul of the dead sister disappears in the sky. The living sister, desperate, throws herself from the top of the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
to be with her sister in the afterlife. At the end, the two sisters' souls, now dressed in white veils, frolic in the sky.
According to journalist Caroline Bee, the video illustrates the idea of "a myth overtaken by reality"; indeed, "the image of a serene life enshrined in the completeness, came to be overtaken by the harsh reality. This fantasy can exist and be realised only outside reality".
Live performances
In 1999, Farmer performed the song on three television shows: Les Années tubes (2 April, TF1TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
), Hit Machine (17 April, M6
Métropole 6
M6, also known as Metropole television, is the most profitable private national French TV channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world...
) and Tapis rouge (24 April, France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
). On these occasions, she performed a self-made choreography — crouching at the beginning with many arms gestures, then standing with suggestive movements of the pelvis — with two male dancers and displayed a new hairstyle with curls.
"L'Âme-stram-gram" was performed during the 1999 Mylenium Tour
Mylenium Tour (tour)
Mylenium Tour is Mylène Farmer's 1999-2000 concert tour in support of her fifth studio album, Innamoramento.-Critical reception and commercial success:...
in an energetic Hispanic-oriented version, later included in the live album and DVD Mylenium Tour
Mylenium Tour
Mylènium Tour is the third live album by Mylène Farmer, released on December 5, 2000.-Background:After having ending her third successful tour whose last shows were held in Russia on March 7, 2000, Farmer rested, and then decided to release an album and a DVD retracing her concert...
. Farmer wore an orange costume composed of privateer trousers, a thick jacket and orange shoes with high heels, and her dancers had costumes with different colors; they performed the same collective synchronised choreography as on television before Farmer repeated the refrain with the audience. The song was also performed on stage as the second song during the 2009 Mylène Farmer en tournée tour in an electro version, in which Farmer and her dancers, wearing a tight suit showing the human's muscular system, performed almost the same choreography. Royer qualified this choreography as being "wild".
Chart performances
On the French Singles Chart, "L'Âme-stram-gram" debuted to number two on 13 March 1999, behind LarussoLarusso
Larusso, real name Laetitia Serero, is a French singer .Popularized with songs like Tu m'oublieras, Je survivrai, sung by Régine in the 80's, and French adaptation of I will survive by Gloria Gaynor....
's hit "Tu m'oublieras
Tu m'oublieras
"Tu m'oublieras" is a 1998 song recorded by French singer Larusso. It was the second single from her debut album, Simplement, and was released in October 1998...
". According to French chart expert Élia Habib, many people thought at the time that Mylène Farmer could become the first artist to obtain a number-one single from four studio albums, the first three being "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is a 1988 synthpop song by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was released on 12 September 1988. Very provocative, the song deals with sodomy and enjoys a very long music video which contains sexual and...
" from Ainsi soit je...
Ainsi Soit Je...
Ainsi Soit Je... is the second album by Mylène Farmer, released in April 1988. It contains the hit singles "Sans contrefaçon", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" and "Sans logique"...
, "Désenchantée
Désenchantée
"Désenchantée" is a 1991 song recorded by the French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. First single from her third studio album L'Autre..., it was released on 18 March 1991 and achieved a great success in France, topping the chart for more than two months...
" from L'Autre...
L'Autre...
L'Autre... is the third studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on April 9, 1991. It contains the singer's biggest hit, "Désenchantée", which was number-one in France for nine weeks, and other three top ten hits...
, and "XXL
XXL (Mylène Farmer song)
"XXL" is a 1995 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. The song was the lead single from her fourth studio album Anamorphosée and was released on 19 September 1995. It marked an important change in the singer's career, with more rock sonorities, easier lyrics to understand and a...
" from Anamorphosée
Anamorphosée
Anamorphosée is the fourth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on October 17, 1995. Led by the number-one single "XXL", the album was something of a departure from her previous work...
. Against all odds, the single dropped during the next weeks and remained in the top ten for four weeks, in the top 50 for ten, and on the chart for sixteen. The single was certified as a silver disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
on 15 December 1999 and was ranked number 58 on the Annual Singles Chart.
In Belgian (Wallonia), the single featured on the Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization...
for thirteen weeks. It started on 20 March at number number 22 before climbing to a peak of number nine the week after. Then it fell slowly, and was eventually the best-selling single from the album Innamoramento
Innamoramento
Innamoramento is the fifth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on April 7, 1999.-Background and release:By 1999, Farmer had barely appeared in the media since her 1996 concerts at Paris-Bercy...
in the country, with the longest chart trajectory and the highest peak position. It was 53rd on the Belgian year-end chart.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "L'Âme-stram-gram":- CD single
- CD maxi - Digipack / CD maxi - Crystal case - Germany
- 12" maxi / 12" maxi - Promo
- CD single - Promo / CD single - Promo - Luxurious envelope - Limited edition (200)
- VHS - Promo
Official versions
| Version | Length | Album | Remixed by | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album version | 4:24 | Innamoramento Innamoramento Innamoramento is the fifth studio album by Mylène Farmer, released on April 7, 1999.-Background and release:By 1999, Farmer had barely appeared in the media since her 1996 concerts at Paris-Bercy... , Les Mots |
— | 1999 | See the previous sections |
| Single version | 4:16 | — | — | 1999 | The introduction and the end are slightly shorter. |
| Promotional single version | 4:12 | — | — | 1999 | |
| Instrumental | 4:23 | — | — | 1999 | All lyrics are removed. |
| Perky Park pique dames club mix | 6:38 | — | Perky Park | 1999 | This dance Dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement... and house House music House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other... version starts with a three-minute musical introduction and contains only refrain Refrain A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song... s from the original version as lyrics. |
| Perky Park pique d'âme dub mix | 6:52 | — | Perky Park | 1999 | This is a house version in which all lyrics have almost all been removed. Farmer sings only "Âme-stram-gram" and some onomatopoeia. |
| Lady Bee by Lady B's remix | 6:27 | — | Lady B, aka Bruno Gauthier | 1999 | "L'âme-stram-gram, pique-moi dans l'âme / Bourrée bourrée de nœuds mâles / L'âme-stram-gram pique dames" are the only lyrics of this version. The cry that Farmer launches at the beginning of "Libertine Libertine (song) "Libertine" is a 1986 song recorded by French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the third single from her first studio album Cendres de Lune and was released on 1 April 1986. It was particularly known for its huge music video, produced as a film and which contains explicit sexual and violent scenes. It... " can be heard throughout this remix. |
| Music video | 7:50 | Music Videos III Music Videos III Music Videos III is a VHS recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1999 to 2000. It was released in November 2000 in France.... , Music Videos II & III Music Videos II & III Music Video II & III is a DVD recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1992 to 2000. It was released in March 2001 in France.... |
— | 1999 | |
| Live version (recorded in 2000) |
5:59 (audio) 5:45 (video) |
Mylenium Tour Mylenium Tour Mylènium Tour is the third live album by Mylène Farmer, released on December 5, 2000.-Background:After having ending her third successful tour whose last shows were held in Russia on March 7, 2000, Farmer rested, and then decided to release an album and a DVD retracing her concert... |
— | 2000 | The introduction has Oriental sounds. (see Mylenium Tour Mylenium Tour (tour) Mylenium Tour is Mylène Farmer's 1999-2000 concert tour in support of her fifth studio album, Innamoramento.-Critical reception and commercial success:... ) |
| Full intention sultra mix | 7:57 | RemixeS RemixeS RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:... |
Full Intention Full Intention Full Intention is a house music duo from England who are best known as prolific remixers, reworking songs for varied artists such as the Sugababes and Whitney Houston. Group members are Michael Gray and Jon Pearn.... |
2003 | This dance remix adds many percussions. After an about three-minute introduction, Farmer sings all lyrics from the original version. |
| Live version (recorded in 2009) |
5:27 | N°5 on Tour N°5 on Tour Nº5 on Tour is a double live album by French singer Mylène Farmer which documents her 2009 tour Mylène Farmer en tournée. It is her fifth live album and her 15th album overall. It was released on 7 December 2009, and it includes the standard set list that she sang during the indoor shows in France... |
— | 2009 | It is a very dynamic electro remix featuring some soundsamples of the original version. (see Mylène Farmer en tournée) |
Credits and personnel
These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:- Mylène Farmer – lyrics
- Laurent Boutonnat – music
- Requiem Publishing – editions
- Polydor – recording company
- Marino Parisotto Vay – photo
- Henry Neu / Com'N.B – design
Peak positions
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
9 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 53 |
| French Singles Chart | 58 |
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
Silver | 100,000+ - 125,000 - 150,000 - 220,000 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| France, Belgium, Switzerland | February 1999 | Promo 12" maxi, Promo CD single, VHS |
| 9 March 1999 | CD single, CD maxi, 12" maxi | |
| Germany | June 1999 | CD maxi |