Ottawan
Encyclopedia
Ottawan were a French
eurodisco duo
in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
) and Annette (born 1 November 1958), with Daniel Vangarde
and Jean Kluger
the main songwriter
s. They are best known for their two hit
singles
"D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)". They also performed "Hello Rio", a song produced
and written by Bobby Orlando, also known as Bobby O. He is more famous for founding The Fast (later to be known as Man 2 Man), Divine and The Flirts
, and producing some early recordings with the Pet Shop Boys
.
The band was originally founded by Kluger and Vangarde, the main producers of the Ottawan songs. In the United Kingdom
they had two Top 10 UK Singles Chart
hits. "D.I.S.C.O.", the act's debut single, reached number two in September 1980; "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" peaked at number three nearly a year later. "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" reached #1 in the New Zealand
record chart
during 1982, staying there for eight weeks.
In France, their single "You're OK" (French
title "T'es OK") is one of the Top 50 best-selling singles of all time.
Patrick Baptiste started a solo career as Otman Jones; in the meantime Esther de Bijl continued Ottawan with Robert Walker as a replacement for Baptiste.
At the moment de Bijl and Walker are touring the globe as Ottawan. On 7 October 2010, a remix version of "D.I.S.C.O." was released under de Bijl's artist name E-Starr.
, under the titles "D.I.S.C.O.", "T'es OK!" and "Haut Les Mains (Donne Moi Ton Coeur)".
"You're OK" was copied in the 1982 Bollywood
film Disco Dancer
as "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja Aaja".
"Hands Up" was parodied on Israeli sketch show Ha-Comedy Store
.
The chorus from "Hands Up" was used in a Canadian television commercial in the 1990s.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
eurodisco duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Career
They were fronted by lead singer Jean Patrick (Baptiste) (born 6 April 1954, MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
) and Annette (born 1 November 1958), with Daniel Vangarde
Daniel Vangarde
Daniel Vangarde, born Daniel Bangalter in 1947, is a French songwriter and producer. He is the father of music composer Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.-History:...
and Jean Kluger
Jean Kluger
Jean Kluger is a Belgian artist, producer, songwriter and musical composer.His career started in 1957, working for his father's company, World Music. He wrote widely for the French and German pop music markets, including songs for Dalida, Will Tura, Ringo and Petula Clark...
the main songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s. They are best known for their two hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
singles
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...
"D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)". They also performed "Hello Rio", a song produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and written by Bobby Orlando, also known as Bobby O. He is more famous for founding The Fast (later to be known as Man 2 Man), Divine and The Flirts
The Flirts
The Flirts were a female trio from New York City who had several dance hits and music videos on MTV in the early eighties when the channel was still in its infancy. The group was created and masterminded by American producer, Bobby Orlando aka 'Bobby O', an artist in his own right...
, and producing some early recordings with the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
.
The band was originally founded by Kluger and Vangarde, the main producers of the Ottawan songs. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
they had two Top 10 UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
hits. "D.I.S.C.O.", the act's debut single, reached number two in September 1980; "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" peaked at number three nearly a year later. "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" reached #1 in the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
record chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
during 1982, staying there for eight weeks.
In France, their single "You're OK" (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
title "T'es OK") is one of the Top 50 best-selling singles of all time.
Patrick Baptiste started a solo career as Otman Jones; in the meantime Esther de Bijl continued Ottawan with Robert Walker as a replacement for Baptiste.
At the moment de Bijl and Walker are touring the globe as Ottawan. On 7 October 2010, a remix version of "D.I.S.C.O." was released under de Bijl's artist name E-Starr.
Legacy
"D.I.S.C.O.", "You're OK!" and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" were also recorded in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, under the titles "D.I.S.C.O.", "T'es OK!" and "Haut Les Mains (Donne Moi Ton Coeur)".
"You're OK" was copied in the 1982 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Disco Dancer
Disco Dancer
Disco Dancer is a 1982 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by Babbar Subhash starring Mithun Chakraborty in lead role and Rajesh Khanna in a special appearance. The film tells the rags-to-riches story of a young street performer...
as "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja Aaja".
"Hands Up" was parodied on Israeli sketch show Ha-Comedy Store
Ha-Comedy Store
Ha-Comedy Store was an Israeli entertainment program which was broadcast on the Israeli Channel 2 between the years 1994-1996...
.
The chorus from "Hands Up" was used in a Canadian television commercial in the 1990s.
Significant singles
- "D.I.S.C.O." - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#2 - "You're OK" - UK #56
- "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" - UK #3
- "Help, Get Me Some Help!" - UK #49