Petit Frank
Encyclopedia
"Petit Frank" is a 1989 song recorded by the French
singer and songwriter François Feldman
. It was the fourth single from his 1989 album, Une Présence, and was released in October 1990. As for the previous three singles from the album, "Joue pas", "Les Valses de Vienne
" and "C'est toi qui m'as fait", it met a great success in France, reaching #1 on the chart, becoming thus Feldman's second number-one hit.
himself. The song enjoys a "genuine sensitivity" and its "main character is a boy, abandoned or orphaned, presumably placed at the Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
, faltering between combativeness and vulnerability". The lyrics evoke the suffering of the child who tries to be courageous, in spite of his mother's death when he was ten, as it is said in the refrain. The music video, shot in black and white, shows the boy tormented by his schoolmates who do not understand his suffering. Feldman stated that this song was not autobiographical or personal at all, because his childhood was very happy and pampered.
The song is included on Feldman's compilations, Two Feldman and Gold.
's smash hit "Une Femme avec une femme
", which topped the chart then. Then it peaked at #1 for three consecutive weeks, then didn't manage to drop on the chart, totalling 16 weeks in the top ten and 22 weeks on the chart (Top 50). It was not certified by the SNEP, even it its sales exceeded 500,000 copies.
"Petit Frank" remains the 468th best-selling single of all time in France and the 48th of the 1990s. With "Les Valses de Vienne" and "Petit Frank", François Feldman became the first and the last artist who reached number-one in 1990 in France, becoming thus the French first artist to obtain two number-one on a year.
7" maxi
CD maxi
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...
singer and songwriter François Feldman
François Feldman
François Feldman is a French singer. He had a great success in the 1980s and the 1990s in France.-Biography:The young François Feldman spent his adolescence listening soul music, including songs by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and James Brown, among other artists...
. It was the fourth single from his 1989 album, Une Présence, and was released in October 1990. As for the previous three singles from the album, "Joue pas", "Les Valses de Vienne
Les Valses de Vienne
"Les Valses de Vienne" is a 1989 song recorded by the French artist François Feldman. It was the second single from his 1989 album, Une Présence, and was released in November 1989...
" and "C'est toi qui m'as fait", it met a great success in France, reaching #1 on the chart, becoming thus Feldman's second number-one hit.
Song information
As for the previous singles from the album Une Présence, "Petit Frank" was written by Jean-Marie Moreau, while the music was composed by François FeldmanFrançois Feldman
François Feldman is a French singer. He had a great success in the 1980s and the 1990s in France.-Biography:The young François Feldman spent his adolescence listening soul music, including songs by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and James Brown, among other artists...
himself. The song enjoys a "genuine sensitivity" and its "main character is a boy, abandoned or orphaned, presumably placed at the Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
The Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris is the public hospital system of the city of Paris and its suburbs...
, faltering between combativeness and vulnerability". The lyrics evoke the suffering of the child who tries to be courageous, in spite of his mother's death when he was ten, as it is said in the refrain. The music video, shot in black and white, shows the boy tormented by his schoolmates who do not understand his suffering. Feldman stated that this song was not autobiographical or personal at all, because his childhood was very happy and pampered.
The song is included on Feldman's compilations, Two Feldman and Gold.
Chart performances
In France, the single debuted at #39 on October 6, 1990, before climbing straight to the top twenty, then entered the top ten in its fourth week. It hit #2 in its eighth week, but remained blocked for five weeks by MecanoMecano
Mecano was a Spanish pop band whose debut coincided with La Movida Madrileña , a sociocultural movement that occurred in Madrid, Spain during the 1980s...
's smash hit "Une Femme avec une femme
Une Femme avec une femme
"Une Femme avec une femme" is a 1990 single by Spanish pop band Mecano.-Background and writing:This song is on their seventh album, released in 1988, Descanso dominical ....
", which topped the chart then. Then it peaked at #1 for three consecutive weeks, then didn't manage to drop on the chart, totalling 16 weeks in the top ten and 22 weeks on the chart (Top 50). It was not certified by the SNEP, even it its sales exceeded 500,000 copies.
"Petit Frank" remains the 468th best-selling single of all time in France and the 48th of the 1990s. With "Les Valses de Vienne" and "Petit Frank", François Feldman became the first and the last artist who reached number-one in 1990 in France, becoming thus the French first artist to obtain two number-one on a year.
Track listings
7" single- "Petit Frank" — 3:50
- "Encore plus belle endormie" — 3:03
7" maxi
- "Petit Frank" (extended version) — 4:58
- "Encore plus belle endormie" — 3:03
- "Petit Frank" — 3:50
CD maxi
- "Petit Franck" (extended version) — 4:58
- "Encore plus belle endormie" (Live 90) — 3:03
- "Fragile Queen" — 6:02
- "Petit Franck" (new version) — 3:50
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Should be Gold | — | — | 545,000 |
Charts
| Chart (1990-1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |