Tristana (song)
Encyclopedia
"Tristana" is a 1987
song recorded by the French
artist Mylène Farmer
. Fourth single
from her first studio album Cendres de Lune
, the song was released in February 1987. As for the previous single "Libertine
", the music video was produced as a film, with many extras and a huge budget. First song entirely written by the singer herself, it enjoyed an intense promotion on television and met a great success in France, reaching the top ten.
", the duo Farmer-Boutonnat sought to repeat their musical feat. In January 1987, Farmer performed "Au bout de la nuit" during a television show dedicated to Guy Béart
, which indicated that the song was scheduled as her fifth single. However, Boutonnat had composed a new music and had asked Farmer to write lyrics that could be sung with this music (in fact, from this song, Farmer wrote all lyrics of her songs). It was Thierry Rogen who mixed the song. Although many media said that Farmer draw her inspiration from Luis Buñuel
's film Tristana
, with Catherine Deneuve
, which tells the story of a mutilated woman, it was wrong, as Farmer actually referred to Leo Tolstoy
's novel Anna Karenina
. Indeed, Farmer stated she had not seen the film before the song's writing, saying: "It's true that Tristana is a Spanish name, and I when I thought Tristana, I thought Russian."
Finally, this song was released instead of "Au bout de la nuit" as this song was deemed as too slow. Because of this hit, the album Cendres de Lune
had a great success and was more released in CD
edition in 1987; "Tristana" was added to the track listing in its both studio and remix versions.
, "the fragility released by the texts can be found in the establishment of the instruments. For the occasion, flute, keyboards, percussion were treated in the manner of drum machines". About music, Farmer said: "We tried to give a little Slavic
color, an atmosphere from Ukraine
, to the song. Of course, the pan flute
, it's not really Russian, but it contributes to this climate. And it's also a little oriental".
, was shot for five days in April 1987 in La Chapelle-en-Vercors
, France
. This Polydor production cost about 450,000 francs (70,000 euros) and lasts 11:30, which was then the more expensive video of all time and remains the second longest one of Farmer, the first one being "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces".
The video, whose scene takes place in the snowy steppe
s, was inspired by the story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
" in a Russia
n version, during the revolution of October 1917, as evidenced by the archival images used throughout the video. It features Tristana (played by Farmer), Rasoukine (played by sculptor Vladimir Ivtchenko), a tsarina
(played by Sophie Tellier, a dancer, who had also featured as Farmer's enemy in "Libertine
"), a monk
, seven dwarfs, several soldiers, horses, birds and wolves. In an interview, Farmer said it was easier for her to speak in Russian in the video as she had learned the language at school. The monk was played by Sacha Prijovic. The actor who portrayed the peasant was very tense during the shooting and drank vodka
before the scene in which he kissed.
Sophie Tellier actively took part in the recruitment and rehearsal of the dancers featuring in the video, and confessed to being quite surprised by the power of the special effects used when she saw the video for the first time. Initially, the furniture of the dwarfs' house was not designed on the right scale, which upset the designer Emmanuel Sorin and made Farmer laugh. Dangerous wolves used in the video were actually disguised huskies
, which belonged to Christian and Gaétan, Boutonnat's friends, who owned a farm in Normandy
.
The Battleship Potemkin
. The video, in its production as well as in its theme, is a real tribute to the revolutionary Soviet
Russian
film director
and film theorist
Sergei Eisenstein
. According to psychologist Hugues Royer, the video, as it is inspired by "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", reproduces the Oedipus complex
described by Freud
. It is dedicated to Max Gautier, Farmer's father, who died a few months earlier.
The video was often praised, even presented as an event in the media. and eventually broadcast for the first time on 6 May 1987 at Cinéma Normandie on the Champs-Élysées
. Violet described the video as an "aesthetic" feature film, with a "fast and sophisticated editing" and "an obvious concern for composition". However, given its unusual length, television channels were reluctant to broadcast it, and thereby Boutonnat decided to release a video album entitled Les Clips
that contained the first four videos of Farmer.
In France, the single debuted at number 33 on the SNEP
chart. It gained a few places every week until reaching a peak of number seven on 13 June. The song managed to stay for twelve weeks in the top 20 and 21 weeks on the chart, from 25 April to 12 September 1987. Like Farmer's previous single "Libertine
", "Tristana" was certified Silver disc
by SNEP in 1987 for a minimum of 200,000 copies sold, thus becoming one of the ten biggest hits of the singer.
, Antenne 2
, FR3
, Canal +
and France 5
to promote the song. She then performed "Tristana" in a total of 26 television shows from 19 February to 15 December in which she was sometimes interviewed before or after her performance. On certain shows, she also sung "Au Bout de la nuit", "La Ronde triste" and "Sans contrefaçon
". At each performance, Farmer wore a special costume and, for the first time, she performed a choreography
with dancers. She always sung "Tristana" in lip sync
, except in the show La Nouvelle Affiche on 1 April 1987, but there were a few problems with the sound during this performance and Farmer had difficulty to sing in high notes. Because of this, Farmer has not sung in live until 2003.
"Tristana" was sung on stage only during the 1989 tour
. Then Farmer wore a red coat-dress, red boots and leather gloves, the female dancers were dressed as Russian farmers and the male dancers as Soviet soldiers. The choreography was based on the video: first performed by all the dancers, then by Farmer and two soldiers. After the performance, the singer left the stage being hugged by two dancers.
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
song recorded by the French
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...
artist Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
. Fourth 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 first studio album Cendres de Lune
Cendres de Lune
Cendres de Lune is the debut album by the French singer/songwriter Mylène Farmer, released on April 1, 1986. The album was precedeed by the hit single "Libertine", and the album was rereleased in 1987 preceded by the song "Tristana"...
, the song was released in February 1987. As for the previous single "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...
", the music video was produced as a film, with many extras and a huge budget. First song entirely written by the singer herself, it enjoyed an intense promotion on television and met a great success in France, reaching the top ten.
Background and writing
After the success of "LibertineLibertine (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...
", the duo Farmer-Boutonnat sought to repeat their musical feat. In January 1987, Farmer performed "Au bout de la nuit" during a television show dedicated to Guy Béart
Guy Béart
Guy Béart is a French singer and songwriter.-Biography:He was born Guy Béhart-Hasson in Cairo, Egypt, to a family of Spanish, Swiss, and Russian background. His religious background is unclear, having been referred to as both Jewish and Christian...
, which indicated that the song was scheduled as her fifth single. However, Boutonnat had composed a new music and had asked Farmer to write lyrics that could be sung with this music (in fact, from this song, Farmer wrote all lyrics of her songs). It was Thierry Rogen who mixed the song. Although many media said that Farmer draw her inspiration from Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
's film Tristana
Tristana
Tristana is a 1970 Spanish film directed by Luis Buñuel. Based on the eponymous novel by Benito Pérez Galdós, it stars Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey and was shot in Toledo, Spain. The voices of French actress Catherine Deneuve and Italian actor Franco Nero were dubbed to Spanish...
, with Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, which tells the story of a mutilated woman, it was wrong, as Farmer actually referred to Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's novel Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...
. Indeed, Farmer stated she had not seen the film before the song's writing, saying: "It's true that Tristana is a Spanish name, and I when I thought Tristana, I thought Russian."
Finally, this song was released instead of "Au bout de la nuit" as this song was deemed as too slow. Because of this hit, the album Cendres de Lune
Cendres de Lune
Cendres de Lune is the debut album by the French singer/songwriter Mylène Farmer, released on April 1, 1986. The album was precedeed by the hit single "Libertine", and the album was rereleased in 1987 preceded by the song "Tristana"...
had a great success and was more released in CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
edition in 1987; "Tristana" was added to the track listing in its both studio and remix versions.
Lyrics and music
The song deals with Farmer's favorite themes which has been regularly used in her next songs: blood and death. According to L'Est RépublicainL'Est Républicain
L'Est Républicain is a daily regional French newspaper based in Nancy. As of 2003, its daily circulation was 206,970....
, "the fragility released by the texts can be found in the establishment of the instruments. For the occasion, flute, keyboards, percussion were treated in the manner of drum machines". About music, Farmer said: "We tried to give a little Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
color, an atmosphere from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, to the song. Of course, the pan flute
Pan flute
The pan flute or pan pipe is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting usually of five or more pipes of gradually increasing length...
, it's not really Russian, but it contributes to this climate. And it's also a little oriental".
Production
The video, directed by Laurent BoutonnatLaurent 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 :...
, was shot for five days in April 1987 in La Chapelle-en-Vercors
La Chapelle-en-Vercors
La Chapelle-en-Vercors is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, France
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...
. This Polydor production cost about 450,000 francs (70,000 euros) and lasts 11:30, which was then the more expensive video of all time and remains the second longest one of Farmer, the first one being "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces".
The video, whose scene takes place in the snowy steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
s, was inspired by the story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
" in a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n version, during the revolution of October 1917, as evidenced by the archival images used throughout the video. It features Tristana (played by Farmer), Rasoukine (played by sculptor Vladimir Ivtchenko), a tsarina
Tsaritsa
Tsaritsa , formerly spelled czaritsa , is the title of a female autocratic ruler of Bulgaria or Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife....
(played by Sophie Tellier, a dancer, who had also featured as Farmer's enemy in "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...
"), a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, seven dwarfs, several soldiers, horses, birds and wolves. In an interview, Farmer said it was easier for her to speak in Russian in the video as she had learned the language at school. The monk was played by Sacha Prijovic. The actor who portrayed the peasant was very tense during the shooting and drank vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
before the scene in which he kissed.
Sophie Tellier actively took part in the recruitment and rehearsal of the dancers featuring in the video, and confessed to being quite surprised by the power of the special effects used when she saw the video for the first time. Initially, the furniture of the dwarfs' house was not designed on the right scale, which upset the designer Emmanuel Sorin and made Farmer laugh. Dangerous wolves used in the video were actually disguised huskies
Husky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
, which belonged to Christian and Gaétan, Boutonnat's friends, who owned a farm in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Reception and influence
According to the biographer Bernard Violet as well as to journalist Caroline Bee, the video could contain a political message throughout the metaphorical transposition of the revolution of October 1917, and every character would represent a category of people or ideas; the scene in which Tristana is falling on a snowy slope refers to the fall of a cradle in the stairs in the 1925 silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin , sometimes rendered as The Battleship Potyomkin, is a 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and produced by Mosfilm...
. The video, in its production as well as in its theme, is a real tribute to the revolutionary Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and film theorist
Film theory
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large...
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
. According to psychologist Hugues Royer, the video, as it is inspired by "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", reproduces the 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...
described by Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
. It is dedicated to Max Gautier, Farmer's father, who died a few months earlier.
The video was often praised, even presented as an event in the media. and eventually broadcast for the first time on 6 May 1987 at Cinéma Normandie on the Champs-Élysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
. Violet described the video as an "aesthetic" feature film, with a "fast and sophisticated editing" and "an obvious concern for composition". However, given its unusual length, television channels were reluctant to broadcast it, and thereby Boutonnat decided to release a video album entitled Les Clips
Les Clips
Les Clips is a VHS recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1984 to 1987. It was released in November 1987 in France....
that contained the first four videos of Farmer.
Critical reception
The song was generally very well-received by the press at the time. For example, Cool stated the song "reveals the original universe of Farmer: mystery, hushed atmosphere, sweet voice". To Foto Musique, "the music superbly refined prevents despair to settle". Rock Musique considered that this song has an "undeniable charm" and Télé Loisirs praised the song for it "aestheticism". Pilote said that with this song, Farmer "pulls through better and better", and Paroles deemed that "the climate of malicious strangeness is undeniable (...), her naughty and indecent songs practice their seduction". Author Erwan Chuberre considered "Tristana" as the "worthy successor of "Libertine", a new lushly romantic hit".In France, the single debuted at number 33 on the SNEP
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...
chart. It gained a few places every week until reaching a peak of number seven on 13 June. The song managed to stay for twelve weeks in the top 20 and 21 weeks on the chart, from 25 April to 12 September 1987. Like Farmer's previous single "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...
", "Tristana" was certified 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 SNEP in 1987 for a minimum of 200,000 copies sold, thus becoming one of the ten biggest hits of the singer.
Promotion and live performances
In 1987, Farmer appeared on many French channels such as 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...
, Antenne 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...
, FR3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
, Canal +
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
and France 5
France 5
France 5 is a public television network in France, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir...
to promote the song. She then performed "Tristana" in a total of 26 television shows from 19 February to 15 December in which she was sometimes interviewed before or after her performance. On certain shows, she also sung "Au Bout de la nuit", "La Ronde triste" and "Sans contrefaçon
Sans contrefaçon
"Sans contrefaçon" is a 1987 song recorded by French artist Mylène Farmer. It was released on 16 October 1987 as the first single from her second studio album, Ainsi soit je.... It was a big hit in 1987 and is one of her three best-selling singles. It became a very popular song in France over the...
". At each performance, Farmer wore a special costume and, for the first time, she performed a choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
with dancers. She always sung "Tristana" in lip sync
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
, except in the show La Nouvelle Affiche on 1 April 1987, but there were a few problems with the sound during this performance and Farmer had difficulty to sing in high notes. Because of this, Farmer has not sung in live until 2003.
"Tristana" was sung on stage only during the 1989 tour
Mylène Farmer en concert
Mylène Farmer en concert is Mylène Farmer's 1989 concert tour in support of her second studio album, Ainsi soit je.... It was the first tour of the singer.- Introduction :...
. Then Farmer wore a red coat-dress, red boots and leather gloves, the female dancers were dressed as Russian farmers and the male dancers as Soviet soldiers. The choreography was based on the video: first performed by all the dancers, then by Farmer and two soldiers. After the performance, the singer left the stage being hugged by two dancers.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Tristana":- 7" single - France
- 12" maxi - France
- 12" maxi - Soundtrack - France / 12" maxi - Soundtrack - Promo - France
- Cassette - France
- 7" single - Without cover - Canada
- Digital download
Release history
| Date | Label | Region | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1987 | Polydor | France | 7" single | 885 572-7 |
| 12" maxi - Remixes | 885 572-1 | |||
| 12" maxi - Soundtrack | 885 926-1 | |||
| Cassette | 885 973-4 | |||
| 12" maxi - Soundtrack - Promo | 885 931-1 | |||
| Canada | 7" single | F4 87199 | ||
Official versions
| Version | Length | Album | Remixed by | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album version | 4:35 | Cendres de Lune Cendres de Lune Cendres de Lune is the debut album by the French singer/songwriter Mylène Farmer, released on April 1, 1986. The album was precedeed by the hit single "Libertine", and the album was rereleased in 1987 preceded by the song "Tristana"... |
— | 1987 | See the previous sections |
| Single / Album version | 4:30 | Les Mots | 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 :... |
1987 | The version is identical to the album version, but slightly shorter. |
| Remix club | 7:10 | Cendres de Lune Cendres de Lune Cendres de Lune is the debut album by the French singer/songwriter Mylène Farmer, released on April 1, 1986. The album was precedeed by the hit single "Libertine", and the album was rereleased in 1987 preceded by the song "Tristana"... , Dance Remixes Dance Remixes Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting.... |
Laurent Boutonnat | 1987 | 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... remix uses a lot of drum machine Drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music... s and many echo Echo (phenomenon) In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single... es. |
| Remix club (12" maxi version) |
6:30 | — | Laurent Boutonnat | 1987 | This version is similar to the 'Remix club', but the musical bridge Bridge (music) In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section... is shorter. |
| Wolf mix | 4:30 | — | Laurent Boutonnat | 1987 | This is an instrumental version in which Farmer performs vocals througouth the song and sings almost a cappella A cappella A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato... one refrain at the end of this version. |
| Music video | 11:25 | Les Clips Les Clips Les Clips is a VHS recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1984 to 1987. It was released in November 1987 in France.... , Music Videos I Music Videos I Music Videos I is a VHS / DVD recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1985 to 1992. It was released in April 1997 in France.... |
— | 1987 | |
| Live version (recorded in 1989) |
8:00 | En Concert | Laurent Boutonnat | 1989 | This live version has a long musical introduction, in which some cries of wolves and the breath of an icy wind can be heard. |
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
- Bertrand Le Page and Toutankhamon – editions
- Polydor – recording company
- Christophe Mourthé – photo
- Philippe Huart / Pearl Cholley – design
- André Perriat / Top Master (12" maxi) – mastering, engraving
Charts and certifications
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 7 |
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Silver | 1987 | 200,000 | 250,000 - 300,000 |