“ Les Mots ” (“Words”) - a song recorded in a duet by French singer Mylene Farmer with English singer Silom . It was the first single from her collection of the best compositions Les Mots , it was released on November 13, 2002. It was Farmer's third duet , after working with Jean-Louis Moore in 1991 and Khaled in 1997, as well as her first international duet. In addition, “Les Mots” is a bilingual song containing verses in French (performed by Mylene Farmer) and English (performed by Strength). In terms of sales, “Les Mots” is Farmer’s fourth largest success in France, after “ Désenchantée ”, “ Pourvu qu'elles soient Douces ” and “ Sans contrefaçon ”.
Les mots | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single Mylene Farmer and Sila from the album Les Mots | ||||
Released | November 13, 2001 | |||
Format | CD single , CD maxi , 7 "maxi , digital distribution | |||
Recorded by | 2001, France | |||
Genre | Pop , classical music | |||
Duration | 4:50 | |||
Producer | Laurent Boutonne | |||
Composer | Text: Mylene Farmer Music: Laurent Boutonne | |||
Song author | and | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Chronology of singles Mylene Farmer singles | ||||
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Release
In October 2001, the release of the second single from the live album Mylenium Tour , “Regrets”, was canceled due to sales of the previous live single, “ Dessine-moi un mouton ”, which became disappointing (however, the video “Regrets” was shown on the air during one week on M6 ) [1] . But since the summer, various rumors have been circulating on the Internet about the next single Farmer. Some said that she would record a song in a duet with an international star, maybe Bono ( U2 singer) or Sir Elton John , as they are close friends of the singer. Ultimately, Seal was chosen to sing with Farmer, and on October 10 an advertising single was sent to radio stations [2] [3] . At that time, the public discovered the name of the song: “Les Mots”. In an interview, Cael explained that Farmer offered to record a single in a duet with him. He felt flattered, but since he didn’t know anything about Farmer, he therefore watched a DVD of her videos and listened to her albums to see if their voices would sound good together. Cover photos and recordings were taken in Los Angeles, while Farmer was visiting the city [4] . However, Cel said in another interview that he didn’t want other duets of the same kind to be recorded, because, he said, his fans didn’t appreciate Les Mots and called this collaboration a “trick” [5] . Three new shots were taken by Isabel Snyder, showing the half-naked Farmer in the arms of the Force, which were used as the cover for the single [6] . The only official remix available in the media, 'strings's for soul mix', which was made by Laurent Bouton. After the success of the song, a CD-maxi was launched in Europe about a year after the release of the single, which is contained as the third track of the single version of Farmer's previous single, " L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est ... ".
Text and music
This melancholic song is pretty plain text. Journalist Benoit Cachin said: “In this song, Farmer pays tribute to the words that allowed her to write her own songs, which are also used to express her love.” [7] About the song, the French Magazine Instant-MAG made the following analysis: "For an airy melody and an accentuating Boutonn, two voices, paradoxically, but complement each other, which tell us about the difficulty in communication and the enormous power of the word. Where Farmer's beautiful voice sounds to pause that Seal picks up with quiet and sensual power " [8] . One of the lines “Les Mots” (“ And to lives that stopping to notice mine ”, sung by Silom) is a reference to the line of Farmer’s song “Nous souviendrons-nous” (“ Aux vies qui s'abaissent à voir la mienne ”), which is on her third studio album, L'Autre ... [9] . The works of Emily Dickinson were also a source of inspiration for the song. In fact, the phrase “ I will tell you how the sun rose ”, sung by Shiloh, is the title of her poem numbered 318 [10] .
Video Clip
Production
The video was shot by Laurent Butonne on October 8 and 9 [6] , songwriting partner Milen Farmer, he marked his return as a director for Farmer, since the last video for the song “ Beyond My Control ” was filmed in 1992. The script was written by Laurent Butonne and Mylene Farmer, and was published by Requiem Publishing and Stuffed Monkey production. Filmed for about two days, the production of the clip was about 100,000 euros [11] and this was the first time that Boutonnay used special effects in the video of Mylene Farmer. Former teammates did not want to participate in the production of the video, at that time it was the desire of Boutonn himself.
Singers on video were shot separately. According to some reports, due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Force refused to fly an airplane to France [2] . Nevertheless, Sil told the French magazine the true reason that their filming schedule did not coincide [4] . Thus, fragments of the video on which they appear were filmed separately, Sil was filmed in Los Angeles, while Farmer recorded her scenes at Arpajon Studios, in Paris. Therefore, when we see a person on a raft with Farmer in the video, in fact it is a double [2] . Seal stated that Farmer had suffered from the very cold water used during the video shoot [4] . The sea was recreated in the studio, in a large swimming pool, using machines for waves, rain and lightning. Nearly fifty technicians took part in the shooting of the video [12] . The video clip was first shown on M6 on November 7, 2001. There were two versions of this video: one for television, the other for the Les Mots collectible DVD [13] .
The video shows two singers in the middle of the ocean. Farmer, dressed in a short black dress, and the Force, stripped to the waist, who stands on a wooden raft with a small sail and begins to row. While Farmer lies on the raft, the storm begins to arrive: the wind rises, rain and lightning illuminate the sky. Forces, standing on a raft, loses balance and falls into the water. Farmer tries to save him by holding out his hand, but to no avail. A star falls in the night sky, now alone on a raft, Farmer lights a match and quickly extinguishes it [14] .
Inspiration and analysis
The video contains references to the work of Shakespeare Othello [15] , but mainly to the picture The Raft of Medusa , 1918 by Theodore Gericault [16] [17] . Indeed, “The main colors of the video are similar to those in the picture: shades of yellow, sunset, dark sky, warning of future misfortunes. The bodies of two singers are removed with realism and accuracy (details of body parts, emphasis on skin grain) and can relate to the same techniques in painting, and finally a copy of a raft with a sail ” [18] .
According to the magazine Instant-Mag : “The video“ Les Mots ”is without a real scenario, but rather focuses on the aesthetics of colors and body sensuality, which can be evaluated as: first, metaphorically (...), related to the flow of life, her upheavals, this despair, this choice of lovers (...) in the "same boat", they are "string". When Seal fell into the water, Mylene Farmer does not help or can not help him, all this is free interpretation. The end of the video can also symbolize the grief of loss and its ambivalence. Fire Farmer burns, and then subsides, the "fire" of his own destiny and emotions. Journalist Caroline Bee considers the video as a sentence about "the world of dreams, with the ocean as a metaphor for life: unrest and fullness, danger and tranquility."
Critic reviews
“Les Mots”, as a rule, was very warmly received by the public, but coolly appreciated by fans of Mylene Farmer due to the lack of innovation. For example, the biographer Bernard Violet says that “Les Mots” seems to be a typical Farmer ballad, with dark romanticism [15] . According to the author Erwan Jüber, the song “does not shine with its originality” and reminds “Rêver” or “Il n'y a pas d'ailleurs”, but “fortunately, the union with the voice of the singer Sila” worked wonderfully “ [19] . The song was also nominated as the best duet in 2002 at the NRJ Music Awards , but the prize was awarded to Garou and Celine Dion for the song “ Sous Le Vent ”. However, Farmer received the third award of the Francophone Female Artist of the Year.
Live performance and cover versions
There was only one television appearance: during 2002 at the NRJ Music Awards , broadcast on TF1 on November 19, 2001 [20] . “Les Mots” was also performed every night during the Farmer concert series in 2006, but drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr. replaced the Force to sing in English. The singers were dressed in black, they sang a song next to each other, and in the background of the stage, they were shown in the light of the rain on a giant screen. Initially, Cael had to attend thirteen concerts and sing along with Farmer, but he asked for too much money and was therefore replaced [21] .
In 2003, the song was covered by Swedish singers Christer Björkman and Shirley Clamp on their CD-maxi. Their version is similar to the original.
Formats and tracklists
Here are the formats and tracklists of the single "Les Mots" [22] :
- CD single, 7 "maxi
No | Title | Duration |
---|---|---|
one. | "Les Mots" (single version) | 4:47 |
2 | "Les Mots" (strings for soul's mix) | 4:44 |
- CD maxi - Europe, Israel, Canada
No | Title | Duration |
---|---|---|
one. | "Les Mots" (single version) | 4:47 |
2 | "Les Mots" (strings for soul's mix) | 4:44 |
3 | "L'Histoire d'une fée, c'est ..." | 5:00 |
- Digital distribution
No | Title | Duration |
---|---|---|
one. | "Les Mots" (album version) | 4:44 |
2 | Les Mots (2006 live version) | 5:06 |
- CD single - Promo / CD single - Promo - Luxurious edition
No | Title | Duration |
---|---|---|
one. | "Les Mots" (single version) | 4:35 |
- VHS - Promo
No | Title | Duration |
---|---|---|
one. | "Les Mots" (video) | 4:45 |
Release Dates
Date [22] | Label | Region | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 10, 2001 | Polydor | France, Belgium | CD single - Promo | 9826 |
VHS - Promo | - | |||
November 13, 2001 | CD single | 570 486-2 | ||
November 20, 2001 | 7 "maxi | 570 486-1 | ||
2002 | Europe, Canada, Israel | CD maxi | 570 702-2 |
Official Versions
Version [23] | Duration | Album | Remix | Year | Comment [13] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Album version | 4:45 | Les mots | - | 2001 | See previous sections. |
Single version | 4:47 | - | - | 2001 | See previous sections. |
Promoversion | 4:40 | - | - | 2001 | Noise at the end removed. |
Strings for soul's mix | 4:44 | - | Laurent Boutonne | 2001 | In this version a capella is sung, only music with a violin is played. Noise at the end removed. |
Video clip | 4:45 | Music Videos IV | - | 2001 | |
Live version (written in 2006) | 5:06 | Avant que l'ombre ... à Bercy | - | 2006 | See Avant que l'ombre ... à Bercy (tour) |
Creators
Here are the people who participated in the creation of the single [22] [24] :
- Mylene Farmer - Text
- Laurent Boutonne - music
- Requiem Publishing - Edition
- Polydor - record company
- Isabel Snyder / aRT miX the agency - photo.
- Henry Nyo / Com'NB - Design
- Made in E.S.
Literature
- Bee, Caroline. Mylène Farmer, la part d'ombre: [] / Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy, Benjamin Thiry. - L'Archipel, January 2006. - ISBN 2-84187-790-6 .
- Cachin, Benoît. Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer: [] . - Tournon, 2006. - ISBN 2-35144-000-5 .
- Cachin, Benoît. Mylène Farmer Influences: [] . - Mascara, 2006. - ISBN 978-2-35144-026-1 .
- Chuberre, Erwan. L'Intégrale Mylène Farmer: [] . - City, 2007. - ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7 .
- Chuberre, Erwan. Mylène Farmer, phénoménale: [] . - City, 2008. - ISBN 978-2-35288-176-6 .
- Chuberre, Erwan. Mylène Farmer: Des mots sur nos désirs: [] . - Alphée, June 18, 2009. - ISBN 2-7538-0477-X .
- Khairallah, Sophie. Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor: [] . - Why Not, 2007. - ISBN 2-916611-25-8 .
- Rajon, Florence. Mylène Farmer de A à Z: [] . - MusicBook, 2005. - ISBN 2-84343-319-3 .
- Royer, Hugues. Mylène, biographie: [] . - Flammarion, 2008. - ISBN 978-2-35287-139-2 .
- Violet, Bernard. Mylène Farmer, biographie: [] . - J'ai lu, 2004. - ISBN 2-290-34916-X .
Notes
- ↑ Bee, Caroline; Brunet, Océane; Thiry, Benjamin; Parpette, Jennifer. Il ya (encore) une pince à linge dans les gâteaux apéritifs (fr.) // Instant-Mag. - Pantin: Tear Prod, 2001. - T. 7 . - p . 8 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 "Les Mots", duo avec Seal (fr.) . Sans-logique. The date of circulation is December 22, 2007. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Mylène Farmer et Seal - "Les Mots" - Histoire du single (Fr.) . Mylene.net. The appeal date is March 17, 2010. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Bee, Caroline; Brunet, Océane; Bioy, Antoine; Delayre, Frédéric. Au lit avec Seal (fr.) // Instant-Mag. - Pantin: Tear Prod, 2004. - T. 16 . - p . 26 .
- ↑ {{{title}}} (fr.) // Closer. - 2013. - January 7 ( t. 134 ). - p . 22 .
- ↑ 1 2 Les Mots (fr.) // Jukebox. - Devant-soi, 2002. - June ( v. 179 ). (inaccessible link)
- ↑ Cachin, 2006 (2) , pp. 62-65.
- ↑ Bee, Caroline; Anton, Sonia; Thiry, Benjamin. Et Mylène ramait, ramait ... (fr.) // Instant-Mag. - Pantin: Tear Prod, 2002. - T. 8 . - p . 5 .
- ↑ Habib, Élia. Muz hit. tubes: [] . - Alinéa Bis. - P. 547. - ISBN 2-9518832-0-X .
- ↑ Royer, 2008 , pp. 165-66.
- ↑ Khairallah, 2007 , p. 44.
- ↑ Bee, Caroline. Le nouveau clip de Mylène Farmer - Méduse en son radeau (Fr.) // Télé Magazine. - 2001. - November 24th ( t. 2403 ).
- ↑ 1 2 Cachin, 2006 , pp. 167-70.
- ↑ "Les Mots", music video (fr.) . Sans-logique. The appeal date is December 27, 2007. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Violet, 2004 , pp. 221-22.
- ↑ Collombier, Stéphane. L'univers a ses mystères, les mots sont nos vies (fr.) // Gala. - Mylenorama, 2001. Archived on February 27, 2012.
- ↑ Chuberre, 2007 , pp. 156.277.
- ↑ Bee, Caroline; Anton, Sonia; Thiry, Benjamin. Et Mylène ramait, ramait ... (fr.) // Instant-Mag. - Pantin: Tear Prod, 2002. - T. 8 . - p . 8 .
- ↑ Chuberre, 2008 , pp. 236-37.
- ↑ Mylène Farmer et Seal - "Les Mots" - TV (Fr.) . Mylene.net. The appeal date was July 20, 2010. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Chuberre, 2009 , pp. 175-76.
- 2 1 2 3 Mylène Farmer et Seal - "Les Mots" - Supports (Fr.) . Mylene.net. The appeal date is March 7, 2010. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Mylène Farmer et Seal - "Les Mots" - Versions (Fr.) . Mylene.net. The appeal date was July 20, 2010. Archived February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Mylène Farmer - "Les Mots" - Crédits (Fr.) . Mylene.net. The appeal date is April 3, 2010. Archived February 14, 2013.
Links
- Mylène Farmer & Seal - "Les Mots" (Fr.) All about the song, on Mylene.net