Nuit de folie

"Nuit de folie"
Single by Début de Soirée
from the album Jardins d'enfants
B-side	"Tout pour la danse" + remix
Released	June 1988 January 2000 (remix)
Format	7" single, 12" maxi, CD maxi, cassette
Recorded	1988, France
Genre	Pop, dance
Length	4:16
Label	Sony Music, CBS
Writer(s)	William Picard, Claude Mainguy, Sauveur Pichot
Producer	Bel Air Studio
Début de Soirée singles chronology
"Nuit de folie" (1988) "La Vie la nuit" (1988)

"Nuit de folie" is a 1988 popular song recorded by French pop duet Début de Soirée. It was their debut single from their album Jardins d'enfants and was released in June 1988. In France, it became the summer hit of the year, topping the chart for over two months. It was re-released in 2000 in a remixed version, but it did not reach success.

Background

The song, written and composed by both members of the duets, was especially created to become a summer hit, although the song was actually released for the first time in 1984 as a B-side, but passed unnoticed at the time. It was very difficult to find a record company, because nobody believed in the potential of the song, but a contract was eventually signed with Sony. In 1988, the song was also much promoted by the band in many TV shows. According to Elia Habib, an expert of French charts, the song is characterized by a "rapid and lively rhythm, a very simple refrain therefore easy to remember, a tune that becomes embedded in the eardrums, lyrics referring to summer festive atmosphere". It also contains a brief bridge sung in a rap version, just before the last refrain.^[1]

The duet's second single, "La Vie la nuit", released in December 1988, used around the end of the song a sample from the introduction of "Nuit de folie".

Music video

In the music video, the two singers perform a choreography on "shimmering backgrounds", in an "astonishing variety of head to foot positions".^[1] They are accompanied by three women, one of them being obese, each with a plain dress in a different colour. During the last refrain, two couples are formed, and the obese woman remains alone.

The video is now deemed as old-fashioned^[1] and, in an interview, both singers had admitted they do not like to see it aired on TV because they find it antiquated.

Chart performances

In France, the single entered the singles chart at number 39 on 11 June 1988. It climbed quickly and reached number one from its sixth to his fourteenth week. It then remained for other nine weeks in the top five, then almost kept on dropping. It totalled 22 weeks in the top ten and 30 weeks in the top 50,^[2] and was certified Platinum disc by the SNEP.^[3] It became the 57th best-selling single of all time in France, with over 1 million copies sold.^[4]

The song was later released again in remixed versions: first in 1995, then in 2000. Both versions, particularly devoted to the discothèques, were failures.

Uses in the media

The song was covered by a band in Fabien Onteniente's 2006 film Camping.

Track listings

7" single "Nuit de folie" (euro remix) — 3:52 "Tout pour la danse" — 3:15 CD maxi "Nuit de folie" — 4:16 "Tout pour la danse" — 3:14 "Nuit de folie" (extended version) — 6:23 12" maxi "Nuit de folie" (crazy night remix) — 6:40 "Nuit de folie" (French mix club) — 6:40

12" maxi "Nuit de folie" (extended version) — 6:25 "Tout pour la danse" — 3:15 "Nuit de folie" (a capella chœur) — 0:50 "Nuit de folie" (a capella vois rap) — 0:40 CD maxi - 1995 remixes "Nuit de folie" (dance club remix) — 6:40 "Nuit de folie" (remix edit radio) — 3:42 "Nuit de folie" (hard version) — 5:20 "Nuit de folie" (space version) — 5:15 CD single - 2000 remixes "Nuit de folie" (edit radio 2000) — 4:08 "Nuit de folie" (karaoke version) — 4:09

Versions and remixes

A capella chœur A capella vois rap Album / Single version Crazy night remix Dance club remix Edit radio 2000 Euro mix

Extended version French mix club Hard version Karaoke version Remix edit radio Space version

Credits

Original version

• Lyrics : Willima Picard and C.Mainguy
• Music : Sacha Pichot
• Production : Bel Air Studio
• Remixed by "Mixmaster" Pete Hammond

1995 remixes

• Arranged and remixed by Rick Pier O'Neil and Yann Asting at Studio Sunday Light

Charts and sales

Peak positions Chart (1988) Peak position Dutch Mega Top 100 Singles[5] 24 Eurochart Hot 100 21 French SNEP Singles Chart[2] 1 Chart (2000) Peak position French SNEP Singles Chart 1 [2] 72 1 1999 remix

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position French Singles Chart 1 Certifications Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales France[3] Platinum 1988 1,000,000 1,150,000

Chart successions

Preceded by "J'ai faim de toi" by Sandy Stevens	French SNEP number-one single 16 July 1988 - 10 September 1988 (9 weeks)	Succeeded by "Un Roman d'amitié" by Elsa Lunghini and Glenn Medeiros
Preceded by "Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison" by Licence IV	French SNEP single of the year 1988	Succeeded by "Lambada" by Kaoma

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Habib, Elia (2002) (in French). Muz hit.tubes. Alinéa Bis. p. 136. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} ""Nuit de folie", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=33399&cat=s. Retrieved 8 September 2008. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Les certifications depuis 1973, database" (in French). Infodisc. http://www.infodisc.fr/Single_Certif.php. Retrieved 8 September 2008. 
4. ^ "Best-selling singles in France" (in French). Infodisc. http://www.infodisc.fr/S_ToutTemps.php?debut=50. Retrieved 8 September 2008. 
5. ^ ""Nuit de folie", Dutch Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=D%E9but+De+Soir%E9e&titel=Nuit+de+folie&cat=s. Retrieved 6 July 2011.