California (Mylène Farmer song)

Single infobox |
Name = California

---

Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = Anamorphosée
Released = March 26, 1996
Format = CD single
CD maxi
12" maxi
Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded = 1995
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:58 (single version)
4:59 (album version)
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification =
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "L'Instant X"
(1995)
This single = "California"
(1996)
Next single = "Comme j'ai mal"
(1996)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Background = khaki


Lower caption = CD single - DigipackExtra album cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = CD maxi - GermanyExtra tracklisting
Album = Anamorphosée
Type = studio
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "California"
track_no = 1
next_track = "Vertige"
next_no = 2Extra tracklisting
Album = Live à Bercy
Type = live
prev_track = "Vertige"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "California"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Que mon cœur lâche"
next_no = 4Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos II
Type = Video
prev_track = "L'Instant X"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "California"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Comme j'ai mal"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Mylenium Tour
Type = live
prev_track = "Dessine-moi un mouton"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "California"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Pas le temps de vivre"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos II & III
Type = Video
prev_track = "L'Instant X"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "California"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Comme j'ai mal"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Les Mots
Type = Compilation
prev_track = "Les Mots"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "California"
track_no = 2
next_track = "XXL"
next_no = 3Extra tracklisting
Album = RemixeS
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces"
prev_no = 7
this_track = "California"
track_no = 8
next_track = "Libertine"
next_no = 9Extra tracklisting
Album = Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy
Type = live
prev_track = "Dans les rues de Londres"
prev_no = 4
this_track = "California"
track_no = 5
next_track = "Porno graphique"
next_no = 6

"California" is a 1995 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her fourth studio album, "Anamorphosée", the song was released on March 26, 1996. Real tribute to the California, it is generally deemed as one of Farmer's signature songs, although it met a relative success in France.

Background, writing and release

Farmer wanted to release "California", one of the most daring songs of the album, from the marketing of "Anamorphosée". However, it was released many months after, as the third single, but was widely aired on radio. Many fans regard this song as one of the most emblematic of Farmer."California", L'histoire de la chanson : la chanson de l'anamorphose [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/californiaglob.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved January 15, 2008)]

Among the different media for this single, there was a CD single distributed in a limited triptych digipack edition, and a CD maxi containing 6 titles - this one is the only CD maxi in Farmer's career still for sale because, given the number of tracks, it is referenced by Universal as a "mini-album" and is re-edited. "California" was also released in Germany with a new white cover. Regarding the various remixes, they are the result of collaboration between Laurent Boutonnat / Bertrand Châtenet ('LAPD remix' and 'wandering club mix'), and various American DJs : Niki Gasolino & Peter Parker, Nils Ruzicka, and Ramon Zenker.

The song is available on "Anamorphosée" in its original version, and on the best of "Les Mots" in the shorter radio version. It should be noted that, surprisingly, the song is placed at the beginning of the second CD, just before "XXL" and "L'Instant X", which doesn't comply with the chonological order. The song was also performed at the time of the 1996 tour in a remixed techno version ('Wandering mix'), and in a calmer version during the 2000 and 2006 tours."California" [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/singles/single.php?single=california Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved January 15, 2008)] Therefore, the song features on the live albums "Live à Bercy", "Mylenium Tour" and "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy". It was also remixed in 2003 by Romain Tranchart and Rawman for the compilation "RemixeS".

Lyrics and music

"California" is the only song from the album "Anamorphosée" to refer to the singular name of the latter and was the second Farmer's song with an English title, after "Beyond My Control". [Elia Habib, "Muz hit. tubes", p. 346 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)] The song begins with different sounds evoking the street : a door that slams, an English voice in a loudspeaker, a siren of an ambulance. Farmer then referred to her desire to live in America to make a new start in her life."Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 59-67] ["Mylène Farmer Influences", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Mascara Ed., p. 24,25 (ISBN 978-2351440261)] The song has a "nagging rhythm" and "Anglo-Saxon sonorities". ["L'Intégrale Mylene Farmer", Erwan Chuberre, 2007, City Ed., p. 68 (ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7)]

It is a song with a highly elegant vocabulary where alternate puns and lyrics in French and English ; it is a clear tribute to California. There are many literary references : for example, the phrase "Vienne la nuit et sonne l'heure et moi je meurs / Entre apathie et pesanteur où je demeure" alluded to the French poem "Le Pont Mirabeau", written by Guillaume Apollinaire, in which there is the verse "Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure / Les jours s'en vont je demeure".

Music video

The video was directed by the American movie screenwriter and director Abel Ferrara. Farmer had contacted him after seeing his film on a similar theme, "Snake Eyes", with )]

At the beginning of the video, a young and rich couple (Farmer and Esposito) is preparing to attend a reception where they are invited. Meanwhile, a prostitute and a pimp (also played by Farmer and Esposito) are violently quarrelling. In her car, the rich woman looks the prostitutes on the sidewalk and then sees her double threatened with a knife by her pimp who eventually murdered her. After the society reception, the rich woman gets bored and therefore goes to the toilet where she disguises herself as a prostitute and joined those outside. She makes love with the pimp and savagely killed him to avenge the murdered prostitute. ["California", videoclip [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/clips/clip.php?clip=california Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved January 16, )]

The first images of the video were published by the French magazine "Voici" which had managed to acquire illegally some shots during the filming. In an interview on Paris Première in 1996, Farmer explained that the video, which was analyzed on Arte in July 2002, doesn't reflect her perception of )]

Chart and TV performances

"California" was performed (in playback) by Farmer in a single TV show : "Les Années tube", broadcast on TF1 on May 18, 1996. At this occasion, the singer used a lascivious choreography and she also sang "Sans contrefaçon". ["California", TV performances [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/repertoire-des-chansons.php?chanson=california Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved January 15, 2008)]

In France, the song debuted at number 7, its peak position, on May 30, 1996. It kept on dropping the seven weeks after but regained 16 places the two followings weeks. After that, the song began again to fall but rather slowly, and managed to remain in the Top 50 for 17 weeks. It was the third best-selling single from "Anamorphosée"."California", French SNEP Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=California&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved January 3, 2008)] The song was also one of the most aired on radio in 1996 ["France Soir", May 25, 1996, Olivier Drake [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1996/France_soir_250596.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 23, 2008)] and was ranked #63 on the End of the Year Chart.1996 French Singles Chart [http://www.disqueenfrance.com/classements/singles/classement_annuel.asp?date=11 Disqueenfrance.com] (Retrieved April 14, 2008)]

In Belgium (Wallonia), the single had great difficulty staying several weeks in a row on the Ultratop 40 Singles Chart, after its first appearition on May 4, 1996. Indeed, it re-entered then four times and reached number 22, on August 3, which was nonetheless the worst peak position of the five singles from the album "Anamorphosée". It left the chart on September 7, after 14 weeks of attendance"California", Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Myl%E8ne+Farmer&titel=California&cat=s Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 3, 2008)] and was the 86th best-selling single of 1996.1996 Belgian Singles Chart [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1996 Ultratop.be] (Retrieved January 21, 2008)]

Cover versions

In 2004, Cedric, an unknown singer who participated in a programme on the radio station NRJ, covered the song in a R&B version. It was not released as a single.

Formats and track listings

; CD single
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58
# "California" (Ramon Zenker's radio remix) — 3:55

; CD single -Digipack
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58
# "California" (Ramon Zenker's radio remix) — 3:55

; CD maxi - Digipack
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58
# "California" (Megalo Mania remix) — 6:47
# "California" (wandering mix) — 6:10
# "California" (L.A.P.D club remix) — 6:55
# "California" (Ramon Zenker's extended remix) — 5:55
# "California" (Gaspar Inc. remix) — 5:20

; 12" maxi - Disc 1A-side :
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58B-side :
# "California" (Megalo Mania remix) — 6:47
# "California" (wandering mix) — 6:10

; 12" maxi - Disc 2A-side :
# "California" (L.A.P.D club remix) — 6:55
# "California" (Ramon Zenker's extended remix) — 5:55B-side :
# "California" (Gaspar Inc. remix) — 5:20; Digital download
# "California" (album version) — 4:59
# "California" (1996 live version) — 7:12
# "California" (2000 live version) — 5:27
# "California" (2006 live version) — 5:19
# "California" (Romain Tranchart & Rawman remix) — 6:17

; CD maxi - Germany
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58
# "California" (Megalo Mania remix) — 6:47
# "California" (wandering mix) — 6:10
# "California" (L.A.P.D club remix) — 6:55

; CD single - Promo
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58

; CD single - Promo - Luxurious edition
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58

; CD single - Promo - Germany
# "California" (radio edit) — 3:58

; VHS - Promo
# "California" (video)

Versions

; Official versions

References