Les Champs-Élysées

"Les Champs-Élysées" is a 1969 song by Joe Dassin.[1] The title refers to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a famous avenue in Paris, France.

"Waterloo Road"
Single by Jason Crest
B-side"Education"
Released28 February 1968
Format7" single
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)Michael Anthony Deighan (lyrics)
Michael Wilshaw (music)
"Les Champs-Elysées"
Single by Joe Dassin
from the album Joe Dassin (Les Champs-Élysées)
A-side
ReleasedMay 1969
Format7" single
Length2:40
LabelCBS Disques
Songwriter(s)Lyrics:
Pierre Delanoë
Music:
Michael Wilshaw
Michael Deighan
Producer(s)Jacques Plait
Joe Dassin singles chronology
"Me que me que"
(1969)		 "Le Chemin de papa" / "Les Champs-Élysées"
(1969)		 "C'est la vie, Lily" / "Billy le Bordelais"
(1970)

Composition

The song was originally written in English under the title "Waterloo Road" (lyrics by Michael Anthony Deighan, music by Michael Wilshaw) and released by the British rock band Jason Crest. Then French lyricist Pierre Delanoë adapted the lyrics into French.[2][3]

Reception

The song "Les Champs-Élysées" was released by Joe Dassin as a single in 1969, with "Le Chemin de papa" on the other side. The single reached no. 4 in Wallonia (French Belgium).[4][5]

The song "Les Champs-Élysées" also entered charts in multiple European countries.

Track listing

7" single (CBS 4281)

  1. "Le Chemin de papa" (2:22)
  2. "Les Champs-Élysées" (2:40)

Charts
"Les Champs-Élysées"
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7] 5
West Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 31
"Le Chemin de papa" / "Les Champs-Élysées"
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[4] 4

Adaptations

In the same year (1969) the song was covered by Slovene (then Yugoslav) singer Majda Sepe under the title Šuštarski most (Shoemakers bridge in Ljubljana).

In 1971, Hugo Strasser Und Sein Tanzorchester released an instrumentals-only cover of "Les Champs-Élysées".[9][10][11]

The song was covered by the American punk band NOFX in 1997.

The melody of Les Champs-Élysées was later used for the television commercial of CJ CheilJedang's dessert brand Petitzel Eclair in 2016, with lyrics sung by I.O.I.

The song was also adapted by the Dutch comedian duo Johnny Kraaikamp & Rijk de Gooyer in 1969 under the title Waterlooplein which translates into Waterloo Square which is a town square in Amsterdam.

The refrain of the song, accompanied by a yellow bouncing ball over the lyrics, was played during breaks in NBCSN's coverage of the 2018 Tour de France.

The entire song plays under the closing credits of Wes Anderson's film The Darjeeling Limited (2007).

In 2015, Japanese idol group Ciao Bella Cinquetti released an adaption titled Omotesando, about Tokyo's high-end avenue of the same name.

In 2018, the song was remade to honor Chelsea Football Club and France National Football Team star N'Golo Kante.[12] This adaptation achieved great popularity in France during the French team's title run in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and also among Kante's teammates.[13]

In 2020, YouTube band Pomplamoose covered the song.[14]

References
  1. Lucien Rioux (1994). 50 ans de chanson française: De Trenet à Bruel. l'Archipel. ISBN 978-2-909241-68-5. Joe Dassin Les Champs-Élysées.
  2. "Veteran French Lyricist Pierre Delanoe Dies". Billboard. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  3. Éric Neuhoff (2011-07-11). "Les Champs-Élysées de Joe Dassin". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
  4. "Ultratop.be – Joe Dassin – Le chemin de papa" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  5. "ultratop.be - Joe Dassin - Les Champs-Élysées". ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Joe Dassin – Les Champs-Élysées" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  7. "Swisscharts.com – Joe Dassin – Les Champs-Élysées". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Joe Dassin – Les Champs-Élysées". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2020-02-28. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Joe Dassin"
  9. https://www.discogs.com/Hugo-Strasser-Und-Sein-Tanzorchester-Romantic-Party/release/3557968
  10. https://www.discogs.com/artist/367935-Hugo-Strasser-Und-Sein-Tanzorchester?sort=year%2Casc&limit=500&page=1
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwxvOY1eM8k
  12. Rachmanda, Kenchal. "N'golo Kante song". YouTube. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. "The Whole Nation of France Singing N'Golo Kante Song!". YouTube. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  14. "Les Champs-Elysées Joe Dassin Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder". YouTube. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
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