Le Chat (song)
Encyclopedia
"Le Chat" is a 1992 song recorded by French
act Pow woW
. It was the first single
from its debut album Regagner les plaines, and was released in May 1992. This a cappella
song, wrtitten by the band's four members, Ahmed Mouici, Pascal Periz, Bertrand Pierre and Alain Chennevière, met a great success in France where it was a number-one hit, becoming a popular song throughout the years.
s, before finishing in a hunter scratch".
There were two single covers for the CD single and the 7" : the first is a photo of the band on a red and black background, the second is a drawing which shows a cat's tail.
In 1993, the song was awarded 'Song of the year' in the Victoires de la Musique
.
In France, the single debuted at the bottom of the SNEP chart (#42) on May 30, 1992, then climbed quickly and finally entered the top ten in fifth week. It topped the chart two weeks later and stayed there for two months. Then it dropped slowly, totalling 18 weeks in the top ten and 28 weeks on the chart (top 50). To date, "Le Chat" is the first and last number-one single recorded a cappella and is currently the 763rd best-selling single of all time in France. It was also the second biggest hit of 1992 in France, behind François Feldman
's "Joy
". Pow woW was not able to duplicate this feat, even if the next single, "Le lion est mort ce soir", was a number four hit in France.
In France, the song was covered in 2004 by Star Academy 4 on the album Les Meilleurs Moments. This 3:07 cover features as seventh track on the album and is also available in instrumental version.
7" single
CD maxi
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...
act Pow woW
Pow woW
Pow woW is French musical group. Their biggest hit was "Le Chat" in 1992. Their next single was the French version of song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", titled "Le lion est mort ce soir".- Albums :* Regagner les plaines...
. It was the first 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 its debut album Regagner les plaines, and was released in May 1992. This 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...
song, wrtitten by the band's four members, Ahmed Mouici, Pascal Periz, Bertrand Pierre and Alain Chennevière, met a great success in France where it was a number-one hit, becoming a popular song throughout the years.
Song information
The song was entirely composed by the band (members are writers, composers and performers). Elia Habib, an expert of French charts, says that "Le Chat" has "irresistible rhythms, notes, onomatopoeic sounds and vocals remarkably built on shrewdly exquisite contrasts and nuances". He also states : "The text, lively and original, is a sort of declaration of love vacillating between moving mewings and seductive purrPurr
A purr is a sound made by all species of felids and is a part of cat communication. It varies between cats , and from species to species, but can be characterized as a tonal buzzing. Domestic cats purr in a frequency of 25 to 150 vibrations per second...
s, before finishing in a hunter scratch".
There were two single covers for the CD single and the 7" : the first is a photo of the band on a red and black background, the second is a drawing which shows a cat's tail.
In 1993, the song was awarded 'Song of the year' in the Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
.
In France, the single debuted at the bottom of the SNEP chart (#42) on May 30, 1992, then climbed quickly and finally entered the top ten in fifth week. It topped the chart two weeks later and stayed there for two months. Then it dropped slowly, totalling 18 weeks in the top ten and 28 weeks on the chart (top 50). To date, "Le Chat" is the first and last number-one single recorded a cappella and is currently the 763rd best-selling single of all time in France. It was also the second biggest hit of 1992 in France, behind François Feldman
François Feldman
François Feldman is a French singer. He had a great success in the 1980s and the 1990s in France.-Biography:The young François Feldman spent his adolescence listening soul music, including songs by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and James Brown, among other artists...
's "Joy
Joy (song)
"Joy" is a 1992 song recorded by French singer-songwriter François Feldman. It was the third single from his third album Magic Boul'vard, and was released in the first days of February 1992...
". Pow woW was not able to duplicate this feat, even if the next single, "Le lion est mort ce soir", was a number four hit in France.
In France, the song was covered in 2004 by Star Academy 4 on the album Les Meilleurs Moments. This 3:07 cover features as seventh track on the album and is also available in instrumental version.
Track listings
CD single- "Le Chat" — 2:54
- "Run on (God's Gonna Cut You Down)" — 2:23
7" single
- "Le Chat" — 2:54
- "Run on (God's Gonna Cut You Down)" — 2:23
CD maxi
- "Le Chat" — 2:54
- "Run on (God's Gonna Cut You Down)" — 2:23
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Should be Gold | — | — | 423,000 |
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| French Singles Chart | 2 |