Le Jerk
Encyclopedia
"Le Jerk" is a 1990 song recorded by the French
musician
, songwriter
and singer known under the pseudonym of Thierry Hazard
. It is the first single
from his debut album Pop Music and was one of the 1990 summer hits in France
. It is also Hazard's signature song
, although he has released other successful songs.
The song's name refers to a 70s popular dance and was also given to Hazard's best of Le Jerk, released in July 2001.
The single's cover was made by the French designer Serge Clerc. The role of Roger is played by Christophe Salengro, a French actor and dancer.
The song tells the story of two characters, Joséphine and Roger, who have a routine life (she works as a secretary while he works in a factory). Both are eagerly awaiting the end of each day to take the bus to go dancing the jerk at 'La Boîte à Gogos'. There, they meet, fall in love, get married and give birth to quadruplets, named Gustave, Alphonse, Arthur and Philibert. Thus, the jerk had saved from their monotonous universe and made them able to discover love.
The song has been accused of plagiarism
by the publisher of Jean-Jacques Goldman
, as the song's refrain is similar to that of "Quand la musique est bonne". However, the court action was cancelled.
The song is performed with two black female vocalists who appear in the music video.
, the single debuted at number 38 on 16 June 1990, on the French SNEP Singles Chart (top 50). It gained some places almost every week and eventually reached number two, on 27 October, in the 20th week. It remained for 17 weeks in the top ten and 27 weeks on the chart, making the song one of the most successful one of the year. The single was certified Gold disc
by the SNEP, the French certificator, for over 500,000 copies sold.
According to the Infodisc website, 523,000 copies of the single were sold, and the song is the 509th best-selling single of all time in France.
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and singer known under the pseudonym of Thierry Hazard
Thierry Hazard
Thierry Hazard , whose real name is Thierry Gesteau is a French singer.-Biography:Hazard was born in Compiègne, France, and grew up in Sèvres. During the 1980s, he became the singer of the band GPS, an acronym of Garage Psychiatric Suburban. The group's guitarist, Tom "Backerfix" Darnal, is indeed...
. It is 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 his debut album Pop Music and was one of the 1990 summer hits in France
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...
. It is also Hazard's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, although he has released other successful songs.
Background
The song was actually released as single in 1989. But then it passed unnoticed (as the previous single "Poupée psychédélique", in 1988). "Le Jerk" was re-released the year after, just at the beginning of the summer.The song's name refers to a 70s popular dance and was also given to Hazard's best of Le Jerk, released in July 2001.
The single's cover was made by the French designer Serge Clerc. The role of Roger is played by Christophe Salengro, a French actor and dancer.
Lyrics and music
"Le Jerk" was a huge success in the French discothèques. Elia Habib, a specialist of the French charts, considers that this is due to the "modern and lively writing" of the songThe song tells the story of two characters, Joséphine and Roger, who have a routine life (she works as a secretary while he works in a factory). Both are eagerly awaiting the end of each day to take the bus to go dancing the jerk at 'La Boîte à Gogos'. There, they meet, fall in love, get married and give birth to quadruplets, named Gustave, Alphonse, Arthur and Philibert. Thus, the jerk had saved from their monotonous universe and made them able to discover love.
The song has been accused of plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
by the publisher of Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, as the song's refrain is similar to that of "Quand la musique est bonne". However, the court action was cancelled.
The song is performed with two black female vocalists who appear in the music video.
Chart performances
In FranceFrance
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...
, the single debuted at number 38 on 16 June 1990, on the French SNEP Singles Chart (top 50). It gained some places almost every week and eventually reached number two, on 27 October, in the 20th week. It remained for 17 weeks in the top ten and 27 weeks on the chart, making the song one of the most successful one of the year. The single was certified Gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the SNEP, the French certificator, for over 500,000 copies sold.
According to the Infodisc website, 523,000 copies of the single were sold, and the song is the 509th best-selling single of all time in France.
Track listings
- CD single
- "Le Jerk" — 3:58
- "Goodbye Mary" — 4:19
- 7" single
- "Le Jerk" — 3:58
- "Goodbye Mary" — 4:19
- CD maxi
- "Le Jerk" — 3:58
- "Goodbye Mary" — 4:19
- "Le Jerk" (extended version)
Peak positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 31 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 2 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 4 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Gold | 1990 | 500,000 | 523,000 |