Sans contrefaçon
Encyclopedia
"Sans contrefaçon" is a 1987
song recorded by French
artist Mylène Farmer
. It was released on 16 October 1987 as the first single
from her second studio album, Ainsi soit je...
. It was a big hit in 1987 and is one of her three best-selling singles. It became a very popular song in France over the years and has been covered by many artists. A remixed version by the DJ
J.C.A. was released on 5 August 2003 as the first single from the compilation album called RemixeS
.
Written by Farmer in 1987, the theme of "Sans contrefaçon" was inspired by two other songs, "Comme un garçon" by Sylvie Vartan
and "3è Sexe" by the band Indochine
. Photographer Elsa Trillat explained that the lyrics were written very quickly (taking somewhere between thirty minutes and two hours) by poolside, using a dictionary of synonyms. Laurent Boutonnat
came that same day to the large Provençal-styled villa where both women were and immediately wrote the music which would accompany the lyrics. Farmer decided to change her dress style to match the song theme. In the French magazine Elle
, she spotted a checkered and striped suit and asked Bertrand Le Page to wear it for the sleeve covers that illustrated the various single formats. These photos were shot in Paris by Elsa Trillat. Finally, the song was chosen to be the lead single from Farmer's second album, Ainsi soit je..., and its title became "Sans contrefaçon, je suis un garçon".
On Farmer's advice, Bertrand Le Page made numerous approaches to the NRJ
radio station for it to broadcast the song twice as often, which contributed to its success. The song quickly became very popular in France and also became one of the singer's best known songs.
In September 2003, the song was released as a remixed version produced by J.C.A., becoming the first single from the album RemixeS
. The song was a hit in nightclub
s but did not sell very well as it was released as a vinyl record
only.
The song's lyrics seem to be autobiographical. Indeed, in interviews, Farmer often explained that when she was younger, a lot of people thought she was a boy because of her androgynous look (she had short hair). To create even more doubt, she confessed she "put a handkerchief in her trousers", as it is said in the song's lyrics. About the period of her adolescence, Farmer said: "I was half-man, half woman, it was quite strange. I never liked playing with dolls at the dinette... I always preferred boys' games. I was not a tomboy, but a failed girl."
The song mentions the Chevalier d'Eon
, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who lived the second half of his life as a woman, which provides some ambiguity regarding the search for identity. Although the song does not deal with homosexuality
, it eventually became an anthem of the gay community and contributed to rise Farmer to the status of gay icon
. The music, and especially the chorus, is "catchy".
Following the song's success, a website claimed that Farmer was actually a transsexual
. Proponents of this theory argued that the photos of the singer's childhood were modified using Photoshop
, that she did not have children, that her childhood was rarely ever mentioned and there were some inconsistencies in her interviews. This rumor was proven false and the website is now shut down.
production, was filmed by Laurent Boutonnat
about a month after the single's release. For the first time, Farmer participated in the writing of the screenplay along with Boutonnat and initially wanted the shooting to take place in a concentration camp
but this idea was rejected. The lengthy video (8'43") was shot over four days in La Hague
, near Cherbourg
, France, and cost about 300,000 francs (55,000 euros). It was inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, a novel for children
by Carlo Collodi
, Le Petit Cirque by Dargaud
and "Les Saltimbanques", a poem by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire
. In the video, the first sentence pronounced by Farmer with a small childish voice is a reference to a joke between the singer and Trillat.
It features Frédéric Lagache (the puppeteer, who also played in the video for "Beyond My Control
") and the Swiss
artist Zouc (who plays the woman). Farmer explained that she had greatly appreciated Zouc's shows, which dealt with the strange and sordid themes and the world of childhood. The two women met in the programme Mon Zenith à moi and Farmer absolutely wanted Zouc to play a role in the video for "Sans contrefaçon". The puppet was created by Benoît Lestang who shot the video for "Q.I
" in 2005. François Hanss was Boutonnat's assistant (he also directed the videos for "Je te rends ton amour
", "Innamoramento
", "Dessine-moi un mouton
" and "Redonne-moi
").
(representing Farmer) who are thrown outside in the rain by two transvestite
s. He is kicked out of the theatre in which he performed in a show called "Sans Contrefaçon". He cleans his puppet's muddy face with utmost care and devotion and starts walking away to some desolate land. There in the middle of the misty nowhere, he encounters a troupe of athletes who are members of a circus
named "Giorgino Circus." They seem to be sad, gloomy and unfriendly towards the stranger. However, a black dressed woman gives to the puppeteer a little bit of purée
and he starts eating. The woman, fascinated by the doll, takes it in her arms but the other members of the circus snatch it from her and start bashing the puppet around. Terrified, the woman tries to retrieve the doll and when she succeeds, she runs away with it. The puppeteer, afraid for the future of his beloved creature, follows her to a seashore and suddenly discovers that his puppet is alive: it has turned into Mylène Farmer, who is playing with the woman. But when Farmer sees the puppeteer, she is terrified and attempts to run away. The man pursues her and manages to reach her when she falls on the sandy ground. He lifts her up, wipes her face clean, hugs her and they share a kiss. After a while, as the black-clad woman from the circus grows grim at the sight of these proceedings, Farmer turns into the puppet again, much to the chagrin of the man who is unhappy and desperate, while the circus goes away. He yells and pleads for help but all in vain. The closing sequence of the video is a dream-like vision of the puppeteer who is squatting and hugging his darling, who is once again alive.
, but did not win. Interviewed in the show Nulle Part Ailleurs, broadcast on 23 November 1987, Farmer said she was surprised by the song's success, saying "I think it's the 7" that started the fastest. (...) The public says "yes" gradually and more and more strongly."
The theme of this video is that of "alienation, to be prisoner of desires of the other". Indeed, the man, as a possessive mother, has an exclusive love for his puppet. But the arrival of a third party allows it to take life, "to be born from a psychological point of view". Some interpret this video as an allegory of the Pygmalion
myth, expressed through the puppeteer and its doll, while others see it as a tribute to Zouc, who disappeared from public life a short time after. According to the biographer Bernard Violet, the final sequence actually gives meaning to the history. He thinks the video is "the most moving films by Boutonnat, a masterpiece of pessimism
and misanthropy
, because ultimately, all the protagonists lose". The author Erwan Chuberre stated that the Gothic
artist Angélique Comet was disturbed "at the emotional level" by the video.
on 16 French television shows (all sources listed below provide different data), broadcast between 13 November 1987 and 6 February 1988 on various channels (TF1
, Antenne 2
, FR3
, Canal+
, La 5
). Sometimes, she was also interviewed and, on certain shows, she performed another hit. Farmer almost always wore male clothes with black and white checks and a cap (the same costume as she wore during her 1989 tour
). In 1990, she promoted the song on Swedish and Italian programmes, on 28 April and 13 July. On 18 May 1996, Farmer performed "Sans contrefaçon" just after "California
", on Les Années tubes.
"Sans contrefaçon" is Farmer's only song to be performed on all her concerts tours (although it was only included as part of a medley on the Mylenium Tour
). The song is the one that is included most often on the singer's various compilations and live albums. In the 1989 tour
, Farmer wears a black and white checked trousers, a cap with the same patterns, and a jacket. First, she performs a choreography moving her hips, then she is joined by all dancers. Dancers come in holding hands and start a choreography during which they mime a street brawl. In the 1996 tour, Farmer wears black pants, heels, a masculine dressing gown and a scarf, and four dancers are dressed in disco drag queen, with green, yellow and blue and red wigs. The projectors are of the same colors as the dancers' wigs. In the 1999 performance
, Farmer wears a black costume composed of a woven trousers open on the upper thighs, a transparent bustier, high shoes with heels, a large necklace and two iron false-buttocks; dancers have the same costume, without the jacket, and perform a collective choreography, the same as for "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" during the 1989 tour. During the 2006 concerts at Bercy
, Farmer is dressed with black feathers and had a big hat. The giant screens and the central cross display signs "masculine-feminine" that move in all directions and form somewhat like a hopscotch
game. She performs the same collective choreography as on the previous tours. During the 2009 tour, Farmer and her dancers wear a white tutu, pinsripe trousers and a jacket, and perform the choreography together, while the screens in the back show chessmen.
On the French Singles Chart, "Sans contrefaçon" appared for 22 weeks, from 5 December 1987 to 30 April 1988. It debuted at number 21, reached the top ten four weeks later and remained inside for a total of ten weeks. On 20 February, it peaked at number two for a sole week, being unable to dislodge Sabrina Salerno
's "Boys (Summertime Love)
" which was number one then. It was the Farmer's first top five hit, and her third top ten hit. The song also remains Farmer's third biggest hit, behind "Désenchantée
" and "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
". In 1990, the song also featured on the German Singles Chart
where it reached number 46 and remained on the chart for twelve weeks.
, Lorie
in 2003 as second track on her single "À 20 ans
", French rock
band Armens in 2003 for their live album Sans contrefaçon - Le Live (track 1, 3:24) and released as a single, Mr Popicide in 2003, many contestants of the show Star Academy
, including Anne-Laure Sitbon (2003), Élodie Frégé
(2004), and Giovanni (2003, Belgian Star Academy)(these versions were not released as a single, but were only performed on TV), and Julie Zenatti
in 2003 on French radio Generation Scoop in an acoustic version. In recent year, Korean girl band, Girl's Generation, covered the song with different title, Gee, and went on to hit number one chart in both Korea and Japan.
"Sans contrefaçon" is featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 French film Pédale douce, produced by Gabriel Aghion
, as the first track. The song is played at the beginning of the film as well as during the final credits. In one of the editions of Trivial Pursuit
, there is a question which asks: "In the song "Sans contrefaçon", what does Mylène Farmer claim?", the answer is "Je suis un garçon" ("I'm a boy").
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
song recorded by French
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...
artist Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
. It was released on 16 October 1987 as 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 her second studio album, Ainsi soit je...
Ainsi Soit Je...
Ainsi Soit Je... is the second album by Mylène Farmer, released in April 1988. It contains the hit singles "Sans contrefaçon", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" and "Sans logique"...
. It was a big hit in 1987 and is one of her three best-selling singles. It became a very popular song in France over the years and has been covered by many artists. A remixed version by the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
J.C.A. was released on 5 August 2003 as the first single from the compilation album called RemixeS
RemixeS
RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:...
.
Background and writing
 Puisqu'il faut choisirÀ mots doux je peux le dire Sans contrefaçon Je suis un garçon...  |
| — Beginning of the refrain |
Written by Farmer in 1987, the theme of "Sans contrefaçon" was inspired by two other songs, "Comme un garçon" by Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
and "3è Sexe" by the band Indochine
Indochine (band)
Indochine is a French new wave/rock band, formed in 1981. The band was very successful in France in the 1980s, as well as other parts of continental Europe and Latin America, with songs like L'Aventurier and Canary Bay...
. Photographer Elsa Trillat explained that the lyrics were written very quickly (taking somewhere between thirty minutes and two hours) by poolside, using a dictionary of synonyms. Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
came that same day to the large Provençal-styled villa where both women were and immediately wrote the music which would accompany the lyrics. Farmer decided to change her dress style to match the song theme. In the French magazine Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, she spotted a checkered and striped suit and asked Bertrand Le Page to wear it for the sleeve covers that illustrated the various single formats. These photos were shot in Paris by Elsa Trillat. Finally, the song was chosen to be the lead single from Farmer's second album, Ainsi soit je..., and its title became "Sans contrefaçon, je suis un garçon".
On Farmer's advice, Bertrand Le Page made numerous approaches to the NRJ
NRJ Radio
NRJ French multimedia group based in Paris. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio station it has grown and evolved to become the NRJ Group...
radio station for it to broadcast the song twice as often, which contributed to its success. The song quickly became very popular in France and also became one of the singer's best known songs.
In September 2003, the song was released as a remixed version produced by J.C.A., becoming the first single from the album RemixeS
RemixeS
RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:...
. The song was a hit in nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s but did not sell very well as it was released as a vinyl record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
only.
Lyrics and music
The song mentions the Chevalier d'Eon
Chevalier d'Eon
Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont , usually known as the Chevalier d'Éon, was a French diplomat, spy, soldier and Freemason whose first 49 years were spent as a man, and whose last 33 years were spent as a woman...
, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who lived the second half of his life as a woman, which provides some ambiguity regarding the search for identity. Although the song does not deal with homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, it eventually became an anthem of the gay community and contributed to rise Farmer to the status of gay icon
Gay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is embraced by many within :lesbian, :gay, :bisexual and :transgender communities...
. The music, and especially the chorus, is "catchy".
Following the song's success, a website claimed that Farmer was actually a transsexual
Transsexualism
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose biological birth sex conflicts with their psychological gender...
. Proponents of this theory argued that the photos of the singer's childhood were modified using Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
, that she did not have children, that her childhood was rarely ever mentioned and there were some inconsistencies in her interviews. This rumor was proven false and the website is now shut down.
Production
The video, a PolydorPolydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
production, was filmed by Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Boutonnat
Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :...
about a month after the single's release. For the first time, Farmer participated in the writing of the screenplay along with Boutonnat and initially wanted the shooting to take place in a concentration camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
but this idea was rejected. The lengthy video (8'43") was shot over four days in La Hague
La Hague
La Hague is a region on the tip of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy, France.La Hague is a picturesque place of Precambrian granite cliffs, coves and small fields surrounded by hedges. It faces the Channel Islands and there any many cousins on both side of the Alderney race.The dialect of the...
, near Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
, France, and cost about 300,000 francs (55,000 euros). It was inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, a novel for children
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
by Carlo Collodi
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
, Le Petit Cirque by Dargaud
Dargaud
Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
and "Les Saltimbanques", a poem by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire
Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki, known as Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic born in Italy to a Polish mother....
. In the video, the first sentence pronounced by Farmer with a small childish voice is a reference to a joke between the singer and Trillat.
Beyond My Control
"Beyond My Control" is a 1991 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the fourth single from her third studio album L'Autre... and was released in May 1992. The song probably remains well known for its music video that caused controversy and was censored at the time because...
") and the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
artist Zouc (who plays the woman). Farmer explained that she had greatly appreciated Zouc's shows, which dealt with the strange and sordid themes and the world of childhood. The two women met in the programme Mon Zenith à moi and Farmer absolutely wanted Zouc to play a role in the video for "Sans contrefaçon". The puppet was created by Benoît Lestang who shot the video for "Q.I
Q.I
"Q.I" is a 2005 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the second single from her sixth studio album, Avant que l'ombre..., and was released on 4 July 2005. Like all other tracks from the album, the lyrics were written by Farmer and the music was composed by Laurent...
" in 2005. François Hanss was Boutonnat's assistant (he also directed the videos for "Je te rends ton amour
Je te rends ton amour
"Je te rends ton amour" is a 1999 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. The second single from her fifth studio album Innamoramento, it was released on 8 June 1999...
", "Innamoramento
Innamoramento (song)
"Innamoramento" is a 1999 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. It was the fifth single from her fifth studio album, Innamoramento, and was released on 18 July 2000. This pop ballad was written by Farmer with the music composed by Laurent Boutonnat...
", "Dessine-moi un mouton
Dessine-moi un mouton
"Dessine-moi un mouton" is a 1999 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer, first in a studio version, then in a live version during her 1999 concert Mylenium Tour. The song was the only single from her third live album Mylenium Tour and was released on 5 December 2000...
" and "Redonne-moi
Redonne-moi
"Redonne-moi" is a 2005 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. This pop ballad was the third single from her sixth studio album, Avant que l'ombre..., and was released on 2 January 2006. Like all other tracks of the parent album, it was written by Farmer and the music was composed by...
").
Plot
The video starts with a puppet saying "Dis maman, pourquoi je suis pas un garçon?" ("Say mommy, why am I not a boy?"). Then it shows a man and his puppetPuppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
(representing Farmer) who are thrown outside in the rain by two transvestite
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
s. He is kicked out of the theatre in which he performed in a show called "Sans Contrefaçon". He cleans his puppet's muddy face with utmost care and devotion and starts walking away to some desolate land. There in the middle of the misty nowhere, he encounters a troupe of athletes who are members of a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
named "Giorgino Circus." They seem to be sad, gloomy and unfriendly towards the stranger. However, a black dressed woman gives to the puppeteer a little bit of purée
Purée
Purée and mash are general terms for cooked food, usually vegetables or legumes, that have been ground, pressed, blended, and/or sieved to the consistency of a soft creamy paste or thick liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., mashed potatoes or apple sauce...
and he starts eating. The woman, fascinated by the doll, takes it in her arms but the other members of the circus snatch it from her and start bashing the puppet around. Terrified, the woman tries to retrieve the doll and when she succeeds, she runs away with it. The puppeteer, afraid for the future of his beloved creature, follows her to a seashore and suddenly discovers that his puppet is alive: it has turned into Mylène Farmer, who is playing with the woman. But when Farmer sees the puppeteer, she is terrified and attempts to run away. The man pursues her and manages to reach her when she falls on the sandy ground. He lifts her up, wipes her face clean, hugs her and they share a kiss. After a while, as the black-clad woman from the circus grows grim at the sight of these proceedings, Farmer turns into the puppet again, much to the chagrin of the man who is unhappy and desperate, while the circus goes away. He yells and pleads for help but all in vain. The closing sequence of the video is a dream-like vision of the puppeteer who is squatting and hugging his darling, who is once again alive.
Reception and symbolism
This video was nominated in the category 'Best videoclip' in the 1988 Victoires de la MusiqueVictoires 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...
, but did not win. Interviewed in the show Nulle Part Ailleurs, broadcast on 23 November 1987, Farmer said she was surprised by the song's success, saying "I think it's the 7" that started the fastest. (...) The public says "yes" gradually and more and more strongly."
The theme of this video is that of "alienation, to be prisoner of desires of the other". Indeed, the man, as a possessive mother, has an exclusive love for his puppet. But the arrival of a third party allows it to take life, "to be born from a psychological point of view". Some interpret this video as an allegory of the Pygmalion
Pygmalion (mythology)
Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
myth, expressed through the puppeteer and its doll, while others see it as a tribute to Zouc, who disappeared from public life a short time after. According to the biographer Bernard Violet, the final sequence actually gives meaning to the history. He thinks the video is "the most moving films by Boutonnat, a masterpiece of pessimism
Pessimism
Pessimism, from the Latin word pessimus , is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"...
and misanthropy
Misanthropy
Misanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
, because ultimately, all the protagonists lose". The author Erwan Chuberre stated that the Gothic
Gothics
Gothics is the tenth highest of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Park in New York, USA. Much of the mountain is covered in bare rock slides, which give the mountain its name due to their resemblance to Gothic architecture. The summit has near 360 degree views, which combined with its location in...
artist Angélique Comet was disturbed "at the emotional level" by the video.
Promotion and live performances
Farmer performed the song in lip syncLip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
on 16 French television shows (all sources listed below provide different data), broadcast between 13 November 1987 and 6 February 1988 on various channels (TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
, Antenne 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
, FR3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
, Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
, La 5
France 5
France 5 is a public television network in France, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir...
). Sometimes, she was also interviewed and, on certain shows, she performed another hit. Farmer almost always wore male clothes with black and white checks and a cap (the same costume as she wore during her 1989 tour
Mylène Farmer en concert
Mylène Farmer en concert is Mylène Farmer's 1989 concert tour in support of her second studio album, Ainsi soit je.... It was the first tour of the singer.- Introduction :...
). In 1990, she promoted the song on Swedish and Italian programmes, on 28 April and 13 July. On 18 May 1996, Farmer performed "Sans contrefaçon" just after "California
California (Mylène Farmer song)
"California" is a 1995 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the third single from her fourth studio album, Anamorphosée, and was released on 26 March 1996. The song marked the only collaboration with American movie screenwriter and director Abel Ferrara who directed the very...
", on Les Années tubes.
"Sans contrefaçon" is Farmer's only song to be performed on all her concerts tours (although it was only included as part of a medley on the Mylenium Tour
Mylenium Tour (tour)
Mylenium Tour is Mylène Farmer's 1999-2000 concert tour in support of her fifth studio album, Innamoramento.-Critical reception and commercial success:...
). The song is the one that is included most often on the singer's various compilations and live albums. In the 1989 tour
Mylène Farmer en concert
Mylène Farmer en concert is Mylène Farmer's 1989 concert tour in support of her second studio album, Ainsi soit je.... It was the first tour of the singer.- Introduction :...
, Farmer wears a black and white checked trousers, a cap with the same patterns, and a jacket. First, she performs a choreography moving her hips, then she is joined by all dancers. Dancers come in holding hands and start a choreography during which they mime a street brawl. In the 1996 tour, Farmer wears black pants, heels, a masculine dressing gown and a scarf, and four dancers are dressed in disco drag queen, with green, yellow and blue and red wigs. The projectors are of the same colors as the dancers' wigs. In the 1999 performance
Mylenium Tour (tour)
Mylenium Tour is Mylène Farmer's 1999-2000 concert tour in support of her fifth studio album, Innamoramento.-Critical reception and commercial success:...
, Farmer wears a black costume composed of a woven trousers open on the upper thighs, a transparent bustier, high shoes with heels, a large necklace and two iron false-buttocks; dancers have the same costume, without the jacket, and perform a collective choreography, the same as for "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" during the 1989 tour. During the 2006 concerts at Bercy
Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (tour)
Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy is the Mylène Farmer's 2006 concert tour in support of her sixth studio album, Avant que l'ombre.... It was the fourth tour of the singer.More than 169,000 tickets were sold one about one year before the concert.-Set list:...
, Farmer is dressed with black feathers and had a big hat. The giant screens and the central cross display signs "masculine-feminine" that move in all directions and form somewhat like a hopscotch
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a popular playground game.- Court and rules :- The court :...
game. She performs the same collective choreography as on the previous tours. During the 2009 tour, Farmer and her dancers wear a white tutu, pinsripe trousers and a jacket, and perform the choreography together, while the screens in the back show chessmen.
Critical reception
The song was generally well received by critics of contemporary music. For example, Music Foto declared that "Mylène hits just and strong once more (and more). (...) From the first half second of listening, the chorus (...) is in the head." Rock News said "it's delicious and enchanting". Graffiti praised the song, saying "[it] is divinely subversive and imperiously dancing" is "a piece with an unstoppable melody". Pascal Bussy, from French magazine Compact, awarded three stars to the CD maxi and added: "Without shame, [Farmer] may be to attack the UK charts."On the French Singles Chart, "Sans contrefaçon" appared for 22 weeks, from 5 December 1987 to 30 April 1988. It debuted at number 21, reached the top ten four weeks later and remained inside for a total of ten weeks. On 20 February, it peaked at number two for a sole week, being unable to dislodge Sabrina Salerno
Sabrina Salerno
Sabrina Salerno , also known in her singing career as Sabrina, is an Italian singer, television hostess, model, actress and record producer...
's "Boys (Summertime Love)
Boys (Summertime Love)
"Boys " is a 1987 song performed by Italian singer Sabrina. It is the third single from her eponymous album and achieved a great success in many countries, including Spain, Switzerland, France and Italy, where it was a number-one single. It was Sabrina's first single to be released in the UK...
" which was number one then. It was the Farmer's first top five hit, and her third top ten hit. The song also remains Farmer's third biggest hit, behind "Désenchantée
Désenchantée
"Désenchantée" is a 1991 song recorded by the French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. First single from her third studio album L'Autre..., it was released on 18 March 1991 and achieved a great success in France, topping the chart for more than two months...
" and "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
Pourvu qu'elles soient douces
"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is a 1988 synthpop song by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was released on 12 September 1988. Very provocative, the song deals with sodomy and enjoys a very long music video which contains sexual and...
". In 1990, the song also featured on the German Singles Chart
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
where it reached number 46 and remained on the chart for twelve weeks.
Cover versions and soundtrack use
The song has been covered by many artists, including Patricia in 1998 with a dance version entitled "Listen to Your Heart" and recorded in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Lorie
Lorie
Laure Pester, professionally known as Lorie, is a French singer. Her fame can be attributed to producer, songwriter and composer Johnny Williams and her father–manager Dominique Pester...
in 2003 as second track on her single "À 20 ans
À 20 ans
"À 20 ans" is a 2002 song recorded by the French singer Lorie. It was released on January 13, 2003, as the second single from her second studio album, Tendrement, on which it is the ninth track...
", French rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Armens in 2003 for their live album Sans contrefaçon - Le Live (track 1, 3:24) and released as a single, Mr Popicide in 2003, many contestants of the show Star Academy
Star Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
, including Anne-Laure Sitbon (2003), Élodie Frégé
Elodie Frégé
Elodie Frégé is a French singer. She was the winner of the third season of Star Academy France. She released her self-titled debut album after winning the show.-Biography:...
(2004), and Giovanni (2003, Belgian Star Academy)(these versions were not released as a single, but were only performed on TV), and Julie Zenatti
Julie Zenatti
Julie Zenatti, born 5 February 1981, is a French singer celebrity. She first played the role of Fleur-de-Lys and later Esmeralda on stage for the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. Zenatti was involved with Notre-Dame de Paris co-star Patrick Fiori from 2002–2006 and the pair were engaged for 2 years...
in 2003 on French radio Generation Scoop in an acoustic version. In recent year, Korean girl band, Girl's Generation, covered the song with different title, Gee, and went on to hit number one chart in both Korea and Japan.
"Sans contrefaçon" is featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 French film Pédale douce, produced by Gabriel Aghion
Gabriel Aghion
-Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine * Bras de Fer * Rue du Bac * Pédale douce -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine (1983)* Bras de Fer (1985)* Rue du Bac (1990)* Pédale douce...
, as the first track. The song is played at the beginning of the film as well as during the final credits. In one of the editions of Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. The game was created in 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Canadian Chris Haney, a photo editor for Montreal's The Gazette and Scott Abbott, a sports...
, there is a question which asks: "In the song "Sans contrefaçon", what does Mylène Farmer claim?", the answer is "Je suis un garçon" ("I'm a boy").
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Sans contrefaçon":- 7" single - France, Canada
- 12" maxi
- CD maxi - Europe / CD maxi - Promo - Europe
- Digital download (since 2005)
- 7" single / 12" maxi / CD promo
Release history
| Date | Label | Region | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1987 | Polydor | France | 7" single / 7" single - Promo | 887 195-7 |
| 12" maxi | 887 195-1 | |||
| CD maxi / CD maxi - Promo | 887 195-2 | |||
| 12" maxi - Promo | 887 241-1 | |||
| 1988 | Canada | 7" single | PO51008 | |
| May 1990 | Germany | 7" single | 887 195-7 | |
| 12" maxi | 887 241-1 | |||
| CD maxi | 887 195-2 | |||
| 5 August 2003 | France | 7" single | 981 008-1 |
Official versions
| Version | Length | Album | Remixed by | Year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album version | 4:07 | Ainsi soit je... Ainsi Soit Je... Ainsi Soit Je... is the second album by Mylène Farmer, released in April 1988. It contains the hit singles "Sans contrefaçon", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" and "Sans logique"... |
— | 1987 | See the previous sections |
| Single version | 3:50 | — | Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Boutonnat Laurent Pierre Marie Boutonnat is a French composer and film and music video director, best known as the songwriting partner of Mylène Farmer and the director of moody, provocative and literature-inspired music videos.- Career :... |
1987 | The last refrain is deleted. |
| Boy remix | 5:55 | Dance Remixes Dance Remixes Dance Remixes is the first remix album by Mylène Farmer, released on November 23, 1992.- Background, writing and release :This album was made to make the fans wait until the following album, postponed because of the Giorgino 's shooting.... |
Thierry Rogen | 1987 | This dance remix had a 1:30 introduction and contains the fully lyrics. |
| Girl remix | 4:20 | — | Thierry Rogen | 1987 | This is a dance remix in which the verses are deleted and which contains only the half of the words of the refrain. |
| Music video | 8:43 | Les Clips Vol. II Les Clips Vol. II Les Clips Vol. II is a VHS recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1988 to 1989. It was released in December 1988 in France.... , Music Videos I Music Videos I Music Videos I is a VHS / DVD recorded by the French singer Mylène Farmer, containing all the singer's videoclips from 1985 to 1992. It was released in April 1997 in France.... |
— | 1987 | |
| Live version (recorded in 1989) |
6:10 | En Concert | — | 1989 | Farmer asks the audience to sing the refrain with her. |
| Live version (recorded in 1996) |
4:23 | Live à Bercy Live à Bercy Live à Bercy is the second live album by Mylène Farmer, released on May 21, 1997. It was also produced as a video.-Background:After the successful concerts tour of 1996, whose shows were spread out from May 25 to December 15, a live album was recorded and produced by Thierry Suc, and sponsored by... |
— | 1996 | The version is very energetic. When the song ends, Farmer asks the audience to sing the chorus with her, saying this song "is ours". |
| Live version (recorded in 2000) |
0:34 | Mylenium Tour Mylenium Tour Mylènium Tour is the third live album by Mylène Farmer, released on December 5, 2000.-Background:After having ending her third successful tour whose last shows were held in Russia on March 7, 2000, Farmer rested, and then decided to release an album and a DVD retracing her concert... |
— | 2000 | The song is included in a medley. Although Farmer starts to sing "Dis maman, pourquoi j'suis pas un garçon?", she sings first "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces Pourvu qu'elles soient douces "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" is a 1988 synthpop song by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Third single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was released on 12 September 1988. Very provocative, the song deals with sodomy and enjoys a very long music video which contains sexual and... ", "Maman a tort Maman a tort "Maman a tort" is a 1984 song recorded by French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the debut single from Farmer's first studio album Cendres de Lune, and marked the beginning of her collaboration with her long-time composer, Laurent Boutonnat. With lyrics by Jérôme Dahan, who also helped compose the... " and "Libertine Libertine (song) "Libertine" is a 1986 song recorded by French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the third single from her first studio album Cendres de Lune and was released on 1 April 1986. It was particularly known for its huge music video, produced as a film and which contains explicit sexual and violent scenes. It... ". |
| Album version | 4:15 | Les Mots | Laurent Boutonnat | 2001 | At the end, the music continues for a few more seconds. |
| J.C.A. remix | 5:52 | RemixeS RemixeS RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:... |
J.C.A. | 2003 | This is a techno remix in which the second verse and some refrains are removed ; the musical introduction lasts about 1:30 and the words "Puisqu'il faut choisir" are repeated throughout the first part of the song. |
| Live version (recorded in 2006) |
4:46 | Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy is the fourth live album by Mylène Farmer, released on December 4, 2006.- Background :Six years after her Mylenium Tour, Mylène Farmer came back on stage with a tour in 2006 which included 13 shows at Bercy, in Paris. This very successful series of concerts started on... |
— | 2006 | This reorchestrated version is energetic. |
| Live version (recorded in 2009) |
4:09 | N°5 on Tour N°5 on Tour Nº5 on Tour is a double live album by French singer Mylène Farmer which documents her 2009 tour Mylène Farmer en tournée. It is her fifth live album and her 15th album overall. It was released on 7 December 2009, and it includes the standard set list that she sang during the indoor shows in France... |
— | 2009 | Many guitar sounds are used throughout the refrains and the bridge. |
Credits and personnel
These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:- Mylène Farmer – lyrics
- Laurent Boutonnat – music
- Bertrand Le Page and Toutankhamon – editions
- Polydor – recording company
- Elsa Trillat – photo
Charts and certifications
| Chart (1987/88) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 27 |
| French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Singles Chart |
2 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
| German Singles Chart | 46 |
| Country | Certification | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|
| France | Should be Gold | 500,000 - 700,000 |