"Ces soirées-là" (French pronunciation: [se swaʁe la], lit.'These evenings') is a 2000 song recorded by French singer/rapper Yannick. It was the second single from his debut album C'est ça qu'on aime and was released in March 2000. Based on a Claude François' song (Cette année-là), it achieved a smash success in France, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.

"Ces soirées-là"
Single by Yannick
from the album C'est ça qu'on aime
B-side"Qui ne tente rien n'a rien"
Released25 March 2000 (2000-03-25)
GenreRap, pop
Length3:21
LabelM13, Sony Music
Songwriter(s)Bob Gaudio, DJ Effa
Judy Parker, Yannick
Producer(s)DJ Effa
Yannick singles chronology
"J'aime ta maille"
(1998)
"Ces soirées-là"
(2000)
"Fais ce qu'il te plait"
(2000)

Background and structure

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In 1976, the band Four Seasons recorded the hit single "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)". The same year, Claude François adapted the song in French-language under the title "Cette année-là" ("That Year"). In 2000, Yannick made a partial cover of François' version: it used almost the same music, but changed the verses. The song, a "dancing and joyful rap", is "festive and lively". According to an analysis of an expert of French charts, the song is characterized by "the brass instruments support[ing] then punctuat[ing] the refrain, the rhythmic tune so characteristic (...) and the bass [playing] in the soloist passage".[1] The lyric "avec bien plus de style que Travolta" pays homage to John Travolta as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever.

Chart performance

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In France, the song debuted at No. 13 on 25 March 2000, then climbed and reached No. 1 three weeks later. It stayed there for 15 consecutive weeks, then dropped rather slowly. It totalled 24 weeks in the top ten, 36 weeks in the top 50 and 37 weeks on the chart (top 100)[2] and was certified Diamond disc by the SNEP.[3]

"Ces soirées-là" was also successful in Belgium (Wallonia). It went to number 33 on 6 May 2000 and reached number one three weeks later. After 10 weeks atop, it kept on dropping and fell off the chart (top 40) after a total of 24 weeks.[4]

The song was No. 4 for two weeks in July 2000 in Switzerland, but remained on the chart for 30 weeks, 14 of them in the top ten.[5]

Cover versions

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The song was covered by The Song Family on the cover album of the same name.[6]

Pierre Palmade and Patrick Timsit recorded their own version of the song on Les Enfoirés' album 2002: Tous dans le même bateau, on which it features as second track.[7]

It is also the opening number in worldwide smash-hit musical Jersey Boys, which features the life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Track listings

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CD single
  1. "Ces soirées-là" (edit radio) – 3:21
  2. "Ces soirées-là" (extended version) – 4:43
  3. "Qui ne tente rien n'a rien" – 4:45
Sales in private circuit
  1. "Ces soirées-là" (edit radio) – 3:21
  2. "Ces soirées-là" (house mix) – 5:08
  3. "Ces soirées-là" (version instrumentale) – 3:21
  4. "Ces soirées-là" (a capella) – 3:25

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[13] 2× Platinum 100,000*
France (SNEP)[3] Diamond 750,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[14] Gold 25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 494 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
  2. ^ a b "Ces soirées-là", French Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  3. ^ a b "French single certifications – Yannick – Ces soirées-là" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 9 April 2022. Select YANNICK and click OK. 
  4. ^ a b "Ces soirées-là", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  5. ^ a b "Ces soirées-là", Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  6. ^ Ces soirées-là, track listing Lescharts.com (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  7. ^ 2002: Tous dans le même bateau, track listings and charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  8. ^ "Ces soirées-là", Dutch Mega Top 100 Dutchcharts.nl (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  9. ^ 2000 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  10. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles 2000 p.9" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  11. ^ 2000 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  12. ^ 2000 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived 15 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 29 September 2008)
  13. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2000". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  14. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Ces')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2022.