"Alane" is a song recorded by Cameroonian artist Wes. It was released in May 1997 via various labels as the debut single from the artist's first album, Welenga (1996). The song became a hit across Europe, topping the charts in Austria, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. It is sung in the Duala language of Cameroon[1] though the Tony Moran remix includes English lyrics ("Alane flows like a fountain, running gently to your heart. Alane dances inside me, like a flame in to your arms").

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "African chants meet state-of-the-art dance beats on this sizzling hot dance track, which has already been firmly entrenched atop the French charts for a couple of weeks."[2] Alan Jones from Music Week declared it a "haunting" single[3] and "likely to be the next Afro-European hit to make the grade here. Wes's expressive but slightly weak vocals are bolstered considerably by a pop/dance arrangement that fits like a glove, while some ethnic-sounding support bolsters the chorus."[4] Chris Finan from Record Mirror Dance Update gave "Alane" five out of five, stating, "With over 2m copies already sold in France, this is certain to cause more than a stir here [in the UK]".[5] A reviewer from Sunday Mirror gave it seven out of ten, adding, "This Euro-stomper with lots of wailing and chanting Afro-vocals is sure to be a huge hit in the nightclubs - and on the Terry Wogan show."[6]

Chart performance

In France, the song was sponsored by TF1,[7] Fun Radio, RTL and the Malongo Coffees. The single spent ten weeks at number-one and remained in the top 50 for 25 weeks, ten of them at the top (and a further 9 weeks in the Top 10.[8])

The song also reached number-one in Belgium (9 weeks at number-one and a further 8 weeks in the top 10[9]), Austria (8 weeks at number-one and a further 9 weeks in the top 10[10]) and The Netherlands (8 weeks at number-one and a further 8 weeks in the top 10[11]) as well as reaching the top 10 in Germany (where it spent 18 weeks in the Top 10[12]), Hungary, Ireland, Israel and Switzerland (10 weeks in the top 10[13]) and number 11 in the UK.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Alane" was directed by Philippe Gautier. The choreography was created by American-French singer Mia Frye, who had previously created the choreography for Los del Rio's "Macarena". Frye appears in both videos.

Track listings

Credits

  • Written by Wes
  • Composed, arranged and produced by Michel Sanchez
  • Artwork by Design, Bronx (Paris)
  • Photography (photo remix) by Laurent Edeline
  • Photography (photo) by Yan Leuvrey
  • Trouser enthusiasts orgasmic apparition mix: programmed by Torsten Gascoigne, produced by Trouser Enthusiasts
  • Trouser enthusiasts spectrophiliac mix: remixed and produced by Trouser Enthusiasts
  • Todd Terry's club remix: remixed by Todd Terry
  • Tony Moran's club mix: remixed by Tony Moran

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[43] Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[44] 3× Platinum 150,000*
France (SNEP)[46] Diamond 1,400,000[45]
Germany (BVMI)[47] 3× Gold 750,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[48] 2× Platinum 150,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[49] Gold 25,000^

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

Robin Schulz and Wes version

German DJ and record producer Robin Schulz released a remake of the song on 19 June 2020 which is included on the album IIII (2021). Schulz had been a fan of the original 1997 song since he was 10 years old and got in touch with Wes via Warner Music. The two musicians met in Paris and then re-recorded the track in a studio in Germany.[50] Its music video was directed by Robert Wunsch and features appearances by Schulz and Wes, along with footage of 30 dancers in 12 countries across the world, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey, Tunisia, Vietnam, and the United States.[51][52][53]

Track listings

Digital download[54]
No.TitleLength
1."Alane"2:55
Digital download – Don Diablo remix[55]
No.TitleLength
1."Alane" (Don Diablo remix)3:20
Digital download – Yves V remix[56]
No.TitleLength
1."Alane" (Yves V remix)2:26

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[82] Platinum 30,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[83] Gold 20,000‡
France (SNEP)[84] Gold 100,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[85] Gold 200,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[86] Gold 25,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ ""Cameroun: L'artiste Wes Madiko est à Douala", Journal du Cameroun, 31 March 2010". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. July 19, 1997. p. 17. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Jones, Alan (January 24, 1998). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 27. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  4. ^ Jones, Alan (January 17, 1998). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 25. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  5. ^ Finan, Chris (January 31, 1998). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 4. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "Best singles". Sunday Mirror. January 11, 1998.
  7. ^ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 386 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
  8. ^ Lescharts.com [1] (Retrieved December 30, 2017)
  9. ^ Ultratop [2] (Retrieved December 30, 2017)
  10. ^ Austrian Charts [3] (Retrieved December 30, 2017)
  11. ^ Dutchcharts.nl [4] (Retrieved December 30, 2017)
  12. ^ Musicline.de [5] Archived December 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved December 30, 2017)
  13. ^ Hitparade.ch [6] (Retrieved December 30, 2107)
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Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alane_(song)
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