Tour de France (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Tour de France" | ||
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| Single by Kraftwerk | ||
| Released | June 1983 August 1984 3 August 1999 |
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| Recorded | 1983 (remix 1984) | |
| Genre | Electronic music, Krautrock | |
| Label | EMI Warner Bros. |
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| Producer(s) | Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider | |
| Kraftwerk singles chronology | ||
| "Computerwelt" (Special Mix) (1982) ---- "Showroom Dummies" (1982, UK) |
"Tour de France" (1983) ---- "Tour de France" (1983, UK) |
"Tour de France" (Remix) (1984) ---- "Tour de France" (Remix) (1984, UK) |
Tour de France is a song by Kraftwerk. It was first issued in June 1983, peaking at #22 in the UK singles chart. It is notable for the use of sampled voices and mechanical sounds associated with cycling that were used to supplement a simple electro-percussion pattern – an approach Kraftwerk have used on earlier tracks such as "Metal on Metal" (from (Trans-Europe Express) and "Numbers" (from Computer World). The music is credited to Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider and Karl Bartos; the lyrics are credited to Ralf Hütter and Maxime Schmitt, a French associate of the band. The melody appears to quote a fragment of the opening section of Paul Hindemith's Sonata For Flute And Piano ('Heiter Bewegt'). In 1983 in the US the song was also released by a group called “10 Speed”, with Kraftwerk’s permission.[citation needed]
It has the most complicated set of variants of any Kraftwerk song, having been variously edited and remixed to the point that there is no completely definitive version. The track was originally recorded with the intention of being included on the subsequently abandoned Techno Pop album. The single was originally released on seven and twelve inch vinyl, and as a cassette-single.
The cover depicted the band on racing style bicycles in an aerodynamic chain formation typical in cycle racing.
The design was adapted from an image that appeared on a 1953 Hungarian postage stamp, one of a sport-themed set commemorating the opening the Népstadion (People's Stadium) in Budapest.
[edit] Original release
In Germany it was released in both German and French language versions, one on each side of the vinyl disc, but in other countries the versions of the song that were issued were sung only in French. Typically, the seven inch sides were edited down versions of the longer tracks released on twelve inch singles. In the UK however the seven inch B side was an instrumental edit of the A side track; an additional instrumental track of percussion and samples, "Tour de France, Étape 2", was included on the UK twelve inch and cassette releases.
[edit] Remix release
In August 1984 the song was re-released in two new versions: a substantially different and largely instrumental arrangement, remixed by François Kevorkian in New York; and a Kraftwerk-remixed alternative version of the original arrangement, featuring longer percussive sections than the 1983 version in the latter half of the track. Sleeves for later UK pressings of this version included the message "As featured in the film Breakdance" on the front.
[edit] Digital remaster
In 1999 the recordings were digitally remastered and released yet again, this time as a CD and a twelve inch single, with a slightly modified version of the original cover design: the faces of former members Karl Bartos and Wolfgang Flür, who had left the band by 1999, were replaced by faces presumably representing current members Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz.
The 1999 vinyl twelve inch had the 1984 Kraftwerk remix as the A side (now sub-titled "Kling Klang Analog Mix") and the Kevorkian version as the B side (re-titled "Remix François K"). The CD also included the 1983 seven inch single edited mix of the song (re-titled "Radio Version") and a QuickTime format file of the video, featuring an edited version of the 1984 Kraftwerk remix with German lyrics ("Multi-Media-Track") over an amended video. The video itself was re-edited to remove sequences showing the 1983 incarnation of the band and now comprised only archive footage of Tour de France cyclists, such as the Italian champion Fausto Coppi.
[edit] A final version
A completely new recording was made for the 2003 album Tour de France Soundtracks, based on the original 1983 arrangement.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] UK 12 inch vinyl 198312 EMI 5413
[edit] UK 7 inch vinyl 1983EMI 5413
[edit] UK cassette 1983TC-EMI 5413
[edit] UK 12 inch vinyl 198412 EMI 5413
Has the same catalogue number as the 1983 release [edit] UK 7 inch vinyl 1984EMI 5413
Has the same catalogue number as the 1983 release 
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[edit] German 12 inch vinyl 19831CK 052 1652046
[edit] German 7 inch vinyl 19831C 006 1652047
[edit] German 12 inch vinyl 1984 (1)1CK 052 1652046
This may be a mis-pressing or promo as it has the same sleeve and catalogue number as the earlier release; replaced by (2) below, it was also released in Australia as EMI ED 85 [edit] German 12 inch vinyl 1984 (2)1CK 062 2003776
[edit] German 7 inch vinyl 19841C 006 200376-7
[edit] EU 12 inch vinyl 19997243 8 87421 6 0
[edit] EU CD 19997243 8 87421 0 8
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Note 1: "Tour de France (Long Version)" is the same track as "Tour de France (Version Francaise)".
Note 2: "Tour de France, Étape", although listed as such on sleeves, is misleadingly put as "Tour de France (Version)" on the B-side label of the 1983 12 inch disc and cassette; it is not the same track as the later remix that has this title.
Note 3: "Tour de France (Version)" is also sub-titled "New York Club Mix" on some releases. The track was digitally remastered and re-released as "Tour de France (Kling Klang Analog Mix)" in 1999.
[edit] Original 1983 cover design
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[edit] See also
- Tour de France Soundtracks 2003 album
[edit] Audio samples
- "Tour de France" (Radio Version) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- 30 second excerpt of the 1983 version.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
- Paul Hindemith's "Sonata For Flute And Piano" (1936) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- The opening bars of the first movement.
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
| Kraftwerk |
| Ralf Hütter | Florian Schneider |
| Karl Bartos | Wolfgang Flür | Fritz Hilpert | Henning Schmitz | Emil Schult |
| Discography |
| Albums: Tone Float (as Organisation) | Kraftwerk | Kraftwerk 2 | Ralf und Florian | Autobahn | Radio-Activity | Trans-Europe Express | The Man-Machine | Computer World | Electric Café | Tour de France Soundtracks |
| Live and Compilations albums Exceller 8 | The Mix | Klang Box | Minimum – Maximum | The Catalogue |
| Non-album singles: Kohoutek-Kometenmelodie | Tour de France | Expo 2000 |
| Videography |
| Minimum – Maximum (DVD) |
