Can't Speak French

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“Can't Speak French”
“Can't Speak French” cover
Single by Girls Aloud
from the album Tangled Up
B-side Hoxton Heroes
Je Ne Parle Pas Français
With Every Heartbeat (Live Lounge Cover)
Released 14 March 2008 (digital)

17 March 2008 (physical)
Format CD
Digital download
Recorded London, England
Genre Pop
Length 3:19 (radio edit)
4:04 (album version)
Label Fascination
Writer(s) Miranda Cooper
Brian Higgins
Tim Powell
Nick Coler
Jody Lei
Carla Marie Williams
Producer Xenomania
Girls Aloud singles chronology
"Call the Shots"
(2007)		 "Can't Speak French"
(2008)
Tangled Up track listing
"Girl Overboard"
(4)		 "Can't Speak French"
(5)		 "Black Jacks"
(6)
Alternate covers
UK CD2 cover
UK CD2 cover
Digital EP cover
Digital EP cover

"Can't Speak French" is the eighteenth single by the British girl group Girls Aloud; the third to be taken from their fourth studio album Tangled Up. It was released physically on 17 March 2008.[1]

Contents

[edit] Release and reception

The single was confirmed on 15 January 2008 on the official site.[2] The first televised performance was a month prior on the Christmas special of The Friday Night Project.

Promotion for "Can't Speak French" was initially put on hold, so that Cheryl Cole could sort through her marital problems with Chelsea and England player Ashley Cole,[3] but had since resumed. During February and March, they appeared on a number of television shows to promote the single, including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway,[4] The Paul O'Grady Show, and T4.[5] Their new television series, Passions of Girls Aloud, also premiered on 14 March, with the Passions Mix of "Can't Speak French" being used as the programme's theme.[6]

Girls Aloud also held a competition on their official website for a signed poster. Fans submitted their own original verse for "Can't Speak French", with five winners being announced throughout the week of the single's release.[7]

The song received mostly positive reviews from critics. On a positive note, The Guardian called the song "a prime example of Xenomania's ability to throw wildly disparate musical elements together."[8] The Daily Star said that "Can't Speak French" was a "swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes".[9] A reviewer for musicOMH.com felt that the "mid-paced groove isn't all that funky," but "creeps up when you're not looking, lodging itself in your head."[10] Less impressed was Sarah Walters of the Manchester Evening News, who stated that she was "undecided whether this is a bad joke or a stroke of genius" and described the chorus as "pure idiocy."[11]

[edit] Music video

Girls Aloud in their music video.
Girls Aloud in their music video.

The video for "Can't Speak French" was shot towards the end of January 2008 in London.[12] American director Petro directed the music video for the production company Draw Pictures.[13] It premièred on Yahoo! Music on 14 February, with the TV premiere on Channel 4's "Freshly Squeezed" on 16 February.[14] However, the music video appeared on some music channels such as The Box on 13 February.

The music video features Girls Aloud in elaborate costumes inspired by Marie Antoinette and 18th century French fashions. They crash a sophisticated dinner party and seduce the male guests. They dance provocatively and flirt with the men. Throughout the video, individual shots of each girl in front of a coloured wall are interpolated.

[edit] Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Can't Speak French".[15]

# Title Time
CD1: Fascination (UK) / 1762720
1. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19
2. "Hoxton Heroes" 3:08
CD2: Fascination (UK) / 1764167
1. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19
2. "Je Ne Parle Pas Français" 3:41
3. "Can't Speak French" [Passions Remix] 6:11
4. "With Every Heartbeat" [Radio One Live Lounge] 3:58
5. "Can't Speak French" [Video] 3:19
UK iTunes Exclusive Download
1. "Can't Speak French" [Tony Lamezma Mix Radio Edit] 4:00
2. "Can't Speak French" [Radio Edit] 3:19

[edit] Versions and appearances

These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:

Version Release appearance
Album Version Tangled Up
Radio Edit (Jeremey Wheatley Radio Edit) "Can't Speak French" single
Je Ne Parle Pas Français
Passions Remix (Tony Lamezma Mix)
Tony Lamezma Mix Radio Edit UK iTunes Download

[edit] Charts

"Can't Speak French" debuted at number forty-nine on the UK Singles Chart on 24 February 2008, four weeks before the single's physical release.[16] It jumped to number thirty-five the following week,[17] still on downloads alone and entered the top twenty the next week.[18] After the physical release the song peaked at number nine,[19] in the UK, becoming the band's eighteenth consecutive top ten single. The single spent 10 weeks in the top 40. Digital sales also helped the song debut on the Irish Singles Chart at number thirty-five,[16] rising two spots the following week, and three more to number thirty the week after. After the single's physical release, "Can't Speak French" peaked at nine, continuing their run of Top 10 hits. However, two weeks after the physical release in Ireland, "Can't Speak French" climbed to a new peak of number twelve.[16]

Chart (2008) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 9[16]
Bulgarian National Top 40 31[16]
Croatian Singles Chart 7[20]
Estonian Singles Chart 9[21]
Euro 200 24[22]
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 33[23]
Irish Singles Chart 12[16]
Lithuanian Radio Chart 26[24]
Hungrian Viva Charts 19[25]
Romanian Singles Chart 79[26]

[edit] B-side

The single's B-side "Hoxton Heroes" was first mentioned in a November interview with The Guardian. Miranda Cooper, a songwriter and member of the Xenomania production house, said "We've written a song called Hoxton Hero. Me and the girls got on an amazing rant, taking the piss out of the whole indie scene." Kimberley Walsh stated, "They say we're a manufactured band, but they're just as manufactured." The song was considered too controversial to go on the album.[27]

On 31 January 2008, it was confirmed on Girls Aloud's official website and in The Daily Star that "Hoxton Heroes" would appear as a B-side, alongside a French version of the single.[1][28] A 30-second clip of "Hoxton Heroes" was posted on Girls Aloud's official MySpace on 6 February.[29] Some indie music fans have attacked Girls Aloud for the song.[30] Heatworld.com exclusively streamed a clip of "Je Ne Parle Pas Français" on 26 February.[31]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kim Dawson (2008-01-31). Girls Attack!. The Daily Star. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ News on the Girls' next single. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-01-15). Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
  3. ^ Nadine Coyle makes most of band crisis. Sunday Mirror (2008-02-03). Retrieved on 2008-02-03.
  4. ^ GA TV. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-02-19). Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  5. ^ Tune in.... GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
  6. ^ The Passions are coming!. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-03-05). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  7. ^ Signed posters. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-03-04). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  8. ^ Girls Aloud, Tangled Up. The Guardian (2007-11-09). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  9. ^ Girls Aloud track by track. The Daily Star (2007-11-07). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  10. ^ Ben Hogwood (2008-03-12). Girls Aloud - Can't Speak French (Polydor). musicOMH.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  11. ^ Sarah Walters (2008-03-13). Girls Aloud - Can't Speak French (Fascination). Manchester Evening News. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  12. ^ Brave Cheryl: I'm outta here. The Sun (2008-01-29). Retrieved on 2008-01-29.
  13. ^ Petro. DrawPictures.co.uk (2008-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
  14. ^ Can't Speak French - THE VIDEO!. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  15. ^ Can't Speak French - Out 17th March. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Girls Aloud - Can't Speak French. aCharts.us. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  17. ^ Girls Aloud - Can't Speak French. ChartStats.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  18. ^ Duffy holds out against Leona. The News Letter (2003-03-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  19. ^ Neil Wilkes (2008-03-23). Estelle knocks Duffy from top spot. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  20. ^ Croatian Single Chart
  21. ^ Estonia Chart
  22. ^ Euro 200
  23. ^ European Hot 100 Singles. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
  24. ^ Lithuanian Radio Chart. m-1.fm (2008-02-22). Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  25. ^ Hungria Viva Charts
  26. ^ Romanian Top 100 (2008-04). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  27. ^ Smashed hits. The Guardian (2007-11-11). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  28. ^ More details on Can't Speak French. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-01-31). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  29. ^ EXCLUSIVE: Hear Hoxton Heroes!. GirlsAloud.co.uk (2008-02-06). Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  30. ^ Music fans react to Girls Aloud criticising indie bands. NME (2008-02-08). Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  31. ^ Hear Girls Aloud sing Can’t Speak French – IN FRENCH!. Heatworld.com (2008-02-26). Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
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