Joe le taxi
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| “Joe le taxi” | |||||
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| Single by Vanessa Paradis from the album M&J |
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| B-side | "Varvara Pavlovna" | ||||
| Released | April 27, 1987 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1987 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 3:54 | ||||
| Label | Polydor, Barclay | ||||
| Writer(s) | Franck Langolff, Étienne Roda-Gil | ||||
| Producer | Bertrand Châtenet, Philippe Osman, Franck Langolff | ||||
| Vanessa Paradis singles chronology | |||||
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"Joe le taxi" is a song written by Franck Langolff and Étienne Roda-Gil for French singer Vanessa Paradis' debut album, M&J (1988).
Paradis recorded the song in 1987, at the age of fourteen. It went on to top the singles chart in France for an unprecedented eleven weeks,[1] and, uncommon for a French song at that time, was released in the United Kingdom the following year, where it peaked at number three. The song was taken from her debut album, M&J (short for "Marilyn & John"), which, although peaking at number thirteen in France, drew no interest in Britain and did not peak.
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[edit] Story
"Joe le taxi" is a song about a taxi driver, Joe, who works in Paris. The song emphasizes the notion that Joe seems to know all of the French capital including the whereabouts of all the little bars, all of the Parisian streets, the Seine, and bridges. The song's lyrics suggest that Joe enjoys drinking rum, has a passion for Latin music and his saxophone, and dreams of going to the Amazon. Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat and Peruvian exotica singer Yma Súmac are also referenced in the lyrics.
[edit] Music video
The video, one of the cheapest in the entire history, was directed by Jean-Sébastien Deligny in 1988, and begins by glimpsing the side of Joe's taxi (taxi rates can be seen in black ink). The shadows of two men playing the saxophone in unison can also be seen. The video then shows Joe in his taxi and afterward, a young Vanessa Paradis gyrating her body to the beat of the song, next to a big yellow taxi similar to Joe's (she is wearing an oversized peach sweater with the words "Gross Stage" and the number twenty-six emblazoned across the front; she is also wearing grey pants.
Joe seems to be driving around town, either looking out for customers or simply enjoying a scenic journey across a bright and beautiful Paris. Says the director to call Paradis, who could not even shower and dressed with the first thing we found ... hence the appearance of the singer as natural
The camera switches between Joe, Vanessa, and the two shadows playing their saxophones in perfect unison (in colour when focussed on Paradis, in black-and-white when on Joe); it ends with a front view of Joe's taxi.
[edit] Remixes and cover versions
"Joe le taxi" has been remixed and covered several times by somewhat notable artists including Japanese singer Hanayo and Brazilian television show host, singer, and actress Angélica (whose version, "Vou de Táxi"—Portuguese for "I'm Going by Taxi"—, became a chart-topper in Brazil). Several different versions of the song are available on YouTube.
[edit] Chart performance
"Joe le taxi" debuted at number twenty-one on the French Singles Chart, reaching number one in its fourth week for eleven weeks. Besides, it reached the top five in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Norway and the top ten in Germany and Sweden. The single didn't fare as well in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number twenty-three. It has also been remixed by Auria Pozzi, in an electronica version.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
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| Dutch Top 40[2] | 23 |
| French Singles Chart[1] | 1 |
| German Singles Chart[3] | 8 |
| Norwegian VG-lista[1] | 5 |
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart[4] | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[1] | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart[5] | 3 |
| Preceded by "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna |
French (SNEP) number-one single August 1, 1987 – October 10, 1987 |
Succeeded by "La Bamba" by Los Lobos |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Vanessa Paradis - Joe le taxi. LesCharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ De Nederlandse Top 40. Radio 538. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ German Singles Chart. Charts-Surfer. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ The Irish Charts. IRMA. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ UK Top 40 Hit Database. EveryHit.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
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