Les Démons de minuit

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“Les démons de minuit”
Single by Images from the album Album d'Images
Released	June 1986
Format	7" single 12" maxi
Recorded	1986
Genre	Pop
Length	3:54 (Album) 6:05 (Extended)
Writer(s)	Richard Seff Stéphane Despres Jean Louis Pujade Phillipe Mimouni Christophe Despres
Producer	Richard Seff
Certification	Platinum France, 1986
Images singles chronology
"Les Démons de minuit" (1986) "Corps à corps" (1997)

"Les Démons de minuit" is the debut single of the French band Images. Released in June 1986, it was the first single from their first album Album d'Images.

Very popular, the song was a huge hit in France. It was the summer hit of 1986, peaking at number one for 13 weeks^[1].

Contents 1 Background and writing 2 Chart performances 3 Covers 4 Formats and track listings 5 Chart, certifications and sales 6 References

[edit] Background and writing

"Les Démons de minuit" is an adaptation of an English song entitled "Emotion Love Tonight"^[2].

It was very difficult for the group to find a record company agreeing to sign a contract with them, because at the beginning nobody believed in the potential of the song.

Christophe Desprès, who took part in the composition of the song, was also a member of the group Pacifique, which released two hits in the late 1980s.

At the time, the music video generated a minor scandal in France because in it there was a little particular priest, tortured by the temptation among seductive women.

[edit] Chart performances

In France, the single debuted at #30 on SNEP Chart on June 21, 1986. It reached very quickly the top 10 (two weeks after), and climbed to #1 on July 19. There it stayed for 13 weeks. After that, the single fell almost every week but managed to feature on the chart until its 30th week^[1].

For about seven years, "Les Démons de minuit" was the song with most weeks at number one on French SNEP Singles Chart (this record was also performed in 1987 by Licence IV's "Viens boire un p'tit coup à la maison", and was beaten in 1993 by Jordy's "Dur dur d'être un bébé", which stayed at #1 for 15 weeks).^[3]

It was the most successful single of the 1980s in France.

[edit] Covers

"Les Démons de minuit" was re-recorded by the group Images in 1996 in a remixed version and features in this new version on their cover album Jusqu'au bout de la nuit, which was #1 on French Albums Chart for four weeks in France and #6 in Belgium (Wallonia)^[4].

In 1999, the song was included in a successful medley entitled "Jusqu'au bout de la nuit", performed with Émile, the singer of French band Gold (#12 in France, #24 in Wallonia)^[5].

The song was covered by DV8 feat. R. Fame in 2002. It was also coverd by Soma Riba and DJ Fou in 2005, and this version achieved a minor success, failing the Top 50 (#54 in France)^[6].

Another cover, but in English-language and under the title "Devil's Rap", was made by Ramsdy Jay and Gang, in a rap version^[2].

[edit] Formats and track listings

7" single

1. "Les Démons de minuit" (3:54)
2. "Les Démons de minuit" (instrumental) (3:58)

12" maxi

1. "Les Démons de minuit" (6:05)
2. "Les Démons de minuit" (instrumental) (4:25)

[edit] Chart, certifications and sales

Chart (1986) Peak position French Singles Chart[7] 1 Chart (1999)1 Peak position French Singles Chart[8] 12 Belgium (Wallonia) Singles Chart[9] 24 Chart (2005)2 Peak position French Singles Chart[10] 54 1 Medley version "Jusqu'au bout de la nuit", by Émile and Images 2 Soma Riba and DJ Fou version

Country Certification Sales France3 Platinum[11] 1,175,000[12] France4 Silver[13] 132,000[14] 3 Original version (1986) 4 Medley version (1999)

Preceded by "En Rouge et Noir" by Jeanne Mas

French (SNEP) number one single July 19, 1986 - October 11, 1986

Succeeded by "Holiday Rap" by MC Miker G & DJ Sven

[edit] References