Voyage, voyage

"Voyage, voyage" ([vwa.jaʒ vwa.jaʒ]) is a song co-written by Dominique Albert Dubois and Jean-Michel Rivat and recorded by the French singer Desireless. It was the first single from her debut album François released at the end of 1986. Despite being sung entirely in French, the song circumvented the language barrier on the music charts and became a huge worldwide hit between 1986 and 1988, reaching the top position in more than ten countries around the world.

Desireless version

Chart performances

Since "Voyage, voyage" is sung exclusively in French, its chart success came as a surprise as it managed the rare feat of becoming a hit in several nations usually closed to francophone songs and artists such as the UK and Ireland. In Germany, the song topped the chart and has the longest chart trajectory of 1987 in the Top 20.^[2] Ironically the song missed the top spot in France, peaking at no. 2 for four weeks, behind Elsa Lunghini with her first hit "T'en vas pas". It also reached number one in Germany, Norway and Spain.

The song initially hit no. 53 in the UK in November 1987. After being remixed by Pete Hammond and Pete Waterman of PWL, the song was re-released in the UK in the spring of 1988 and climbed to no. 5 in June of that year. In Ireland, the song reached no. 4 twice, first on its original run in November 1987 followed by the PWL remix version in June 1988.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Bettina Rheims and premiered in France in December 1986.^[3]

Track listings

7" single

"Voyage, voyage" (4:12)
"Destin fragile" (instrumental) (3:31)

12" maxi

"Voyage, voyage" (extended remix) (6:45)
"Voyage, voyage" (4:12)

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[4]	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[5]	19
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)^[6]	20
France (SNEP)^[7]	2
Germany (Media Control Charts)^[8]	1
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	4
Italy (FIMI)^[10]	41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[11]	11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[12]	9
Norway (VG-lista)^[13]	1
Spain (AFYVE)^[14]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[15]	11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[17]	53

Chart (1988)¹	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[18]	5

¹ Remix

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
France (SNEP)^[19]	6

Chart (1987)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[20]	7
Germany (Media Control Charts)^[21]	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[22]	85
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[23]	1

Certifications and sales


Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
France (SNEP)^[24]	Gold	689,000^[25]
Germany (BVMI)^[26]	Gold	250,000^{^}
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[27]	2× Platinum	100,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by "It's a Sin" by Pet Shop Boys	Austrian number-one single 1 October 1987 – 15 October 1987 (3 weeks)	Succeeded by "Balla... Balla!" by Francesco Napoli
	German number-one single 31 August 1987 – 28 September 1987 (5 weeks)	Succeeded by "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley
	Norwegian number-one single (first run) 40/1987 (1 week)	Succeeded by "Brilliant Disguise" by Bruce Springsteen
Preceded by "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley	Norwegian number-one single (second run) 44/1987 (1 week)	Succeeded by "You Win Again" by the Bee Gees
Preceded by "Multimix" by The Communards	Spanish number-one single 4 July 1987 – 26 September 1987 (13 weeks)	Succeeded by "It's a Sin" by Pet Shop Boys
Preceded by "Jeanny Part I" by Falco 1986	German best-selling single of the year 1987	Succeeded by "Girl You Know It's True" by Milli Vanilli 1988
Preceded by "Adesso tu" by Eros Ramazzotti 1986	Swiss best-selling single of the year 1987	Succeeded by "Küss' die Hand, schöne Frau" by the Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung 1988

Kate Ryan cover version

"Voyage Voyage"

Single by Kate Ryan

from the album Free

B-side

We All Belong

Released

6 July 2007

Format

CD single, CD maxi

Recorded

2007

Genre

Eurodance^[28]

Length

3:07

Label

ARS Entertainment
Universal Music

Writer(s)

Jean-Michel Rivat
Dominique Dubois

Producer(s)

Kate Ryan singles chronology

"All For You"
(2007)

"Voyage Voyage"
(2007)

"L.I.L.Y. (Like I Love You)"
(2008)

The Belgian singer Kate Ryan released the song from her 2008 album Free. "Voyage Voyage" came out as a double single, featuring "We all belong" which is the anthem of the event "Eurogames 2007" that occurred in Belgium in 2007. "We All Belong" is not only an anthem but also a supportive song for gay and lesbians. However, "Voyage Voyage" was the only song to have a music video. Since it was released on 11 July, it peaked at number 2 in Belgium, number 10 in the Netherlands, number 26 in Sweden, number 20 in Greece, 13 in Germany, 4 in Spain, 12 in Poland, 27 in Austria and 10 in Finland. This is the first single of Kate Ryan being released under ARS Entertainment, after her departure from EMI Belgium.

Track listings

CD single

"Voyage Voyage"
"Voyage Voyage" (Extended Version)
"We All Belong"
"We All Belong" (Extended Version)

Charts

Chart (2007–2008)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[29]	26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[30]	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)^[31]	28
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)^[32]	3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[33]	10
Germany (Media Control Charts)^[34]	13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[35]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[36]	11
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[37]	6
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[38]	26

Other covers

In 1989, the song was recorded with Russian comic lyrics to the original backing track and unofficially released by the Soviet DJ Sergei Minaev.
It was also covered by the Mexican band Magneto in 1991 with a Spanish version entitled "Vuela Vuela". This version peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.^[39]
In 1995, Russian comic death metal band Boney’NEM recorded their version of the song.
Japanese Jpop Duo Wink also covered it on 1993 by the name Eien no Lady Doll ~Voyage Voyage~.
The song was also covered by the band Gregorian, featuring Sarah Brightman.
Bananarama also covered the song and it has been performed live during 2008. It appears as a B-side on their single "Love Comes" which is included on their 2009 album, Viva.
The Spanish band Los Gandules released a version of the song, Bayas Bayas (Berries Berries), on their album Sillonbol Stars. It features different lyrics in which a small bear switches to eating berries after a bad experience with the bees in a hive.
Austrian artist Soap&Skin covered the song on her 2012 album Narrow.
Armenian singer Sonya (Սոնիա),^[40] covered this song in 2011 with a more sensual re-interpretation.

References

↑ German, Yuri. "Desireless – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 3 May 2014. In 1986, Rivat composed for her "Voyage Voyage," an extremely catchy synth pop number
↑ Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit. tubes. Alinéa Bis. p. 93. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
↑ "Desireless – "Voyage voyage"". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Voyage Voyage – DESIRELESS" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Lescharts.com – Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Officialcharts.de – Desireless – Voyage voyage". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ 9.0 9.1 "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Desireless" (in French). Laurent Pons. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Desireless - Voyage Voyage search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Desireless – Voyage voyage". VG-lista. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Desireless – Voyage voyage". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Desireless – Voyage voyage". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Desireless: Artist Chart History" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Archive Chart: 1988-06-11" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "TOP – 1986" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Jahreshitparade 1987" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Jahrescharts – 1987" (in German). Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1987" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "French single certifications – Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in French). InfoDisc. Select DESIRELESS and click OK
↑ "Les Singles en Or" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Desireless; 'Voyage voyage')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
↑ González, J.; Santos, A. (1 June 2009). "La cantante belga Kate Ryan ofrecerá el concierto estrella de San Agustín". El Comercio (in Spanish) (Avilés). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Voyage Voyage – KATE RYAN" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 3 May 2014. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 3
↑ "Kate Ryan: Voyage voyage" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Officialcharts.de – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kate Ryan - Voyage Voyage search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kate Ryan – Voyage voyage". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Vuela, Vuela (Voyage, Voyage) - Magneto". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
↑ "Voyage Voyage, (Cover) Armenian Singer Sonya". YouTube. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2014.

Desireless

Studio albums	François (1989) I Love You (1994) Ses plus grands succès (2003) Un Brin de paille (2004) More Love and Good Vibrations (2007)

Hit singles	"Voyage, voyage" (1986) "John" (1988)

Labels	Sony CBS Records FGL Music

Kate Ryan

Discography Songs

Albums	Different (2002) Stronger (2004) Alive (2006) Free (2008) Electroshock (2012)

Compilations	Essential (2008) French Connection (2009)

Singles	"Scream for More" (2001) "UR (My Love)" (2001) "Désenchantée" (2002) "Mon cœur résiste encore" (2002) "Libertine" (2002) "Only If I" (2004) "The Promise You Made/La Promesse" (2004) "Goodbye" (2004) "Je t'adore" (2006) "Alive" (2006) "All for You" (2006) "Voyage Voyage" (2007) "L.I.L.Y. (Like I Love You) (2008) "Ella, elle l'a" (2008) "I Surrender" (2008) "Your Eyes" (2009) "Babacar" (2009) "Évidemment" (2009) "Lovelife" (2011) "Broken" (2011) "Robots" (2012) "Light in the Dark" (2013) "Heart Flow" (2013) "Not Alone" (2014)

Associated articles	Discography