Le Jerk !
| "Le Jerk !" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Goodbye Mary" |
"Le Jerk" is a 1990 song recorded by the French musician, songwriter and singer known under the pseudonym of Thierry Hazard. It is the first single from his debut album Pop Music and was one of the 1990 summer hits in France. It is also Hazard's signature song, although he has released other successful songs.
Background
The song was actually released as single in 1989. But then it passed unnoticed (as the previous single "Poupée psychédélique", in 1988). "Le Jerk" was re-released the year after, just at the beginning of the summer.
The song's name refers to a 70s popular dance and was also given to Hazard's best of Le Jerk, released in July 2001.[1]
The single's cover was made by the French designer Serge Clerc. The role of Roger is played by Christophe Salengro, a French actor and dancer.[2]
Lyrics and music
"Le Jerk" was a huge success in the French discothèques. Elia Habib, a specialist of the French charts, considers that this is due to the "modern and lively writing" of the song[3]
The song tells the story of two characters, Joséphine and Roger, who have a routine life (she works as a secretary while he works in a factory). Both are eagerly awaiting the end of each day to take the bus to go dancing the jerk at 'La Boîte à Gogos'. There, they meet, fall in love, get married and give birth to quadruplets, named Gustave, Alphonse, Arthur and Philibert. Thus, the jerk had saved from their monotonous universe and made them able to discover love.[3]
The song has been accused of plagiarism by the publisher of Jean-Jacques Goldman, as the song's refrain is similar to that of "Quand la musique est bonne". However, the court action was cancelled.[3]
The song is performed with two black female vocalists who appear in the music video.
Chart performances
In France, the single debuted at number 38 on 16 June 1990, on the French SNEP Singles Chart (top 50). It gained some places almost every week and eventually reached number two, on 27 October, in the 20th week. It remained for 17 weeks in the top ten and 27 weeks on the chart,[4] making the song one of the most successful one of the year. The single was certified Gold disc by the SNEP, the French certifier, for over 500,000 copies sold.[5]
According to the Infodisc website, 523,000 copies of the single were sold,[5] and the song is the 509th best-selling single of all time in France.[6]
Track listings
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Certifications and sales
Peak positions
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End of year charts
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Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France[5] | Gold | 1990 | 500,000 | 523,000 |
References
- ^ "Le Jerk" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
- ^ Lemonier, Marc (2008). Nos années Top, clips et 45 tours: 1984-1991 (in French). p. 96. ISBN 2-258-07648-X.
- ^ a b c Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit.tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. pp. 193–94. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
- ^ a b ""Le Jerk", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ a b c "Les certifications depuis 1973, database" (in French). Infodisc. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Best-selling singles of all time in France" (in French). Infodisc. Retrieved 10 February 2008.