Hélène (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hélène" is a 1989 pop
song recorded by the Canadian
singer Roch Voisine
. It was the first single from his first studio album Hélène
, and was released in November 1989. This song allowed the singer to launch his career and achieved great success in France
.
The cover for the CD maxi used the same photograph as that of the album Hélène
: Roch Voisine's face with a black background. The song is mainly in French-language, but contains a verse in English-language as follows: "Hélène things you do / Make me crazy about you".
The video features the singer and an air hostess
who are in love, but who are forced to separate because of professional reasons. She is English because when, in the video, she writes her name on a mirror with her lipstick
, she doesn't end it with an 'e' ('Helen').
The model who plays the role of Hélène is Ariane Cordeau.
The song is also available on the Roch collection (2007), also known as Best of
.
It was also recorded in an acoustic version on his 2003 album Je te serai fidèle
.
where it reached #1. It also topped the chart for nine weeks in France
, where it featured for 27 weeks from November 11, 1989 to May 5, 1990 (it stayed for 20 weeks in the top 10) and was certified Platinum disc
by the French certificator, the SNEP, for about 1 million copies sold. The song also peaked at #3 in Norway
.
According to Infodisc.fr website, it is the 139th best-selling single of all time in France.
Roch Voisine was the first Canadian
to reach number 1 on French SNEP Singles Chart, followed by Bryan Adams
, Céline Dion
and Garou
a few years later.
The song achieved moderate success in the Netherlands, peaking at number 53 two years after its original release.
7" single
CD single
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song recorded by the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer Roch Voisine
Roch Voisine
Joseph Armand Roch Voisine, OC better known as Roch Voisine, is a Canadian Acadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host...
. It was the first single from his first studio album Hélène
Hélène (Roch Voisine album)
Hélène is a 1989 album by Canadian singer Roch Voisine. The title track "Hélène" is his best sold single ever, reaching number one for nine weeks on the French Singles Chart. Other successful singles from the album include "Pourtant" and "Avant de partir" , released in 1990 summer.Two songs were...
, and was released in November 1989. This song allowed the singer to launch his career and achieved great success in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Song information
The song was recorded at the Intercession studio. The guitars are played by Carl Katz, and the keyboards by Luc Gilbert.The cover for the CD maxi used the same photograph as that of the album Hélène
Hélène (Roch Voisine album)
Hélène is a 1989 album by Canadian singer Roch Voisine. The title track "Hélène" is his best sold single ever, reaching number one for nine weeks on the French Singles Chart. Other successful singles from the album include "Pourtant" and "Avant de partir" , released in 1990 summer.Two songs were...
: Roch Voisine's face with a black background. The song is mainly in French-language, but contains a verse in English-language as follows: "Hélène things you do / Make me crazy about you".
The video features the singer and an air hostess
Air Hostess
"Air Hostess" is a song by the British pop trio Busted. Composed by the band with Tom Fletcher of McFly, it was released as the third single from their second album A Present for Everyone in June 2004, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background:...
who are in love, but who are forced to separate because of professional reasons. She is English because when, in the video, she writes her name on a mirror with her lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
, she doesn't end it with an 'e' ('Helen').
The model who plays the role of Hélène is Ariane Cordeau.
The song is also available on the Roch collection (2007), also known as Best of
Best of (Roch Voisine album)
Best of is a 2007 album of Canadian singer Roch Voisine. It is a double album containing a collection of his best hits from the start of his career until 2007...
.
It was also recorded in an acoustic version on his 2003 album Je te serai fidèle
Je te serai fidèle
Je te serai fidèle is a 2003 French language album by Canadian singer Roch Voisine. It includes six new songs and nine entirely revamped hits.-Track listing:#Ne m’oublie pas#Tant pis#Darlin’#La berceuse du petit diable#On mentira#Je l’ai vu...
.
Chart performances
The single was a huge success in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where it reached #1. It also topped the chart for nine weeks in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it featured for 27 weeks from November 11, 1989 to May 5, 1990 (it stayed for 20 weeks in the top 10) and was certified Platinum disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the French certificator, the SNEP, for about 1 million copies sold. The song also peaked at #3 in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
According to Infodisc.fr website, it is the 139th best-selling single of all time in France.
Roch Voisine was the first Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to reach number 1 on French SNEP Singles Chart, followed by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Garou
Garou (singer)
Garou , from the French expression "loup-garou", which means "werewolf" and is a transformation of "Garand", his last name; is a Canadian singer from Sherbrooke, Quebec. He is known for his work in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris and the #1 hits "Belle", "Seul", "Sous le vent", and "La Rivière de...
a few years later.
The song achieved moderate success in the Netherlands, peaking at number 53 two years after its original release.
Track listings
CD maxi- "Hélène" (new English version) — 3:42
- "Hélène" (French version) — 3:42
- "Hélène" (instrumental) — 3:42
7" single
- "Hélène" — 3:42
- "Ton Blues" — 3:35
CD single
- "Hélène" — 3:42
- "Ton Blues" — 3:35
Peak positions
| Chart (1989/90) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 53 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1990 | Platinum | 800,000 | 877,000 |