Tout c'qui nous sépare
Encyclopedia
"Tout c'qui nous sépare" (English: "All That Separates Us") is a 1991 pop
song recorded by French
singer Jil Caplan
, released as CD single
in March 1991. It was the first single from her second studio album, La Charmeuse de serpents, released a few months earlier, on which it appeared as second track. Written and composed by Jay Alansky, the song became a top ten hit in France and remains Caplan's most successful single in terms of sales and chart performances. It was later included on the singer's 1998 greatest hits album, Jours de fête.
The music video was shot in 1991 in the United States, in the Canyon de Chelly
and on the shores of the Lake Powell
, Utah
. It was directed by Éric Mulet and is composed images showing Caplan in a funfair
and in natural settings.
According to Elia Habib, an expert of French charts, "the characteristic timbre of the singer gets married with the sound of a special slide guitar
and a harmonica
. (...) [The] song chorus [is] marked by a changing chorus, showing solidarity with the verses in which it fits closely and continuity". Regarding the theme, the French newspaper Libération
said the song "talks about a separation through sound words, without falling into sadness".
In 2007, sixteen years after the release of the song, Caplan said: "I absolutely do not deny this song which was pretty well built. It has luminous lyrics, which for me is the memory of a great time." In 2011, she proved it by covering the song in a more acoustic version on her album Revue which was released on 3 May 2011.
in 1992 in the category 'popular music female révélation of the year'. On this occasion, she performed the song in a live version.
In France, the song can be deemed as a sleeper hit
, as it debuted at number 50 on 23 March 1991 and finally peaked at number six for two non consecutive weeks. The song totalled seven weeks in the top ten and 18 weeks in the top 50. The same year, it earned a silver disc, awarded by the SNEP, for 125,000 units.
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 French
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...
singer Jil Caplan
Jil Caplan
Jil Caplan is a French singer and songwriter.-Biography:She studied modern literature at the Sorbonne and theatre at the Cours Florent, where she met Jay Alanski, producer and composer of the most influential pop songs of the 1980s...
, released as CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
in March 1991. It was the first single from her second studio album, La Charmeuse de serpents, released a few months earlier, on which it appeared as second track. Written and composed by Jay Alansky, the song became a top ten hit in France and remains Caplan's most successful single in terms of sales and chart performances. It was later included on the singer's 1998 greatest hits album, Jours de fête.
Background, music and lyrics
When she listened to the song for the first time, Caplan said: "It [was] a love at first sight. I love this song deeply, its lyrics, its images. (...) It is a perfect echo of my journey in the American West." Composer and producer Jay Alansky, who felt that the song was a potential hit, had stage fright when he recorded the guitar in the studio and thus had to restart several times.The music video was shot in 1991 in the United States, in the Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established on April 1, 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service. It is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation...
and on the shores of the Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It was directed by Éric Mulet and is composed images showing Caplan in a funfair
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
and in natural settings.
According to Elia Habib, an expert of French charts, "the characteristic timbre of the singer gets married with the sound of a special slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
and a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
. (...) [The] song chorus [is] marked by a changing chorus, showing solidarity with the verses in which it fits closely and continuity". Regarding the theme, the French newspaper Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
said the song "talks about a separation through sound words, without falling into sadness".
In 2007, sixteen years after the release of the song, Caplan said: "I absolutely do not deny this song which was pretty well built. It has luminous lyrics, which for me is the memory of a great time." In 2011, she proved it by covering the song in a more acoustic version on her album Revue which was released on 3 May 2011.
Critical reception
"Tout c'qui nous sépare" was frequently aired on French radios and Caplan reached her peak of popularity. The song helped Caplan to won an award at the Victoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
in 1992 in the category 'popular music female révélation of the year'. On this occasion, she performed the song in a live version.
In France, the song can be deemed as a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
, as it debuted at number 50 on 23 March 1991 and finally peaked at number six for two non consecutive weeks. The song totalled seven weeks in the top ten and 18 weeks in the top 50. The same year, it earned a silver disc, awarded by the SNEP, for 125,000 units.
Track listings
- CD single
- "Tout c'qui nous sépare" — 4:20
- "Ta voix" — 3:58
- 7" single
- "Tout c'qui nous sépare" — 4:20
- "Ta voix" — 3:58
Charts and sales
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 6 | Silver |