Vous êtes fous!
Encyclopedia
"Vous êtes fous!" is a 1990
song recorded by the Belgian
hip-hop act Benny B
. The song also credited DJ Daddy K as featuring on the single's cover. Released in May 1990, this song was the debut single
from Benny B's first album, L'Album. It achieved a success in France, reaching number three on the chart.
sound easier to be aired on radio and in discothèques. At the time, they believed that they would not be able to sell more than 5 or 6,000 discs.
The song was written and the music composed by Vito Lucente, Alain Deproost, Amid Gharbaoui and R. Quyssens.
Several words ('Et qui l'accompagne ?', 'Mais vous êtes fous!', 'Oh oui!') are sampled from an episode of Captain Future
, "The Adventures of Captain Future", released as a single in 1981. The introduction uses a guitar
riff
from the 1972 song, "Son of Shaft", recorded by The Bar-Kays.
"Vous êtes fous!" was the first hip-hop hit in France, succeeded by the following singles of Benny B and those of MC Solaar
, from 1991. It was also recorded in Spanish-language, under the title "Estáis locos!". This version features as tenth track on L'Album. Several remixes, produced by R. Cue, Vito Lucente and DJ Daddy K, were available on the various formats.
There were also a cover version by Suzy D (Suzy Naguy), a female alter ego
of Benny B. This version was released under the title "Mais vous êtes sottes! (zot)" with New Belgian Sound label and has different lyrics ; however, it remains much more confidential than Benny B's version.
by Zouk Machine
and "Soca Dance
" by Charles D. Lewis
topped the chart then) and peaked only at number three, it remained for 18 consecutive weeks in the top ten and dropped very slowly, totaling 29 weeks on the chart (top 50).
The same year, the single was certified Gold disc
by he SNEP for at least 500,000 sales. According to Infodisc website, about 439,000 copies of the single were sold. The song is the 725th best-selling single of all time in France.
In Belgium, on September 22, 1990, the group received a gold disc
in the basement of the Galeries Louise for having sold more than 50,000 discs.
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
song recorded by the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
hip-hop act Benny B
Benny B
Benny B was the leader of a Belgian hip-hop group of the same name. Their singles "Vous êtes fous!" and "Qu'est-ce qu'on fait maintenant ?" peaked respectively at #3 and #2 in France in 1990. The group enjoyed a rapid success, followed by an equally quick loss of public interest...
. The song also credited DJ Daddy K as featuring on the single's cover. Released in May 1990, this song was the debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Benny B's first album, L'Album. It achieved a success in France, reaching number three on the chart.
Background and writing
No producer thought that Benny B could released a hit, except Olivier Verhaeghe, the director of the studio Vie Privée, which had "the audacity to believe in Benny B...". He convinced them to change their "too aggressive rhythm, "hip hop" as we call in the United States" for a technoTechno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
sound easier to be aired on radio and in discothèques. At the time, they believed that they would not be able to sell more than 5 or 6,000 discs.
The song was written and the music composed by Vito Lucente, Alain Deproost, Amid Gharbaoui and R. Quyssens.
Several words ('Et qui l'accompagne ?', 'Mais vous êtes fous!', 'Oh oui!') are sampled from an episode of Captain Future
Captain Future
Captain Future is a science fictional hero pulp character originally published in self-titled American pulp magazines during the 1940s and early 50s.-Origins:...
, "The Adventures of Captain Future", released as a single in 1981. The introduction uses a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
from the 1972 song, "Son of Shaft", recorded by The Bar-Kays.
"Vous êtes fous!" was the first hip-hop hit in France, succeeded by the following singles of Benny B and those of MC Solaar
MC Solaar
MC Solaar is a francophone hip hop and rap artist. He is one of the most internationally popular and influential French rappers....
, from 1991. It was also recorded in Spanish-language, under the title "Estáis locos!". This version features as tenth track on L'Album. Several remixes, produced by R. Cue, Vito Lucente and DJ Daddy K, were available on the various formats.
There were also a cover version by Suzy D (Suzy Naguy), a female alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of Benny B. This version was released under the title "Mais vous êtes sottes! (zot)" with New Belgian Sound label and has different lyrics ; however, it remains much more confidential than Benny B's version.
Chart performances and awards
In France, the song debuted at the bottom of the chart (number 42) on 26 May 1990. However, it gained a few positions every week and reached the top ten in the sixth week on the chart. Although the song failed to reach number one (the two summer hits, "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau)Maldòn
"Maldòn" is a 1989 song recorded by the West Indian group Zouk Machine. The song is the first single from the album of the same name, and was released in May 1990. In France, it achieved a huge success, topping the singles charts for about two months....
by Zouk Machine
Zouk Machine
Zouk Machine is an all-female zouk group from Guadeloupe which had several hits particularly in France, such as the summer number-one single on French SNEP Singles Chart "Maldon' ", in 1990 that sold over 1 million copies well more than any others zouk band, even Kassav.-History:Founded in 1986 by...
and "Soca Dance
Soca Dance
"Soca Dance" is the name of a 1990 song written and recorded by the artist Charles D. Lewis. It was released as a single from his album Do You Feel It and became a summer hit, topping the charts in France and Belgium...
" by Charles D. Lewis
Charles D. Lewis
Charles D. Lewis is a Barbadian songwriter, recording artist, bassist, engineer, and producer.-Career:Charles is best known for his writing and performance of Soca Dance, released in Europe in 1990. It was number one for seven weeks in France & Belgium, gaining Gold Records in both countries...
topped the chart then) and peaked only at number three, it remained for 18 consecutive weeks in the top ten and dropped very slowly, totaling 29 weeks on the chart (top 50).
The same year, the single was certified Gold 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 he SNEP for at least 500,000 sales. According to Infodisc website, about 439,000 copies of the single were sold. The song is the 725th best-selling single of all time in France.
In Belgium, on September 22, 1990, the group received a gold 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,...
in the basement of the Galeries Louise for having sold more than 50,000 discs.
Track listings
- 7" single
- "Vous êtes fous!" (techno version) (3:12)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (hip hop mix) (3:08)
- 12" maxi
- "Vous êtes fous!" (techno version) (4:48)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (hip hop mix) (3:08)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (radio edit) (3:00)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (acapella) (1:24)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (wild mix) (4:48)
- CD maxi
- "Vous êtes fous!" (techno version) (4:48)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (hip hop mix) (3:08)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (radio edit) (3:00)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (acapella) (1:24)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (wild mix) (4:48)
- 12" maxi - Remixes
- "Vous êtes fous!" (dance remix) (5:03)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (acappella) (1:24)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (vito mix) (4:41)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (Daddy K hip hop remix) (3:59)
- CD maxi - Remixes
- "Vous êtes fous!" (vito mix) (4:41)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (Daddy K hip hop remix) (3:59)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (dance remix) (5:03)
- "Vous êtes fous!" (acappella) (1:24)
Peak positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 37 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Gold | 22 September 1990 | 50,000 | 79,000+ |
| France | Gold | 1990 | 400,000 | 439,000 |