California (Mylène Farmer song)

"California" is a 1995 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the third single from her fourth studio album, Anamorphosée, and was released on 26 March 1996. The song marked her only collaboration with American movie screenwriter and director Abel Ferrara, who directed the very expensive music video in which Farmer appears both as a bourgeois woman and a prostitute. A tribute to California, the song is generally deemed one of Farmer's signature songs and has been performed during most of the singer's subsequent tours. It has met with relative success in France and Belgium, and became one of her hits in Russia.

"California"
Single by Mylène Farmer
from the album Anamorphosée
Released26 March 1996
Recorded1995
GenreTrip hop, pop rock, new jack swing
Length3:58 (single version)
4:59 (album version)
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Lyrics: Mylène Farmer
Music: Laurent Boutonnat
Producer(s)Laurent Boutonnat
Mylène Farmer singles chronology
"L'Instant X"
(1995)		 "California"
(1996)		 "Comme j'ai mal"
(1996)

Background, writing and release

Farmer wanted to release "California", one of the most daring songs of the album, via the marketing for Anamorphosée. However, it was released many months after, as the third single, but was widely aired on radio. Many fans regard this song as one of the most emblematic of Farmer.[1]

Among the different media for this single, there was a CD single distributed in a limited triptych digipack edition, and a CD maxi which contains six tracks – this one is the only CD maxi in Farmer's career still for sale because, based on the number of tracks, it is referenced by Universal as a "mini-album" and is re-edited.[2] "California" was also released in Germany with a new white cover. The various remixes are the result of a collaboration between Laurent Boutonnat / Bertrand Châtenet ('LAPD remix' and 'wandering club mix'), and various American DJs: Niki Gasolino & Peter Parker, Nils Ruzicka, and Ramon Zenker. Two versions of the promotional CD were sent to radio stations on 29 February 1996; one of them, the luxurious edition, shows the outline of Farmer, which must be lifted to take out the CD.[3] The designer Henry Neu said he was particularly proud of having created it.[4]

The song is available on Anamorphosée in its original version, and on the best of Les Mots in the shorter radio version. The song is placed at the beginning of the second CD, just before "XXL" and "L'Instant X", which does not comply with the chronological order of release of the singles, mostly respected in the track-listing (but it was also the first song on the album). It was also remixed in 2003 by Romain Tranchart and Rawman for the compilation RemixeS.

Lyrics and music

"California" is the only song from the album Anamorphosée to refer to its singular name ("Dans l'rétro, ma vie qui s'anamorphose"), and was the second of Farmer's songs with an English title, after "Beyond My Control".[5] The song begins with different sounds evoking the street: a door that slams, an English voice in a loudspeaker, a siren of a police car. Farmer then referred to her desire to live in America to make a new start in her life.[6][7] The song has a "nagging rhythm" and "Anglo-Saxon sonorities".[8] Lyrics play with "anglicisms, sounds and onomatopoeia".[1] According to the psychologist Hugues Royer, the song is "the symbol of the rebirth by the exile".[9]

The song is a tribute to California. The lyrics display a highly elegant vocabulary, with an alternance of lines and puns in French and English. There are many literary references: for example, the phrase "Vienne la nuit et sonne l'heure et moi je meurs / Entre apathie et pesanteur où je demeure" alludes to the French poem Le Pont Mirabeau, written by Guillaume Apollinaire, which contains the verse "Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure / Les jours s'en vont je demeure".[2][9]

Music video

Production and plot

The video was directed by the American movie screenwriter and director Abel Ferrara. Producer Anouk Nora said that she first directly contacted the director.[10] Then Farmer tried to contact him, particularly after seeing his film on a similar theme, Snake Eyes, with Madonna.[11] In interviews, Farmer stated she phoned Ferrara many times, then they met in New York. She told him she wanted to play the role of a prostitute in the video, and eventually, she wrote the screenplay in collaboration with him.[12] The video, a 5:18 Requiem Publishing production which cost about 600,000 euro,[13][14][15] making it the most expensive music video of the year,[16] was shot for three days and two nights in Los Angeles (on Sunset Boulevard). Ferrara was surprised and puzzled by Farmer's insistence that he direct. She offered 200,000 dollars to shoot a three-minute music video which eventually became a short film. Ferrara said he had a great respect for Farmer's professionalism.[10]

The man who plays Farmer's lover is the American actor Giancarlo Esposito, and real prostitutes who appear in the video. Farmer said that she talked with the prostitutes before filming to learn more about prostitution and commented: "Freedom, for me, it may be a bitch who prostitutes on Hollywood Boulevard. (...) We all have a vulgar side in us that we repress. Sex is an integral part of our lives". She said she loved that role.[16]

At the beginning of the video, a young, rich couple (Farmer and Esposito) is preparing to attend a reception. Meanwhile, a prostitute and a pimp (also played by Farmer and Esposito) are violently quarrelling. From her car, the rich woman looks at the prostitutes on the sidewalk and then sees her double threatened with a knife by her pimp who eventually murders her. After the society reception, the rich woman gets bored and goes to the toilet where she disguises herself as a prostitute and joins those outside. She makes love with the pimp and savagely kills him to avenge the murdered prostitute.[16][17][18][19][20]

Comment and reception

The first images of the video were published by French magazine Voici, which had managed to illegally acquire some shots during the production.[2] In an interview on Paris Première in 1996, Farmer explained that the video (which would be analyzed on Arte in July 2002), does not reflect her perception of California, adding: "It is a little caricature I would say. It is still polarized or focused on prostitution. Los Angeles is not only prostitution. [...] I always wanted to play a prostitute and I admit that for "California", it came spontaneously. And so I called Abel Ferrara who often evokes prostitution in his films."[21] This was the last time that Marianne Rosenstiel photographed Farmer during filming. The video was aired for the first time on 20 March 1996, on M6.[22][23]

According to biographer Bernard Violet, the video provides the message that "women love to sometimes turn into a sexual object, but they still have their pride", and compares the end of the video to the film Basic Instinct.[12] Florence Rajon criticized the video, saying that the collaboration between the two artists (Ferrara and Farmer) was "more disappointing than seducing" and that "we can not really consider "California" as a masterpiece": the subject was "too exploitative" and "images of beautiful postcards of Hollywood are a bit too telephoned".[24] By contrast, Royer deemed the video a "total success, in which are merging the dreamlike imaginary of Mylène and the brutal realism of Ferrara".[10]

Live performances

"California" was performed in lip-sync by Farmer in a single television show: Les Années tubes, broadcast on TF1 on 18 May 1996. For this occasion, the singer used lascivious choreography; she also performed "Sans contrefaçon".[25][26]

The song was also performed during the 1996 tour in a remixed techno version (the 'Wandering mix'). Images of Los Angeles by night were shown on giant screens on stage, and Farmer, entirely dressed in gold, performed first alone, then with two female dancers,[27] in a very suggestive choreography.[28] The song was also performed in an acoustic and jazzy version during her 2000 tour. Farmer wore a white dress and white shoes. With her two female backing vocalists, she sat on a staircase, then got up and walked a few steps on the stage; then she went in front of the door at the top of the stairs, and at the end, she left the stage while it was in full black.[27]

"California" was sung during the 13 concerts at Bercy in 2006. While the screens and the central cross showed the words "Crime scene. Do not cross", Farmer slowly descended the stairs of the stage and performed a dance with her hands during the musical bridge.[29] The song was only performed in stadiums. Farmer wore a glittering short dress and red cape with hood, performing a choreography similar to that of the 1996 tour. This version is only available on the video version of the album N°5 on Tour.

Critical reception

The author Erwan Chuberre considered "California" as "one of the best tracks of the album", and that the lyrics are "particularly exquisite and successful".[1] Royer sees "California" as "an anthology piece, a musical gem all in subtlety."[9]

In France, the song peaked at number 7 in the Top 50 on 30 May 1996. Sales declined rather slowly, and it remained in the top 50 for a total of 17 weeks. It was the third best-selling single from Anamorphosée.[30] The song was also one of the most aired on radio in 1996[31] and was ranked number 63 on the end of year chart.[32]

In Belgium (Wallonia), the single entered the Ultratop 50 Singles Chart on 4 May 1996, reaching number 22 on 3 August, which was the lowest peak position among the five singles from Anamorphosée. It remained in the list a total of 14 weeks, until it was dropped off the chart on 7 September,[33] and was the 86th best-selling single of 1996.[34]

Cover versions

In 2004, Cedric, an unknown singer who participated in a programme on the radio station NRJ, covered the song in a R&B version. It was not released as a single.[6]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "California":[35]

  • CD single / CD single -Digipack
No.TitleLength
1."California" (radio edit)3:58
2."California" (Ramon Zenker's radio remix)3:55
  • CD maxi – Digipack
No.TitleLength
1."California" (radio edit)3:58
2."California" (Megalo Mania remix)6:47
3."California" (wandering mix)6:10
4."California" (L.A.P.D club remix)6:55
5."California" (Ramon Zenker's extended remix)5:55
6."California" (Gaspar Inc. remix)5:20
  • 12" maxi – Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."California" (radio edit)3:58
2."California" (Megalo Mania remix)6:47
3."California" (wandering mix)6:10
  • 12" maxi – Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."California" (L.A.P.D club remix)6:55
2."California" (Ramon Zenker's extended remix)5:55
3."California" (Gaspar Inc. remix)5:20
  • Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."California" (album version)4:59
2."California" (1996 live version)7:12
3."California" (2000 live version)5:27
4."California" (2006 live version)5:19
5."California" (Romain Tranchart & Rawman remix)6:17
  • CD maxi – Germany
No.TitleLength
1."California" (radio edit)3:58
2."California" (Megalo Mania remix)6:47
3."California" (wandering mix)6:10
4."California" (L.A.P.D club remix)6:55
  • CD single – Promo / CD single – Promo – Luxurious edition / CD single – Promo – Germany
No.TitleLength
1."California" (radio edit)3:58
  • VHS – Promo
No.TitleLength
1."California" (video) 

Release history
Date[35]LabelRegionFormatCatalog
February 1996 Polydor France, Belgium CD single – Promo 3302, 3303
VHS – Promo —
Germany CD single – Promo 576 096-2
26 March 1996 France, Belgium CD single 576 210-2
7" maxi 576 381-1
CD maxi 521 484-2
August 1996 Germany CD single, CD maxi 576 097-2

Official versions
Version[36]LengthAlbumRemixed byYearComment[6]
Album version 4:58 Anamorphosée — 1995 See the previous sections
Radio edit 3:58 — Laurent Boutonnat 1996 It is shorter than the album version, with a fade-out.
Ramon Zenker's radio remix 3:55 — Ramon Zenker 1996 This version is much more accelerated, contains many "Chah ah ah ah ah" sung by Farmer, but the sounds at the beginning of the original song are deleted.
Ramon Zenker's extended remix 5:55 — Ramon Zenker 1996 This version is similar to the 'Ramon Zenker's Radio Remix', but with more music.
Megalo Mania remix 6:47 — Mega Lo Mania, aka Ramon Zenker and Nils Ruzicka 1996 This techno version, devoted to discothèques, contains an introduction in which the chorus is sung almost a cappella. All couplets are deleted.
Wandering mix 6:10 — Laurent Boutonnat, Bertrand Châtenet 1996 This version is similar to the original version, with more "C'est sexy" and "So sex".
L.A.P.D. club remix 6:55 — Laurent Boutonnat, Bertrand Châtenet 1996 This is a dance remix. The remix's title refers to the name of the Los Angeles Police Department and contains all the sounds from the original version, and many "C'est sexy" and "So sex".
Gaspar Inc. remix 5:20 — Gaspar Inc. 1996 This is an instrumental version but very different from the album version. It contains many "Californie" sung by Farmer.
Music video 5:18 Music Videos II, Music Videos II & III — 1996
Live version
(recorded in 1996)		 7:30 (audio)
6:52 (video)		 Live à Bercy — 1996 The song begins with the various sounds that can be heard in the original album version, plus the sound of a helicopter, and ends with the sound of an ambulance siren. (see 1996 Tour)
Live version
(recorded in 2000)		 5:27 Mylenium Tour — 2000 All the sounds from the album version are removed. (see Mylenium Tour (tour))
Album version 4:55 Les Mots Laurent Boutonnat 2001
Romain Tranchart & Rawman remix 6:17 RemixeS Romain Tranchart & Rawman 2003 The song has a much more accelerated rhythm and contains more percussions.
Live version
(recorded in 2006)		 5:19 Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy — 2006 See Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (tour)
Live version
(recorded in 2009)		 4:25 N°5 on Tour (DVD) — 2010 See Mylène Farmer en tournée
Live version
(recorded in 2019)		 6:10 Mylène Farmer 2019 — 2019 See Mylène Farmer 2019

Credits and personnel

These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:[35][37]

  • Mylène Farmer – lyrics
  • Laurent Boutonnat – music
  • Requiem Publishing – editions
  • Claude Gassian – photo
  • Com'N.B – design

Charts

References
  • Bee, Caroline; Bioy, Antoine; Thiry, Benjamin (January 2006). Mylène Farmer, la part d'ombre (in French). L'Archipel. ISBN 2-84187-790-6.
  • Cachin, Benoît (2006). Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer (in French). Tournon. ISBN 2-35144-000-5.
  • Cachin, Benoît (2006). Mylène Farmer Influences (in French). Mascara. ISBN 978-2-35144-026-1.
  • Chuberre, Erwan (2007). L'Intégrale Mylène Farmer (in French). City. ISBN 978-2-35288-108-7.
  • Chuberre, Erwan (2008). Mylène Farmer, phénoménale (in French). City. ISBN 978-2-35288-176-6.
  • Chuberre, Erwan (18 June 2009). Mylène Farmer : Des mots sur nos désirs (in French). Alphée. ISBN 978-2-7538-0477-7.
  • Khairallah, Sophie (2007). Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor (in French). Why Not. ISBN 978-2-916611-25-9.
  • Rajon, Florence (2005). Mylène Farmer de A à Z (in French). MusicBook. ISBN 2-84343-319-3.
  • Royer, Hugues (2008). Mylène, biographie (in French). Spain: Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-35287-139-2.
  • Violet, Bernard (2004). Mylène Farmer, biographie (in French). J'ai lu. ISBN 2-290-34916-X.

Notes
  1. Chuberre, 2008, p. 184.
  2. "California" (in French). Sans-logique. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  3. "Mylène Farmer – "California" – Histoire du single" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  4. Royer, 2008, p. 93.
  5. Habib, Élia (2002). Muz hit. tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. p. 346. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
  6. Cachin, 2006, pp. 59–67.
  7. Cachin, 2006 (2), pp. 24–25.
  8. Chuberre, 2007, p. 68.
  9. Royer, 2008, p. 145.
  10. Royer, 2008, pp. 157–58.
  11. "Mylène Farmer: "J'aime les extrêmes, la démesure, piétiner les tabous"". Ciné Télé Revue (in French). Devant-soi. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  12. Violet, 2004, p. 180.
  13. Khairallah, 2007, p. 44.
  14. Royer, 2008, pp. 89,346.
  15. Cachin, 2006, p. 62.
  16. Chuberre, 2008, p. 185.
  17. ""California", music video" (in French). Sans-logique. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  18. "Mylène Farmer: la forme et les formes!". Bilto (in French). Devant-soi. 30 March 1996. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  19. Gianorio, Richard (19 March 1996). "Farmer sur le trottoir". France Soir (in French). Devant-soi. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  20. Bee, 2006, p. 203.
  21. "Interview of Mylène Farmer, on Paris Première, by Paul Amar" (in French). Dailymotion. 1996. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  22. B., Y. (20 March 1996). "Le clip de Mylène Farmer en exclusivité sur M6". Aujourd'hui (in French). Devant-soi. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  23. "Mylène Farmer sur M6". Le Figaro (in French). Devant-soi. 20 March 1996. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  24. Rajon, 2005, p. 31.
  25. ""California", television performances" (in French). Sans-logique. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  26. "Mylène Farmer – "California" – TV" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  27. Cachin, 2006, p. 66.
  28. Chuberre, 2008, p. 191.
  29. "Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy (2006) – Description du live" (in French). Sans-logique. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  30. ""California", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  31. Drake, Olivier (25 May 1996). "Les singles français les plus diffusés en radio". France Soir (in French). Devant-soi. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  32. "1996 French Singles Chart" (in French). Disqueenfrance. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  33. ""California", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  34. "1996 Belgian Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  35. "Mylène Farmer – "California" – Supports" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  36. "Mylène Farmer – "California" – Versions" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  37. "Mylène Farmer – "California" – Crédits" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  38. "Mylène Farmer – California" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  39. "The Eurochart Hot 100 Singles (20 April 1996)". Music & Media. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  40. "Mylène Farmer – California" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  41. "Rapports annuels 1996" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  42. "Classement Singles – année 1996" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
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