Ma Belle Amie

"Ma Belle Amie" is a song by Tee-Set, released as a single from the album Ma Belle Amie. It reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 in Australia and Canada in 1970,[1] No. 1 in South Africa,[2] and reached the Top 10 across central Europe.

"Ma Belle Amie"
Single by Tee-Set
from the album Ma Belle Amie
B-side"Angels Coming In The Holy Night"
ReleasedJuly 1969 (July 1969) (Netherlands)
December 1969 (December 1969) (International)
Recorded1969
GenrePop rock
Length3:16
LabelColossus
Songwriter(s)Peter Tetteroo / Hans Van Eijck
Music video
"Ma Belle Amie" on YouTube

The original song, whose French title means "My Beautiful Friend", features a French lyric line: "Apres Tous les beaux jours je te dis merci merci" ("After all the beautiful days, I say thank you, thank you"). The song is dominated by electric organ, and has drums, bass and acoustic guitar, with handclaps in the bridge section.

Release and reception

The song was written by Peter Tetteroo and Hans Van Eijck of Tee-Set.[3] The single was first released in 1969 in the Netherlands on Tee Set Records (TS 1329) and sold over 100,000 copies. Jerry Ross, who was in Europe in the autumn of 1969 looking for European hits for release in the United States, happened to hear the song while in a club in Switzerland and he then signed Tee-Set. The song was released in the United States after the successful release of "Venus" by Shocking Blue, another Dutch band Ross signed.[4] "Ma Belle Amie" reached No. 5 on the chart date of March 14, 1970 in the US.[5]

At least three studio recorded versions of the song were made: the US hit on Colossus Records (CS107); a British issue on Major Minor Records (MM666), released in 1970; and a Black and White video featuring the band miming along a waterfront. This video version appears the same as the hit US rendering, but for minor differences to the repeated chorus ending. The British release is completely different, slower in tempo and starting in a lower key. The group also recorded an Italian-language version.

Charts

References
  1. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  2. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. Lonergan, David F. (2005). Hit Records, 1950-1975. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810851290 – via Google Books.
  4. Gert Keunen, Lutgard Mutsaers, ed. (2017). Made in the Low Countries: Studies in Popular Music. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781317417941 – via Google Books.
  5. "Hot 100". Billboard. March 14, 1970.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. Dutch Top 40, 19 July 1969
  8. Dutch Top 40, 19 July 1969
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1970-03-21. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  10. "Tee Set – Ma Belle Amie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. Dutch Top 40, 19 July 1969
  12. Flavour of New Zealand, 4 May 1970
  13. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  14. "Tee Set – Ma Belle Amie". Swiss Singles Chart.
  15. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2010 (13th. Ed.) - ISBN 978-0-89820-188-8
  16. Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996- ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tee-Set – Ma Belle Amie" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  18. Dutch Top 40, 19 July 1969
  19. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013.
  21. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1970". Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  22. Swiss Year-End Charts, 1970
  23. Musicoutfitters.com
  24. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 1970". Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.


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