Voyage, voyage

"Voyage, voyage" (French pronunciation: [vwajaʒ vwajaʒ]) is a song by French singer Desireless, released as the first single from her debut studio album, François (1989). It was written by Jean-Michel Rivat and Dominique Dubois, and produced by the former. Sung entirely in French, the song transcended the language barrier on the music charts and became a huge international success between 1986 and 1988, reaching the top position in more than ten countries across Europe.

"Voyage, voyage"
Single by Desireless
from the album François
LanguageFrench
B-side"Destin Fragile (instrumental)"
Released1986
StudioD'Aguesseau, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Genre
Length4:12
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)
  • Jean-Michel Rivat
  • Dominique Dubois
Producer(s)Jean-Michel Rivat
Desireless singles chronology
"Qui peut savoir"
(1986)		 "Voyage, voyage"
(1986)		 "John"
(1988)
Music video
"Voyage, voyage" on YouTube
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

Critical reception

A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media described "Voyage, Voyage" as a song having a "high-pitched, dramatic vocals over a contagious electro-beat, in an Alphaville-type of setting. Very strong chart appeal outside France, especially in an English translation".[3]

Chart performance

Since "Voyage, voyage" is sung exclusively in French, its chart success came as a surprise as it managed the rare feat of becoming a success in several nations usually closed to Francophone songs and artists, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland. In West Germany, the song topped the chart, and has the longest chart trajectory of 1987 in the top 20.[4] It also reached number one in Austria, Norway, and Spain. The song missed the top spot in France, peaking at number two for four weeks, behind Elsa Lunghini's "T'en va pas".

The song initially reached number 53 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1987. After being remixed by Pete Hammond and Pete Waterman of PWL, the song was re-released in the United Kingdom in the spring of 1988, and climbed to number five in June of that year. The song's success continued in Ireland, where it reached number four twice, the original version in November 1987, followed by the PWL remix in June 1988.

Music video

The music video for "Voyage, voyage" was directed by Bettina Rheims, and premiered in France in December 1986.[5] It depicts Desireless entering a manor where a number of people are listlessly lingering around, and enticing them with her song and a slideshow to see the world and make more out of their lives.

Track listings
  • 7-inch single
A. "Voyage, voyage" – 4:12
B. "Destin fragile" (instrumental) – 3:31
  • 12-inch single
A. "Voyage, voyage" (extended remix) – 6:45
B. "Voyage, voyage" – 4:12
  • 1988 UK 12-inch single and CD single (Britmix)
  1. "Voyage voyage" (Britmix) – 7:06
  2. "Voyage voyage" (Euro Remix Remix) – 6:12
  3. "Destin fragile" (instrumental) – 3:31

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 7-inch single of "Voyage, voyage".[6]

Recording
  • Recorded at Studio D'Aguesseau, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
  • Mixed at Studio Marcadet, Paris

Personnel
  • Desireless – vocals
  • Dominique Dubois – sampler
  • Jean-Michel Rivat – synthesiser, programming, production
  • Antoine Cambourakis – recording
  • Gilbert Courtois – recording
  • Dominique Blanc-Francard – mixing
  • Daniel Glikmans – backing vocals
  • Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop – backing vocals

Charts

Certifications and sales
Certifications for "Voyage, Voyage"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France (SNEP)[37] Gold 756,000[38]
Germany (BVMI)[39] Gold 500,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40] 2× Platinum 100,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 2,000,000[41]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Wink version
"Eien no Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)"
Single by Wink
from the album Aphrodite
LanguageJapanese
English titleEternal Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)
B-side"Alone Again"
Released24 February 1993 (1993-02-24)
Length4:59
LabelPolystar
Composer(s)
  • Jean-Michel Rivat
  • Dominique Dubois
Lyricist(s)Neko Oikawa
Producer(s)Haruo Mizuhashi
Wink singles chronology
"Real na Yume no Jōken"
(1992)		 "Eien no Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)"
(1993)		 "Kekkon Shiyoune"
(1993)
Music video
"Eien no Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)" on YouTube

"Voyage, voyage" was covered in Japanese by the idol duo Wink as "Eien no Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)" (永遠のレディードール 〜Voyage Voyage〜, Eien no Redīdōru ~Voyage Voyage~, lit. "Eternal Ladydoll ~Voyage, Voyage~). Released on 24 February 1993 by Polystar Records,[42] it was their 17th single, with Japanese lyrics written by Neko Oikawa.

The single peaked at No. 19 on Oricon's singles chart and sold over 69,000 copies.[43]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Eien no Ladydoll (Voyage, Voyage)" (Eien no Redīdōru ~Voyage Voyage~ (永遠のレディードール 〜Voyage Voyage〜, "Eternal Ladydoll ~Voyage, Voyage~))Neko Oikawa
  • Jean-Michel Rivat
  • Dominique Dubois
Motoki Funayama4:59
2."Alone Again"Rui Serizawa
  • Jamey Jaz
  • Ren Toppano
  • Viqui Denman
Satoshi Kadokura4:40

Weekly charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Japan Oricon Singles Chart[43] 19

Kate Ryan version
"Voyage Voyage"
Single by Kate Ryan
from the album Free
LanguageFrench
B-side"We All Belong"
Released2007
StudioCosmos, Stockholm
GenreEurodance[44]
Length3:07
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Jean-Michel Rivat
  • Dominique Dubois
Producer(s)2N
Kate Ryan singles chronology
"All For You"
(2007)		 "Voyage Voyage"
(2007)		 "L.I.L.Y. (Like I Love You)"
(2008)
Music video
"Voyage, voyage" on YouTube

Belgian singer Kate Ryan covered the song for her fourth studio album Free (2008). Slightly retitled "Voyage Voyage", her version as the album's lead single in 2007, featuring "We All Belong" on its B-side, which is the anthem of the event EuroGames 2007 that took place in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2007.

It was Ryan's first single released under ARS Entertainment, following her departure from EMI Belgium. Commercially, "Voyage Voyage" reached number two in Belgium, as well as the top 10 in Finland, the Netherlands and Spain.

Track listing
  • CD single
  1. "Voyage Voyage"
  2. "Voyage Voyage" (Extended Version)
  3. "We All Belong"
  4. "We All Belong" (Extended Version)

Charts
Chart (2007–2008) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[45] 26
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[46] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[47] 28
CIS (TopHit)[48] 65
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[49] 10
Germany (Official German Charts)[50] 13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[51] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[52] 11
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[53] 6
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[54] 26

Year-end charts
Chart (2007) Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[55] 13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[56] 76
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[57] 60

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[58] Gold 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59]
Ringtone 		Platinum 20,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Other covers

"Voyage, voyage" was also covered by the Mexican band Magneto in 1991, with a version in Spanish titled "Vuela Vuela" (English: Fly, fly). Mikel Herzog was credited with the translation. This version peaked at number three on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.[60] The gothic metal band Sirenia released their cover of "Voyage, voyage" on 10 February 2021 as a single and music video to their album Riddles, Ruins & Revelations which also is included as a bonus track on the album.[61]

See also

References
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  2. Mac Dougall, David (20 April 2022). "Touts les hits! French songs that made it big in Britain". Euronews. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. "M&M – New Talent" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 3. 24 January 1987. p. 10. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 27 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  4. Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit. tubes. Alinéa Bis. p. 93. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
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  7. "Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  8. "Desireless – Voyage voyage" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  9. "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 7. 18 February 1989. p. 32. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 21 August 2023 – via World Radio History.
  10. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 10. 14 March 1987. p. 18-19. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 29 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  11. "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 7. 21 February 1987. p. 4. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 29 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  12. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
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  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Voyage voyage". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
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  24. "Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 25 March 1988. p. 11. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
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  43. "Wink". Yamachan Land (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 24 May 2011.
  44. González, J.; Santos, A. (1 June 2009). "La cantante belga Kate Ryan ofrecerá el concierto estrella de San Agustín". El Comercio (in Spanish). Avilés. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
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  59. "Spanish ringtone certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 17 June 2022. Select Canciones under "Categoría", select 2008 under "Año". Select 52 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
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  61. "Sirenia Release Cover of Desireless' '80s Hit "Voyage Voyage"; Music Video". BraveWords. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
Desireless version
Wink version
Kate Ryan version
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