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==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
===Reviews===
===Reviews===
"Dessine-moi un mouton" was generally very well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Many fans felt that the single was the biggest hit of the album. Belgian magazine ''DH Magazine'' considered this song absolutely identical to "[[XXL (Mylène Farmer song)|XXL]]", using many big guitars; it also said that it was very representative of Farmer's work and was sensed as a future single since the album's release.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=DH Magazine |date=7 April 1999 |title=Un album pour son frère disparu |first=Jean-Philippe |last=Darquenne |page=21 |language=French |accessdate=18 March 2008}}</ref>
"Dessine-moi un mouton" was generally very well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Many fans felt that the single was the biggest hit of the album. Belgian magazine ''[[La Dernière Heure]]'' considered this song absolutely identical to "[[XXL (Mylène Farmer song)|XXL]]", using many big guitars; it also said that it was very representative of Farmer's work and was sensed as a future single since the album's release.<ref>{{cite journal |date=7 April 1999 |title=Un album pour son frère disparu |first=Jean-Philippe |last=Darquenne |page=21 |journal=[[La Dernière Heure]] |place=Brussel |language=French |accessdate=18 March 2008}}</ref>


French magazine ''Instant-Mag'' considered that the sales of the single were not aided by the [[CD single]]'s cover deemed as very simple, and that the live version loses much of its energy compared to the studio's one, because of the choice of musical arrangements. In addition, the remixes have not pleased everyone, unlike Farmer's drawings used on the CD maxi.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bee |first1=Caroline |last2=Brunet |first2=Océane |last3=Thiry |first3=Benjamin |last4=Parpette |first4=Jennifer |year=2001 |title=Il y a (encore) une pince à linge dans les gâteaux apéritifs |journal=Instant-Mag |publisher=Tear Prod |location=Pantin |language=French |volume=7 |page=8}}</ref>
French magazine ''Instant-Mag'' considered that the sales of the single were not aided by the [[CD single]]'s cover deemed as very simple, and that the live version loses much of its energy compared to the studio's one, because of the choice of musical arrangements. In addition, the remixes have not pleased everyone, unlike Farmer's drawings used on the CD maxi.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bee |first1=Caroline |last2=Brunet |first2=Océane |last3=Thiry |first3=Benjamin |last4=Parpette |first4=Jennifer |year=2001 |title=Il y a (encore) une pince à linge dans les gâteaux apéritifs |journal=Instant-Mag |publisher=Tear Prod |location=Pantin |language=French |volume=7 |page=8}}</ref>

Revision as of 17:17, 16 May 2011

"Dessine-moi un mouton"
Song
B-side"Dernier Sourire" (live)

"Dessine-moi un mouton" (English: "Draw Me a Sheep") is a 1999 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer, first in a studio version, then in a live version during her 1999 concert Mylenium Tour. The song was the only single from her third live album Mylenium Tour and was released on 5 December 2000. The title draws from a direct quotation to a well-known scene in French children's book Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Although it was generally appreciated by critics and was a top ten hit in France, it had moderate success in terms of sales.

Background and writing

Originally, "Dessine-moi un mouton" should have been released as the second, third, or fourth single from the studio album Innamoramento.[1] However, the song was released much later, and only in a live version to promote the concert album Mylenium Tour. Because of this discrepancy, some people considered the song to be, in fact, the sixth single from the previous studio album. Thus, with this rationale, Innamoramento is the second album in France to provide six top ten hits in France.[2]

Just before the single's release, a rumor circulated that a video was already underway and would be filmed in Corsica to evoke drawn images found in Saint-Exupéry's famous novella, which profoundly inspired the song.[3] According to another persistant rumor, Farmer planned to buy some rights to the story from the author's family to create a musical directed by other producers. Finally, none of this gossip proved correct.[4][5]

The promotional CD was sent to radio stations on 27 October, and the single was concurrently released with the live album to enable it to move straight to number one on the French Album Charts. All the remixes were produced after the album version, not the live version. Quickly, French station NRJ heavily played the remix called 'World is mine' instead of the live version.[5][6] For the first time in her career, Farmer used her own drawings to illustrate the CD maxi and vinyl's covers, on which she represented herself next to a sheep. She also used her drawings for the video of "C'est une belle journée", as well as in her book Lisa-Loup et le Conteur.[1] As for the single release of "Sans logique" eleven years earlier, the B-side is "Dernier Sourire", this time in the live version.[7]

However, when the best of album Les Mots was released in 2001, the song was not included in the track listing, like other live singles "Allan" and "La Poupée qui fait non".[6]

Theme and video

As Saint-Exupery's story, Le Petit Prince,[8] is deeply incorporated within French mainstream popular culture, francophone audience clearly understood the allusion of the song to the literary work.[9] Therefore, "Farmer does not tell the novella's story in her song, but uses the writer's philosophy to draw inspiration". Journalist Benoît Cachin said "Dessine-moi un mouton" deals with life, love, death, and is "a plea for childhood, imagination and insouciance".[10] Psychologist Hugues Royer considers that it is a song that "invites us to connect with our childhood".[11]

The video uses images from the 1999 tour,[12] when Farmer performed the song sitting on a giant swing. For the television version, the entire part devoted to the presentation of musicians and the recalls were deleted, but included in footage for the tour's DVD.[13]

Live performances

The song was not promoted by the singer and was never performed on television, but was only sung during the Mylenium Tour. As showed on the DVD of the concert, before the song begins, Farmer is sitting on the steps of the staircase and she whistles. While the dancers make several acrobatics and play leapfrog, she performs the song, sitting on a big swing with two headers sphynx at both ends. A rain of silver sequins down from heaven on artists and the andiance. After her performance, Farmer goes down the swing and presents the musicians.[10][14]

Critical reception

Reviews

"Dessine-moi un mouton" was generally very well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Many fans felt that the single was the biggest hit of the album. Belgian magazine La Dernière Heure considered this song absolutely identical to "XXL", using many big guitars; it also said that it was very representative of Farmer's work and was sensed as a future single since the album's release.[15]

French magazine Instant-Mag considered that the sales of the single were not aided by the CD single's cover deemed as very simple, and that the live version loses much of its energy compared to the studio's one, because of the choice of musical arrangements. In addition, the remixes have not pleased everyone, unlike Farmer's drawings used on the CD maxi.[16]

Chart performances

In French, the single entered the SNEP Singles Chart at number six on 9 December 2000, making Farmer's 21st top ten hit in the country. The next week, it made a big fall to number 28 and continued to drop. It fell off the chart after nines weeks in the top 50 and 16 weeks in the top 100.[17]

In Switzerland, the song reached a peak at number 59 in the third week on 21 January 2001 and totaled five weeks in the top 100.[18]

In Belgium (Wallonia), the single started at number 25 in the Ultratop 40 chart on 16 December 2000, then climbed to number 11, and dropped the next weeks. It remained for twelve weeks on the chart.[19]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of single releases of "Dessine-moi un mouton":[20]

  • CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (live)4:50
2."Dernier Sourire" (live)4:53
  • CD maxi - Digipack / 12" maxi / 12" maxi - Promo
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (live single version)4:34
2."Dessine-moi un mouton" (world is mine remix)4:53
3."Dessine-moi un mouton" (snakebite beat remix)4:42
4."Dessine-moi un mouton" (draw me a sheep remix)3:53
  • Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (album version)4:38
2."Dessine-moi un mouton" (2000 live version)4:50
  • CD single - Promo - Silvery disc / CD single - Promo - White disc
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (live single version)4:34
  • CD single - Promo - Tryptic with a swing
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (live radio edit)4:05
  • VHS - Promo
No.TitleLength
1."Dessine-moi un mouton" (video)4:56

Release history

Date[20] Label Region Format Catalog
November 2000 Polydor France, Belgium, Switzerland CD single - Promo 9548
12" maxi - Promo 0292
VHS Promo —
5 December 2000 CD single 587 920-2
CD maxi 587 919-2
12" maxi 587 919-1

Official versions

Version[13] Length Album Remixed by Year Comment[10]
Album version 4:34 Innamoramento — 1999 See the previous sections
Live version
(recorded in 2000) 		4:50
(CD)
6:40 (DVD/VHS)
4:16 (cassette) 		Mylenium Tour — 2000 This version is rather similar to the album one, but before starting the song, Farmer whistles. The DVD and VHS version includes the presentation of the musicians. The cassette version is shorter as one refrain is deleted. (see Mylenium Tour)
Single live version 4:34 — Laurent Boutonnat 2000 The last refrain is deleted.
Live radio edit 4:05 — Laurent Boutonnat 2000 This version is similar to the two previous above, but shorter.
World is mine remix 4:53 — Quentin and Visa 2000
Snakebite beat mix 4:42 — Osman and Visa 2000 This is an electro remix.
Draw me a sheep remix 3:53 — Hot Sly and Visa 2000 Devoted to the dancefloors, this remix sometimes distorts Farmer's voice.
Music video 4:56 — — 2000

Credits and personnel

These are the credits and the personnel as they appear on the back of the single:[20][21]

  • Mylène Farmer – lyrics, drawings
  • Laurent Boutonnat – music
  • Requiem Publishing – editions
  • Polydor – recording company
  • Henry Neu / Com'N.B – design
  • Made in the E.U.

Charts and sales

References

  • 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 978-2351440261.
  • 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 275380477X.
  • Khairallah, Sophie (2007). Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor (in French). Why Not. ISBN 2916611258.
  • Rigal, Julien (September 2010). Mylène Farmer, la culture de l'inaccessibilité (in French). Premium. ISBN 9782356360960.
  • Royer, Hugues (2008). Mylène, biographie (in French). Spain: Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-35287-139-2.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Chuberre, 2007, pp. 104-05.
  2. ^ Habib, Élia (2002). Muz hit. tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. p. 516. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
  3. ^ Chuberre, 2008, p. 207.
  4. ^ Khairallah, 2007, p. 33.
  5. ^ a b c Rigal, 2010, pp. 123,124.
  6. ^ a b "Mylène Farmer - "Dessine-moi un mouton" - Histoire du single" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  7. ^ Chuberre, 2008, pp. 231-32.
  8. ^ Royer, 2008, p. 164.
  9. ^ Cachin, 2006 (2), pp. 34-35.
  10. ^ a b c Cachin, 2006, pp. 94-97.
  11. ^ Royer, 2008, p. 218.
  12. ^ "Dessine-moi un mouton". Jukebox (in French). 179. Devant-soi. June 2002. Retrieved 22 March 2008.
  13. ^ a b "Mylène Farmer - "Dessine-moi un mouton" - Versions" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  14. ^ Rigal, 2010, p. 116.
  15. ^ Darquenne, Jean-Philippe (7 April 1999). "Un album pour son frère disparu". La Dernière Heure (in French). Brussel: 21. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  16. ^ Bee, Caroline; Brunet, Océane; Thiry, Benjamin; Parpette, Jennifer (2001). "Il y a (encore) une pince à linge dans les gâteaux apéritifs". Instant-Mag (in French). 7. Pantin: Tear Prod: 8.
  17. ^ a b ""Dessine-moi un mouton", French Singles Chart" (in French). Lescharts. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  18. ^ a b ""Dessine-moi un mouton", Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Lescharts. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
  19. ^ a b ""Dessine-moi un mouton", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
  20. ^ a b c "Mylène Farmer - "Dessine-moi un mouton" - Supports" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  21. ^ "Mylène Farmer - "Dessine-moi un mouton" (live) - Crédits" (in French). Mylene.net. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  22. ^ Royer, 2008, p. 363.
  23. ^ Cachin, 2006, p. 94.
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