Sans contrefaçon

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“Sans contrefaçon”
Single by Mylène Farmer from the album Ainsi soit je...
Released	October 16, 1987 (album version) August 5, 2003 (remixed version)
Format	CD maxi 7" single 7" maxi Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded	1987, France
Genre	Pop
Length	4:07 (album version) 3:50 (single version) 5:52 (remixed version)
Label	Polydor
Writer(s)	Text : Mylène Farmer Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer	Laurent Boutonnat
Mylène Farmer singles chronology
"Tristana" (1987) "Sans contrefaçon" (1987) "Ainsi soit je..." (1988) Alternate cover J.C.A. remix Ainsi soit je... track listing "L'Horloge" (1) "Sans contrefaçon" (2) "Allan" (3) Les Clips Vol. II track listing "Sans contrefaçon" (1) "Ainsi soit je..." (2) En concert track listing "À quoi je sers..." (1) "Sans contrefaçon" (2) "Jardin de Vienne" (3) Dance Remixes track listing "We'll Never Die" (1) "Sans contrefaçon" (2) "Tristana" (3) Live à Bercy track listing "Comme j'ai mal" (1) "Sans contrefaçon" (2) "Mylène s'en fout" (3) Music Videos I track listing "Tristana" (4) "Sans contrefaçon" (5) "Ainsi soit je..." (6) Les Mots track listing "Tristana" (4) "Sans contrefaçon" (5) "Ainsi soit je..." (6) RemixeS track listing "Sans contrefaçon" (1) "L'Instant X" (2) Avant que l'ombre... à Bercy track listing "Porno graphique" (6) "Sans contrefaçon" (7) "Q.I" (8)

"Sans contrefaçon" is a 1987 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. First single from her second studio album Ainsi soit je..., it was first released on October 16, 1987. A remixed version by the DJ J.C.A. was also released on August 5, 2003, as the first single from the compilation RemixeS.

[edit] Background and writing

Composed by Farmer in 1987, the theme of "Sans contrefaçon" was inspired by two songs : "Comme un garçon" by Sylvie Vartan, and "3è Sexe" by the band Indochine. The photographer Elsa Trillat explained that the words were written very quickly (about two hours), on the edge of a swimming pool, with a dictionary of synonyms. Laurent Boutonnat immediately found a music which could accompany the text. The song was the first single from the second Farmer's album, Ainsi soit je.... It quickly became a very popular song in France and also one of the best-known of the singer.^[1]

The song was performed during all Farmer's concerts tour, but included in a medley on the Mylenium Tour. "Sans contrefaçon" is the Farmer's song that features on the most of the singer's albums.

In September 2003, the song was released in a remixed version produced by J.C.A., becoming the first single from the album RemixeS. The song got a huge success in nightclubs, but it didn't have great sales since it was released only as a vinyl record.

[edit] Lyrics and music

The song's lyrics seem to be autobiographical. Indeed, in interviews, Farmer often explained that when she was younger, a lot of people thought she was a boy^{[2] [3]} because of her androgynous look (she had the short hair).^[4] To strengthen even more doubt, she confessed she "put a handkerchief in her trousers".^[5]

The song mentions the Chevalier d'Eon, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who lived the second half of his life as a woman.

The music, especially the refrain is "catchy".^[6]

Although the song doesn't deal with homosexuality, it eventually became over the years an anthem of the gay community.^[7]

[edit] Music video

The video, a Polydor production, was filmed by Laurent Boutonnat, about one month after the single's release. For the first time, Farmer participated in the writing of the screenplay, along with Boutonnat. This video, whose length is 8:43, was shoot for four days in Cherbourg, France,^[8] and cost about 300,000 francs (55,000 euros). It was inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, a Carlo Collodi's novel for children and Le Petit Cirque by Dargaud.^[9]

It features Frédéric Lagache (the puppeter, who also played in the video for "Beyond My Control"), and the Swiss artist Zouc (the woman). Farmer explained that she had greatly appreciated Zouc's shows, which dealt with the strange and sordid themes and the world of childhood. The two women met in the programme Mon Zenith à moi and Farmer absolutely wanted that Zouc that plays a role in the video for "Sans contrefaçon".^[10] The puppet was created by Benoît Lestang who shot the video for "Q.I" in 2005. François Hanss is the Boutonnat's assistant^[11] (he also directed the videos for "Je te rends ton amour", "Innamoramento", "Dessine-moi un mouton" and "Redonne-moi").

The video starts with a puppet saying "Dis maman, pourquoi je suis pas un garçon ?". Then it shows a man and his puppet (representing Farmer) who are thrown outside, in the rain, by two transvestites. He is chased from the theater in which he played a show entitled "Sans contrefaçon". He cleans his puppet which is a bit dirty by the mud and starts to walk in a desolate land. Then he meets a troupe of athletes who are members of a circus named "Giorgino Circus." They seem to be sad and their faces are not sympathetic. However, a black dressed woman gives to the puppeteer a little bit of purée that he begins eating. The woman, fascinated by the doll, takes it in her arms. But the other members of the circus grab it from her and play to throw it from one to the other. Terrified, the woman tries to retrieve the doll and when she succeeds in doing it she runs away with it. The puppeteer follows her and suddenly discovers that his puppet is alive : it turned into Mylène Farmer and the latter is playing hands games with the woman. But when Farmer sees the puppeteer, she becomes afraid and goes away by running. The man pursues her and manages to reach her when she falls on the muddly ground. He raises her, takes out the mud on her face, kisses her and takes her in his arms. However, after a while, Farmer turns into the puppet again, much to the chagrin of the man who is unhappy, while the circus goes away.^[12]

This video was nominated in the category 'Best videoclip' in the 1988 Victoires de la Musique, but did not win. The theme of this video is that of "the alienation: to be prisoner of desires of the other". Indeed, the man, as a possessive mother, has an exclusive love for his puppet. But the arrival of a third party allows it to take life, "to born from a psychological point of view".^[13]

[edit] TV performances

Farmer performed the song in play-back on 16 French TV shows (all sources listed below provide different data), broadcast between November 13, 1987 and February 6, 1988 on various channels (TF1, Antenne 2, FR3, Canal +, La 5). Sometimes, she was also interviewed and, on certain shows, she performed another hit. Farmer almost always wore male clothes with black and white checks and a cap (the same costume as she wore during her 1989 tour). In 1990, she promoted the song on a Swedish and an Italian programmes (on April 28 and July 13). On May 18, 1996, Farmer performed "Sans contrefaçon" just after "California", on Les Années tubes.^{[14] [9]}

[edit] Chart performances

The single was charted in France for 22 weeks, from December 5, 1987 to April 30, 1988. It debuted at #21, reached the top ten four weeks after and remained for a total of ten consecutive weeks in it. On February 20, it peaked at number 2 but was unable to top the chart (Sabrina Salerno's "Boys (Summertime Love)" was #1 at the time).^[15] It was the first top five hit of Farmer, and her third top ten hit. "Sans contrefaçon" is the third biggest hit of the singer, behind "Désenchantée" and "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces".

The song also featured on the German Singles Chart where it reached #19, becoming the Farmer's most successful single in that country.

[edit] Covers

The song was covered by many artists including :

• Patricia in 1998. This dance version entitled "Listen to Your Heart" was recorded in English.
• Lorie, in 2003, as second track on her single "À 20 ans"^[16].
• The French rock band Armens, in 2003. The song was released as a single and is available on their live album Sans contrefaçon - Le Live (track 1, 3:24) ^[17].
• Mr Popicide, in 2003.^[18]
• Many participants of the show Star Academy, including Anne-Laure Sitbon (2003), Elodie Frégé (2004), and Giovanni (2003, Belgian Star Academy) These versions were not released as a single, but was only performed on TV.
• Julie Zenatti, in 2003, on the French radio Generation Scoop in an acoustic version.^[19]

[edit] Uses in the media

"Sans contrefaçon" features on the soundtrack of the 1996 French film Pédale Douce, produced by Gabriel Aghion (first track). The song is played at the beginning of the film and on the final credits.^[20]

In one of the editions of Trivial Pursuit, there is a question which asks : "In the song "Sans contrefaçon", what Mylène Farmer claims ?". The answer is "Je suis un garçon" ("I'm a boy").

[edit] Formats and track listings

[edit] Versions

Official versions

Unofficial mentionable fan remixes^[21]

• St.Ken's alternate club mix (4:51)
• St.Ken's twingo club mix (6:49)
• Touch mix (5:38)

[edit] Credits and personnel

• Text : Mylène Farmer
• Music : Laurent Boutonnat
• Editions : Bertrand Le Page and Toutankhamon
• Recording company : Polydor
• Photography : Elsa Trillat

[edit] Charts, certifications and sales