"Alane" is a song recorded by Cameroonian artist Wes. It was released in May 1997 via various labels as the debut single from the artist's first album, Welenga (1996). The song became a hit across Europe, topping the charts in Austria, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. It is sung in the Duala language of Cameroon[1] though the Tony Moran remix includes English lyrics ("Alane flows like a fountain, running gently to your heart. Alane dances inside me, like a flame in to your arms").
| "Alane" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) French CD single | ||||
| Single by Wes | ||||
| from the album Welenga | ||||
| B-side | "Remix" | |||
| Released | 13 May 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | World music | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | Wes Madiko | |||
| Producer(s) | Michel Sanchez | |||
| Wes singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Alane" on YouTube | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) Remixes | ||||
Critical reception
Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "African chants meet state-of-the-art dance beats on this sizzling hot dance track, which has already been firmly entrenched atop the French charts for a couple of weeks."[2] Alan Jones from Music Week declared it a "haunting" single[3] and "likely to be the next Afro-European hit to make the grade here. Wes's expressive but slightly weak vocals are bolstered considerably by a pop/dance arrangement that fits like a glove, while some ethnic-sounding support bolsters the chorus."[4] Chris Finan from Record Mirror Dance Update gave "Alane" five out of five, stating, "With over 2m copies already sold in France, this is certain to cause more than a stir here [in the UK]".[5] A reviewer from Sunday Mirror gave it seven out of ten, adding, "This Euro-stomper with lots of wailing and chanting Afro-vocals is sure to be a huge hit in the nightclubs - and on the Terry Wogan show."[6]
Chart performance
In France, the song was sponsored by TF1,[7] Fun Radio, RTL and the Malongo Coffees. The single spent ten weeks at number-one and remained in the top 50 for 25 weeks, ten of them at the top (and a further 9 weeks in the Top 10.[8])
The song also reached number-one in Belgium (9 weeks at number-one and a further 8 weeks in the top 10[9]), Austria (8 weeks at number-one and a further 9 weeks in the top 10[10]) and The Netherlands (8 weeks at number-one and a further 8 weeks in the top 10[11]) as well as reaching the top 10 in Germany (where it spent 18 weeks in the Top 10[12]), Hungary, Ireland, Israel and Switzerland (10 weeks in the top 10[13]) and number 11 in the UK.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Alane" was directed by Philippe Gautier. The choreography was created by American-French singer Mia Frye, who had previously created the choreography for Los del Rio's "Macarena". Frye appears in both videos.
Track listings
Credits
- Written by Wes
- Composed, arranged and produced by Michel Sanchez
- Artwork by Design, Bronx (Paris)
- Photography (photo remix) by Laurent Edeline
- Photography (photo) by Yan Leuvrey
- Trouser enthusiasts orgasmic apparition mix: programmed by Torsten Gascoigne, produced by Trouser Enthusiasts
- Trouser enthusiasts spectrophiliac mix: remixed and produced by Trouser Enthusiasts
- Todd Terry's club remix: remixed by Todd Terry
- Tony Moran's club mix: remixed by Tony Moran
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[32] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[33] | 3 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[34] | 21 |
| France (SNEP)[35] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] | 3 |
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] | 3 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[39] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[40] | 65 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[41] | 18 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] | 20 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[43] | 6 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[44] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Belgium (BEA)[45] | 3× Platinum | 150,000* |
| France (SNEP)[46] | Diamond | 750,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[47] | 3× Gold | 750,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[48] | 2× Platinum | 150,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[49] | Gold | 25,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Robin Schulz and Wes version
| "Alane" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Robin Schulz and Wes | ||||
| from the album IIII | ||||
| Released | 19 June 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2020 | |||
| Genre | Future house, deep house | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Warner Music Central Europe | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Wes Madiko | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Robin Schulz singles chronology | ||||
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German DJ and record producer Robin Schulz released a remake of the song on 19 June 2020 which is included on the album IIII (2021). Schulz had been a fan of the original 1997 song since he was 10 years old and got in touch with Wes via Warner Music. The two musicians met in Paris and then re-recorded the track in a studio in Germany.[50] Its music video was directed by Robert Wunsch and features appearances by Schulz and Wes, along with footage of 30 dancers in 12 countries across the world, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey, Tunisia, Vietnam, and the United States.[51][52][53]
Track listings
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alane" | 2:55 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alane" (Don Diablo remix) | 3:20 |
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[74] | 23 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[75] | 66 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[76] | 54 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[77] | 29 |
| Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[78] | 94 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[79] | 42 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[80] | 70 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[81] | 39 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[82] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Belgium (BEA)[83] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[84] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[85] | Gold | 200,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[86] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||