Joue pas

"Joue pas" (transl. French for "Don't play") is a 1989 song recorded by French artist François Feldman as a duet with the American singer Joniece Jamison. It was released in July 1989 as the first single from Feldman's album Une Présence, and was his fifth single overall. It achieved great success, becoming a number two hit and a popular song throughout the years.

"Joue pas"
Single by François Feldman and Joniece Jamison
from the album Une Présence
B-side"Instrumental"
Released15 July 1989
RecordedFrance, 1989
GenrePop, Funk
Length4:02
LabelPhonogram, Metronome
Songwriter(s)François Feldman
Thierry Durbet
Producer(s)Jean Fredenucci
François Feldman and Joniece Jamison singles chronology
"Le Mal de toi"
(1989)		 "Joue pas"
(1989)		 "Les Valses de Vienne"
(1989)

The song was included on Feldman's three best of compilations Two Feldman (1996), Best Feldman (1998) and Gold (2008). It was also performed during Feldman's 1991 tour and was thus included on the live album Feldman à Bercy (1992).

Lyrics and music

Written and composed by François Feldman and Thierry Durbet, "Joue pas" has funky sonorities, starts with a brief guitar riff, and was "very well received by the public".[1] It was Feldman's first duet in his career, followed by other two ones with Joniece Jamison, namely "J'ai peur", released as a single in 1991, and "Love platonique" in 1996.

Critical reception

A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media deemed "Joue pas" as "a commercial pop song, profiting from a bouncing dance beat. Jamison's vocals have a definite R&B feel"; it also considered it as "an outstanding duo in the tradition of romantic and touching love songs".[2]

Chart performance

In France, "Joue pas" debuted at number 47 on 15 July 1989, climbed quickly and entered the top ten in its fourth week. It hit number two for five non consecutive weeks, but was unable to dislodge Kaoma's smash hit "Lambada" which topped the chart then. Thereafter, it dropped and totaled 14 weeks in the top ten and 22 weeks on the top 50.[3] On the European Hot 100 Singles, it started at number 71 on 12 August 1989 and reached a peak of number 12 seven weeks later.[4]

Cover versions

The song was covered in 2000 by Karen Mulder, Roch Voisine and Ophélie Winter on Les Enfoirés' album Les Enfoirés en 2000. This 3:46 version is the 11th track.[5] It was also covered in 2002 by Houcine and Anne-Laure Sibon, two contestants of Star Academy 2, on the album Fait sa boum.[6] In 2008, French DJ Soma Riba, who covered many 1980s songs, made his own version of the song and, as for the original one, recorded it as a duet with Joniece Jamison.[7]

Track listings
  • 7" single
  1. "Joue pas" — 4:02
  2. "Joue pas" (instrumental) — 4:00
  • 12" maxi
  1. "Joue pas" (maxi) — 6:45
  2. "Joue pas" (instrumental) — 6:10

Charts and certifications

References
  1. Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit.tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. p. 165. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X..
  2. "Talent – Promising act / Tracks - Worth watching" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 38. 23 September 1989. p. 26-27. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 7 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  3. "François Feldman et Joniece Jamison – Joue pas" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 39. 30 September 1989. p. IV-V. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 10 October 2021 – via World Radio History.
  5. Enfoirés en 2000, track listing and charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved November 16, 2008)
  6. Fait sa boum, track listing and charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved November 16, 2008)
  7. "Soma Riba & Joniece Jamison, le nouveau clip "Joue Pas"", TF1 Video.TF1.fr (Retrieved November 16, 2008)
  8. "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 39. 30 September 1989. p. 12. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 10 October 2021 – via World Radio History.
  9. "Playlist records - The most played records in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 7. 12 February 1990. p. II. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 22 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  10. "François Feldman et Joniece Jamison – Joue pas" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  11. Michel Gignac. "Compilation des succès par ordre alphabétique d'interprètes" (PDF). banq.qc.ca. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. p. 276. Retrieved 10 November 2019..
  12. "Eurochart Hot 100 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 12 October 2021 – via World Radio History.
  13. "French single certifications – François Feldman & Joniece Jamison – Joue pas" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 26 November 2021. Select FRANÇOIS FELDMAN & JONIECE JAMISON and click OK. 
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