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Ooh La La (Goldfrapp song)

{{Short description|2005 single by Goldfrapp}}

{{Good article}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Ooh La La

| cover = Goldfrapp,_Ooh_La_La_cover.png

| alt = A blonde-haired woman at the centre standing with her hands on her hips and looking off to the right of the image. Text overlays the woman and the bottom right of the image saying "Ooh La La" three times. Text in the upper left corner says "Goldfrapp". In the background is a black wall along with two teal-coloured circles with triangle-shaped holes cut out of them.

| type = single

| artist = Goldfrapp

| album = Supernature

| B-side = All Night Operator (Part 1)

| released = {{start date|2005|8|8|df=yes}}

| recorded =

| genre =

  • Synth-pop
  • glam rock
  • disco{{AllMusic |class=album |id= mw0002285795|title= Goldfrapp - The Singles (2012): Review |last= Phares|first= Heather|access-date= January 10, 2024}}

| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=24}}

| label = Mute

| writer =

| producer =

  • Alison Goldfrapp
  • Will Gregory

| prev_title = Black Cherry

| prev_year = 2004

| next_title = Number 1

| next_year = 2005

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file =

| description = {{ffdc|1=GoldfrappOohLaLa.ogg|log=2022 November 9}}

}}

}}

"Ooh La La" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their third studio album, Supernature (2005). Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, the song consists largely of a synthesiser and guitar arrangement, and has been described as "a dirty, decadent homage to Marc Bolan".van den Boogert, Kate. [http://goldfrapp.free.fr/php/home.php?N=2&id=1132&year=05 "Ooh La La!"]. GoGo - Paris in English. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2008.

The song was released as the album's lead single in August 2005 to positive reviews from music critics. It was a commercial success, reaching the top 40 on the majority of the charts it appeared, and topped the United States dance chart. The song has been remixed a number of times and was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007.[http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx#02 "2007 Grammy Award Nominations"] {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20061220160454/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx |date=20 December 2006}}. Grammy Awards. Retrieved 15 July 2007.

Background and writing

{{Listen|pos=right|filename=GoldfrappOohLaLa.ogg|type=music|title="Ooh La La"|description=A 20-second sample of "Ooh La La", illustrating its usage of synthesisers and bass guitar. The "clattering" keyboard, which Will Gregory described as "like horses galloping", can be heard during the chorus.|format=ogg}}

Goldfrapp began work on "Ooh La La" in late 2004 in a small rented house in the countryside of Bath, England.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071002111229/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9440429/goldfrapp_unleash_supernature?rnd=1143215823390&has-player=true&version=6.0.8.1024 "Goldfrapp Unleash Supernature"]. Rolling Stone. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007. The song was composed as a collaborative effort between Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory while jamming in the recording studio, bouncing song ideas off each other.Gallant, Michael. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080420173036/http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/retro-disco-ooh/Jan-06/17580 "Retro Disco Ooh La La"]. Keyboard Magazine, volume 32, issue 2. February 2006. Retrieved 27 January 2010. Goldfrapp contributed the song's lyrics, and has described the song as being "sulky, sexual and a bit ambiguous".[http://www.mute.com/releases/viewRelease.jsp?id=1821236 "Goldfrapp - Ooh La La"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060416083440/http://www.mute.com/releases/viewRelease.jsp?id=1821236 |date=16 April 2006}}. Mute Records. Retrieved 15 July 2007. In "Ooh La La", she confesses to wanting only a sexual relationship without romance.[http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858555302 "'Ooh La La' lyrics and song meaning"]. SongMeanings.net. Retrieved 15 July 2007.

"Ooh La La" was Goldfrapp's first song to feature the electric guitar, an instrument that they had avoided due to its overly recognisable rhythm. When they recorded the song, Gregory played the keyboard bass as Goldfrapp sang. Her microphone picked up the "clattering" of Gregory's pressing the keys, which they added to the chorus; Gregory described the sound as "like horses galloping". The song is written in the common verse-chorus form and features additional instrumentation from synthesisers and a bass guitar.Supernature (CD liner notes). Mute Records. August 2005.

The song has been compared to Norman Greenbaum's 1969 song "Spirit in the Sky", Juana Molina's 2003 song "Sonamos" and Rachel Stevens' 2004 song "Some Girls" (itself heavily influenced by Goldfrapp's own "Strict Machine"). Gregory noted that comparisons to Greenbaum were made when the duo released the song "Train" in 2003, adding that the two tracks share the same glam swing. Goldfrapp rejected comparisons to Stevens, stating that "Some Girls" was "very bland".[http://goldfrapp.free.fr/php/home.php?N=2&id=1167&year=05 "Goldfrapp avoid the mainstream"]. Wales Online. 1 August 2005. Retrieved 2 December 2008.

Critical reception

"Ooh La La" received positive reviews from music critics. MusicOMH.com reviewer Michael Hubbard described the song as "sensational", writing that "Ooh La La" "will spawn a million remixes, and deservedly so".Hubbard, Michael. [http://www.musicomh.com/singles/goldfrapp-7_0705.htm ""Ooh La La" single review"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208081553/http://www.musicomh.com/singles/goldfrapp-7_0705.htm |date=8 February 2009}}. musicOMH.com. Retrieved 15 July 2007. Heather Phares of AllMusic named "Ooh La La" as the best song from Supernature.Phares, Heather. [https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Axr7ibk59fakb "Supernature (Goldfrapp)"]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} . Allmusic. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2006. {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Jessica Suarez of Spin magazine compared "Ooh La La" with Black Cherry's "Strict Machine", saying that the song sounds "so simplistic that [its] minimalist repetition occasionally teeters over into redundancy".Suarez, Jessica. [http://www.spin.com/reviews/online/2006/03/060310_goldfrapp/ "Goldfrapp, Supernature"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806001238/http://www.spin.com/reviews/online/2006/03/060310_goldfrapp/ |date=6 August 2007}}. Spin magazine. Retrieved 27 March 2005. PopMatters also compared the two songs, but wrote that the "gimmick remains something they do incredibly well, and when the chorus kicks in, Alison lala-ing away, it's impossible not to give in".Begrand, Adrien. [https://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/g/goldfrapp-supernature.shtml "Supernature album review"]. PopMatters. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2007.

Rolling Stone magazine included the song in its list of the top hundred songs of 2006, ranking it at number ten.[https://web.archive.org/web/20061214062224/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006 "The 100 Best Songs of the Year"]. Rolling Stone. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2007. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, the song was nominated for Best Dance Recording, losing out to Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack".

Release and commercial performance

"Ooh La La" was chosen as the album's lead single "because it was up and in your face and it carried on the theme of the glammy, discoey beat from the last album". The song was released on various formats throughout the world. While most territories received a CD and download release, in the UK the single was additionally released on DVD and limited edition 12" vinyl.[http://www.mute.com/releases/viewRelease.jsp?id=1821236 "Release locator > Ooh La La"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060416083440/http://www.mute.com/releases/viewRelease.jsp?id=1821236 |date=April 16, 2006}}. Mute Records. Retrieved 2 December 2008. The DVD single included the music video for "Ooh La La" and a short documentary titled "Little Pictures".

"Ooh La La" entered the UK Singles Chart on 14 August 2005 at number 4, remaining on the chart for 13 weeks. It finished as the 91st best-selling single of 2005 in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, the single reached number one in Spain, number 16 in Ireland, and number 36 in Australia. In North America, "Ooh La La" was released as the album's second single in February 2006. In the United States, the song became Goldfrapp's third consecutive release to reach the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song also reached number three on the Hot Dance Airplay chart.

Music video

The music video for "Ooh La La" was directed by Dawn Shadforth.[https://archive.today/20120913124150/http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1162836&vid=76366 "Goldfrapp - "Ooh La La" Music Video"]. MTV. Retrieved 7 August 2008. Inspired by "glam rock '70s TV", the video features Goldfrapp, dressed in all black with leather gigot sleeves, and a backing band (not portrayed by her regular live musicians) performing in a large green room. Scenes of Alison Goldfrapp riding on a digital sparkling horse are intercut toward the end of the video. Alison Goldfrapp has described the video as "harking back to Eno-era Roxy Music and old Top of the Pops". The complete version of "Ooh La La" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD singles and digital downloads, and some include remixes by Benny Benassi, Tiefschwarz, and Andy Bell.

Track listings

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

  • CD single 1{{cite AV media notes |title=Ooh La La (2005, CD)|others=Goldfrapp |year=2005|type=UK CD single #1 inlay |publisher=Mute Records|id=0094633561328}}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Single Version) – 3:00
  2. "All Night Operator (Part 1)" – 4:00
  • CD single 2{{cite AV media notes |title=Ooh La La (2005, CD)|others=Goldfrapp |year=2005|type=UK CD single #2 inlay |publisher=Mute Records|id=0094633561526}}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Benny Benassi Remix) (Extended) – 6:53
  2. "Ooh La La" (Phones Re-Edit) – 6:31
  3. "Ooh La La" (Tiefschwarz Dub) – 6:39
  • DVD single{{cite AV media notes |title=Ooh La La (2005, DVD)|others=Goldfrapp |year=2005|type=UK DVD single inlay |publisher=Mute Records|id=0094633655799}}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Video) – 3:20
  2. "Ooh La La" (Little Pictures) – 2:43
  3. "Ooh La La" (When Andy Bell Met Manhattan Clique Mix) (Audio) – 6:20
  • 12-inch single 1{{cite AV media notes |title=Ooh La La (2005, 1/2, Vinyl)|others=Goldfrapp |year=2005|type=UK 12" single #1 inlay |publisher=Mute Records|id=0094633599611}}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Original Extended Mix) – 5:12
  2. "Ooh La La" (Phones Re-Edit) – 6:29

{{col-2}}

  • 12-inch single 2{{cite AV media notes |title=Ooh La La (2005, Vinyl)|others=Goldfrapp |year=2005|type=UK 12" single #2 inlay |publisher=Mute Records|id=0094633600416}}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Benny Benassi Remix) (Extended) – 6:50
  2. "Ooh La La" (Benny Benassi Dub) – 6:28
  3. "Ooh La La" (Tiefschwarz Dub) – 6:36
  • Digital single (2019){{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/ooh-la-la/1451672515 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626060545/https://music.apple.com/us/album/ooh-la-la/1451672515 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 June 2021 |title=Ooh La La by Goldfrapp on Apple Music |website=Apple Music |access-date=20 June 2021 }}
  1. "Ooh La La" (Single Version) – 2:57
  2. "All Night Operator (Pt. 1)" – 3:59
  3. "Ooh La La" (Extended Mix) – 5:14
  4. "Ooh La La" (Benny Benassi Remix) (Extended) – 6:52
  5. "Ooh La La" (Benny Benassi Dub) – 6:30
  6. "Ooh La La" (Phones Re-edit) – 6:31
  7. "Ooh La La" (Tiefschwarz Dub) – 6:38
  8. "Ooh La La" (When Andy Bell Met Manhattan Clique Remix) – 6:20
  9. "Ooh La La" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix) – 9:13

{{col-end}}

Personnel

The following people contributed to "Ooh La La":

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2005–2006 weekly chart performance for "Ooh La La"

! scope="col"| Chart (2005–2006)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|36|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|12|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue808.pdf|title=The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 22nd August 2005|publisher=ARIA|page=25|date=22 August 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080222222438/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050820-0000/ISSUE808.pdf|archive-date=22 February 2008|access-date=15 May 2022}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

| 16

{{single chart|France|135|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Germany|82|songid=137840|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
scope="row"| Greece (IFPI){{cite web|url=http://ifpi.gr/chart03.htm|title=Top 50 Singles – Eβδομάδα 18–24/9|publisher=IFPI Greece|language=el|access-date=24 September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050924140922/http://ifpi.gr/chart03.htm|archive-date=24 September 2005}} Note: See "Best Position" column.

| 27

{{single chart|Ireland2|16|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Italy|37|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Scotland|3|date=20050820|rowheader=true|access-date=6 July 2023}}
{{single chart|Spain|1|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|96|artist=Goldfrapp|song=Ooh La La|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|4|artist=Goldfrapp|artistid=6286|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2020}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|1|artist=Goldfrapp|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2020|refname="US dance"}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceairplay|3|artist=Goldfrapp|rowheader=true|access-date=28 April 2018|refname="US dance airplay"}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ 2013 weekly chart performance for "Ooh La La"

! scope="col"| Chart (2013)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Billboarddanceelectronic|25|artist=Goldfrapp|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2020}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2005 year-end chart performance for "Ooh La La"

! scope="col"| Chart (2005)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-singles-chart/20050110/37501/|title=End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=20 December 2018}}

| 91

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2006 year-end chart performance for "Ooh La La"

! scope="col"| Chart (2006)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/dance-club-songs|title=Dance Club Songs – Year-End 2006|magazine=Billboard|access-date=22 February 2020}}

| 28

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Ooh La La"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Goldfrapp|title=Ooh La La|award=Silver|relyear=2005|certyear=2020|id=4909-2251-1|access-date=25 September 2020|refname="bpi"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "Ooh La La"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|8 August 2005

|{{hlist|12-inch vinyl|CD|DVD}}

|rowspan="3"|Mute

|

scope="row"|Australia

|15 August 2005

|CD

|{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/ISSUE807.pdf|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 15th August 2005|publisher=ARIA|page=28|date=15 August 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050819140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050820-0000/ISSUE807.pdf|archive-date=19 August 2005|access-date=23 May 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

scope="row"|United States

|27 February 2006

|Contemporary hit radio

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2006/RR-2006-02-24.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1646|page=20|date=24 February 2006|access-date=23 May 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.goldfrapp.com/ Goldfrapp.com]

{{Goldfrapp singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2005 singles

Category:Goldfrapp songs

Category:Number-one singles in Spain

Category:Songs written by Alison Goldfrapp

Category:Songs written by Will Gregory

Category:Mute Records singles

Category:Synth-pop songs