Ride the Lightning (John Kongos song)
{{Short description|1975 single by John Kongos}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Ride the Lightning
| cover =
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = John Kongos
| album =
| B-side = I Won't Ask You Where You've Been
| released = {{Start date|1975
|4|11|df=y}}
| recorded = 1975
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:04
| label = RCA
| writer = John Kongos, Peter Leroy
| producer = John Kongos
| prev_title = Higher Than God's Hat
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = I No. 7 (Only Wants To Get To Heaven)
| next_year = 1976
| misc = {{External music video
| type = single
| header = Audio
| 1={{YouTube|TaKOKJX2NwI|"Ride the Lightning"}}
}}
}}
"Ride the Lightning" is a song written by South African musician John Kongos and Peter Leroy and originally released by Kongos on 11 April 1975 in the UK and on 11 May 1975 in Germany.{{Cite web |title=45cat - John Kongos - Ride the Lightning |url=https://www.45cat.com/record/bug58}}{{Cite web |title=John Kongos - Ride The Lightning - ultratop.be |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/8a4ce/John-Kongos-Ride-The-Lightning |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.ultratop.be}} While the single never charted, the subsequent French adaption by Pierre Delanoë titled "Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?", performed by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, would be a hit in France and Belgium the following year.{{Cite web |title=Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes ? - Sylvie Vartan (1976) Hit-Parade.net |url=https://hit-parade.net/titre/285/sylvie-vartan-qu-est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=hit-parade.net}}{{Cite web |title=Sylvie Vartan - Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes? - ultratop.be |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/9aef/Sylvie-Vartan-Qu'est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.ultratop.be}}{{Cite web |title=45 Tours 70 – Site officiel de Sylvie Vartan |url=https://www.sylvie-vartan.com/france-45-tours-70/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |language=fr-FR}}
Track listing
7" single Cube Records BUG 58 (1975, UK)
: A. "Ride the Lightning" (4:04)
: B. "I Won't Ask You Where You've Been" (4:30){{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/John-Kongos-Ride-The-Lightning/master/734684|title=John Kongos - Ride The Lightning at Discogs|website=Discogs |year=1975 |accessdate=2017-11-16}}
Sylvie Vartan version (in French)
{{Infobox song
| name = Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| language = French
| English_title = What makes blondes cry?
| artist = Sylvie Vartan
| album = Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?
| released = {{Start date|1976
|2|df=y}}
| recorded = 1975
| studio =
| venue =
| B-side = La Lettre
| length = 3:09
| label = RCA Victor
| writer = John Kongos, Peter Leroy, Pierre Delanoë{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/9aef/Sylvie-Vartan-Qu'est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes|title=ultratop.be - Sylvie Vartan - Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?|website=Ultratop |accessdate=2017-11-15}}
| producer = Jacques Revaux
| prev_title = Danse-la chante-la
| prev_year = 1975
| next_title = L'amour c'est comme les bateaux
| next_year = 1976
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|wMS8Vxtzo4s|"Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?" (French TV, 1985)}}}}
}}
The song was reworked into French (as "Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?", which means "What makes blondes cry?") by lyricist Pierre Delanoë and recorded by French singer Sylvie Vartan. The recording was produced by Jacques Revaux.
Vartan's version was released as a single in February 1976 and was featured on her 1976 album of the same name, being the third and final single from the album.
The song spent two consecutive weeks at no. 1 on the singles sales chart in France (from 19 February to 3 March 1976).{{cite web|url=http://hit-parade.net/titre/285/qu-est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes|title=Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes ? - Sylvie Vartan - Hit-Parade.net|accessdate=2017-11-15}} In Belgium, Vartan's version was Number 1 for three weeks and charted from 14 February 1976 and 29 May 1976.{{Cite web |title=Sylvie Vartan - Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes? - ultratop.be |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/9aef/Sylvie-Vartan-Qu'est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.ultratop.be}}
=Track listing=
7" single (1976)
:A. "Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes?" (3:09)
:B. "La Lettre" (3:17){{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/view/234025|title=Sylvie Vartan - Qu'Est-Ce Qui Fait Pleurer Les Blondes? at Discogs|website=Discogs |year=1975 |accessdate=2017-11-16}}
=Charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:left;" |
| scope="col"|Chart (1976)
!scope="col"|Peak |
|---|
| France (SNEP)
|align="center"| 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia){{Cite web |title=Sylvie Vartan - Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les blondes? - ultratop.be |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/9aef/Sylvie-Vartan-Qu'est-ce-qui-fait-pleurer-les-blondes |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.ultratop.be}}
|align="center"| 1 |