"Babacar" is a 1987 song recorded by French singer
France Gall
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...
. Written by
Michel Berger
Michel Berger (born Michel Jean Hamburger; 28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992) was a French singer and songwriter. He was a leading figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer; as a songwriter, he was active for such artists ...
, it was the first single from the
album of the same name. Released on 3 April 1987, it reached the top 20 in France and West Germany.
All copyright revenue was donated to the family of Babacar (a little boy in Africa, Babacar Sall, whom they got to know on one of their vacations).
Track listings
; 7-inch single
# "Babacar" – 4:42
# "C'est bon que tu sois là" – 3:39
Charts
Kate Ryan version
It was announced by
Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan (born Katrien Verbeeck, 22 July 1980) is a Belgian singer and songwriter, and the winner of a World Music Award. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of M ...
in early 2009 that her new single would be a French track and a cover. Later on, at the end of May, the single cover was released and it was confirmed that it would be another
France Gall
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...
cover.
Ryan performed and presented the single for the first time in her gig at
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria.
History
G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...
in London, United Kingdom.
Later, a preview of the official video was onlineone week before the Belgian release of the single.
The song debuted first in Sweden at No. 27, debuting one week after in Belgium at No. 22.
The song was already released in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and a German release was set for 30 October 2009.
Track listings
; CD single
# "Babacar" (radio edit) — 3.11
# "Babacar" (extended mix) — 5.18
; CD maxi
# "Babacar" (radio edit) – 3:21
# "Babacar" (extended) – 5:21
# "Babacar" (basto! remix) – 6:33
# "Babacar" (XTM remix) – 6:34
Charts
Other cover versions
In 2009, the song was covered by
Lara Fabian
Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (born January 9, 1970), better known as Lara Fabian, is a Belgian-Canadian pop singer and songwriter. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide as of 2021Broadway World (2017)"Lara Fabian annule finalement sa tourn ...
on her eighth studio album ''
Toutes les femmes en moi
''Toutes les femmes en moi'' is the 6th French album and 8th studio album in total released by Lara Fabian.
During 2008, Fabian was in Belgium preparing to record a brand new French album with famous pianist Mark Herskowitz, who had also composed ...
'', as 14th track.
References
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1987 singles
2009 singles
France Gall songs
Kate Ryan songs
Songs about children
Songs about Africa
Songs written by Michel Berger
1987 songs
Song recordings produced by Michel Berger
Warner Music Group singles