Vanessa Paradis (album)

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Vanessa Paradis
Studio album by
Released21 September 1992
Recorded1992
StudioWaterfront (Hoboken, New Jersey)
LabelRemark
ProducerLenny Kravitz
Vanessa Paradis chronology
Variations sur le même t'aime
(1990)
Vanessa Paradis
(1992)
Live
(1994)
Singles from Vanessa Paradis
  1. "Be My Baby"
    Released: September 1992
  2. "Sunday Mondays"
    Released: January 1993
  3. "Natural High"
    Released: May 1993
  4. "Just as Long as You Are There"
    Released: July 1993

Vanessa Paradis is the third studio album and English-language debut by French singer Vanessa Paradis, released on 21 September 1992 by Remark Records. It contains the singles "Be My Baby" and "Sunday Mondays".

Background and writing[edit]

Lenny Kravitz, who was dating Paradis at the time, produced and co-wrote the album. Some editions of the album contain the extra track "Gotta Have It", which is a tribute to Kravitz and is co-written by Kravitz himself. This was omitted on the US release of the album.

The album is noted for being the first time Paradis took creative control over her music. It is also noted for being innovative in its use of instruments, and for its replication of the 1960s soundscape on virtually every song. A one-hour television special on the making of the album was recorded in 1992 and aired on 28 March 1993 on French channel Canal+.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert Christgau(neither)[2]

The album was one of her most successful and most critically acclaimed, proving to be both popular in France and the UK. It spawned several successful singles, including one of her most recognisable songs "Be My Baby".

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Natural High"Lenny Kravitz3:21
2."I'm Waiting for the Man"Lou Reed3:25
3."Silver and Gold"Kravitz2:43
4."Be My Baby"3:41
5."Lonely Rainbows"
  • Kravitz
  • Henry Hirsch
2:33
6."Sunday Mondays"
  • Kravitz
  • Hirsch
3:56
7."Your Love Has Got a Handle on My Mind"Kravitz3:56
8."The Future Song"Kravitz4:55
9."Paradis"Kravitz3:03
10."Just as Long as You Are There"
  • Kravitz
  • Hirsch
3:24
11."Gotta Have It" (bonus track)
2:17

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Vanessa Paradis
Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[3] 22
Belgian Albums (IFPI)[4] 4
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] 44
European Albums (Music & Media)[6] 19
French Albums (SNEP)[7] 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 53
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 27
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 45

Certifications and sales[edit]

Certifications and sales for Vanessa Paradis
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[12] Platinum 350,000[11]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[13] Gold 25,000^
United States 55,000[11]
Summaries
Worldwide 1,000,000[14]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sendra, Tim. Vanessa Paradis at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Vanessa Paradis". www.robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Vanessa Paradis – Vanessa Paradis" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 46. 14 November 1992. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Vanessa Paradis – Vanessa Paradis" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  6. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 45. 7 November 1992. p. 45. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  7. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 42. 24 October 1992. p. 20. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vanessa Paradis – Vanessa Paradis" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Vanessa Paradis – Vanessa Paradis". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b Hennessey, Mike (22 May 1993). "Around the French Companies". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 21. p. F-6. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "French album certifications – Vanessa Paradis – Vanessa Paradis" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  13. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Vanessa Paradis')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  14. ^ King, Millané (23 December 2000). "Artists to Watch". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 52. p. 47. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.