"Lady" is the story of the 2000s dance hit by the band Modjo
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It's quite possible that you may not recognise this once popular track from the title alone... But the upbeat bass line, smooth chorus of "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" and the dance classic melody have made this song one of the most iconic club anthems!
The composition by the young French house duo Modjo topped such popular charts as Dance Club Songs and Billboard Hot 100! To this day, the song has not lost its relevance: modern artists continue to record their cover versions of "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)"!
The revival of "Lady" plunges ex-Modjo members Romain Tranchard (producer) and Yann Destagnol (vocals) into pleasant memories... Memories when they were young 20 year old lads signed to Universal!
Original track
The composition that Modjo borrowed the sample from is a 1982 song by the band Chic called Soup For One....
So the history of the Modjo track dates back to 1982! "Soup For One" is the first track from the soundtrack to the 1982 film of the same name. The song was written and produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of funk and disco duo CHIC. The track was released at the same time as the film in 1982. "Soup For One" is post-disco and funk about loving someone, but more about being alone with yourself.
There is no official music video for "Soup For One", but the official YouTube audio uploaded in July 2019 has over 17,000 views and 417 likes. Interestingly enough, the 2000 song "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" by French house duo Modjo has over 120 million views!
History of the song "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" (2000)
"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" is the debut single by French house duo Modjo. The track was released on 25 June 2000 as the lead single from the duo's eponymous debut studio album. The song soon became a big worldwide hit, topping at least 10 music charts (including the national charts of Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK)! In January 2001, "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" became the number one US Hot Dance Club Songs.
Later, Australian music channel Max included the song in their list of the 1000 greatest songs of all time! In 2019, Insider magazine put the song on their list of songs everyone should listen to at least once in their lives!
"Such overwhelming success was completely unexpected," the Modjo members later candidly revealed. "Our wildest dreams were to sell around 50,000 copies... But we reached two million!"
Achievements
In 2001, the track ranked #8 on Billboard's Top Dance Hits of the Year! Overseas, "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" performed even better! The single spent four weeks at the top of the official UK chart and reached the top 10 in more than 15 countries, from Brazil to Germany, including the band's native France!
Music video
The music video, in which three teenagers indulge in a carefree day-long escapade, was filmed in June 2000. It was filmed in various locations in Canada. The music video was directed by François Nemetha.
The music video has become almost as iconic as the song itself! To date, it has racked up 116 million views on YouTube.
Modjo's instant success had a downside... The young duo struggled to realise their sudden fame.
"We really weren't ready for this kind of success. We were just kids making music together," Romain recalled. "I think we must have had a dire need to put that success on hold to keep our sanity. And we did..."
Modjo stopped making music in 2003, although Romain and Jan remained friends.