Flashback: "Ooh, Yes I Do" in France (1980)

Several months ago, I posted articles about the chart performance of "You're the Greatest Lover" and "Trojan Horse" in France (click here and here to read them). Unlike Benelux and German-speaking countries, the land of cuisine, wine and haute couture was a difficult market for Luv'. 

Recently, French record chart specialist Eric Stéphane has put the chart run of "Ooh, Yes I Do" online. The aim of his "Charts singles Top 50 en France" blog is to show the chart performance of singles before the launch of Canal + Top 50 (the first significant French record chart based on sales (in association with the SNEP (French recording industry association), Nielsen and IPSOS).

Before the Canal + Top 50 publication in November 1984, only industry insiders knew the real record sales. The public could only rely on unofficial lists.

Eric's work is very accurate. In addition to record sales by the SNEP, it combines numerous sources (Sonopresse, RTL, NRJ, Salut les copains, Hit magazine, Podium, Salut, Europe 1, CIDD, France Inter, Gold magazine, Journal du Show-Biz, Sapac, Cogedep, Radio Monte-Carlo, Radio Andorre, l'Express, VSD, Disc action, Show mag). 

According to his elaborated calculation, "Ooh, Yes I Do", reached #8 on the Top 50 in June 1980, spent 18 weeks on the hit list and sold 227.002 copies in France. 

Screenshots of the "Charts singles Top 50 en France" blog mentioning Luv'

When it was announced that Ooh, Yes I Do entered the French Top 10, Marga Scheide had a party to celebrate this good news. Patty Brard and José Hoebee were not present but Dutch media tycoon John de Mol (who was romantically involved with Marga) was there. 

Press clipping about Marga's party - thanks Marco Rens 

Chart run of "Ooh, Yes I Do" in France:

1st week (March 16th, 1980)

Position: #65

Sales: 5499

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/16-mar-1980.html

2nd week (March 23td, 1980)

Position: #64

Sales: 5582

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/23-mar-1980.html

3rd week (March 30th, 1980)

Position: #46

Sales: 7498

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/30-mar-1980.html

4th week (April 6th, 1980)

Position: #41

Sales: 7832

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/6-apr-1980.html

5th week (April 13th, 1980)

Position: #32

Sales: 10 748

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/13-apr-1980.html

6th week (April 20th, 1980)

Position: #28

Sales: 11 248

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/11/20-apr-1980.html

7th week (April 27th, 1980)

Position: #23

Sales: 11 581

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/27-apr-1980.html

8th week (May 4th, 1980)

Position: #22

Sales: 13 081

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/4-mai-1980.html

9th week (May 11th, 1980)

Position: #22

Sales: 14 830

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/11-mai-1980.html

10th week (May 18th, 1980)

Position: #14

Sales: 20 246

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/18-mai-1980.html

11th week (May 25th, 1980)

Position: #11

Sales: 23 745

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/25-mai-1980.html

12th week (June 1st, 1980)

Position: #8

Sales: 27 328

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/1-juin-1980.html

13th week (June 8th, 1980)

Position: #10

Sales: 18 330

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/8-juin-1980.html

14th week (June 15th, 1980)

Position: #20

Sales: 14 830

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/15-juin-1980.html

15th week (June 22nd, 1980)

Position: #26

Sales: 12 581

Link: http://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/22-juin-1980.html

16th week (June 29th, 1980)

Position: #36

Sales: 9 915

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2018/12/29-juin-1980.html

17th week (July 6th, 1980)

Position: #53

Sales: 6 749

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2019/01/6-july-1980.html

18th week (July 13th, 1980)

Position: #70

Sales: 5 379

Link: https://chartssinglestop40france.blogspot.com/2019/01/13-july-1980.html

Luv' on the Champs Elysées in Paris during the promotion of "Ooh, Yes I Do" (early 1980)

Prior to Eric's research, another French website named "InfoDisc.fr" (updated by Daniel Lesueur and Dominic Durand) tried to compile data to show the actual chart performances before Canal + Top 50. According to this site, Ooh, Yes I Do entered the singles chart on April 4th, 1980, spent 10 weeks on the hit list and reached #45.

Link: http://www.infodisc.fr/Tubes_Artistes_L.php

A third site "Top-france.fr" (updated by record chart specialist Fabrice Ferment who published the book "40 ans de tubes" in the early 2000s) also mentions "Ooh, Yes I Do". Ferment posted online the charts before 1984 and based on sales figures (SNEP), royalties and statistics from Cogedep (supermarkets network) and Savapc (Prisunic - Monoprix - Fnac). According to his estimations which only focus on the Top 20, "Ooh, Yes I Do" entered the French singles chart on May 5th, 1980, peaked at #10 and spent 7 weeks on the Top 20. Ferment's conclusions are close to Eric Stéphane's ones.

Link: http://www.top-france.fr/html/hebdo/cadre.htm

Moreover, Ooh, Yes I Do also appears in the list of the best selling singles of 1980 in France. This chart is set up by Ferment. Click here to see it. 

"Ooh, Yes I Do" among the best selling singles of 1980 in France

Luv' performed Ooh, Yes I Do three times on French television: Midi Première (TF1 - March 7th, 1980), Les Rendez Du Dimanche (TF1 - March 23rd, 1980) and Numéro Un Sacha Distel (TF1 - May 17th, 1980). 

Dutch singer Dave (highly popular in France) introducing Luv' to French viewers on television

Luv' on Midi Première 

Luv' on Numéro Un Sacha Distel

Luv's single was also supported by the French leading radio station RTL. It even peaked at #17 on the Hit Parade RTL (based on listeners' requests and the choices of the station).

One interesting fact: the French subsidiary of Carrere released some pressings of My Guy as the A-side and Ooh, Yes I Do as the B-side.

Source: Charts Singles Top 50 France, Luv' blog archives, Discogs.com...