Joe le taxi

"Joe le taxi" (English: "Joe the Taxi Driver") is a French song written by Franck Langolff and Étienne Roda-Gil for French singer Vanessa Paradis. The song was later included on her debut album, M&J (short for "Marilyn & John"), which, although peaking at number thirteen in France, drew limited interest in the United Kingdom when it was issued in August 1988.

"Joe le taxi"
Single by Vanessa Paradis
from the album M&J
B-side
  • "Varvara Pavlovna"
  • "Joe el taxi" (Spain)
Released10 April 1987 (1987-04-10)
Recorded1986
StudioLocal Studio, Rueil-Malmaison
Genre
Length3:54
Label
Composer(s)Franck Langolff
Lyricist(s)Étienne Roda-Gil
Producer(s)Franck Langolff
Vanessa Paradis singles chronology
"La magie des surprises parties"
(1985)		 "Joe le taxi"
(1987)		 "Manolo Manolete"
(1988)

Paradis recorded the song in 1987, at the age of fourteen. It went on to top the singles chart in France for eleven weeks, and, uncommonly for a French-language song at that time, was released in the UK and Ireland the following year, where it peaked at numbers three and two respectively. The music video for the song was produced by Lili Balian, Jake Hertz, and Addie Calcagnini.

Song information

"Joe le taxi" is a song about a taxi driver, Joe, who works in Paris. Joe is a pseudonym of Maria José Leão dos Santos (1955–2019), a Portuguese taxi driver and Parisian nightlife figure who fled the Estado Novo authoritarian regime to France in the 1970s due to her homosexuality.[1]

The song emphasizes the notion that Joe seems to know all there is to know about the French capital including the whereabouts of all the little bars, all of the Parisian streets, the Seine, and bridges. The song's lyrics suggest that Joe enjoys drinking rum, has a passion for Latin music and her saxophone ("saxo jaune", or "yellow saxophone"). Most likely it is a figurative notion of a yellow taxi cab with various kinds of music – later in the lyrics mambo, old rock, rumba – and dreams of going to the Amazon. Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat and Peruvian exotica singer Yma Súmac are also referenced in the lyrics.

Chart performance

"Joe le taxi" debuted at number twenty-one on the French Singles Chart, reaching number one in its fourth week and remaining there for eleven weeks. It also reached the top five in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway and the top ten in Germany and Sweden. In France "Joe le taxi" is the eighty-fourth best-selling single of all time.[2] The single has reached a gold status in Belgium for 75,000 copies sold[3] and has sold 2 million copies worldwide.[4]

Music video

The video was directed by Jean-Sébastien Deligny in 1987, and begins by glimpsing the side of Joe's taxi (Chevrolet Nova), which is a New York taxi (dollar denominated taxi rates can be seen in black ink). The silhouettes of two men playing the saxophone in unison can be seen as well. The video then shows Joe in his taxi and afterwards, Paradis dancing to the beat of the song, next to a big yellow taxi similar to Joe's (she is wearing an oversized peach sweater with the words "Gross Stage" and the number twenty-six emblazoned across the front; she is also wearing grey pants).

Joe seems to be driving around town, either looking out for customers or simply enjoying a scenic journey across a bright and beautiful Paris.

The camera switches between Joe, Vanessa, and the two shadows playing their saxophones in perfect unison (in colour when focused on Paradis, in black-and-white when on Joe); it ends with a front view of Joe's taxi. Joe is of African descent.

Another music video of the song features Vanessa riding on top of a blue Jeep with Joe around Martinique while singing the song.

Track listings

Credits

Personnel

Production

Design

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[3] Gold 75,000*
France (SNEP)[19] Platinum 1,025,000[20]
Summaries
Worldwide — 2,000,000[4]

*sales figures based on certification alone

Remixes and cover versions

"Joe le taxi", in its French version, exists in a 'single version' 3:54 and a 'long version' 5:30.

When it was issued in South America and in Spain in April 1988, Vanessa recorded a Spanish version: "Joe el taxi".

Hong Kong Cantopop singer Priscilla Chan (陳慧嫻) released a Cantonese cover version in her album "Autumn Colours" (秋色) in 1988.

"Joe le taxi" has been remixed and covered several times, most notably by Stereo Total in 1999 and by The Divine Comedy in 2010,[21] and by somewhat notable artists including Japanese singer Hanayo, Japanese singer Jun Togawa, Hong Kong Cantopop singer Priscilla Chan, and Brazilian singer-actress and television personality Angélica (whose version, "Vou de Táxi"—Portuguese for "I'm Going by Taxi"—, became a radio hit in Brazil, as well as her signature song). The same year, Mexican singer-actress Angélica Vale made her version "Voy en Taxi. It was also remixed by Sharlene Boodram of Trinidad and Tobago featuring Mista Vybe. Several different versions of the song are available on popular video-sharing website, YouTube. "Joe le taxi" has also been covered in its original language by the Japanese electropop singer Immi on her 2009 EP, Wonder. In 2010, Catalina Caraus, a singer from Republic of Moldova, registered a cover version of "Joe le taxi" with a music video, which was rated in top charts in Republic of Moldova and Russia.

References
  1. Haus, Hélène (6 March 2019). "Maria-José, la femme qui a inspiré "Joe le taxi" de Vanessa Paradis, est décédée". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  2. "infodisc.fr – Best-selling singles of all time in France". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  3. "Gift to the world" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101 no. 28. 5 July 1989. p. F-8. Retrieved 6 October 2020 – via World Radio History.
  4. "New revolution" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101 no. 28. 5 July 1989. p. F-14. Retrieved 6 October 2020 – via World Radio History.
  5. "Le Sanctuaire de Vanessa Paradis – Collection Vinyl, CD, DVD et autres Collector's".
  6. "Ultratop.be – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 13. 26 March 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  8. "Lescharts.com – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Joe le taxi". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 41, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  12. "Norwegiancharts.com – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  13. "Swedishcharts.com – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Vanessa Paradis – Joe le taxi". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  16. "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  17. "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4 no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  18. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  19. "Chartsinfrance.net – Vanessa Paradis's certifications in France". ChartsInFrance.net (in French). Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  20. "Infodisc.fr – Vanessa Paradis's certifications and sales in France See: "Les Ventes" => "Toutes les certifications depuis 1973" => "PARADIS Vanessa"". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  21. "Original versions of Joe le taxi written by Franck Langolff,Étienne Roda-Gil - SecondHandSongs".
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