Les Chants Magnétiques

Les Chants Magnétiques (English title: Magnetic Fields) is the fifth studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, released on Disques Dreyfus on 22 May 1981.[2] The album was one of the first records to use sampling as a musical element and represents a departure from the sound of Jarre's previous efforts.

Les Chants Magnétiques
Studio album by
Jean-Michel Jarre
Released22 May 1981
Recorded1980-81
Genre
Length35:53
LabelDisques Dreyfus
ProducerJean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre chronology
Équinoxe
(1978)		 Les Chants Magnétiques
(1981)		 Les Concerts en Chine
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

The long first track consists of three distinct movements, the slower second movement being heavily laden with sample work. It was also used as the interval signal of a numbers station of the same name.

The album reached #6 in the UK, #98 in the U.S. charts[3] and #76 in Australia.[4]

Album title

The album has official titles in both French and English. The French title, Les Chants Magnétiques is a play on words. Literally translated into English this means "Magnetic Songs"[5] or "Magnetic Singing".[5] Spoken aloud however, it sounds as "Les Champs Magnétiques" (literally: "Magnetic Fields"), due to the French words chants (songs or singing) and champs (fields) being homophones. As this is not the case in English, the more straightforward title "Magnetic Fields" was used in English. In the caption for picture 5 on the album's inner sleeve, the word "champs" in "champs magnétiques" is crossed out and the word "chants" is written above it.

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Les Chants Magnétiques Part 1"17:50
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Les Chants Magnétiques Part 2"3:59
2."Les Chants Magnétiques Part 3"4:15
3."Les Chants Magnétiques Part 4"6:18
4."Les Chants Magnétiques Part 5"3:30
Total length:35:52

Equipment

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France — 364,000[6]
Netherlands (NVPI)[7] Gold 50,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[8] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r171689
  2. "Jean-Michel Jarre - Magnetic Fields". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  3. Les Chants Magnetiques (Magnetic Fields)
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 153. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. 1989, The Collins Pocket Reference French Dictionary, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., ISBN 0-00-433255-5
  6. "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD". Info Disc. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  7. "Dutch album certifications – Jean-Michel Jarre – Magnetic Fields" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 20 September 2019. Enter Magnetic Fields in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  8. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  9. "British album certifications – Jean-Michel Jarre – Magnetic Fields". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 September 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Magnetic Fields in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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