{{Infobox song | name = Aline | cover = Aline (song) cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Christophe | album = | released = 1965 | recorded = 1965 | studio = | venue = | genre = Pop | length = 2:47 | label = Disc'AZ, Motors | writer = Christophe | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|eQx4hpncGiA|"Aline" (official live)}}}} }} "'''Aline'''" is a single by French singer Christophe. The song became one of the two big hits in France during the summer of 1965 along with "Capri c'est fini" of Hervé Vilard. It sold one million records.<ref name="Ichbiah"/> The song was produced by the Disc'AZ label.<ref name=rfi/> The song is about a man begging his woman to come back and has been described as a "slow, romantic ballad".<ref name=rfi/> On 25 September 1965 it reached number one in Belgium{{'s}} top 10, surpassing "Capri c'est fini" which came in second place,<ref name="Inc.1965">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HCkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|date=25 September 1965|page=34|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> becoming a "substantial hit" in that country according to ''Billboard magazine''.<ref name="Inc.1979">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AyUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT56|date=24 November 1979|page=56|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> In October 1966 it became the number one hit in Israel.<ref name="Inc.1966">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32|date=1 October 1966|page=32|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The song was composed by Christophe and arranged by Jacques Dejean.<ref name=zicabloc>{{cite web|title=Aline (song story)|url=http://www.zicabloc.com/christophe-aline|publisher=zicabloc|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305183314/http://www.zicabloc.com/christophe-aline|url-status=dead}}</ref> "Aline" was Christophe's favourite song.<ref name="Le Point"/>
==Background== Christophe wrote the song while visiting his grandmother for lunch. He did not immediately have a name for the song,<ref>[http://www.lepoint.fr/musique/videos-live/videos-christophe-avec-aline-j-ai-pas-mal-emballe-12-04-2014-1812431_1432.php Christophe:''Avec Aline, j'ai pas mal emballé'', Le Point, 12 avril 2014]</ref> but on a visit to the dentist, he asked the assistant what her name was, to which she replied ''Aline''. He so liked the sound that he decided to use it as the name for the new song.<ref name="Ichbiah"/> "Aline" is the second record by Christophe and his first great success. His first record "Elle s'appelait Sophie" had sold only 27 records.<ref name="Ichbiah"/> In an interview with ''Le Point'', Christophe chose "Aline" "without hesitation" as his favourite song and "he still sings [it] with the same pleasure for 50 years".<ref name="Le Point">{{cite news|author1=ANNE-SOPHIE JAHN|title=VIDÉOS. Christophe : "Avec Aline, j'ai pas mal emballé" Pour Le Point Live, Christophe interprète une version inédite d'"Aline" à la guitare.|url=http://www.lepoint.fr/musique/videos-live/videos-christophe-avec-aline-j-ai-pas-mal-emballe-12-04-2014-1812431_1432.php|newspaper=Le Point|date=12 April 2014}}</ref>
==Lawsuit== The song became the target of a lawsuit when a singer by the name of Jacky Moulière sued Christophe alleging plagiarism. Christophe won the lawsuit on appeal in 1970.<ref name="Ichbiah"/>
==Re-release== In 1979, Christophe's career was not going well when his wife Véronique came up with the idea of re-issuing the song.<ref name=rfi/> Christophe followed her advice and reissued the song without modifications from the original. The new release became a big hit and just like the original it reached a million records.<ref name="Ichbiah">{{cite book|author=Daniel Ichbiah|author-link=Daniel Ichbiah|title=50 ans de chansons françaises|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyNFJKAJe1MC&pg=RA2-PA1924|publisher=Daniel Ichbiah|isbn=979-10-91410-16-8|page=2|quote=Christophe se trouve chez le dentiste lorsqu'il demande à la jolie assistante quel est son prénom. Elle lui répond "Aline" ! Ce prénom lui inspire alors une bien jolie chanson. Translation: Christophe is located at the dentist when he asks a pretty assistant what is her first name. She responds to him "Aline"! This name then inspires a very pretty song.}}</ref> It then went on to sell a total of 3.5 million records.<ref name=rfi>{{cite news|title=Christophe|url=http://www.rfimusic.com/artist/chanson/christophe/biography|work=rfi|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023024133/http://www.rfimusic.com/artist/chanson/christophe/biography|archive-date=2014-10-23|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Charts== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Weekly chart performance for "Aline” ! scope="col"| Chart (1965–2020) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Christophe – Aline |url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Christophe/Aline-604 |website=hitparade.ch}}</ref> | 1 |- ! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)<ref name=":0" /> | 1 |- ! scope="row"| France (SNEP)<ref name=":0" /> | 33 |- ! scope="row"| Israel<ref name="Inc.1966" /> | 1 |- ! scope="row"| Italy (''Musica e dischi'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Annuale Singoli 1966 |url=https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1966.htm |website=Hit Parade Italia}}</ref> | 20 |- ! scope="row"| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref name=":0" /> | 4 |}
==Literature== In the novel ''Lost Luggage'' by Jordi Puntí which takes place during the student protests in Paris, a man listening to the song on the radio, after learning that his companion is pregnant, suggests to her that if the baby is a girl, she should be given the name "Aline". When the woman asks him what would happen if the baby is a boy, he replied that he would name him "Christophe".<ref name="Punti2013">{{cite book|author=Jordi Punti|title=Lost Luggage: A Novel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CZ1FAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA199|date=15 October 2013|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4767-3031-8|page=199}}</ref>
The song is also mentioned in ''Response: A Contemporary Jewish Review''.<ref name=Review>{{cite book|title=Response: A Contemporary Jewish Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IIsuAQAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Response|issue=70|page=17|quote=After the Jitterbug, Yehoyada played a slow French song by Christophe called "Aline." "Et J'ai crié, crié, Aline! pour qu'elle revienne! Et J'ai pleuré, pleuré, car J'avais trop de peine!"}}</ref>
==Test song== In 1965, due to the great success of the song, it was chosen by Seeburg, a jukebox company, as a test song. The company bought one hundred records and sent them to the United States where they were added to the selection of an equal number of jukeboxes in strategic locations across the country to test consumer demand for French songs of that era. If successful, an additional 50,000 records would be ordered with plans to purchase additional French hits.<ref name="Billboard1965">{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26|date=11 December 1965|page=26|issn=0006-2510}}</ref>
==Use in media== In October 2017, Volkswagen used the song as the main sound and music background in a television commercial selling cars airing in Toronto, Canada.
The Jarvis Cocker version of the song was used in the trailer for the 2021 film ''The French Dispatch''. An animated music video featuring the film's cast was made directed by Wes Anderson with animations by Javi Aznarez and released by Searchlight Pictures on 22 September of the same year.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Zemler |first1=Emily |title=An Animated Jarvis Cocker Stars in Very Wes Anderson Music Video for 'The French Dispatch' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jarvis-cocker-aline-the-french-dispatch-1231114/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=14 October 2021 |date=23 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJGMmXdyhoA|title=THE FRENCH DISPATCH {{!}} "Aline" Music Video {{!}} Directed by Wes Anderson|date=22 September 2021|last=Searchlight Pictures}}</ref> Cocker's version is featured in Anderson's film and on Cocker's album ''Chansons d'Ennui Tip-Top'' (2021).<ref name="Clash">{{Cite web |last=Roseblade |first=Nick |date=21 October 2021 |title=Jarvis Cocker - Chansons d'Ennui Tip-Top |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/jarvis-cocker-chansons-dennui-tip-top |access-date=23 October 2021 |website=Clash}}</ref>
"Aline" is soundtracked in a 2021 advertisement for Natural Diamonds, featuring Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas.
In the movie from 2022, The Gray Man, the song is in the soundtrack.
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aline}} Category:1965 singles Category:Songs in French Category:1965 songs Category:Songs involved in plagiarism controversies Category:Christophe (singer) songs Category:Songs written by Christophe (singer)