C'est la Vie (Robbie Nevil song)

"C'est la Vie"
Single by Robbie Nevil
from the album Robbie Nevil
A-side	"Cest la Vie (Extended Version)" "C'est la Vie (Single Version)"
B-side	"Cest la Vie (Dub Version)" "Time Waits for No One"
Released	November 1986
Format	12" Maxi single
Genre	R&B, Dance-pop
Length	4:29
Label	Manhattan
Writer(s)	Robbie Nevil Duncan Pain Mark Holding
Robbie Nevil singles chronology
"C'est la Vie" (1986) "Dominoes" (1986)
file info · help

"C'est la Vie" is a popular song by American singer-songwriter Robbie Nevil from his self-titled debut album in 1986. The song was first recorded by gospel singer Beau Williams for his 1985 album Bodacious!.

Written by Nevil with Duncan Pain and Mark Holding, Nevil recorded the song for his eponymous debut album, and it was released as the first single. Nevil's single spent two weeks at #2 on the U.S. singles chart in January 1987 and remained in the top 40 for 16 weeks, becoming his highest-charting U.S. hit.^[1] (It was kept from #1 by two songs, "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott and "At This Moment" by Billy Vera and the Beaters). Additionally, the song went to #1 on the American dance chart for one week in February 1987.^[2] Internationally, the song reached #3 on the United Kingdom charts. The song went to #1 almost exactly 20 years after Frank Sinatra's song "That's Life" (which is the English translation of the song title) did the same.

Nevil performed the song on the May 30, 1987 broadcast of Soul Train.^[3]

Track listing

A-Side

1. "C'est la Vie (Extended Version)" 7:04
2. "C'est la Vie (Single Version)" 3:28

B-Side

1. "C'est la Vie (Dub Version)" 7:07
2. "Time Waits for No One" 5:22

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts Chart (1986-87) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 4 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 13 Canada Top Singles (RPM) 1 Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[7] 2 Italy (FIMI)[8] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 16 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 2 Norway (VG-lista)[11] 4 Spain (AFYVE)[12] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 1 UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[15] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2 U.S. Hot Dance Club Play 1

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Rank Australia [16] 13 Canada 27 New Zealand [17] 23 UK 61 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [18] 6

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 451.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 187.
4. "Austriancharts.at – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
5. "Ultratop.be – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
6. "Musicline.de – Robbie Nevil Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
7. "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
8. "Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: N". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Robbie Nevil search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
10. "Charts.org.nz – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie". Top 40 Singles.
11. "Norwegiancharts.com – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie". VG-lista.
12. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
13. "Swedishcharts.com – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie". Singles Top 100.
14. "Swisscharts.com – Robbie Nevil – C'est La Vie". Swiss Singles Chart.
15. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th publisher= Guinness World Records Limited ed.). London. p. 390. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
16. http://www.australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=21407
17. http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3876
18. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1987.htm

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics