‘Within A Minute, Everyone Was Dancing Stardust On Making Music Sounds Better With You
Alan Brakes, co-writer, guitar, producer
I have three different memories of hearing this song. When we finished the song, we listened to it in the studio on a boombox. His voice is very weak. This is my second time in a club in Paris. It was so loud and the crowd's reaction was, "What?" I thought we overdid the production, but within a minute everyone was dancing. Then I heard the song in the supermarket on a small speaker and everyone knew it then.
In France, the techno and house scene is small, but there are parties in Parisian neighborhoods and sometimes in clubs around the city. I go out a lot: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I dropped out of history because I wanted to make music. I give myself a year. I bought some gear and then played some demos for Thomas Bangalter [Daft Punk]. He agreed to release my first single Vertigo on the Roule label. He did the remix for side B and that's how it started.
Because of its strength, I was invited to perform at the Rex Club in Paris. I asked Thomas to play keyboard and Benjamin Diamond, who I've known since school, to sing. We're looking for new songs, looking for samples. Benjamin brought the Chakakan Destiny song and that was it. We knew something was up so we sampled it and played it on the show. Then we decided to spend a week together in Thomas' studio and make a record.
In the spring of 1998 he brought the song to Miami DJs and they all loved it. It was released worldwide in the summer, six months after being written. We only played one concert, released this single and never made an album. The three of us are happy. This gives it even more magic, which is probably what made the song so successful. not anymore. It's here. It's just music. not anymore.
Music Sounds Better With You is only the second release. It has always been a part of my life and I am very proud of it. Someone will contact you with questions about this four times a year. I was in a club last week and the DJ turned up the volume. It always looks good. And this time they all dance from scratch.
Benjamin Diamond, co-author, singer
We started with poetry - and there were many of us. At first it was verse after verse, but by the end it seemed to me that there were only four lines in the whole song. I was in a punk band at the time. When people found out I was working with Thomas and Alan, they fired me. "Go out with your techno friends," they say. "We don't need you. I'm disappointed but it doesn't matter. I take revenge with the success of Stardust".
When I first heard TEDDY in my voice, I didn't like it. I want to do it again. Thomas and Alan thought I was crazy and said I couldn't have done better. When the money came, I bought guitars, keyboards and vinyl for my studio. I've been a record dealer for 25 years and this is my go-to store for the nicest and most expensive records. So I walked in and asked to see the record I've been dreaming of for 10 years. "I'll take it all!" I say. It was an amazing feeling.
The video was directed by Michel Gondry, whom Thomas knew. We're impersonators: Allen and Thomas wear masks and I'm painted silver. They shot it in LA in the summer and it was so hot the makeup artist had to come back because all the paint was dripping with sweat. It was my first time shaving my head and I've kept it ever since.
When I was on vacation in Italy with my girlfriend, I realized the song had started. We were on the beach and suddenly I heard it. "Robbery!" I say. "Someone played our song on the radio." It was soon everywhere. At some point, it all feels like too much. I want to be successful, but it's different. All eyes seemed to be on us.
I want to continue with Stardust. We really tried, we recorded some demos, but Thomas was half Daft Punk and they really started to grow. What can I say? It was great with Daft Punk!
