Customer Reviews

Tour De France

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The "Tour de France" single was issued in 1983, and has never been featured on any Kraftwerk album. This 1999 remaster features the 3 original tracks and a video.

The 3 tracks (Radio Version, Kling Klan Mix, Francois K. Remix) is in essence a 16 min non-stop medley of the song, which is a tribute to the greatest bike race on earth (Ralph Hutter and Florian Schneider are themselves bike affectionados). The 3 tracks go back and forth between the basic tune and elaborations on drums and loops, quite mesmorising actually!

Bottom line: while not the best work of Kraftwerk, a nessesary edition to all Kraftwerk lovers!

I bought this song on a vinyl 12" single back in 1983. So did my best friend. After careful listenings, I realized our extended versions of the song were different. I liked mine better, it was about 75% music, 25% beats and bicycle sound effects. His was about 50% music, 50% beats and sound effects (including a long fadeout of beats rather than music). Mine was an import version, his was a U.S. remix. After years of searching for this song on CD, I've finally found it. Alas, the long version of the song that appears on this CD is the one my friend had, not mine.

It's still a good song, though, if you like melodic euro-synth-dance-pop from the early 1980s. The video is interesting, too, though not as interesting as the one I'd visualized in my head whenever I listened to this song.

I was one of those guys who loved 80's dance,break dancing,popping etc when "Breakdance" the movie came out (It had a different release name in the US) I like millions of others went out and bought the album,rushing home to play the track!! ("aint nobody" rufus and chuka khan still a favourite) anyway to my utter disappointment "the track" was not on there!!! The one with Turbo dancing with the broom outside the hardware store where ozone worked. took me a long time but I got this song on import 12" single cost me twice as much but it was a groundbreaking song and because of its inclusion in the movie helped create another set of fans as well as pave the way for such groups like Enigma............enjoy

i think this disc is well worth the money, considering it is near impossible to find in any format anywhere else! i had the 12" version of this like 20 years ago, and it sounds to me that this disc has the same mixes that i had (a previous reviewer said they were different; i disagree). if you are into bicycling, kraftwerk, or 80s nostalgia, this is a must-have CD!

I remember this song when I use to Break Dance in 83! This is a Great song and wondered why it was never on a Kraftwerk Album. Im glad its on a CD Single now and I highly recommend this CD to any Kraftwerk Collector.

I was very disappointed when the Tour de France album came out and they had re-recorded the title song. Granted it was good but it was not the original. The original was a big hit back in my DJing days. I was glad to find it on CD. I was extra glad to find the original video with the old race footage.

Innovators from the far left out-field who've managed to keep up there with the best for 30 years, Kraftwerk are a unique and often bizarre proposition. And here's another example why... take a fairly odd idea - "musical to cycle to" - put it through 11 iterations, stand back and see what happens. First off is this, their 1983 "Tour de France (CD Single)" featuring three excellent interpretations of their ridiculously catchy original tune, including some quite wonderfully integrated sound bytes of heavy breathing and buzzing derailleur gears. Then, 20 years later, there's "Tour de France Soundtracks" with its superb first three tracks (Tour de France Etapes 1, 2 & 3) which while some way away from their predecessors pick up on several of their chord sequences to become perfectly complementary, equally irresistible extensions of them, followed by it's final track, titled - yes you've guessed it - "Tour de France", that's a further excellent reworking of the original concept. And then, if that's not enough, mix it all up even more with their "Tour de France 03 (CD Single)" featuring four more, subtly different, versions of the first three tracks from the "Soundtracks" album.

Too much I hear you say... well possibly not. As you may by now suspect these guys are dedicated "velo-men" who know a bit about how to keep your legs turning, and if you put the whole 11 tracks together and hit the "shuffle" button you'll see why because you've got just about the best possible accompaniment to a serious blast on the pedals. A mesmerically addictive, wholly harmonious sequence of brain etchingly good back-beats & chord sequences that'll keep you cycling, jogging, driving or just chilling out for almost an hour before hitting, as you will, the replay button. And if you're not convinced, buy any one of these superb records for starters and then see if you can resist getting the rest.

Apparently getting the piture by 1983 with the electro-funk and rap of Afrika Bambatta and others relying heavily on
their ideas Kraftwerk create an electro-funk anthem of their own
in "Tour De France".The four tracks here present varrious
versions and remixes of the song,all contemporary by 1983 standards and it is the listener who can pick whitch one they
enjoy most.Me-I like 'em all.Also try playing the enhanced CD
videos on your PC or DVD player;I can't do it but I bet you'll
have fun.Take a listen!

Since this never came out on a proper KW album, and since I am buying the entire KW on CDs I had to get this one.This song brings back so many memories of breakdancing in the malls and arcades, playing Run DMC tapes on my box.:::About this song: I like the slap bass sound and the strings. I get a mental picture of being one with the bicycle in the beautiful French countryside, mountain ranges, in the small villages and finaly back in Paris. The radio mix is the best in my opinion. --I am still looking for the 12" vinyl single! if anyone should have it for sale -email me.

Since this never came out on a proper KW album, and since I am buying the entire KW on CDs I had to get this one.This song brings back so many memories of breakdancing in the malls and arcades, playing Run DMC tapes on my box.:::About this song: I like the slap bass sound and the strings. I get a mental picture of being one with the bicycle in the beautiful French countryside, mountain ranges, in the small villages and finaly back in Paris. The radio mix is the best in my opinion. --I am still looking for the 12" vinyl single! if anyone should have it for sale -email me.