If I Ever Feel Better — Phoenix
A sampled 1979 phrase, Philippe Zdar at the desk and a six-minute Buffalo Bunch version on the single: how Phoenix made their French house crossover.
- Track four of United, Phoenix’s debut album, released in June 2000 on Source/Virgin.
- Produced by Phoenix and Philippe Zdar; built on a sample of Toshiyuki Honda’s “Lament” (1979).
- Released as the album’s third single: No. 12 in France, No. 4 in Italy.
“If I Ever Feel Better” is the song where Phoenix, an indie band from Versailles, sounded most like a French house record. They made it for their debut album, United, with Philippe Zdar of Cassius at the desk, and it became their biggest single in France and Italy. The link to the Paris dance scene runs through the band’s own history.
Versailles, Darlin’ and Daft Punk
Phoenix grew out of a garage band formed by school friends Thomas Mars, Deck d’Arcy and Christian Mazzalai in Versailles. In 1995 Christian’s older brother, Laurent Brancowitz, joined on guitar. He had just left Darlin’, the band he had formed with Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, the future Daft Punk.
Phoenix pressed 500 copies of a first single on their own label, Ghettoblaster, then signed with Source Records in Paris. There they became friends with label-mates Air and backed them on several UK television appearances.
Making the track
The band recorded United in 1999 and 2000 and co-produced it with Zdar, who mixed most of the album. “If I Ever Feel Better” is track four, with clavinet by Robin Coudert. Its hook samples “Lament”, a 1979 track by the Japanese musician Toshiyuki Honda, written by Chikara Ueda. The writing credit goes to Mars, Mazzalai, Brancowitz and Frédéric Moulin, alias Deck d’Arcy.
Critics heard it as French house. Reviewing Erlend Øye’s DJ-Kicks mix, which includes a version of the song, Nick Sylvester called the original an “utterly catchy French house gem”.
The single and the Buffalo Bunch
United came out in June 2000, and “If I Ever Feel Better” followed as its third single. It reached No. 12 in France, No. 4 in Italy, No. 6 in Spain and No. 8 in Wallonia. It went Gold in France and, in 2017, in Italy.
For DJs, the most useful part was on the single itself: a 6:09 track titled “‘If I Ever Feel Better, I’ll Go to the Disco’ Said the Buffalo Bunch”. The Buffalo Bunch had released a 12-inch, “Take It to the Street” / “Music Box”, in 1999 on Crydamoure, the label founded by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Eric Chedeville.
In the mix
The album version sits naturally next to French touch records of the same years, such as “Music Sounds Better With You”, while the Buffalo Bunch track gives DJs a longer, club-length way in. For the bigger picture, read our history of French electronic dance music.
FAQ
What does If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix sample?
“Lament”, a 1979 track by Japanese musician Toshiyuki Honda, written by Chikara Ueda.
Who produced If I Ever Feel Better?
Phoenix with Philippe Zdar of Cassius, who went on to produce three of the band’s albums.
Is there a house version of If I Ever Feel Better?
The single includes a 6:09 track titled “‘If I Ever Feel Better, I’ll Go to the Disco’ Said the Buffalo Bunch”. The Buffalo Bunch had released a 12-inch on Crydamoure, the label co-founded by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.
