music
January 26, 2026
‘We get a lot of requests for it be used in sex scenes’: how Goldfrapp made Ooh La La
‘I couldn’t think of a line for the chorus – but we had just been to France. I got Baudelaire into the lyrics somewhere, too’
TL;DR
- The song 'Ooh La La' was inspired by glam rock, particularly the music of Marc Bolan.
- The chorus lyric 'Ooh la la' originated from a trip to France.
- The lyrics also incorporated elements from Baudelaire's poetry and a visual metaphor from a 1950s film about a broken shoe heel.
- Adrian Utley of Portishead contributed guitar to the track, a departure for the band who had previously avoided guitars.
- The music video featured an imaginary glam rock band and was directed by Dawn Shadforth with styling by Cathy Edwards.
- The song has been requested for use in many places, frequently for sex scenes, though the band has also declined such requests.
- Will Gregory noted the song's minimalist structure, primarily consisting of claps, a bass line, vocals, and synth/guitar stabs.
- The creative process involved renting isolated holiday homes to foster a lo-fi environment, away from London.
- The song's core is a single-note piece, deliberately avoiding complex chord changes.
- A mistake during recording, leaving a microphone on, resulted in the inclusion of the sound of keyboard clatter on the bassline track.
- Gregory initially disliked 70s music but was influenced by Goldfrapp's introduction to artists like Joan Jett.
- Gregory did not appear in the music video, aligning with his preference for minimal on-screen presence.
- The band worked with mixer Mark "Spike" Stent, camping in his studio during the mixing process.
- The track's enduring relevance is partly due to its synth use and simplicity, which avoids dating it to a specific era.
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