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"Slipping Away" is an electronic song recorded by Moby for his album Hotel (2005). It was released as the album's sixth single outside the UK and the fourth inside the UK. The single version features backing vocals from Alison Moyet.

Original version

Track listing

1. "Slipping Away" (single version) (3:38)
2. "Slipping Away" (MHC radio edit) (3:38) CD #2: Mute LCDMute365 (Europe)
3. "Slipping Away" (Axwell vocal mix) (7:31)
4. "Slipping Away" (Axwell instrumental mix) (7:31)
5. "Slipping Away" (MHC extended remix) (6:47)
6. "Slipping Away" (focus people that slip remix by Mathew Jonson) (9:25)
7. "Slipping Away" (Zloot remix) (4:26) 12": Mute 12Mute365 (Europe)
8. "Slipping Away" (Axwell vocal mix) (7:31)
9. "Where You End" (Tiga's all I want is to be dubbed mix) (7:04)

Moby and Amaral version

The release of the album in some Spanish speaking countries included a version called "Escapar (Slipping Away)" with famous Spanish group Amaral.

Moby and Mylène Farmer version

Background and release

In June 2006, a rumor was launched : Mylène Farmer would have recorded a duet song with an international star. Several artists are mentioned such as Lara Fabian, Benjamin Biolay, Diam's or Madonna, but especially Robbie Williams who had apparently declared at the 2002 NRJ Music Awards that he would like to work with her. Then the name of Moby was suggested because a possible collaboration with Mylène Farmer had been mentioned in the past by Moby himself and he met the French singer in New York at the time. The song would be a cover version of a song on Moby's best-of Hotel and a video would be even shot by Moby. At the end of August, the purchase order and Moby's official website indicated that the name of the song was "Slipping away (Crier la vie)".

Produced and remixed by MHC in London, this dance version of "Slipping Away" adds French lyrics. Moby said in an interview that Farmer had chosen this song because she appreciated it very well and had decided to write herself the lyrics in French-language.

Radio Jeunes Reims played the song for the first time on September 5 at 11 am, followed around noon by the Paris-One webradio. NRJ broadcast the song at 12:30 pm instead of 18:30 pm initially scheduled. The song was very regularly aired by all French radio stations (including Fun Radio which aired it several times every day).

As the song was very successful, new remixes were made and a second CD maxi and vinyl were released on November 15.

Finally, several rumours went round : two duets recorded, the next Mylène Farmer's album entirely written by Moby, and an album composed of duets with artists such as Kate Bush or Brian Molko. All these information were incorrect. However, Farmer's 2008 album Point de Suture contains a new duet with Moby called "Looking for My Name".

Music video

On September 15, the Yahoo site presented the video in preview and five days later, it was broadcast for the first time on the French TV channels. On September 23, a TV promo campaign began and the video was aired every hour on the day of the single's release on Europe 2 TV. The video, directed by Hugo Ramirez and available on a track of the CD maxi, is almost the same as that of the original version and is composed of a series of photos representing various events in U.S. during the 20th century, plus some new photos (Moby and Farmer when they were babies. Song's lyrics are written in these images.

Chart performances

The single debuted at number 1 on French SNEP Singles Chart, on September 30, with 26,019 sales. The single has managed to remain for 11 weeks in the Top 10, 22 weeks in the Top 50 and 36 weeks in the Top 100. Thus, it was Moby's first number-one and Farmer's fourth number-one in the French Singles Chart (after "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", "Désenchantée" and "XXL"). It was also the single with longest running in France for the two artists. The song peaked also at number one on French Digital Download Chart and performed good scores in the various Airplay Charts. On 2006 Annual Charts, the song was ranked at #22 (physical sales) and #51 (digital download).

Formats and track listings

Versions

Credits and personnel

• Text : Moby and Mylène Farmer
• Produced by Manhattan Clique
• Original version engineered by Brian Sperber and Moby
• All instruments performed by Moby
• Published by Little Idiot Music / Warner Tamerlane Publishing (BMI) / Requiem Publishing

• Vocals by Moby and Mylène Farmer. Mylène Farmer vocal recording by Jérôme Devoise
• Vocal production by Paul Van Parys for Stuffed Monkey
• Mylène Farmer vocal mix by Drew Griffiths at Titanium Studio, London
• Mylène Farmer management : TS3 / Thierry Suc
• Printed in the U.S.

Certifications and sales

Charts

References