Modjo’s “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” samples Chic’s “Soup for One”, released in 1982. The familiar guitar-led groove comes from that earlier recording, while the lead vocal on “Lady” is sung by Modjo member Yann Destal, also known as Yann Destagnol.

The result is a meeting between Chic’s disco sound and a French dance record released in 2000. If the backing feels familiar even before the singing begins, that sample is why.

What is the original song behind “Lady”?

“Soup for One” is the Chic recording to search for. Its writers, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, are also credited on “Lady” alongside Modjo’s Romain Tranchart and Yann Destagnol.

WhoSampled’s comparison identifies the direct sample and lets you compare the two recordings.

This is not just a general resemblance to disco. There is a specific source recording behind the recognisable instrumental passage.

How can you hear the connection?

Listen to the instrumental opening of each song before concentrating on the voices. The guitar phrase gives you the clearest route into the comparison.

Once you recognise it, follow what happens around it. In “Lady”, the repeating backing supports a vocal melody that gives the track its own identity. The sampled performance and the new singing work together, so it is easy to remember the whole record as one indivisible hook.

Try this listening exercise:

  1. Play the beginning of Chic’s “Soup for One”.
  2. Switch to the beginning of “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)”.
  3. Follow the recurring guitar sound as the Modjo vocal enters.

The interesting question is how your attention changes. A passage you first noticed as instrumental music becomes the background to a voice, yet remains central to why the song is so recognisable.

Who sings “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)”?

The singer is Yann Destal, one half of Modjo. The other member is producer Romain Tranchart.

The pair discuss the band and the song’s beginnings in the French Waves documentary about “Lady”. Their names help untangle a common point of confusion: “Modjo” is the duo’s name, rather than the name of a solo vocalist.

Chic supplied the sampled recording; Destal supplied the lead vocal heard on the Modjo hit.

Is “Lady” a cover of “Soup for One”?

No. A cover would be a new performance of the earlier song. “Lady” instead incorporates part of Chic’s recording into a different song with its own vocal melody and lyrics.

That is also why the phrase “original version of Lady” can send you in the wrong direction. “Soup for One” is the sample source, not a Chic performance of the Modjo song.

When did “Lady” become a hit?

“Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” was released in 2000 and reached number one on the UK Official Singles Chart.

For your next listen, pair the Modjo track with the Chic original rather than immediately moving to another dance hit. Hearing both makes the role of the sample much easier to appreciate.

You can find more discoveries in Radar’s guide to famous songs that borrowed from older hits.