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Serge Gainsbourg

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Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginzburg, (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director.

He was born in Paris, France, the son of Jewish Russian parents. He had a daughter, Charlotte, with Jane Birkin; and a son, Lulu, with his last partner, Bambou (Caroline Von Paulus, related to Friedrich Paulus).

Lucien Ginzburg wanted to be a painter but earned his living as a piano player in bars.

His early songs were influenced by Boris Vian. Gainsbourg wanted to free himself from what he considered "old-fashioned" chanson, and explore other musical grounds, influenced especially by British and American pop. During his career, he wrote the soundtracks for more than 40 movies.

He directed himself in four movies: Je t'aime... moi non plus, Equateur, Charlotte For Ever and Stan The Flasher.

His most famous song, "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (1969), featured simulated sounds of female orgasm. Originally recorded with Brigitte Bardot, it was released with a different female singer, future girlfriend Jane Birkin, when Bardot backed out. While Gainsbourg declared it the "ultimate love song," it was considered too "hot"; the song was censored in various countries and in France even the toned-down version was suppressed. Even the Vatican made a public statement citing the song as offensive. Its notoriety led to it reaching no. 1 in the UK singles chart.

His most influential work, Histoire de Melody Nelson, was released in 1971. This concept album, produced and arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, tells the story of a Lolita-esque affair, with Gainsbourg as the narrator and Jane Birkin as the eponymous English heroine. It features prominent string arrangements, and even a massed choir at its tragic climax. At the time the sales were poor, but the album has proven influential with artists such as Air, David Holmes and Beck.

In 1975, he released the album Rock Around the Bunker, a rock album written entirely on the subject of the Nazis. Gainsbourg used black humour, as he and his family suffered during World War II. Gainsbourg himself had worn the yellow star as a child in Paris.

Next year saw the release of another major work, L'Homme à la Tête de Chou (Cabbage-Head Man), featuring Marilou as a new character and sumptuous orchestral themes.

In Jamaica in 1978 he recorded "Aux Armes et cetera," a reggae version of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar and Rita Marley. This song earned him death threats from right-wing veterans of the Algerian War of Independence. Shortly afterwards, Gainsbourg bought the original manuscript of La Marseillaise. He was able to reply to his critics that his version was in fact closer to the original as the manuscript clearly shows the words "Aux armes et cætera..." for the chorus.

The next year saw him in the new look of Gainsbarre, officially introduced in the song "Ecce Homo." During this last decade he made a lot of TV appearances devoted to his controversial sense of humour and provocation. During this period he released Love On The Beat and his last studio album, You're Under Arrest (which saw him adapt his style to the hip-hop genre), as well as two live recordings.

Towards the end of his life, Gainsbourg became a regular feature on French TV, with perhaps his most famous outburst coming when he told Whitney Houston "I want to fuck you" on Saturday evening Michel Drucker's show. His songs became increasingly eccentric, ranging from the anti-drug "Les Enfants de la Chance" to the questionable duet with Charlotte "Lemon Incest (Un zeste de citron)." The title of the latter demonstrates Gainsbourg's love of puns ("Bowie, Beau oui comme Bowie").

Gainsbourg died on March 2, 1991 of a heart-attack and was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery, in Paris. His home at the well-known address 5bis rue de Verneuil is still covered by graffiti and poems.

One of the most frequent interpreters of Gainsbourg's songs was British singer Petula Clark, whose success in France was propelled by her recordings of his tunes. In 2003, she wrote and recorded "La Chanson de Gainsbourg" as a tribute to the composer of some of her biggest hits.

Since his death, Gainsbourg's music has reached an iconic stature in France. Although still regarded in the English speaking world as somewhat of an outrageous novelty, his level of lyrical brilliance in French has left an extraordinary legacy. His music, always progressive, covered many styles: Jazz, ballads, mambo, lounge, reggae, pop (including adult contemporary pop, kitsch pop, ye-ye pop, 80s pop, pop-art pop, prog pop, space-age pop, psychedelic pop, and erotic pop), disco, calypso, Africana, bossa nova and rock and roll.

He is also considered to be one of the first music pop artists of the late 1960s. While artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein explored modern iconographic consumer culture through painting, Gainsbourg explored similar territory in music with songs such as "Comic Strip," "Ford Mustang," "Qui est In Qui est Out," and "Teenie Weenie Boppie."

Gainsbourg's varied style and formidable individuality made him impossible to categorise. Although famous in France, he did not achieve his first number 1 album until 1979 when "Aux Armes et caetera" was released, 21 years after his music career had begun. But since the 1980s his legacy has been firmly established.

His funeral brought Paris to a standstill, and French President François Mitterand said of him "He was our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire...He elevated the song to the level of Art."

Brief notes

  • His song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son"' was the Luxembourg entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Performed by French teen singer France Gall it won the grand prize in 1965 (It was covered in English as "A Lonely Singing Doll" by British teen idol Twinkle. Another of Serge's songs "Boum Bada Boum" was entered in by Monaco in the 1967 contest and sung by Minouche Barelli. It came 5th.
  • The first English-language version of a Gainsbourg song was Dionne Warwick's 1965 version of "Mamadou".
  • Australian rock musician Mick Harvey released two CDs worth of Gainsbourg's songs translated into English.
  • France Gall was horrified to discover the sexual double-meaning of the lyrics to "Les Sucettes". Les Sucettes tells about a little girl with a strong taste for lollipops — a perfectly innocent song suitable for small children. However, one can also interpret it as a description of fellatio.
  • A controversial video for the song "Lemon Incest" features a half-naked Gainsbourg lying on a bed with daughter Charlotte.
  • Bob Marley was furious when he discovered Gainsbourg made Rita Marley sing erotic lyrics.
  • Towards the end of his life, Gainsbourg used to show up drunk and unshaven on stage.
  • He once burned a 500 French franc bill on TV to protest against heavy taxation.
  • On a live TV broadcast he told Whitney Houston that he wanted to have sex with her.

Discography

  • 1958: Du chant à la une
  • 1959: Disque N°2
  • 1961: L'étonnant Serge Gainsbourg
  • 1962: Disque N°4
  • 1963: Gainsbourg Confidentiel
  • 1964: Gainsbourg Percussions
  • 1967: Anna
  • 1967: Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot: Bonnie & Clyde
  • 1968: Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot: Initials B.B.
  • 1969: Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg
  • 1971: Histoire de Melody Nelson
  • 1974: Vu de l'extérieur
  • 1975: Rock around the bunker
  • 1976: L'homme à tête de chou
  • 1979: Aux armes et cætera
  • 1980: Enregistrement public au Théâtre Le Palace
  • 1981: Mauvaises nouvelles des étoiles
  • 1984: Love on the beat
  • 1985: Serge Gainsbourg live (Casino de Paris)
  • 1987: You're under arrest
  • 1988: Le Zénith de Gainsbourg
  • 1989: De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre (Box Set)
  • 2001: Gainsbourg Forever (Integral Box Set)
  • 2001: Le Cinéma de Gainsbourg (Box Set)

Noted songs

  • "Aux armes et caetera"
  • "Baby Pop"
  • "Bonnie and Clyde"
  • "Comment te dire adieu"
  • "Couleur Café"
  • "Hold Up"
  • "Initials B.B."
  • "Je t'aime... moi non plus"
  • "La Gadoue"
  • "La Javanaise"
  • "Lemon Incest"
  • "Les Incorruptibles"
  • "Les Sucettes"
  • "L'homme à Tête de Chou"
  • "Lola Rastaquouere"
  • "New York U.S.A."
  • "Poupée de cire, poupée de son"
  • "You're Under Arrest"
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