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Serge Gainsbourg
Birth name Lucien Ginsburg
Born April 2, 1928(1928-04-02)
Origin Paris, France
Died March 2, 1991 (aged 62)
Genre(s) Chanson, Jazz, Reggae, French rock, French pop
Occupation(s) French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director

Serge Gainsbourg [sɛʁʒ ɡɛ̃'zbuʁ] (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other A chanson ( French for " Song " from Latin cantio) is in general any lyric -driven French songs usually Polyphonic Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s French rock is a form of Rock music produced primarily in France, but also in other Francophone countries French pop music is the Pop music sung in the French language. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him difficult to categorize. Although famous in France for many years, he did not achieve his first No. 1 album until 1979, when he released Aux Armes et caetera more than twenty years after his music career had begun. Since the 1980s, his legacy has been firmly established.

Contents

Biography

Personal life

He was born Lucien Ginsburg[1] in Paris, France, the son of Russian Jewish parents who fled to France after the 1919 Bolshevik uprising. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction His childhood was profoundly affected by the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, during which he and his family, as Jews, were forced to wear the yellow star and eventually flee Paris. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers

Before he was 30 years old, Gainsbourg was a disillusioned painter but earned his living as a piano player in bars.

He had a daughter, actress Charlotte, with English singer and actress Jane Birkin; and a son, Lucien (best known as Lulu), with his last partner, Bambou (Caroline von Paulus, who is related to Friedrich Paulus). Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (born 21 July or 22 July 1971 is a British-French actress and singer Jane Mallory Birkin OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English-born French Actress, Singer and Film director. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus ( 23 September 1890 &ndash 1 February 1957) was an officer in the German Military Birkin states "Serge could only show love for his child if there was a camera there to record it. He was very shy. "[2]

Birkin recollects the beginning her affair with Gainsbourg , where he first took her to a nightclub, then to a transvestite club and afterwards to the Hilton, where he passed out in a drunken stupor. He confessed to Birkin that he had been scared of Bardot's breasts. Gainsbourg married Birkin when she was 19, he was 36. Birkin left Gainsbourg when pregnant with her third daughter Lou, by the film director Jacques Doillon, whom she later married. Jacques Doillon (born 15 March 1944 in Paris, France) is a French Film director. [3]

Early work

His early songs were influenced by Boris Vian and were largely in the vein of "old-fashioned" chanson. Boris Vian ( March 10, 1920 &ndash June 23, 1959) was a French Polymath: Writer, Poet, A chanson ( French for " Song " from Latin cantio) is in general any lyric -driven French songs usually Polyphonic Very early, however, Gainsbourg began to move beyond this and experiment with a succession of different musical styles: jazz early on, pop in the 1960s, reggae in the 1970s, and electronica in the 1980s. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range

Many of his songs would contain themes with a morbid or sexual twist in them. An early success, "Le Poinçonneur des Lilas", describes the day in the life of a Paris Métro ticket man whose job it is to stamp holes in passengers' tickets. Gainsbourg describes this chore as so monotonous that the man eventually thinks of putting a hole into his own head and being buried in another.

More success began to arrive when, in 1965, his song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the Luxembourg entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. " Poupée de cire poupée de son " (English Doll of wax doll of sawdust was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Performed by French teen singer France Gall, it won first prize. France Gall (born Isabelle Genevieve Marie Anne Gall on 9 October 1947 in Paris) is a popular French Yé-yé singer (The song was covered in English as "A Lonely Singing Doll" by British teen idol Twinkle. Twinkle (born Lynn Annette Ripley, 15 July 1947, Surbiton, Surrey, England) was an English Singer-songwriter )

His next song for Gall, "Les Sucettes" ("Lollipops"), caused a scandal in France: Gainsbourg had written the song with double-meanings and strong sexual innuendo, of which the singer was apparently unaware when she recorded it. " Les sucettes " song (from French " Lollipops quot is one of France Gall 's most important hits along with " Poupée Whereas Gall thought that the song was about a girl enjoying lollipops, it was really about oral sex. Oral sex refers to sexual activities involving the use of the Mouth, and may include use of the Tongue, Teeth, and Throat, in order The controversy arising from the song, although a big hit for Gall, threw her career off-track in France for several years.

Gainsbourg arranged other Gall songs and LPs that were characteristic of the late 1960s psychedelic styles, among them Gall's 1968 album. Another of Serge's songs "Boum Bada Boum" was entered in by Monaco in the 1967 contest, sung by Minouche Barelli; it came fifth. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque He also wrote hit songs for other artists, such as "Comment Te Dire Adieu" for Françoise Hardy. " Comment te dire adieu " (translated "How to Tell You Goodbye" is a Serge Gainsbourg song written for Françoise Hardy in 1968 Françoise Madeleine Hardy fʁɑ̃swaz aʁˈdi (born January 17, 1944 in Paris) is a French Singer, actress and

In 1969, he released what would become his most famous song in the English-speaking world, "Je t'aime... moi non plus," which featured simulated sounds of female orgasm. For the film see Je t'aime moi non plus (film. For the album see Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg. An orgasm (sexual climax is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and may be experienced by both males and females The song appeared that year on an LP, Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg. Due to technical restrictions the correct title of this album "Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg" cannot be used Originally recorded with Brigitte Bardot, it was released with future girlfriend Birkin when Bardot backed out. Brigitte Bardot ( (born 28 September 1934 is a French actress, former fashion model, Singer and animal welfare/rights activist 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. The Vatican made a public statement citing the song as offensive. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic It reached no. 1 in the UK singles chart.

The seventies

Histoire de Melody Nelson was released in 1971. Histoire de Melody Nelson is a 1971 concept album by controversial French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. 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. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" Jean-Claude Vannier (b 1943, Bécon-les-Bruyères, Courbevoie, France) was a Composer and Arranger. Lolita is a slang term for a seductive sexually attractive or sexually precocious young girl It features prominent string arrangements and even a massed choir at its tragic climax. At the time, sales were poor, but the album has proven influential with artists such as Air, David Holmes, and Beck. AIR is a French (from region Île-de-France) music duo consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. See David Holmes for other persons with this name. David Holmes is an Irish DJ, Musician and Composer Beck' s birth name was Bek see the sources given This is not a typo and should not be changed without good reason

In 1975, he released the album Rock Around the Bunker, a rock album written entirely on the subject of the Nazis. Rock Around the Bunker was a 1975 album by French singer andsongwriter Serge Gainsbourg, containing songs which combined pseudo-1950smusical arrangements Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Gainsbourg used black humour, as he and his family suffered during World War II. Black comedy, also known as black humor or dark comedy, is a sub-genre of Comedy and Satire where topics and events that are usually regarded World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including While a child in Paris, Gainsbourg had worn the yellow badge as the mark of a Jew. The yellow badge (or yellow patch) also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer garments in order Rock Around the Bunker belonged in the mid-1970s "retro" trend.

The next year saw the release of another major work, L'Homme à tête de chou (Cabbage-Head Man), featuring the new character Marilou and sumptuous orchestral themes. Musically, L'homme à tête de chou turned out to be Gainsbourg's last LP in the English rock style he had favoured since the late 1960s. He would go on to produce two reggae albums recorded in Jamaica (1979 and 1981) and two electronic funk albums recorded in New York (1984 and 1987).

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. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae 's most prolific and long lasting production teams Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar was born on 10 May 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica. Alpharita Constantia Anderson, better known as Rita Marley is the Widow of legendary Reggae musician Bob Marley, and a member of the trio the This song earned him death threats from right-wing veterans of the Algerian War of Independence who were opposed to certain lyrics. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from Shortly afterward, 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. "

Final years

After a 13 year long turbulent relationship Jane Birkin left Gainsbourg. [4] In the 1980s, approaching the end of his life, Gainsbourg became a regular figure on French TV. His appearances seemed devoted to his controversial sense of humour and provocation. He would show up drunk and unshaven on stage. On Michel Drucker's live Saturday evening show with the American singer Whitney Houston, he exclaimed to the host, "I want to fuck her. Michel Drucker (born 12 September 1942) is a popular French Journalist and TV host Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former "[1] In another talk show interview he appeared alongside Catherine Ringer, a well known singer who in the past had appeared in pornographic films. Catherine Ringer (born October 18, 1957, Suresnes, France) is a French singer musician songwriter dancer choreographer and actress Gainsbourg shouted, "You're nothing but a filthy whore, a filthy, fucking whore. " Ringer scolded back, "Look at you, you're just a bitter old alcoholic. I used to admire you but these days you've become a disgusting old parasite. "[5]

By December, 1988, while a judge at a film festival in Val d'Isère, he appeared drunk and in a rage at a local theatre where he was to do a presentation. Val-d'Isère is a Ski resort and a commune located ( in the Savoie département, in France, 5 km (3 miles from the While on stage he began to tell an obscene story about Brigitte Bardot and a champagne bottle, only to stagger offstage and collapse in a nearby seat. [5]

Subsequent years saw his health deteriorate. He had to undergo liver surgery - although he denied any connection to cancer or cirrhosis. His appearances and releases become sparser as he had to rest and recover in Vezelay.

During this period he released Love on the Beat, a controversial electronic album with highly sexual themes in the lyrics, 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. Love on the Beat is a 1984 album by French singer andsongwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with His third and last Eurovision Song Contest entry came in 1990 with the French entry "White and Black Blues," sung by Joëlle Ursull. "White and Black Blues" was the French entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed in French (with some words in English) Joëlle Ursull is a French singer of Guadeloupean origins She performed " White and Black Blues " composed by Serge Gainsbourg It came second in a tie with Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

His songs became increasingly eccentric during this period, ranging from the anti-drug "Aux Enfants de la Chance" to the duet with his daughter Charlotte named "Lemon Incest. Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (born 21 July or 22 July 1971 is a British-French actress and singer "[6] This translates as "Inceste de citron", a wordplay on "un zeste de citron" (a tang of lemon). The title demonstrates Gainsbourg's love for puns (another example of which is Bowie, Beau oui comme Bowie).

Film work

During his career, he wrote the soundtracks for more than 40 films. In 1996, he received a César Award for Best Music Written for a Film for Élisa, along with Zbigniew Preisner and Michel Colombier. Winners of the César Award for Best Music written for film (before 2000 it was called the "César Award for Best Music": 2008 Alex Beaupain Élisa is a French Film directed by Jean Becker and starring Gérard Depardieu and Vanessa Paradis. Zbigniew Preisner (ˈzbigɲɛf ˈpɾajsnɛɾ (born May 20, 1955 in Bielsko-Biała as Zbigniew Antoni Kowalski) is one of Poland 's Michel Colombier ( May 23, 1939 &mdash November 14, 2004) was a French Composer, Songwriter, Arranger

He directed four movies: Je t'aime... moi non plus, Équateur, Charlotte For Ever and Stan The Flasher. For the song see Je t'aime moi non plus. For the album see Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg.

Death and legacy

Gainsbourg's grave in the Montparnasse Cemetery (he is buried with his parents).
Gainsbourg's grave in the Montparnasse Cemetery (he is buried with his parents).

Gainsbourg died on March 2, 1991 of a heart attack and was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery, in Paris. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Montparnasse Cemetery ( French: Cimetière de Montparnasse) is a famous cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city His funeral brought Paris to a standstill, and French President François Mitterrand said of him, "He was our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire. François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand ( 26 October 1916 8 January 1996 served as President of France from 1981 to 1995 elected as representative of the Socialist Guillaume Apollinaire (in French ɡijom apɔliˈnɛʁ ( August 26, 1880 &ndash November 9, 1918) was a French Poet . . He elevated the song to the level of art. "[7] His home at the well-known address 5bis rue de Verneuil is still covered in graffiti and poems.

Since his death, Gainsbourg's music has reached legendary stature in France. His 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, yé-yé 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. Yé-yé was a style of pop music that emerged out of France, Québec and Spain in the early 1960s Bossa nova ( is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African He has gained a following in the English-speaking world with many non-mainstream artists finding his arrangements highly influential.

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. For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol Roy Fox Lichtenstein (October 27 1923 &ndash September 29 1997 was a prominent American Pop artist his work heavily influenced by both popular advertising and "

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. Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932 is an English singer actress and Composer best known for her upbeat popular international hits In 2003, she wrote and recorded La Chanson de Gainsbourg as a tribute to the composer of some of her biggest hits.

His lyrics are collected in the volume Dernières nouvelles des étoiles.

In 2005, the album Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited was released by Virgin Records. Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited is a Tribute album to the works of late French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. The album consisted of specially-recorded English-language cover versions of Gainsbourg's songs, recorded by artists as diverse as Franz Ferdinand, Portishead, Placebo, and Michael Stipe. Franz Ferdinand is a rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2001 Portishead (pɔːtɪsˈhɛd IS an English musical group from Bristol. Placebo are an Alternative rock band formed in London in 1994 currently comprising Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest John Michael Stipe (born January 4 1960 in Decatur Georgia) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the Alternative rock band R

Trivia

Discography

Noted songs

References

  1. ^ a b c Chrisafis, Angelique, The Guardian (April 14, 2006). Gainsbourg, je t'aime.
  2. ^ The Daily Mail, Jane Birkin reveals the naked truth about being a Sixties icon. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=510236&in_page_id=1879
  3. ^ The Daily Mail, Jane Birkin reveals the naked truth about being a Sixties icon. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=510236&in_page_id=1879
  4. ^ Vanity Fair, "The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg", November 2007
  5. ^ a b Kent, Nick , The Guardian (April 15, 2006). What a drag.
  6. ^ A controversial video for "Lemon Incest" featured a half-naked Gainsbourg lying on a bed with his daughter Charlotte. Phrases from the song include "L'amour que nous ne ferons jamais ensemble/ Est le plus beau le plus violent/ Le plus pur le plus enivrant" ("The love that we will never make together/ is the most beautiful, the most violent/ The most pure, the most heady").
  7. ^ Simmons, Sylvie, The Guardian (February 2, 2001). The eyes have it.
  8. ^ Hodgkinson, Will, The Guardian (February 5, 2003). Serge, mon amour.

External links

Radio France Internationale (RFI was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France to serve as a broadcast vehicle for French Equatorial
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