Booo!

My computer is busted and deleted all my Serge Gainsbourg og ye-ye music. Feel bad for me!!! -On hiatus-

Gainsbourg Celebration Day 5

Gainsbourg and Gall

France's early career was aided by her encounter with the legendary singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Gainsbourg, who had already written numerous hits for other singers (which have since gone on to become veritable classics of the French repertoire), took young France's career in hand, writing her a number of famous hits which were seemingly innocent (but actually full of erotic subtexts).
In 1965 France Gall entered the Eurovision Song Contest with one of Gainsbourg's most famous songs. Her performance in Naples on 2 March 1965 was broadcast live to an audience of 150 million viewers and the young French singer went on to triumph in style, winning the contest with Gainsbourg's "Poupée de cire, poupée de son". Ironically, France Gall was not representing France, but Luxembourg! But this did not appear to matter to French music fans. "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" went on to become a huge hit in France and the following year Gainsbourg penned another best-selling single for France Gall, giving her the song "Les Sucettes". ("Les Sucettes" acquired its own special place in French music history. 19-year-old Gall's innocent performance of the song completely missed Gainsbourg's ironic/erotic subtext, much to the delight of certain French music critics). Apparently, France never quite grasped the full sense of Gainsbourg's famous double entendres, but the pair's collaboration came to an end shortly after "Les Sucettes".

Video
France Gall & Serge Gainsbourg - Les Sucettes
Gall and Gainsbourg in a TV show from 1966

France Gall et Serge Gainsbourg -Dents De Lait Dents De Loup
Tv appearance from 1967

Gainsbourg Celebration Day 4

Gainsbourg and Lolycéenne

The legendary singer/songwriter was impressed by the young singer's talent and contacted her, offering to write a series of songs for her. Vanessa, more than eager to move away from sugary little pop songs and try her hand at something completely different, jumped at the chance of meeting Gainsbourg. Accompanied by her manager Didier Pain and songwriter Franck Langolff, Vanessa visited Gainsbourg in his famous home in la rue de Verneuil in Paris. Vanessa Paradis and Serge Gainsbourg hit it off immediately, Gainsbourg nicknaming the young singer "Lolycéenne" ("Lolita schoolgirl"). Gainsbourg and Langolff soon set to work writing new material for Vanessa.
This material was to provide the base for Vanessa Paradis's second album, "Variations sur le même T'aime", which was released on May 14th 1990. This second album proved to be a much more mature work than "M & J", Vanessa shedding her naive Lolita image for a much more modern approach. Indeed, the first single release, "Tandem", was accompanied by a trendy video shot by director Jean Baptiste Mondino who was very much in vogue in the music and fashion world at the time. On her second album Vanessa also performed in English for the very first time, recording an innovative cover of Lou Reed's classic "Walk on the Wild Side".
The album "Variations sur le même T'aime" surprised both the singer's fans and her harshest critics. Many of Vanessa Paradis's detractors were forced to revise their opinion of her and, largely thanks to this album, Vanessa went on to triumph at the "Victoires de la Musique" awards where she was hailed as "Best Female Artist of 1990".


Mp3:
Vanessa Paradis & Jane Birkin - "La ballade de Johnny Jane"
Paradis & Birkin singing Gainsbourg's La Ballade de Johnny Jane at the 1996 benefit concert of Les enfoirés.


Video:
Portrait
June 21, 1990
An excellent 22 minute documentary with the young Vanessa making the most beautiful music of her 17 gorgeous years in her landmark album Variations Sur le Meme T'aime with geniuses Serge Gainsbourg and Franck Langolff.




Credit: www.sweetparadis.com

Gainsbourg Celebration Day 3

Bonnie Parker et Clyde Barrow

This song always makes me smile and giggle. Here is the video for 'Bonnie & Clyde' Looks like they were having a lot of fun while filming this.


Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot - Bonnie & Clyde




Houston...I think we have a problem!

What happens when a dirty old Frenchman meets Whitney Houston? I think this will amuse you! Its really funny how Gainsbourg corrects the host even as he's trying to cover for him.

Gainsbourg Celebration Day 2

Song originally by Serge Gainsbourg and available on the album De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre, Vol. 1.
Here's the new coverversion with Jane Birkin & Franz Ferdinand which is featured on the new 'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited'

Sorry Angel - Live duet with Jane Birkin & Franz Ferdinand

Sorry angel, désolé

I sent you to suicide, lover
I wasn't worth the pain
Without me, you decided, lover
On the voyage of the vain

Sorry angel, désolé

Was it some dark vertigo, lover?
Drawing you to pain
Drawing you to loneliness, lover
The voyage of the vain

Sorry angel, désolé

I tried everything, lover
It wasn't worth the strain
Fate led us onwards, lover
Remorseless in vain

Sorry angel, désolé

I sent you to suicide, lover
Opened up the vein
So you're an angel, lover
Forever

THE DOWNLOADS:

VIDEO
Jane Birkin & Franz Ferdinand - Sorry Angel Live

In order to download the video, scroll the page down, click on Free, type the confirmation code and download !

VIDEO

Backstage: Jane Birkin & Alex Kapranos working on Sorry Angel

MP3

Jane Birkin & Franz Ferdinand - Sorry Angel Live

Credit to www.franzferdinand.org

Gainsbourg Celebration Day 1

...Catherine: A beautiful duet with one of my favorite actresses; French Catherine Deneuve.



Serge Gainsbourg & Catherine Deneuve - Dieu fumeur de havanes

...Charlotte: A duet with Serge & Jane Birkin's (see below) daughter, Charlotte. The name of the song is 'Lemon Incest' and is from 1984.
The video for the song features a half-naked Gainsbourg lying on a bed with daughter Charlotte. He sure was eccentric :-)

Serge Gainsbourg & Charlotte Gainsbourg - Lemon Incest






...Jane Birkin

Soixant’-neuf... Année érotique



Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - 69 Annee Erotique

SERGE GAINSBOURG CELEBRATION WEEK!

SERGE GAINSBOURG CELEBRATION WEEK!

To mark the 15 years since his death, a English-language tribute album 'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited' will be released. Read about it here

In that occasion I will post mp3's, videos and much more! Everyday up to the release: February 27

Preorder the album

Danish music: Gitte

You asked for more Danish music, so here is one of the most popular girls of 60's Denmark: Gitte Haenning.

Read more about her on Schlockers blog.


Here is some of her biggest Danish hit songs:

Gitte Hænning - Jeg snakker med mig selv (Im talking with myself)
Gitte Hænning - Ta' med ud og fisk (Let's go fishing)

Danish music: Dansevise

Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann was the first Danish winners of the Eurovision conest. After some trouble with the vote, the Danish couple Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann won the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Dansevise’ (Danceballad), which became a bestseller in Scandinavian countries. They gained 42 points – two more than Esther Ofarim for Switzerland.

Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann - Dansevise

Extra: Last week at Schlocker you might heard Ulla Pia and her song 'Stop, mens legen er god' Here is the song 'Flower Power Tøj' (Flower Power clothes). It was a giant hit in Denmark in 1969, and a very fun song!

So.... sing-a-long!
Ding dong, super duper sing song fini mini flower power toj...

Ulla Pia - Flower Power Toj