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

Dionne Warwick: 60's Unknown Bondgirl

I love James Bond Themes. Dreamy ballads, performed by the world best singers.
You may know the bondmovie Thunderball, and the theme 'Thunderball' performed by Tom Jones. What you may not know is that the original title credit theme to Thunderball was entitled "Mr. Kiss-Kiss, Bang-Bang", which was written by John Barry and Leslie Bricusse. The title was taken from an Italian journalist who in 1962 dubbed agent 007 as Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. The song was originally recorded by Shirley Bassey, but was later rerecorded by Dionne Warwick, whose version was not released until the 1990s. The song was removed from the title credits after producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were worried that a theme song to a James Bond movie would not work well if the song did not have the title of the film in its lyrics. John Barry teamed up with lyricist Don Black and wrote "Thunderball". "Thunderball" was sung by Tom Jones who, according to Bond production legend, fainted in the recording booth when singing the song's final, high note.

Download:
Dionne Warwick - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Charles Aznavour

Hello and sorry for the lack of updates, ive been quite busy. But that just means an even bigger update (in the weekend).
For now, here's some mp3's of (in my opinion) of Aznavour's greatest songs. Be sure to buy his best of cd!

'I intend to work until I am 90 and die at 100'
Aznavour was born Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian in Paris, the son of Armenian immigrants. At an early age, his artistic parents introduced him to the world of theatre.
He began to perform at age nine and soon took the stage name Aznavour. His big break came when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.
Often described as the "Frank Sinatra of France", almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love. He has written more than a thousand songs as well as musicals, made more than one hundred records, and has appeared in sixty movies. Aznavour sings in five languages, which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall and other major venues around the world.

Charles Aznavour - She

Charles Aznavour - Emmenez moi

By the way - Anyone got the video with France Gall from Eurovision??

NB! The video with Aznavour and Paradis have been fixed. Go download it!

Video: Aznavour + Paradis

Aznavour Special May 19, 2001

Vanessa Paradis sings Retiens La Nuit as a duet with Charles Aznavour, and a short interview (to those who understands french!)

Axelle Red

Belgium has produced a number of famous music stars such as Maurane, Philippe Lafontaine and, of course, the legendary Jacques Brel. These artists have all come from Belgium's French-speaking community, Wallonia. More recently, the country's Dutch-speaking region, Flanders, has also proved a hotbed of musical talent, spawning a number of highly successful groups such as Clouseau and Vaya Con Dios. But now a new breed of artist has emerged on the Belgian music scene in the form of Axelle Red, a young singer who has managed to straddle the country's linguistic and cultural divide, singing in both French and Dutch. Axelle Red's smooth soul style has not only made her a huge hit in her homeland, it has also made her one of Belgium's best-selling musical exports of all time.

First time I heard her song 'Ce Matin' I immediately fell in love with her smooth style. Here is 'Ce Matin' and her biggest hit to date 'Sensualité'

Axelle Red - Ce Matin

Axelle Red - Sensualite

Nancy

I had the pleasure to experience Nancy live in concert in Hamburg April 2005 (I live in Denmark). It was a fantastic concert, and she seems as such a sweet person. She really had connection with the whole audience.

Aaaaand.. the gifts!:

Rare: Kinky Love
Taken from IMDB: In 1976, Nancy had a #1 underground disco smash hit single, Kinky Love, on CBS Records' subsidiary Private Stock label. However, the song was filled with so many sexually-explicit inuendos that radio stations amply refused to give it any airtime. Its only success was in widely-popular clubs such as Studio 54, or in many underground nightspots. In 1998 the long-time banned song was issued on Nancy's greatest love songs CD, Sheet Music.

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood - Some Velvet Morning. Beautiful duet.


Heres a little picture I took of the bootgirl.

French Lolita: Vanessa Paradis

In 87' the young french lolita released her first song "Joe Le Taxi". It was a hit in 15 countries. Later followed a debutrecord, and in 1990 french music mastermind Serge Gainsbourg produced her brilliant second album Variations sur le Meme T'Aime. Now she was a superstar in France and wanted to go international. Lenny Kravitz produced her english album in 1992, which has minor hit songs as 'Be my baby' and 'Sunday Monday'.
Then she took a break from her musiccarrier to pursue a new acting carrier. Most famous for her role in the prizewinning 'La Fille Sur Le Pont' (Girl on the bridge). 8 years passed, and finally in 2000 she released her most beautiful album to date, Bliss. The lolita was gone, Vanessa Paradis was now a sexy 28-year old mother to longtime partner Johnny Depps 2 kids.
I love Vanessa Paradis music and her song 'Dans Mon Café' inspired my blogname.
I really like her sexy husky voice - it has such innocence and honesty.

Bliss - (Live Au Zenith, 2001)

Pourtant

Joe Le Taxi