Serge Gainsbourg
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "Là-bas c'est naturel Là-bas au [[Kenya]]"--"[[Là‑bas c’est naturel]]" by Serge Gainsbourg | ||
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| - | :''[[Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque]]'' | + | '''Serge Gainsbourg''' ([[April 2]], [[1928]] – [[March 2]], [[1991]]) was a [[French poet]], [[singer-songwriter]], [[actor]] and [[Film director|director]], best-known internationally for his song "[[Je t'aime... moi non plus]]". |
| - | '''Serge Gainsbourg''' ([[April 2]], [[1928]] – [[March 2]], [[1991]]) was a [[France|French]] [[poet]], [[singer-songwriter]], [[actor]] and [[Film director|director]], best-known internationally for his song "[[Je t'aime... moi non plus]]". | + | |
| Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him [[Sui generis|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. His music, always progressive and often inspired by [[music of the African diaspora]], covered many styles: [[jazz]], [[ballad]]s, [[mambo]], [[lounge music|lounge]], [[reggae]], [[pop music|pop]], [[Yé-yé|yé-yé pop]], [[space age pop]], [[disco]], [[calypso]], [[Music of the African diaspora|Africana]], [[bossa nova]], and [[rock and roll]]. He has gained a following in the [[English-speaking world]] with many [[non-mainstream]] artists finding his arrangements highly influential. | Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him [[Sui generis|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. His music, always progressive and often inspired by [[music of the African diaspora]], covered many styles: [[jazz]], [[ballad]]s, [[mambo]], [[lounge music|lounge]], [[reggae]], [[pop music|pop]], [[Yé-yé|yé-yé pop]], [[space age pop]], [[disco]], [[calypso]], [[Music of the African diaspora|Africana]], [[bossa nova]], and [[rock and roll]]. He has gained a following in the [[English-speaking world]] with many [[non-mainstream]] artists finding his arrangements highly influential. | ||
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| In 2005, the album [[Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited]] was released by Virgin Records. The album consisted of specially-recorded English-language cover versions of Gainsbourg's songs. | In 2005, the album [[Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited]] was released by Virgin Records. The album consisted of specially-recorded English-language cover versions of Gainsbourg's songs. | ||
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| - | ==Noted songs== | ||
| - | * "Aux armes et caetera" | ||
| - | * "Baby Pop" | ||
| - | * "[[Black Trombone]]" | ||
| - | * "Bonnie and Clyde" | ||
| - | * "[[Comment te dire adieu]]" | ||
| - | * "Couleur Café" | ||
| - | * "Dieu fumeur de havanes" | ||
| - | * "Élisa" | ||
| - | * "Hold Up" | ||
| - | * "Initials B.B." | ||
| - | * "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" | ||
| - | * "[[Je t'aime... moi non plus]]" | ||
| - | * "La Gadoue" | ||
| - | * "La Javanaise" | ||
| - | * "Lemon Incest" | ||
| - | * "Les Incorruptibles" | ||
| - | * "[[Les Sucettes]]" | ||
| - | * "L'homme à Tête de Chou" | ||
| - | * "Lola Rastaquouère" | ||
| - | * "Marilou" | ||
| - | * "New York U.S.A." | ||
| - | * "[[Poupée de cire, poupée de son]]" | ||
| - | * "Sorry Angel" | ||
| - | * "Sea, Sex and Sun" | ||
| - | * "You're Under Arrest" | ||
| - | * "[[Mon légionnaire]]" | ||
| - | * "[[White and black blues]]" (lyrics) | ||
| ==Discography== | ==Discography== | ||
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| * 1959: ''[[N° 2]]'' | * 1959: ''[[N° 2]]'' | ||
| * 1961: ''[[L'Étonnant Serge Gainsbourg]]'' | * 1961: ''[[L'Étonnant Serge Gainsbourg]]'' | ||
| - | * 1962: ''N° 4'' | + | * 1962: ''[[N° 4]]'' |
| * 1963: ''Confidentiel'' | * 1963: ''Confidentiel'' | ||
| - | * 1964: ''Percussions'' | + | * 1964: ''[[Gainsbourg Percussions]]'' |
| * 1967: ''[[Anna (1967 film)|Anna]]'' | * 1967: ''[[Anna (1967 film)|Anna]]'' | ||
| * 1968: ''Serge Gainsbourg – [[Brigitte Bardot]]: [[Bonnie and Clyde (album)|Bonnie & Clyde]]'' (compilation) | * 1968: ''Serge Gainsbourg – [[Brigitte Bardot]]: [[Bonnie and Clyde (album)|Bonnie & Clyde]]'' (compilation) | ||
| - | * 1968: ''Initials B.B.'' (compilation) | + | * 1968: ''[[Initials B.B.]]'' (compilation) |
| * 1969: ''[[Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg]]'' | * 1969: ''[[Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg]]'' | ||
| * 1970: ''[[Cannabis (film score)|Cannabis]]'' (instrumental) | * 1970: ''[[Cannabis (film score)|Cannabis]]'' (instrumental) | ||
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| * 1975: ''[[Rock around the bunker]]'' | * 1975: ''[[Rock around the bunker]]'' | ||
| * 1976: ''Je t'aime... moi non plus – Ballade de Johnny-Jane'' (instrumental) | * 1976: ''Je t'aime... moi non plus – Ballade de Johnny-Jane'' (instrumental) | ||
| - | * 1976: ''L'Homme à la tête de chou'' | + | * 1976: ''[[L'Homme à la tête de chou]]'' |
| * 1977: ''Madame Claude'' | * 1977: ''Madame Claude'' | ||
| * 1977: ''Goodbye Emmanuelle'' (instrumental) | * 1977: ''Goodbye Emmanuelle'' (instrumental) | ||
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| * 1987: ''[[You're Under Arrest (Serge Gainsbourg album)|You're Under Arrest]]'' | * 1987: ''[[You're Under Arrest (Serge Gainsbourg album)|You're Under Arrest]]'' | ||
| * 1988: ''Le Zénith de Gainsbourg'' (live) | * 1988: ''Le Zénith de Gainsbourg'' (live) | ||
| - | * 1994: ''De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre'' (11 CD box set) | + | * 1994: ''[[De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre]]'' (11 CD box set) |
| ===Tribute albums and posthumous releases=== | ===Tribute albums and posthumous releases=== | ||
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| * "[[Je t'aime... moi non plus]]" (1969) (Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg) | * "[[Je t'aime... moi non plus]]" (1969) (Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg) | ||
| * "La Décadanse" (1971) (Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg) | * "La Décadanse" (1971) (Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg) | ||
| - | * "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" (1973) | + | * "[[Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais]]" (1973) |
| * "L'Homme à Tête de Chou" (1976) | * "L'Homme à Tête de Chou" (1976) | ||
| * "Marilou" (1976) | * "Marilou" (1976) | ||
| * "[[Sea, Sex and Sun]]" (1978) | * "[[Sea, Sex and Sun]]" (1978) | ||
| * "[[Aux armes et caetera]]" (1979) | * "[[Aux armes et caetera]]" (1979) | ||
| - | * "Lola Rastaquouère" (1979) | + | * "[[Lola Rastaquouère]]" (1979) |
| * "Dieu fumeur de havanes" (1980) (Catherine Deneuve & Serge Gainsbourg) | * "Dieu fumeur de havanes" (1980) (Catherine Deneuve & Serge Gainsbourg) | ||
| * "Sorry Angel" (1984) | * "Sorry Angel" (1984) | ||
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| * "You're Under Arrest" (1987) | * "You're Under Arrest" (1987) | ||
| * "[[Mon légionnaire]]" (1987) | * "[[Mon légionnaire]]" (1987) | ||
| - | * "Requiem pour un con" (1991) | + | * "[[Requiem pour un con]]" (1991) |
| * "Élisa" (1995) | * "Élisa" (1995) | ||
| * "La Noyée" | * "La Noyée" | ||
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| * "[[White and Black Blues]]" (1990) – Joëlle Ursull (lyrics by Gainsbourg) | * "[[White and Black Blues]]" (1990) – Joëlle Ursull (lyrics by Gainsbourg) | ||
| * "La Gadoue" (1995) – Jane Birkin | * "La Gadoue" (1995) – Jane Birkin | ||
| + | ==Film adaptation== | ||
| + | |||
| + | A feature film titled ''[[Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)]]'' was released in France in January 2010, which is based on the graphic novel by the writer-director of the film, Joann Sfar. Gainsbourg is portrayed by Eric Elmosnino and Kacey Mottet Klein. | ||
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| + | {{GFDL}} | ||
| + | [[Category:canon]] | ||
Current revision
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"Là-bas c'est naturel Là-bas au Kenya"--"Là‑bas c’est naturel" by Serge Gainsbourg |
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Related e |
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Featured: |
Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director, best-known internationally for his song "Je t'aime... moi non plus".
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. His music, always progressive and often inspired by music of the African diaspora, covered many styles: jazz, ballads, mambo, lounge, reggae, pop, yé-yé pop, space age pop, disco, calypso, Africana, bossa nova, and rock and roll. 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."
Contents |
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.
He directed four movies: Je t'aime... moi non plus, Équateur, Charlotte For Ever and Stan The Flasher.
Death and legacy
Gainsbourg died on March 2, 1991 of a heart attack and was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery, in Paris. His funeral brought Paris to a standstill, and French President François Mitterrand said of him, "He was our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire... He elevated the song to the level of art." 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, yé-yé pop, space age pop, disco, calypso, Africana, bossa nova, and rock and roll. 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."
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.
His lyrics are collected in the volume Dernières nouvelles des étoiles.
In 2005, the album Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited was released by Virgin Records. The album consisted of specially-recorded English-language cover versions of Gainsbourg's songs.
Discography
Albums
- 1958: Du chant à la une
- 1959: N° 2
- 1961: L'Étonnant Serge Gainsbourg
- 1962: N° 4
- 1963: Confidentiel
- 1964: Gainsbourg Percussions
- 1967: Anna
- 1968: Serge Gainsbourg – Brigitte Bardot: Bonnie & Clyde (compilation)
- 1968: Initials B.B. (compilation)
- 1969: Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg
- 1970: Cannabis (instrumental)
- 1971: Histoire de Melody Nelson
- 1973: Vu de l'extérieur
- 1975: Rock around the bunker
- 1976: Je t'aime... moi non plus – Ballade de Johnny-Jane (instrumental)
- 1976: L'Homme à la tête de chou
- 1977: Madame Claude
- 1977: Goodbye Emmanuelle (instrumental)
- 1979: Aux armes et cætera
- 1980: Je vous aime (only 3 pieces sung by Gainsbourg)
- 1980: Enregistrement public au Théâtre Le Palace (live)
- 1981: Mauvaises nouvelles des étoiles
- 1984: Love On The Beat
- 1986: Live (Casino de Paris)
- 1986: Putain de film ! – B.O.F. Tenue de soirée
- 1987: You're Under Arrest
- 1988: Le Zénith de Gainsbourg (live)
- 1994: De Gainsbourg à Gainsbarre (11 CD box set)
Tribute albums and posthumous releases
- 1997: Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg (tribute album)
- 1997: Comic Strip
- 2001: Gainsbourg Forever (integral box set)
- 2001: Le Cinéma de Gainsbourg (box set)
- 2001: I Love Serge: Electronicagainsbourg (remix album)
- 2005: Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited (tribute album)
- 2008: Classé X (compilation)
Singles
- "Black Trombone" (1962)
- "La Javanaise" (1963)
- "Couleur Café" (1964)
- "New York U.S.A." (1964)
- "Les Sucettes" (1966)
- "Hold Up" (1967)
- "Initials B.B." (1967)
- "Bonnie and Clyde" (1968) (Brigitte Bardot et Serge Gainsbourg)
- "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (1969) (Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg)
- "La Décadanse" (1971) (Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg)
- "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" (1973)
- "L'Homme à Tête de Chou" (1976)
- "Marilou" (1976)
- "Sea, Sex and Sun" (1978)
- "Aux armes et caetera" (1979)
- "Lola Rastaquouère" (1979)
- "Dieu fumeur de havanes" (1980) (Catherine Deneuve & Serge Gainsbourg)
- "Sorry Angel" (1984)
- "Lemon Incest" (1985) (Charlotte & Gainsbourg)
- "You're Under Arrest" (1987)
- "Mon légionnaire" (1987)
- "Requiem pour un con" (1991)
- "Élisa" (1995)
- "La Noyée"
- Singles written for other artists
- "Les Incorruptibles" (1965) – Petula Clark
- "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" (1965) – France Gall
- "Baby Pop" (1966) – France Gall
- "Comment te dire adieu?" (1968) – Françoise Hardy
- "Dis-lui toi que je t'aime" (1990) – Vanessa Paradis
- "White and Black Blues" (1990) – Joëlle Ursull (lyrics by Gainsbourg)
- "La Gadoue" (1995) – Jane Birkin
Film adaptation
A feature film titled Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) was released in France in January 2010, which is based on the graphic novel by the writer-director of the film, Joann Sfar. Gainsbourg is portrayed by Eric Elmosnino and Kacey Mottet Klein.
