Serge Gainsbourg was the dirty old man of popular music; a French singer/songwriter and provocateur notorious for his voracious appetite for alcohol, cigarettes, and women, his scandalous, taboo-shattering output made him a legend in Europe but only a cult figure in America, where his lone hit "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus" stalled on the pop charts -- fittingly enough -- at number 69.
Born Lucien Ginzberg in Paris on April 2, 1928, his parents were Russian Jews who fled to France following the events of the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. After studying art and teaching, he turned to painting before working as a bar pianist on the local cabaret circuit. Soon he was tapped to join the cast of the musical Milord L'Arsoille, where he reluctantly assumed a singing role; self-conscious about his rather homely appearance, Gainsbourg initially wanted only to carve out a niche as a composer and producer, not as a performer.
Still, he made his recording debut in 1958 with the album Du Chant a la Une; while strong efforts like 1961's L'Etonnant Serge Gainsbourg and 1964's Gainsbourg Confidentiel followed, his jazz-inflected solo work performed poorly on the charts, although compositions for vocalists ranging from Petula Clark to Juliette Greco to Dionne Warwick proved much more successful. In the late '60s, he befriended the actress Brigitte Bardot, and later became her lover; with Bardot as his muse, Gainsbourg's lushly arranged music suddenly became erotic and delirious, and together, they performed a series of duets -- including "Bonnie and Clyde," "Harley Davidson," and "Comic Strip" -- celebrating pop culture icons.
Gainsbourg's affair with Bardot was brief, but its effects were irrevocable: after he became involved with constant companion Jane Birkin, they recorded the 1969 duet "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus," a song he originally penned for Bardot complete with steamy lyrics and explicit heavy breathing. Although banned in many corners of the globe, it reached the top of the charts throughout Europe, and grew in stature to become an underground classic later covered by performers ranging from Donna Summer to Ray Conniff.
Gainsbourg returned in 1971 with Histoire de Melody Nelson, a dark, complex song cycle which signalled his increasing alienation from modern culture: drugs, disease, suicide and misanthropy became thematic fixtures of his work, which grew more esoteric, inflammatory, and outrageous with each passing release. Although Gainsbourg never again reached the commercial success of his late-'60s peak, he remained an imposing and controversial figure throughout Europe, where he was both vilified and celebrated for his shocking behavior, which included burning 500 francs on a live television broadcast and recording a reggae version of the sacred "La Marseillaise."
Gainsbourg also created a furor with the single "Lemon Incest," a duet with his daughter, the actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. In addition, he posed in drag for the cover of 1984's Love on the Beat, a collection of songs about male hustlers, and made sexual advances towards Whitney Houston on a live TV broadcast. Along with his pop music oeuvre, Gainsbourg scored a number of films, and also directed and appeared in a handful of features, most notably 1976's Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus, which starred Birkin and Andy Warhol mainstay Joe Dallesandro. He died on March 2, 1991.
"BON CHIC... BON GENRE!" le nouvel alboum de Les Marcel est dans les bacs! viens donc faire un tour sur le nouveau site: http://www.marceletsonorchestre.com
Hello, Soutiens nous et vote pour nous mercredi prochain 22 avril dès 18h dans l'émission OUI LOVE MYSPACE sur OUIFM (102.3 fm) et sur www.myspace.com/ouifm HYPE sera en concert le 23 avril à la Dame de Canton (ex guinguette pirate) et le 25 avril au Printemps de Bourges. On espère t'y voir. A+ HYPE
Juste pour vous annoncer que des extraits de notre nouvel album sont disponibles sur Myspace... J'espère que vous aurez la curiosité d'y poser une oreille ! Amitié
Just to tell you that some extracts of our new album is now available on myspace ! Hope you 'll have the curiosity to listen our stuff ! Cheers
Juste pour vous annoncer que notre prochain album sera bientôt en ligne gratuitement sur myspace et sur notre site internet avec un concert de promotion au FIL de Saint Etienne (France) le 21 février à 20h30(entrée libre). En vous remerciant encore pour votre amitié et vos encouragements. Cheers
Just to tell you that our next album will be coming soon for free on myspace and on our website with a concert promotion to the FIL Saint Etienne (France) on February 21st at 8.30PM (free entry). Thank you again for your friendship and your support. Cheers
Nouveau clip de Liqueur Brune "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" (Gainsbourg) on line et en diff tv. Tiré de l'album "Liqueur Brune" disponible en digital. Bonne journée!
salut salut! 2 nouvelles chansons en écoute sur notre page, en prévision du deuxieme album… toujours Eternelle sur le Mouv' et bientôt notre concert à l'international sera diffusé sur grossecaisse.com
aussi nous cherchons un label/tourneur/manager…si tu connais quelqu'un, n'hésite pas! à bientôt
Salut*, nous jouons samedi 29 à 21H à l'international… dernier concert de l'année, filmé par Grosse Caisse TV. Après nous il y a aussi Kaluun et SEIK. A samedi peut être. N.
ah, serge, mon heros! tu vive encore sur myspace et sur mes vinyls...je pars bientot en france pour boire plein de vin, fumer comme une chiminee, trouver plein d'amour, et chanter a la rue si je trouve pas un boulot! a bientot, paris.
Yep, Un peu de promo en passant ;-) SIDILARSEN sera en concert au NOUVEAU CASINO à PARIS le jeudi 13 novembre prochain ! Places disponibles dans les réseaux habituels... A bientôt sur la route !
un concept et un nouvel album COMMANDE-LE DES MAINTENANT ! là : http://musique.fnac.com/a2306410/Liga-Quintana-Fiasco-total-CD-album
un concepto y un nuevo álbum POR FIN !! PIDELO AHORA MISMO ! aqui : http://www.elcorteingles.es/musica/producto/producto.asp?referencia=05110238226
"un disque qu'aimerons les mordus de rock, de grunge et d'electronique, nourri par l'efficacité des compos et l'energie que degage LIGA Quintana. Un style personel."
"Un disco que gustará a los amantes del rock, del grunge y de la electrónica, arrastrados por la eficacia de sus composiciones y por la enorme energía que desprende LIGA QUINTANA. Un estilo propio."
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