Artist.......: Serge Gainsbourg
Album........: IntΘgrale
Label........: Universal
Genre........: Chanson
Catnr........: n/a
Source.......: CD (LP)
Rip.date.....: 2011-02-28
Str.date.....: 2011-02-28
Quality......: 174kbps/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo
Url..........: http://www.gainsbourg.net/
track title time
Disc 1/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Poinτonneur Des Lilas 2:44
2. Serge Gainsbourg - La Recette De L'Amour Fou 1:57
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Douze Belles Dans La Peau 1:55
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Ce Mortel Ennui 2:55
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Ronsard 58 1:53
6. Serge Gainsbourg - La Femme Des Uns Sous Le 3:01
Corps Des Autres
7. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Alcool 3:59
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Du Jazz Dans Le Ravin 2:11
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Charleston Des DΘmΘnageurs 2:26
De Piano
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Friedland 2:34
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Poinconneur Des Lilas 2:44
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Ronsard 58 1:32
13. Serge Gainsbourg - La Recette De L'Amour Fou 1:30
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Douze Belles Dans La Peau 1:39
15. Serge Gainsbourg - Friedland 2:01
Disc 2/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Claqueur De Doigts 3:07
2. Serge Gainsbourg - La Nuit D'Octobre 3:05
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Adieu CrΘature 2:11
4. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Anthracite 2:32
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Mambo Miam Miam 2:35
6. Serge Gainsbourg - IndiffΘrente 2:17
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Jeunes Femmes Et Vieux 2:04
Messieurs
8. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Amour A La Papa 2:49
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Cha Cha Cha Du Loup 1:57
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Sois Belle Et Tais Toi 2:00
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Judith 2:34
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Laissez-Moi Tranquille 1:53
Disc 3/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - La Chanson De PrΘvert 3:01
2. Serge Gainsbourg - En Relisant Ta Lettre 2:01
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Rock De Nerval 1:51
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Oubliettes 2:28
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Chanson De Maglia 2:05
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Viva Villa 3:23
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Amours Perdues 2:58
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Femmes C'est Du 2:32
Chinois
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Personne 2:44
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Sonnet D'Arvers 1:53
Disc 4/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Les GoΘmons 2:39
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Black Trombone 2:37
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Baudelaire 2:28
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Intoxicated Man 2:38
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Quand Tu T'y Mets 1:51
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Cigarillos 1:47
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Twister 2:40
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Ce Grand MΘchant Vous 2:23
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Vilaine Fille, Mauvais 1:57
Garτon
10. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Appareil A Sous 1:35
11. Serge Gainsbourg - La Javanaise 2:31
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Un Violon, Un Jambon 2:24
Disc 5/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Chez Les Ye-Ye 3:18
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Sait On Jamais O∙ Va Une 2:02
Fille Quand Elle Vous Quitte
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Talkie Walkie 2:02
4. Serge Gainsbourg - La Fille Au Rasoir 2:10
5. Serge Gainsbourg - La Saison Des Pluies 3:27
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Elaeudanla Teiteia 1:38
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Scenic Railway 2:32
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Temps Des Yoyos 2:35
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Amour Sans Amour 2:02
10. Serge Gainsbourg - No No Thank's No 2:31
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Maxim's 1:49
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Negative Blues 1:34
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Amour Sans Amour 1:37
Disc 6/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Joanna 2:02
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Lα-bas C'est Naturel 2:32
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Pauvre Lola 2:31
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Quand Mon 6,35 Me Fait Les 1:53
Yeux Doux
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Machins Choses 3:19
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Sambassadeurs 2:03
7. Serge Gainsbourg - New York - USA 2:18
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Couleur CafΘ 2:15
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Marabout 2:12
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Ces Petits Riens 2:04
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Tatoue JΘrΘmie 1:46
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Coco And Co 3:00
Disc 7/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Qui Est "In" Qui Est "Out" 2:16
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Marilu 2:35
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Docteur Jekyll Et Monsieur 1:55
Hyde
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Shu Ba Du Ba Loo Ba 2:07
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip 2:11
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Chatterton 2:07
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Torrey Canyon 2:43
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Hold Up 2:19
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Bonnie And Clyde (En Duo 4:17
Avec Brigitte Bardot)
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B B 3:34
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Bloody Jack 2:04
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Ford Mustang 2:39
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Black And White 2:09
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip (Alternative 2:34
Mix By Giorgio Gomelsky)
15. Serge Gainsbourg - Torrey Canyon (Alternative 2:41
Mix By Giorgio Gomelsky)
16. Serge Gainsbourg - Chatterton (Alternative 2:07
Mix By Giorgio Gomelsky)
17. Serge Gainsbourg - Hold-Up (Alternative Mix 2:37
By Giorgio Gomelsky)
18. Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip (Version 2:13
Anglaise Avec Brigitte Bardot)
19. Serge Gainsbourg - Bonnie And Clyde (Version 3:46
Anglaise)
20. Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus 4:30
(En Duo Avec Brigitte Bardot, Version
Originale 1967)
Disc 8/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Anamour 2:37
2. Serge Gainsbourg - 69 AnnΘe Erotique 3:19
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus 4:23
(En Duo Avec Jane Birkin)
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Jane B. (Par Jane Birkin) 3:07
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Elisa 2:29
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Sucettes 2:37
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Orang Outan (Par Jane 2:27
Birkin)
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Sous Le Soleil Exactement 2:51
9. Serge Gainsbourg - 18-39 (Par Jane Birkin) 2:38
10. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Anamour (Mixage Album) 2:17
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Canari Est Sur Le 2:21
Balcon (Par Jane Birkin)
12. Serge Gainsbourg - La DΘcadanse (En Duo Avec 5:12
Jane Birkin)
Disc 9/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Melody 7:32
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Ballade De Melody Nelson 2:00
(En Duo Avec Jane Birkin)
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Valse De Melody 1:31
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Ah Melody 1:47
5. Serge Gainsbourg - L'H⌠tel Particulier 4:06
6. Serge Gainsbourg - En Melody 3:25
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Cargo Culte 7:39
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Valse De Melody 1:34
(Instrumental - Version InΘdite)
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Ah Melody (Instrumental - 1:45
Version InΘdite)
Disc 10/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que 3:23
Je M'En Vais
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Vu De L'ExtΘrieur 3:40
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Panpan Cucul 2:41
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Par Hasard Et Pas Rase 2:28
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Des Vents Des Pets Des 2:55
Poums
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Titicaca 2:57
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Pamela Popo 2:24
8. Serge Gainsbourg - La PoupΘe Qui Fait 3:01
9. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Hippopodame 1:45
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Sensuelle Et Sans Suite 3:06
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Panpan Culcul 3:26
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Papiers Qui Collent 2:20
Aux Bonbons
13. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Hippopodame 3:12
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que 4:56
Je M'En Vais
Disc 11/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Nazi Rock 3:08
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Tata Teutonne 2:46
3. Serge Gainsbourg - J'entends Des Voix Off 2:04
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Eva 3:12
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 3:27
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Zig Zig Avec Toi 3:37
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Est-ce Est-ce Si Bon? 3:15
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Yellow Star 1:39
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Rock Around the Bunker 3:24
10. Serge Gainsbourg - S.S. in Uruguay 2:16
Disc 12/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - L'homme └ TΩte De Chou 2:59
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Chez Max Coiffeur Pour 1:58
Hommes
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Marilou Reggae 2:11
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Transit └ Marilou 1:32
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Flash-forward 2:36
6. Serge Gainsbourg - AΘroplanes 2:36
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Premiers Sympt⌠mes 1:14
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Ma Lou Marilou 2:41
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Variations Sur Marilou 7:40
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Meurtre └ L'Extincteur 0:47
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Marilou Sous La Neige 2:23
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Lunatic Asylum 3:21
Disc 13/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Javanaise Remake 3:16
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Aux Armes Et Caetera 3:06
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Locataires 2:10
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Des Laids Des Laids 2:37
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Brigade Des Stups 1:58
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Vieille Canaille 3:02
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Lola RastaquouΦre 3:41
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Relax Baby Be Cool 2:31
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Daisy Temple 3:55
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Eau Et Gaz A Tous Les 0:36
Etages
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Pas Long Feu 2:37
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Marilou Reggae Dub 3:53
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Planteur Punch 4:11
(Instrumental Avec Choeurs, Mix Original -
Version InΘdite)
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Je Ne T'Aime Plus Moi 3:47
Aussi (Instrumental - InΘdit)
15. Serge Gainsbourg - Daisy Temple (Version 3:54
ChantΘe, Mix Original - Version InΘdite)
Disc 14/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Overseas Telegram 3:35
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Ecce Homo 3:18
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Mickey Maousse 2:32
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Juif Et Dieu 3:09
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Shush Shush Charlotte 2:45
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Toi Mourir 2:03
7. Serge Gainsbourg - La Nostalgie Camarade 3:21
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Bana Basadi Balalo 3:04
9. Serge Gainsbourg - EvguΘnie Sokolov 2:53
(Instrumental)
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Negusa Nagast 3:04
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Strike 2:55
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Bad News From The Stars 1:33
(Instrumental)
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Ecce Homo Et Cµtera (Mix 4:17
Original - Version InΘdite)
Disc 15/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Love On The Beat 8:04
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Sorry Angel 3:57
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Hmm Hmm Hmm 2:50
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Kiss Me Hardy 4:25
5. Serge Gainsbourg - No Comment 5:09
6. Serge Gainsbourg - I'm The Boy 4:28
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Harley David Son Of A 3:01
Bitch
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Lemon Incest (En Duo Avec 5:15
Charlotte Gainsbourg)
9. Serge Gainsbourg - No Comment (Alternative 5:26
Mix)
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Charlotte For Ever (En Duo 3:58
Avec Charlotte Gainsbourg)
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Plus Doux Avec Moi (En Duo 5:05
Avec Charlotte Gainsbourg)
12. Serge Gainsbourg - No Comment (Version 6:54
Longue)
Disc 16/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - You're Under Arrest 4:12
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Five Easy Pisseuses 3:28
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Baille Baille Samantha 3:24
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Suck Baby Suck 3:45
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Gloomy Sunday 3:44
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Aux Enfants De La Chance 4:06
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Shotgun 4:00
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Glass Securit 3:38
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Dispatch Box 2:53
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Mon LΘgionnaire 5:38
11. Serge Gainsbourg - You'Re Under Arrest 5:55
(Version Maxi Avec La Participation De King
Curtis Jr.)
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Mon LΘgionnaire (Extended 6:01
Remix)
Disc 17/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Comme Un Boomerang 2:42
2. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Ami Caouette 3:07
3. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Cadavre Exquis 2:54
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Raccrochez C'Est Une 3:14
Horreur (En Duo Avec Jane Birkin)
5. Serge Gainsbourg - My Lady HΘroine 3:10
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Trois Millions De Joconde 3:06
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Sea, Sex And Sun (Version 4:17
Longue)
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Mister Iceberg 3:33
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Sea, Sex And Sun (Version 3:40
Anglaise)
10. Serge Gainsbourg - Mister Iceberg (Version 3:28
Anglaise)
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Papillons Noirs (En 2:50
Duo Avec Bijou)
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Souviens-Toi De M'Oublier 5:04
(En Duo Avec Catherine Deneuve)
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Ces Petits Riens (En Duo 2:39
Avec Catherine Deneuve)
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Vieille Canaille (En Duo 2:57
Avec Eddy Mitchell)
Disc 18/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - Mes Petites Odalisques 2:46
2. Serge Gainsbourg - La Cigale Et La Fourmi 1:18
3. Serge Gainsbourg - J'Ai Oublie D'Etre Bete 3:02
4. Serge Gainsbourg - La Javanaise 1:58
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Chanson Pour TΘzigue 1:59
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Une Petite Tasse D'AnxiΘtΘ 1:46
(Duo Avec Gillian Hills)
7. Serge Gainsbourg - Le Temps Des Yoyos 2:13
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Ne Dis Rien (Duo Avec Anna 2:31
Karina)
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Valse De L'Adieu 1:57
10. Serge Gainsbourg - J'Ai Mal A La TΩte 2:01
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Petits PavΘs 2:19
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Parce Que 2:24
13. Serge Gainsbourg - J'Entends Siffler Le Train 3:23
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Les Play-Boys 2:52
Disc 19/20
--------
1. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Eau A La Bouche 2:39
2. Serge Gainsbourg - Comment Trouvez-Vous Ma 2:07
Soeur?
3. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Escroc 3:38
4. Serge Gainsbourg - Chanson Du Forτat 2:43
5. Serge Gainsbourg - Chanson Du Forcat II 1:11
6. Serge Gainsbourg - Un Poison Violent, C'Est 2:34
CA L'Amour
7. Serge Gainsbourg - L'Herbe Tendre 1:44
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un C... 2:49
9. Serge Gainsbourg - Manon 2:42
10. Serge Gainsbourg - La Chanson De Slogan (En 2:51
Duo Avec Jane Birkin)
11. Serge Gainsbourg - Cannabis 2:29
12. Serge Gainsbourg - Un Petit Garτon NommΘ 2:43
Charlie Brown
13. Serge Gainsbourg - Sex Shop 2:58
14. Serge Gainsbourg - Goodbye Emmanuelle 3:22
15. Serge Gainsbourg - Zanzibar 2:33
16. Serge Gainsbourg - Je Pense Queue 3:24
17. Serge Gainsbourg - Dieu Fumeur De Havanes (En 3:52
Duo Avec Catherine Deneuve)
18. Serge Gainsbourg - La Fautive 3:02
19. Serge Gainsbourg - Je Vous Salue Marie 2:39
Disc 20/20
--------
1. Alain Goraguer - GΘnΘrique 1:28
2. Alain Goraguer - Angoisse 2:37
3. Alain Goraguer - Wake Me At Five 2:47
4. Michel Colombier - ScΦne De Bal 1 2:11
5. Michel Colombier - Roller Girl 1:51
6. Jean-Claude Brialy - Je N'Avais Qu'Un Seul 2:57
Mot A Lui Dire
7. Michel Colombier - GΘnΘrique 1:36
8. Michel Colombier - L'Horizon 2:12
9. Michel Colombier - Requiem Pour Un C... 3:20
10. Michel Colombier - PsychastΘnie 4:19
11. Michel Colombier - Ce SacrΘ Grand-PΦre 2:37
GΘnΘrique
12. Michel Colombier - Freedom Baby 3:36
13. Jean-Claude Vannier - Evelyne 2:10
14. Jean-Claude Vannier - La Horse 3:36
15. Jean-Claude Vannier - Danger 2:07
16. Jean-Claude Vannier - Avant De Mourir 5:24
17. Jean-Pierre Sabar - Ballade De Johnny Jane 3:09
18. Serge Gainsbourg - Diapositivisme 1:53
19. Serge Gainsbourg - Passage A Tabacco 1:36
20. Serge Gainsbourg - Emmanuelle On The Sea 3:15
21. Jean-Pierre Sabar - Trave 3:21
Runtime 779:55
Size 994.31
Release Notes:
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.
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.