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July 28, 2006

Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited

Next week Verve re-releases Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited, a collection of English adaptations of songs by the "singer-songwriter-Pygmalion-actor-filmmaker-author-entertainer-agitator-gambler-lady's man" Serge Gainsbourg.

For a long time, all the British knew about him was his romp on vinyl with Jane Birkin on "Je T’aime Moi Non Plus," a single banned by the BBC, condemned by the Vatican, and yet which topped British charts in 1969. They also knew that he got Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani and Vanessa Paradis – four landmarks of the French feminine ideal seen from outside France – to sing, and that he shocked Whitney Houston on live television. He is therefore widely remembered in Britain as a sex maniac with, as his album title says, a cabbage for a head.
There will never be another. Here are the Serge fans who signed up for what Verve calls "the fifteenth anniversary of his last lungful of Gitane smoke."

Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited
1. Franz Ferdinand & Jane Birkin - "Song for Sorry Angel (Sorry Angel)" (MP3)
2. Cat Power & Karen Elson - "Love You (Me Either) (Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus)" (OLD 'GUM POST)
3. Jarvis Cocker, Kid Loco - "I Just Came to Tell You That I'm Going (Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M'E)" (WIN MEDIA)
4. Portishead - "Requiem for Anna (Un Jour Comme Un Autre - Anna)"
5. Faultline, Brian Molko & Francoise Hardy - "Requiem for a Jerk (Requiem Pour Un Con)"
6. Michael Stipe - "Hôtel (L'Hôtel Particulier)"
7. Tricky - "Au Revior Emmanuelle (Goodbye Emmanuelle)"
8. Marianne Faithfull - "Lola R. For Ever (Lola Rastaquouere)"
9. Gonzales, Feist & Dani - "Boomerang 2005 (Comme Un Boomerang)"
10. Marc Almond & Trash Palace - "Boy Toy (I'm the Boy)"
11. Placebo - "The Ballad of Melody Nelson (La Ballade De Melody Nelson)"
12. The Rakes - "Just A Man With A Job (Le Poinçonneur des Lilas)"
13. The Kills - "I Call It Art (Le Chanson de Slogan)"
14. Carla Bruni - "Those Little Things (Ces Petits Riens)"

If you only know Gainsbourg from the Luna or MC Solaar take on "Bonnie & Clyde," this comp is a good next step. Then you'll be ready for "Lemon Incest," Serge's questionable duet with then thirteen-year-old daughter Charlotte. (Her album 5:55, featuring Air, Jarvis, and Nigel Godrich, is out in a few weeks everywhere except America.)

Get Revisited at Amazon.com

Serge, Whitney. Whitney, Serge:

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18 Comments

Fuck, you rock; thanks for posting this clip. Classic. C'est evident qu'il n'a rien bu, non?!

Posted by: Special K at 07/28/06 10:50 AM | Reply
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I'm a little disappointed that nobody covers "Cargo Culte". That song rules.

Posted by: Jeff at 07/28/06 12:25 PM | Reply
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I'm reviewing this cd right now for the radio station I work at... I think it's a pretty damn fine cd given what it is... however I was massively disappointed by the Marc Almond song... it sounds wayyyyyyy outdated... like it was a bad Soft Cell cover version that never got finished...

Posted by: Patch at 07/28/06 1:00 PM | Reply
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God, Whitney was hot.

Posted by: Ty at 07/28/06 1:06 PM | Reply
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Serge made everybody else look like pussies.

Posted by: David at 07/28/06 1:09 PM | Reply
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FYI - Charlotte's album 5:55 will be released domestically in Canada in late September.

Posted by: mitch at 07/28/06 3:09 PM | Reply
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I never get tired of this clip.

Posted by: Sean at 07/28/06 4:06 PM | Reply
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Also, I'd love to see modern-day Whitney reacting to his comment. She'd have probably started bitch-slapping the old horny devil.

Oh and 're-release'? This only came out a short time ago..how are they re-releasing it already?

Posted by: Sean at 07/28/06 4:12 PM | Reply
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I listened quite a bit of M. Gainsbourg's stuff while living in France. Funny how much Blonde Redhead ripped off his stuff with Jane Birkin for their last two albums. Not like that's a bad thing! Their cover of Slogan actually rivals the original.

Posted by: K at 07/28/06 7:40 PM | Reply
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God, Serge is/was so amazing. "He says you're great!" Classic. If you've neevr seen his movie "Charlotte Forever" I suggest you check it out if you ever want to be totally skeezed out for the rest of your life.

Posted by: Cameron at 07/28/06 11:29 PM | Reply
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting that...I've been wanting to see it for years!

Posted by: Jennifer at 07/28/06 11:44 PM | Reply
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SERGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BEST CLIP I HAVE SEEN EVER!

Posted by: Doug at 07/28/06 11:54 PM | Reply
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SERRRRRRRRRRRRRRGE!
You should really post the Sea, Sex and Sun clip. So hot, so scary.

re: Chutney, She'd probably hit that for a blast now.

Posted by: Thadeus at 07/30/06 2:32 AM | Reply
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Hell yes, this is a great album. I picked up my copy on Vinyl while I was in NYC this past march. Is this the first time it's been on CD?

Posted by: Harry Smith at 07/31/06 8:46 AM | Reply
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Serge Gainsbourg - giving French men everywhere a good name. It's a wonder that this kind of thing doesn't work on women elsewhere. Oh wait, it didn't work here either, did it? Guess he misplaced (or consumed all of) his crack before he met Whitney. That come-on of his might've worked differently, if he had...

Posted by: christopher at 08/01/06 4:52 AM | Reply
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A lot of guys wanted to fuck whitney, until she heard her speak with that mush mouth ebonics.

Posted by: WhitHo at 08/05/06 8:22 PM | Reply
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Ha Ha Ha. Okay. I have not listened to the whole of the record, but Portishead have seriously got lost up their own trousers.
Requiem For Anna is an embarassment.
What on earth is Beth thinking of. Huffing about so low, she barely produces a note, and when she does it's off key. SHOCKING!
It never fails to amaze me how bands get away with it by wearing a left field badge.

Posted by: Pascal at 02/14/07 5:26 AM | Reply
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I was worried I was alone on this!
It is amazing the brownie points one good album can earn you.
Portishead are seriously bad here.

Posted by: Daniel at 07/22/07 2:23 AM | Reply
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