The album Histoire de Melody Nelson ranks among the most influential works ever released by the late French singer, poet, writer, actor, and director Serge Gainsbourg. This U.S. only re-release by Light In The Attic Records, pays homage to one of France’s legendary figures with a superbly produced and beautifully packaged album.
To measure the continuing esteem in which he is held within his homeland it pays to visit the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. Whilst Jim Morrison’s grave in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery is one of Paris’s most visited sites, the resting place of Gainsbourg also attracts huge numbers. His house on Rue de Verneuil in Paris has become something of a shrine for fans and admirers alike.
He was born Lucien Ginsburg in Paris in 1928. His parents were of Russian Jewish stock and his teenage years were profoundly effected by the German occupation of France during the Second World War.
His musical career can be roughly divided into decades. The fifties saw him in the role of an old fashioned chanson before delving into jazz. The sixties saw his pop breakthrough. The seventies saw him periodically explore reggae themes, before moving on to electronica in the eighties.
His music would often explore the dark side of Parisian life. It would also sometimes contain barely disguised sexual themes. As a result, some of his work was regarded as highly controversial as he deliberately nudged back the boundaries of acceptability. For example, “Les Sucettes”, a 1965 song written for singer France Gall, caused uproar in France with its thinly veiled sexual innuendo.
In 1968 he met and fell in love with the beautiful French actress Jane Birkin. The following year saw their single “Je t’aime… Moi, Non Plus”. Whilst Gainsbourg described it as the ‘ultimate love song’ the media saw it otherwise and it was widely banned. During the song Jane simulates orgasm so convincingly that it remains one of the most erotic songs ever written.
Histoire de Melody Nelson was originally released in 1971. Again the Lolita-style subject matter caused concern but it remains a hugely influential and inspirational album that secured his legendary status. In the story, Gainsbourg accidentally knocks a beautiful young girl from her bicycle whilst driving his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
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