Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

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nickh
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Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by nickh »

Anyone a fan?

I only really knew Je t’aime moi non plus from when I was a kid. It’s funny thinking back now, my father would always look rather uncomfortable when that song came on the radio. Spin on a few years and I bought Mick Harvey’s tribute album Intoxicated Man and through that record I became a fan.

I think L’Histoire is generally considered his masterpiece with some justification, I love this record although I have absolutely no idea what he is singing about…my schoolboy French is no use to me here at all. Always been quite keen to see the film too.

Little taster here and the first song on the soundtrack to the A Gainsbarre biopic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxp4UMoz ... re=related

C'est genius!!

http://mojomagazine.tumblr.com/post/116 ... ody-nelson
Last edited by nickh on Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
marmalade
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by marmalade »

i love this album, ordered the 2 cd/1 dvd edition and Amazon tells me it's on the way :D

here's the wee film of the album

http://vimeo.com/20765024
jadams501
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by jadams501 »

Very good album -- I just shelled out for it a couple of years ago, so I probably won't spring for this.

Lovely arrangements, especially the strings.
bunnyben
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by bunnyben »

the film is good. i got some set of his which i think is 'complete' but i also have the bonnie and clyde record he made with miss bardot. you can't help but think he was a bastard....birkin, bardot, gall etc grr!
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
simonkeeping
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by simonkeeping »

Its such an fantastic album. anyone who is a fan of Spz songs which gradually build from a whisper to a shout will love it. Especially the first and last tracks, massive choirs, an orchestra, soaring guitars, funky bass and drum interplay and the coolest narration ever. Its a scorcher. Sampled by David holmes, Portishead etc etc, the list is endless. If any of you don't own this album I strongly advise you to stop what you are doing and buy it now.
http://www.soundcloud.com/haarlemriots
simonkeeping
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by simonkeeping »

Forgot to say, arrangements for L'Histoire were done by Jean Claude Vannier and his magnum opus 'L'enfant Assassin Des Mouches' is also well worth checking out (similar style as L'Histoire but takes it further and is way more unhinged) . I know Mr Warmth is also a fan. The first time I heard it I had to sit down as I would have fallen over otherwise. The strings on it are from out there, in other words, incredible.
http://www.soundcloud.com/haarlemriots
bunnyben
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by bunnyben »

simonkeeping wrote:Jean Claude Vannier
a quite excellent man :D
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
scratch
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by scratch »

nickh wrote: Spin on a few years and I bought Mick Harvey’s tribute album Intoxicated Man and through that record I became a fan.
I have that one but the second Harvey-does-Gainsbourg album called pink elephants, is much better in my opinion.

Is the unreleased on L´histoire deluxe only alternate takes?
.. love the record but reluctant to buy it again if there is no new song.
"the greatest example of self-violation in the history of art"
nickh
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by nickh »

Looks like maybe only one new song.

I reached for my credit card as soon as I saw this but on reading again there doesn't seem much extra. I'll pick it up some time but Simon's recommendation of Jean Claude Vannier's 'L'enfant Assassin Des Mouches' might be a better bet, I'd rather have something new to listen to.

Amazon's blurb on the Gainsbourg set: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Histoire-Melody ... l_1#disc_1
bunnyben
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by bunnyben »

my favorite gainsbourg song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqltt-YKwCc


and what do people think of charlotte's music?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBGN9UBuk9w
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
James T
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by James T »

The Rock Around The Bunker album is one of my faves too. Not massive on Charlottes stuff to be honest though. I think the canabis soundtrack is one of his best.
jadams501
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by jadams501 »

Didn't she record her first album with Air? That was pretty good, as I recall -- very pleasant sonic wallpaper.
BzaInSpace
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by BzaInSpace »

nickh wrote:Anyone a fan? I only really knew Je t’aime moi non plus from when I was a kid. It’s funny thinking back now, my father would always look rather uncomfortable when that song came on the radio.
Hahaha... my father owns the 7" single of that. So I sorta grew up with it. :!: The first time I actually heard any other Serge was through Chris Morris' Blue Jam - somewhere on one of the first episodes he played 'Bonnie & Clyde'. I immediately recognised that unique breathy gallic voice - who wouldn't? This was about the same time as Simon alludes to when it was being sampled everywhere...
simonkeeping wrote:Its such an fantastic album...
I love this album. Great to see a lot of love for it here too!
simon wrote:Jean Claude Vannier's 'L'enfant Assassin Des Mouches'
This sounds well good. Duly added to the list...
O P 8
nickh
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by nickh »

BzaInSpace wrote:
nickh wrote:Anyone a fan? I only really knew Je t’aime moi non plus from when I was a kid. It’s funny thinking back now, my father would always look rather uncomfortable when that song came on the radio.
Hahaha... my father owns the 7" single of that. So I sorta grew up with it.
There is a version by June Whitfield and Frankie Howerd (why do I remember such garbage?!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzOsUAPZGn8 I think that made him even more uncomfortable!

The film’s OK, at least worth a watch once. Parts of it are hilarious although I’m not certain if they are supposed to be. The soundtrack is for the most part just instrumentals of je t’aime. I owned a copy once but traded it and now just seen it on Amazon for £30.00 odd. Another record I regret getting rid of. Little clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62wE_ZdoUlI
bunnyben
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by bunnyben »

i have the soundtrack somewhere (not sure where) if anyone wants me to dig it out and upload.

i prefer the unreleased bardot version of ....moi, non plus. o brigitte... :wink:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_Pi87P1Ec
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
johnnyboy
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by johnnyboy »

Oh, I love this album! Short yet amazing and very influential.

David Holmes "Don't Die Just Yet" is almost a complete steal isn't it. There's a Beck song, possibly Paper Tiger, that samples the strings too.

I've a bad emotional connection with the album. Years back I was dumped by a girlfriend out of the blue (there's a pattern of this in my life!) so that night I went out with mates and got completely hammered, possibly partaking in some little edible round fellas as well. The night went on and on, crashed on a sofa, then awoke with the fragmented head you'd expect after one of those nights out. It dawned on me that I'd been dumped. Ring her up, confirm it, I said to myself. My mates was playing records quite loud when rung her up and spoke to her. It was tough going. She was crying, I was broken, then she says "what the hell is that playing in the background, can you turn it down, it's doing my head in?". It was the big long centre piece song on L'Histoire De Melody Nelson, all swooping strings, tension, psych guitar, highly emotional, beautiful in any other circumstances but on the phone sorting out the confirmation of being dumped? Hmmm, not so great.

To this day if I hear that song I'm taken back to that moment.
scratch
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Re: Serge Gainsbourg - L’Histoire de Melody Nelson Deluxe ed

Post by scratch »

simonkeeping wrote:Forgot to say, arrangements for L'Histoire were done by Jean Claude Vannier and his magnum opus 'L'enfant Assassin Des Mouches' is also well worth checking out .
Hah, I was expecting some leftfield melancholy chanson/eurovision with lots of strings..
instead it´s an ethno/progressive rock/free-jazz/avant-garde/pop album!

not complaining at all - thanks for the tip!
"the greatest example of self-violation in the history of art"
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