The cult of Serge Gainsbourg
Apr 19, 2021 15:36:45 GMT
Post by kerouac2 on Apr 19, 2021 15:36:45 GMT
I have never been a Serge Gainsbourg fan, but I will never deny the quality of his work. Many people (and I can understand that) were attracted to him just because he radiated a fascinating repulsion. He was ugly by classic standards, he had no social skills and plenty of bad habits. So of course he was the perfect "bad boy" for innumerable fans. Jane Birkin spent 22 years with him when she could have had anyone.
He wasn't much of a singer and talked his way through a lot of songs, which was easier. But the quality of his compositions was undeniable and lots of them were covered by other singers.
But he also wrote for a lot of singers (and wannabe singers) including Juliette Greco, Régine, France Gall, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Petula Clark, Françoise Hardy, and Vanessa Paradis, among others. All of the songs were hits. He didn't write for any men, which was of course his right.
I never bought an LP by Serge Gainsbourg, which means something since I have so many hundreds of LPs and CDs at home, at least half of them crap. I just couldn't stand him personally.
And yet I was quite intrigued by all of the hoopla in France when the 30th anniversary of his death was commemorated recently.
He wasn't much of a singer and talked his way through a lot of songs, which was easier. But the quality of his compositions was undeniable and lots of them were covered by other singers.
But he also wrote for a lot of singers (and wannabe singers) including Juliette Greco, Régine, France Gall, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Petula Clark, Françoise Hardy, and Vanessa Paradis, among others. All of the songs were hits. He didn't write for any men, which was of course his right.
I never bought an LP by Serge Gainsbourg, which means something since I have so many hundreds of LPs and CDs at home, at least half of them crap. I just couldn't stand him personally.
And yet I was quite intrigued by all of the hoopla in France when the 30th anniversary of his death was commemorated recently.
So I made a double visit on that day out of curiosity. First I went to his house on rue de Verneuil in the 7th arrondissement. It is a shrine for fans.
I had never seen it before (why would I?) but I read that even when he was alive, it was already covered by graffiti, rather incredible in this part of Paris.
It is supposed to finally become a museum by the end of the year, but there might be a covid delay.
I have trouble imagining coming home every night to this.
Yes, there were fans still hanging around.
His property seems to have possessed the only tree on the street.