Soul Strut 100: # 41 - Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson
- Thread starter RAJ
- Start date
Went to see Vannier recreate the album with the og session band, and a selection of invited guests taking each song (Brigitte Fontaine, Jarvis Cocker, Gruff Rhys, Laetita Sadier). Guests were hit or miss, but to just to hear that music played live was amazing. Even Badly Drawn Boy couldn't ruin 'Valse de Melody', try as he might.
[media]http://player.vimeo.com/video/30678737?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&color=fc0307[/media]
For those of you who always wanted to know what Serge was blabbing about, but aren't fluent in FRENCH. You should try listening to the album with the translated lyrics. It's almost like watching a French film with Subtitles.
Melody
Ballade de Melody Nelson
Valse de Melody
Ah! Melody
L'h??tel particulier
En Melody
Cargo culte
- spidey
For those of you who always wanted to know what Serge was blabbing about, but aren't fluent in FRENCH. You should try listening to the album with the translated lyrics. It's almost like watching a French film with Subtitles.
Melody
Ballade de Melody Nelson
Valse de Melody
Ah! Melody
L'h??tel particulier
En Melody
Cargo culte
- spidey
An excerpt from the Quietus interview with Nicolas Godin and Jean-Beno??t Dunckel of the French band AIR.
Quietus: Speaking of concepts, did you name your album Talkie Walkie after Gainsbourg's Le Talkie Walkie?
NG: Ahhh, I never thought... it is like that, you're right.
It's an early Serge composition.
NG: Yeah, back when he was a jazz musician.
Did it maybe slip in there somewhere from the back of your mind?
NG: Maybe, I don't know...
I've recently been getting into Serge's soundtrack work.
NG: Cannabis. It's very good.
JBD: With Jean Claude Vannier. It's tough for him.
NG: He gave so much to Histoire de Melody Nelson, and all the credit went to Serge Gainsbourg.
JBD: Jean Claude Vannier did so many things, and all people want to talk about is that all the time. There's this amazing record Brigitte Fontaine made with Jean Claude Vannier and you can really hear the spirit of Melody Nelson in it.
NG: It's called Brigitte Fontaine Est... and it's pretty bad ass.
JBD: The strings are so wild. They go out from the arrangements and the chords and they go somewhere else, and they make it very emotional. He has these sequences where it's very wild and the pressure builds until the entire music is breathing this new energy.
- spidey
Quietus: Speaking of concepts, did you name your album Talkie Walkie after Gainsbourg's Le Talkie Walkie?
NG: Ahhh, I never thought... it is like that, you're right.
It's an early Serge composition.
NG: Yeah, back when he was a jazz musician.
Did it maybe slip in there somewhere from the back of your mind?
NG: Maybe, I don't know...
I've recently been getting into Serge's soundtrack work.
NG: Cannabis. It's very good.
JBD: With Jean Claude Vannier. It's tough for him.
NG: He gave so much to Histoire de Melody Nelson, and all the credit went to Serge Gainsbourg.
JBD: Jean Claude Vannier did so many things, and all people want to talk about is that all the time. There's this amazing record Brigitte Fontaine made with Jean Claude Vannier and you can really hear the spirit of Melody Nelson in it.
NG: It's called Brigitte Fontaine Est... and it's pretty bad ass.
JBD: The strings are so wild. They go out from the arrangements and the chords and they go somewhere else, and they make it very emotional. He has these sequences where it's very wild and the pressure builds until the entire music is breathing this new energy.
- spidey
SPlDEY said:
KPM ALL-STAR. THE LATE BIG JIM SULLIVAN ON GUITAR.
I didn't know he was on Star Trek.
KPM ALL-STAR. THE LATE BIG JIM SULLIVAN ON GUITAR.
I didn't know he was on Star Trek.
Quietus: There seems to be a certain generosity in the way in which you and, for example, Jane Birkin continue to share the music that you made with Serge Gainsbourg. Do you think that's particular to people who worked with him?
Jean Claude Vannier: In Jane Birkin's case, obviously, her music career wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for Serge. In my case it's somewhat different as I wrote most of the music on Melody Nelson. As it happens, we're going to put out an unreleased track on the version of the album that's coming out in November called 'Melody Lit Babar', it's a piece we set aside because we thought at the time, and I still do, that it was a bit too much for 'Melody Nelson' but, anyway, the label has decided to release it. But in terms of why I play Melody Nelson so much it's not as a tribute to Serge, it's because I wrote the music and some of the words. The fact that people like Jarvis Cocker and Beck come to the music because they're fans of Serge is great, and the fact is that it's music that hasn't dated, it has survived its era.
Beck & Vannier led Serge Gainsbourg tribute at the Hollywood Bowl. (James Gadson on drums)
- spidey
Jean Claude Vannier: In Jane Birkin's case, obviously, her music career wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for Serge. In my case it's somewhat different as I wrote most of the music on Melody Nelson. As it happens, we're going to put out an unreleased track on the version of the album that's coming out in November called 'Melody Lit Babar', it's a piece we set aside because we thought at the time, and I still do, that it was a bit too much for 'Melody Nelson' but, anyway, the label has decided to release it. But in terms of why I play Melody Nelson so much it's not as a tribute to Serge, it's because I wrote the music and some of the words. The fact that people like Jarvis Cocker and Beck come to the music because they're fans of Serge is great, and the fact is that it's music that hasn't dated, it has survived its era.
Beck & Vannier led Serge Gainsbourg tribute at the Hollywood Bowl. (James Gadson on drums)
- spidey
bennyboy said:Went to see Vannier recreate the album with the og session band, and a selection of invited guests taking each song (Brigitte Fontaine, Jarvis Cocker, Gruff Rhys, Laetita Sadier). Guests were hit or miss, but to just to hear that music played live was amazing. Even Badly Drawn Boy couldn't ruin 'Valse de Melody', try as he might.
I attended this and yes the music was great but the guests I thought were a huge dissaapointment, a member of the audiance dragged up to do it on the spot might have done a better job.
But yeah the music was really really good.
I attended this and yes the music was great but the guests I thought were a huge dissaapointment, a member of the audiance dragged up to do it on the spot might have done a better job.
But yeah the music was really really good.
MN is a desert island disc for me. Killer tunes front to back. Glad to see it on the list.
Horseleech said:SPlDEY said:
KPM ALL-STAR. THE LATE BIG JIM SULLIVAN ON GUITAR.
I didn't know he was on Star Trek.
It's not from Star Trek, it's from an episode of Space: 1999.
Horseleech said:SPlDEY said:
KPM ALL-STAR. THE LATE BIG JIM SULLIVAN ON GUITAR.
I didn't know he was on Star Trek.
It's not from Star Trek, it's from an episode of Space: 1999.
yes, fantastic gainsbourg concept album, along with the anna ost, one of his best definately, also id like to chip in, heads up on melody nelson should be aware that there are two french phillips pressings, the first press heavy vinyl and the second late 70s press, thin vinyl, both good though, both with gatefold cover, the first (i think) laminated, the second issue not so much..
easily one of my favorite records, start to finish. even the waltzer joints are amazing.
serge is such a creep and all his girls are so fly, which somehow makes it all even more perfect
serge is such a creep and all his girls are so fly, which somehow makes it all even more perfect
m_dejean said:It's not from Star Trek, it's from an episode of Space: 1999.
Haha, I was just joking, I had no idea that existed - great footage!
More like Space 1969, though.
Haha, I was just joking, I had no idea that existed - great footage!
More like Space 1969, though.
LoopDreams said:HOLLAFAME said:A masterpiece.
such a lush, funky , unique vibe
one of the first raers i found (easier in quebec though)
although i believe gainsbourg to be a selfish prick this was his musical vision and expression in it's greatest condensed form amazing record and complete piece of art
such a lush, funky , unique vibe
one of the first raers i found (easier in quebec though)
although i believe gainsbourg to be a selfish prick this was his musical vision and expression in it's greatest condensed form amazing record and complete piece of art
Hey,
It's sad that in over 35 years of record collecting, I have NEVER laid eyes on a copy of "Histoire de Melody Nelson" in the field. I have heard tracks from it, and I love them. So, if someone is in the market to sell a copy, I'm ready to buy it.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
It's sad that in over 35 years of record collecting, I have NEVER laid eyes on a copy of "Histoire de Melody Nelson" in the field. I have heard tracks from it, and I love them. So, if someone is in the market to sell a copy, I'm ready to buy it.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
This album changed my life. 28 minutes of pure and utter genius, and to think he only had song titles when he walked into the studio...
Similar threads
