Serge: at home, in the studio, and in the musical of his life

Whilst looking for a video for Serge's 'Ford Mustang' for the last L'Amour à la Chaîne post, I re-discovered this ace behind the scenes/making of a song film.

Most of the film features studio footage of Serge, Arthur Greenslade, and co putting together the song 'Initials B. B.' at Chappell Studios, London in April/May 1968. Then at 11m20 there's a brief clip of a 'Ford Mustang' vocal take with some scary, toothy percussion; followed by Serge doing an unused take of 'Black and White'; plus a little bit of that plummy-voiced woman on 'Bloody Jack'...

That video led to me discovering this charming "day in the life of Serge and his kids" video dated Saturday 31 March 1979:

After which I came across this hazy, bar-set interview with Serge and Jane, in which, half-way through, as if seeing himself in some cheesy, soul-searching moment from a musical of his life, Serge breaks into a sad song about Charlie Brown. I kid you not...

Charlotte Gainsbourg's Stage Whisper

News reaches us that Charlotte Gainsbourg's new album Stage Whisper was released in the US before Christmas.  Hopefully it'll be out in the UK before too long (should have been out on Monday according to Amazon uk).

The good news is she's apparently been working with Beck again, and also Connor J. O'Brien from Villagers.  The bad news is that she has also worked with privileged-folk muppets Noah & The Whale.

Watch a video of Charlotte perfomring 'Out of Touch' with Connan Mockasin HERE.

French goodness this week on Radio 6

A bumper week of French-ness on BBC 6Music this week:

On Monday, Fránçois & The Atlas Mountains' new LP E Volo Love was album of the day. They also played a live session on Marc Riley's show [listen again here]. Here is F&TAM's video for their lovely new single on Domino Recording Co.


FRÀNÇOIS & THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS "Les Plus Beaux" by domino

On Tuesday, Radcliffe & Maconie spoke to Air on the telephone about their new album and soundtrack to the Georges Meliès film Le Voyage dans la Lune [listen again here]. You can watch and download the film for free via the Air Facebook page.

And on Thursday, between 1pm and 4pm, Radcliffe & Maconie talk to Charlotte Gainsbourg about her new album Stage Whisper [programme info here].

more Charlotte and Serge

More Gainsbourg news...
There was an interview with Charlotte Gainsbourg in last Sunday's Observer.

And just yesterday The Independent ran a feature on the forthcoming Serge Gainsbourg film Vie Heroique.

And, of course, it looks like the film won't be released in the UK until September, and it will probably only then get an ultra-limited release. So we'll just have to make do with the teasers being released on the official website and YouTube, plus news trickling through via this fan blog I came across earlier today: gainsbourgfilm.blogspot.com.

B.B. + Serge = Bonnie and Clyde

Serge and Jane: Le Canari (Jane must have forgotten her P.E. kit that day, so Serge made her do it in her pants and vest)

Apparition de la Gueule (Serge's alter-ego rears his ugly head - a creepy hybrid of Frank Sidebottom and Mr Noseybonk)

Serge et Charlotte

I am rubbing my hands together with great excitement and intense friction at the prospect of the Serge Gainsbourg biopic Vie Héroïque which is set for release on 21st January 2010. And if it doesn't get a screening in Brighton or London, I am seriously considering moving to a more Serge-friendly country.

Here is the teaser that's been posted on YouTube recently:


Universal Pictures France has uploaded a few more teasers onto YouTube, some of them even have English subtitles which is promising for a UK release. Look out for some fine prosphetic nose action...


La Musique


There is also an introduction to Les Femmes de Gainsbourg, but for some reason embedding is disabled on that video


Charlotte Gainsbourg, meanwhile has been working with Beck on her new album. The first fruits are very promising: think Broadcast, United States of America, and Can


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