Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.

Early life

Career

"Je t'aime" made UK chart history in that on 4 October 1969 and the following week on 11 October, the song was at two different chart positions even though it is the same song, the same artists, and the same recorded version. The only difference was that they were on different record labels. It was originally released on the Fontana label, but due to its controversy, Fontana withdrew the record which was then released on the Major Minor label. Because there were Fontana singles still in the shops along with the Major Minor release, on 4 October 1969 the Major Minor release was at number 3 and the Fontana single at number 16. Also at that time it was the biggest ever selling single for a completely foreign language record. She appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album ''Histoire de Melody Nelson'', portraying the Lolita-like protagonist in song and on the cover.

She took a break from acting in 1971–72, but returned as Brigitte Bardot's lover in ''Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman'' in 1973. In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, ''Je t'aime... moi non plus'', which created a stir for frank examination of sexual ambiguity. For this performance she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award.

Birkin appeared in the Agatha Christie films ''Death on the Nile'' (1978) and ''Evil Under the Sun'' (1982), and recorded several albums, including ''Baby Alone in Babylone'', ''Amours des Feintes'', ''Lolita Go Home'' and ''Rendez-vous''. She won Female Artist of the Year in the 1992 Victoires de la Musique. She starred in two films directed by Jacques Doillon – as Anne in ''La fille prodigue'' (1981) and as Alma in ''La pirate'' (1984, nominated for a César Award). This work led to an invitation from Patrice Chéreau to star on stage in ''La Fausse suivante'' by Marivaux at Nanterre. In 1980 she worked with director Herbert Vesely on ''Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung'', appearing as the mistress of Austrian artist Egon Schiele, played by Mathieu Carrière. Jacques Rivette collaborated with her in ''Love on the Ground'' (1983) and ''La Belle Noiseuse'' (1991, Nominated Césars best supporting actress). She appeared in Merchant Ivory's ''A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries'' (1998, also used her song "Di Doo Dah") and ''Merci Docteur Rey'' (2002), while ''Le Divorce''s end title song featured her singing "L'Anamour", composed by Gainsbourg. In 2006, she played the title role in ''Elektra'', directed by Philippe Calvario in France.

Birkin recorded the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou's 2003 album ''Strong Currents''. The cover art of ''Have You Fed the Fish?'' by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy features her image. The album features her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg on backing vocals.

Birkin bag

Affiliations

Awards/honours

Personal life

She had a passionate and creative relationship with her mentor Serge Gainsbourg, whom she met on the set of ''Slogan'' in 1968, a relationship that lasted 13 years. They never married, despite rumours and misreporting to the contrary. In 1971 they had a daughter, the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. They separated in 1980.

On 4 September 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, from her relationship with the director Jacques Doillon They separated in the 1990s. ''The Observer'' reported in 2007 that Doillon "could not compete with her grief for Gainsbourg" (who died in 1991), and that she had lived alone since their separation.

Discography

Filmography

References

External links

Category:British expatriates in France Category:English film actors Category:People from Marylebone Category:Actors from London

Category:English television actors Category:English female singers Category:English pop singers Category:French-language singers Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Serge Gainsbourg

Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg (; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer, songwriter, poet, composer, artist, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize. His legacy has been firmly established, and he is often regarded as one of the world's most influential popular musicians.

Biography

Personal life

He first married Elisabeth "Lize" Levitsky on 3 November 1951, and divorced her in 1957. He married a second time on 7 January 1964, to Françoise-Antoinette "Béatrice" Pancrazzi (b. 28 July 1931), with whom he had two children: a daughter named Natacha (b. 8 August 1964) and a son, Paul (born in spring 1968, after Serge had gotten back together with Béatrice). They divorced in February 1966.

In late-1967, he had a short but ardent love affair with Brigitte Bardot to whom he dedicated the song and album ''Initials BB''.

In mid-1968, Gainsbourg fell in love with the younger English singer and actress Jane Birkin, whom he met during the shooting of the film ''Slogan''. Their relationship lasted over a decade. In 1971 they had a daughter, the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. Although many sources state that they were married, according to their daughter Charlotte this was not the case. Birkin left Gainsbourg in 1980.

Birkin remembers the beginning of her affair with Gainsbourg: he first took her to a nightclub, then to a transvestite club and afterwards to the Hilton hotel, where he passed out in a drunken stupor. Birkin left Gainsbourg when pregnant with her third daughter, Lou, by the film director Jacques Doillon.

His last partner was Bambou (Caroline Paulus, grandchild of General Friedrich Paulus). In 1986 they had a son, Lucien (known as Lulu).

Early work

Many of his songs contained themes with a morbid or sexual twist in them. An early success, "Le Poinçonneur des Lilas", describes the day in the life of a Paris Métro ticket man whose job it is to stamp holes in passengers' tickets. Gainsbourg describes this chore as so monotonous that the man eventually thinks of putting a hole into his own head and being buried in another.

More success began to arrive when, in 1965, his song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the Luxembourg entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Performed by French teen and charming singer France Gall, it won first prize. The song was recorded in English as "A Lonely Singing Doll" by British teen idol Twinkle.

His next song for Gall, "Les Sucettes" ("Lollipops"), caused a scandal in France: Gainsbourg had written the song with double-meanings and strong sexual innuendo, of which the singer was apparently unaware when she recorded it. Whereas Gall thought that the song was about a girl enjoying lollipops, it was really about oral sex. The controversy arising from the song, although a big hit for Gall, threw her career off-track in France for several years.

Gainsbourg arranged other Gall songs and LPs that were characteristic of the late 1960s psychedelic styles, among them Gall's ''1968'' album. Another of Serge's songs "Boum Bada Boum" was entered in by Monaco in the 1967 contest, sung by Minouche Barelli; it came fifth. He also wrote hit songs for other artists, such as "Comment Te Dire Adieu" for Françoise Hardy.

In 1969, he released "Je t'aime... moi non plus", which featured explicit lyrics and simulated sounds of female orgasm. The song appeared that year on an LP, ''Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg''. Originally recorded with Brigitte Bardot, it was released with future girlfriend Birkin when Bardot backed out. While Gainsbourg declared it the "ultimate love song," it was considered too "hot"; the song was censored or banned from public broadcast in numerous countries, and in France even the toned-down version was suppressed. The Vatican made a public statement citing the song as offensive. However, despite or perhaps because of all the controversy, it sold well and charted within the top ten in many European countries.

The 1970s

In 1975, he released the album ''Rock Around the Bunker'', a rock album written entirely on the subject of the Nazis. Gainsbourg used black comedy, as he and his family suffered during World War II. While a child in Paris, Gainsbourg had worn the yellow badge as the mark of a Jew. ''Rock Around the Bunker'' belonged in the mid-1970s "retro" trend.

The next year saw the release of another major work, ''L'Homme à tête de chou'' (''Cabbage-Head Man''), featuring the new character Marilou and sumptuous orchestral themes. Cabbage-Head Man is one of his nicknames, as it refers to his ears. Musically, ''L'homme à tête de chou'' turned out to be Gainsbourg's last LP in the English rock style he had favoured since the late 1960s. He would go on to produce two reggae albums recorded in Jamaica (1979 and 1981) and two electronic funk albums recorded in New York (1984 and 1987).

In Jamaica in 1978 he recorded "Aux Armes et cetera", a reggae version of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, and Rita Marley. This song earned him death threats from right-wing veterans of the Algerian War of Independence who were opposed to certain lyrics. Bob Marley was furious when he discovered that Gainsbourg made his wife Rita sing erotic lyrics. In the 1980s, near the end of his life, Gainsbourg became a regular figure on French TV. His appearances seemed devoted to his controversial sense of humour and provocation. In March 1984, he burned a 500 French franc bill on television to protest against heavy taxation. He would show up drunk and unshaven on stage: in April 1986, in Michel Drucker's live Saturday evening show with the American singer Whitney Houston, he exclaimed to the host (in English, and when this was not translated, in French), "I want to fuck her". The same year, in another talk show interview, he appeared alongside Catherine Ringer, a well known singer who had appeared in pornographic films. Gainsbourg spat out at her, "You're nothing but a filthy whore, a filthy, fucking whore". Ringer scolded back, "Look at you, you're just a bitter old alcoholic. I used to admire you but these days you've become a disgusting old parasite".

By December 1988, while a judge at a film festival in Val d'Isère, he was extremely intoxicated at a local theatre where he was to do a presentation. While on stage he began to tell an obscene story about Brigitte Bardot and a champagne bottle, only to stagger offstage and collapse in a nearby seat. Subsequent years saw his health deteriorate. He had to undergo liver surgery, but denied any connection to cancer or cirrhosis. His appearances and releases became sparser as he had to rest and recover in Vezelay. During these final years, he released ''Love on the Beat'', a controversial electronic album with mostly sexual themes in the lyrics, and his last studio album, ''You're Under Arrest'', presented more synth-driven songs.

His songs became increasingly eccentric during this period, ranging from the anti-drug "Aux Enfants de la Chance" to the highly controversial duet with his daughter Charlotte named "Lemon Incest". This translates as ''"Inceste de citron"'', a wordplay on ''"un zeste de citron"'' (a lemon zest). The title demonstrates Gainsbourg's love for puns – another example of which is ''Beau oui comme Bowie'', a song he gave to Isabelle Adjani.

Film work

During his career, he wrote the soundtracks for more than 40 films. In 1996, he received a posthumous César Award for Best Music Written for a Film for ''Élisa'', along with Zbigniew Preisner and Michel Colombier.

He directed four movies: ''Je t'aime... moi non plus'', ''Équateur'', ''Charlotte For Ever'' and ''Stan The Flasher.''

He made a brief appearance with Jane Birkin in 1980 in ''Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung'', a film by Herbert Vesely, and also starred at "Les Chemins de Katmandou", with Jane Birkin.

Writing

Death and legacy

Since his death, Gainsbourg's music has reached legendary stature in France. His lyrical brilliance in French has left an extraordinary legacy. His music, always progressive, covered many styles: jazz, ballads, mambo, lounge, reggae, pop (including adult contemporary pop, kitsch pop, yé-yé pop, '80s pop, pop-art pop, prog pop, space-age pop, psychedelic pop, and erotic pop), funk, disco, calypso, Africana, bossa nova, and rock and roll. He has gained a following in the English-speaking world with many non-mainstream artists finding his arrangements highly influential.

One of the most frequent interpreters of Gainsbourg's songs was British singer Petula Clark, whose success in France was propelled by her recordings of his tunes. In 2003, she wrote and recorded ''La Chanson de Gainsbourg'' as a tribute to the composer of some of her biggest hits.

His lyrics are collected in the volume ''Dernières nouvelles des étoiles''.

Film biopic

Covers and tributes

Discography

Albums

Tribute albums and posthumous releases

Singles

;Singles written for other artists

Notes

References

External links

Category:Cabaret singers Category:French agnostics Category:French-language singers Category:French male singers Category:French poets Category:French singer-songwriters Category:Writers from Paris Category:French people of Russian descent Category:French Jews Category:Jewish poets Category:Eurovision Song Contest winners Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Jewish songwriters Category:Jewish singers Category:Twin people from France Category:1928 births Category:1991 deaths Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery Category:Lycée Condorcet alumni

Brett Lewis Anderson (born 29 September 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums. Suede reformed in 2010. In Suede's early days, Anderson's androgynous style and unique vocals were an instant phenomenon in the UK.

Early years: 1967-1988

In his teens, Anderson played guitar for garage bands such as The Pigs and Geoff, the latter featuring future Suede bassist Mat Osman. In the late-1980s, Anderson and Osman formed Suede with Anderson's girlfriend, Justine Frischmann, soon recruiting guitarist Bernard Butler through an advertisement in the ''NME''. After receiving percussional help from former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, in 1991, Simon Gilbert joined Suede as their official drummer. It was around this time that Frischmann left Anderson for Blur frontman Damon Albarn, which created an early rift in the burgeoning Britpop scene of the early 1990s. After missing too many rehearsals and flaunting her relationship with Albarn while still living with Anderson, Frischmann was fired from the group, going on to front Elastica.

Suede: 1989-2003; 2010 onwards

Anderson has commented that the history of Suede is "...ridiculous. It’s like Machiavelli rewriting ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas''. It involves a cast of thousands. It should star Charlton Heston... it’s like a pram that’s just been pushed down a hill. It’s always been fiery and tempestuous and really on the edge and it never stops. I don’t think it ever will.” On his own, Anderson collaborated with Stina Nordenstam, and his guest vocals can be heard on the album ''This Is Stina Nordenstam'' and has made a duet with Jane Birkin in 1995 which appeared in 1998 Birkin's Best Of album. He also sang the lyric "You're going to reap just what you sow" in the Children in Need charity single "Perfect Day".

Following persistent rumours, the boss of the band's former label, Nude Records' Saul Galpern, confirmed to the ''NME'' that Suede would be playing together again. "It's [for] a one-off gig," he explained of the show, which featured the band's second incarnation. The band played London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2010 Teenage Cancer Trust shows.

Because of the huge success of the shows, a new European tour was announced for the summer of 2010, covering 2 festivals, Skanderborg Festival in Denmark and Parkenfestivalen in Norway, the tour continued in the autumn covering France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Belgium. A homecoming date at the The O2 Arena (London) closed the tour. Further festival dates occurred in 2011, along with UK dates where Suede performed their first 3 albums in full.

The Tears: 2004-2005

Anderson was close friends with Simon Hobart (promoter of Popstarz) and was the DJ at the benefit night held in Hobart's honour after his death.

Solo work: 2006-present

In July 2007 Anderson modeled Nick Hart for Aquascutum's autumn/winter 2007 campaign

In May 2008 it was announced that Anderson's second album was to be premiered on 7 July in a special concert at London's mermaid theatre. A copy of the album, entitled ''Wilderness'', was distributed to all ticket buyers, in the form of a USB stick. The album was recorded in only seven days, with most tracks recorded as live takes. He plays the piano and the acoustic guitars, and is accompanied by Amy Langley on cello. One of the songs "Back to You" written with Fred Ball of the Norwegian band Pleasure is a duet with French actress Emmanuelle Seigner.

Anderson's third album, ''Slow Attack'' was co-written with Leo Abrahams. On his website, Brett Anderson writes that he tried to use words in a different way, as fragments, and hint of meanings and emotions. The music is more orchestral than ''Wilderness'' with more instrumentation throughout the album. On tour, he was joined by Didz Hammond (Dirty Pretty Things), Angie Pollock (Goldfrapp), Sebastian Sternberg (Pleasure, Marina and the Diamonds), Kris Sonne and Amy Langley, thus giving the songs a more art-rock edge.

''Black Rainbows'' - Anderson's fourth solo album was released through BA Songs, distributed by EMI Music Service in September 2011. It was preceded by the single "Brittle Heart". It was the second album Anderson had co-written with Leo Abrahams and it saw a return to a simpler more commercial rock format. Anderson stated that he had taken as reference points some of his old favourite records like PIL's "Rise", and Siouxsie and the Banshees' ''Juju'' while conceiving the songs.

Solo discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles and EPs

References

External links

Category:Alumni of University College London Category:English male singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English songwriters Category:People from Haywards Heath Category:Bisexual musicians Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Androgyny Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom Category:Suede members Category:LGBT people from England