Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg

Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg
Studio album by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
Released June 1969
Recorded 12, 19 November & 16, 17, 18 December 1968 Fontana studios, London; "L'anamour" and "69 année érotique" 12 November 1968 Chappell Studios, London; "Manon" January 1968 La Gaieté Studio, Paris
Genre Pop, orchestral pop[1]
Length 31:18
Label Fontana
Serge Gainsbourg chronology

Initials B.B.
(1968)		 Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg
(1969)		 Histoire de Melody Nelson
(1971)

Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg (also known as Je t'aime... moi non plus[2]) is an album featuring duets and solo performances by Serge Gainsbourg and his then lover, Jane Birkin. It was released in 1969 and included the worldwide hit "Je t'aime... moi non plus", which achieved notoriety for its salacious lyrics with a backing of ecstatic female moaning, culminating in an apparent orgasm at the song's finale.)

This album was reissued for the first time in the US on Light in the Attic Records on August 24, 2010. The reissued version includes "Chanson de Slogan" as the 12 track.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Pitchfork Media (8.8/10)[3]
PopMatters (8/10)[4]

Allmusic noted that the album includes "kitsch masterpieces like "69 Annee Erotique" and Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg's chart-topping "Je t'aime... moi non plus," in a procession of jazzy instrumentals accompanied by Gainsbourg's throaty, Gitanes-coated vocals and the pertly sexy interpolations of his [Gainsbourg's] stunning wife."[1] D.M. Edwards of PopMatters stated: "The arrangements by Arthur Greenslade are excellent and there are plenty of glimpses of the experimentation which would be a feature of Gainsbourg’s music," further describing the album as "sophisticated, timeless pop music."[4]

Track listing

Words and music by Serge Gainsbourg

  1. "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (4:23) vocals by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
  2. "L'anamour" (2:17) vocals by Serge Gainsbourg
  3. "Orang-outan" (2:28) vocals by Jane Birkin
  4. "Sous le soleil exactement" (2:52) vocals by Serge Gainsbourg
  5. "18-39" (2:39) vocals by Jane Birkin
  6. "69 année érotique" (3:21) vocals by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
  7. "Jane B" (3:09) vocals by Jane Birkin
  8. "Elisa" (2:31) Serge Gainsbourg
  9. "Le canari est sur le balcon" (2:20) vocals by Jane Birkin
  10. "Les sucettes" (2:37) vocals by Serge Gainsbourg
  11. "Manon" (2:41) vocals by Serge Gainsbourg

Notes

Some editions of this album included "Chanson de Slogan" instead of "Je t'aime moi non plus".

Arranged and conducted by Arthur Greenslade

7. based on Prelude No. 4 in E minor (Op. 28) by Frédéric Chopin

8. music by Serge Gainsbourg and Michel Colombier; lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus: Overview at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Pitchfork Media review
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 PopMatters review

External links