Mick Harvey's Serge Gainsbourg cover albums C/D?

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Fueled by another French music thread going on right now, I decided to dig up Mick Harvey's two albums of Gainsbourg cover versions in English: Intoxicated Man and Pink Elephants, to listen to on this lovely, snowy Tri-State early evening. I need to state that these are possibly two of the best all-covers recordings I've heard. The crew behind them is flawless: Harvey as Serge, Anita Lane as Brigitte B./Jane B., Bertrand Burgalat on string arrangements, vibraphone). The spirit of the songs remains intact ( Le Chanson De Slogan , Harley Davidson, Je t'aime (with Nick Cave as Serge) are all remarkable) and whenever Harvey decided to change the arrangements Gainsbourg still made it through intact. I'm in serious love with these records after a previous cursory enjoyment of their wonders. Anyone else with me?

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I love them. "Harley Davidson" is much improved actually!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I have the first one. It's quite good. The amazing thing about them is realizing how GREAT Gainsbourg's lyrics are, something which as a non-French speaker I could really only have guessed.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes. And now that I'm learning French myself I've been able to pick up on some (so far) of Serge's original wordplay on his recordings. To a newcomer to the language and a lover of his music in the past it's fairly cool.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Really good stuff, I agree, though I admit by the time I got around to them I had been able to hear and enjoy the originals more. Still, it's a striking effort -- I like "The Sun Directly Overhead" in particular myself.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yeah I don't like them anywhere near as much as the originals, don't get me wrong there. But I also think they enhanced my appreciation of Serge's songs which I think is maybe the best thing you could hope for with this sort of project (Scott Walker's Brel covers work in a similar way.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I love them. "Harley Davidson" is much improved actually!

I think so, too. Waaaay sexier.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know this and Gainsbourg having been such a favorite for so long, I doubt I could ever get over the weirdness. Can I assume that "The Sun Directly Overhead" is "Sous le soleil exactement"?

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

It is.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Do they translate (or attempt to) the lyrics?

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

He does.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow. I've got to see that sometime.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

The lyrics seem to me, in my ign'ant view, to be pretty faithful. Harvey mentions in the liner notes to the first album: Translating a great writer is like walking through a minefield and I set myself the difficult task of attempting to keep the places of rhyming, metre and meaning accurate to the originals. One or more of these elements is usually dispensed with in the translation of poetry and lyrics, but I did not want to iron out any of Gainsbourg's obtuse angles or lose any of his perverse or peculiar touches. Some word plays and turns of phrase were inevitably lost. For this I make no apology.

Le Poinconneur Des Lilas is playing now and it's worth the whole bunch.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, maybe you could burn this for me sometime. I've attempted to translate Gainbourg lyrics but I always get stuck or feel I can't do them justice.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Michael - are you the SHF guy? Completely unrelated to this thread, but just curious. Offlist if you want.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Of course. Remind me and I'll bring it to the next FAP.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think so Jay Vee. Thanks Alex. Does this thing have any Melody Nelson stuff on it?

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:39 (twenty-one years ago)

The Ballad Of Melody Nelson is on the second album.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:41 (twenty-one years ago)

This is the tracklist for the first disc, Michael. I don't think there are any post '69 tracks on there, but I could be wrong.

1. 69 Erotic Year
2. Harley Davidson
3. Intoxicated Man
4. The Sun Directly Overhead
5. Sex Shop
6. The Barrel Of My 45
7. Ford Mustang
8. Overseas Telegram
9. New York USA
10. Bonnie & Clyde
11. Chatterton
12. The Song Of Slurs
13. Jazz In The Ravine
14. I Have Come To Tell You I'm Going
15. Lemon Incest
16. Initials B.B.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

(x post ) Oh. And Hotel Particulaire .

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Other than "Lemon Incest", duh.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I Have Come To Tell You I'm Going. I'm pretty sure that 'Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais' is from '73. 'L'hôtel particulier', Jay Vee? How's that title translated btw?

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Here is the tracklist to the second CD:

1. Pink Elephants
2. Requiem
3. The Javanaise
4. Black Seawead
5. Comic Strip
6. The Ticket Puncher
7. Non Affair
8. Scenic Railway
9. To All The Lucky Kids
10. Anthracite
11. Manon
12. I Love You...Nor Do I
13. The Ballad Of Melody Nelson
14. Torrey Canyon
15. Who Is 'In' Who Is 'Out'
16. Hotel Specific

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:49 (twenty-one years ago)

(x post) Pardon the bad off-the-cuff pronunciation of the title.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 28 February 2005 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

'Hotel Specific' is a bad translation. Originally a hôtel meant a townhouse and 'particulier' means 'individual or private, as in a private townhouse. It's really just a euphemism for what was once known as a 'bawdy house'.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 00:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I have just remembered that my copy of Pink Elephants was stolen from my college radio station. Or rather, it never made it from the campus mail room to the radio station.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the version of Lemon Incest on this.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Both classic. I love the version of "Barrel of My .45."

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

when i listened to them last time i was quite disappointed. not sure if it was because of the covers themselves or me having listened to gainsbourg tunes for too many times. the first is better than the second. requiem is my fave song music wise though.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

seven years pass...

These are really hitting the spot for me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDjv1nXTOgI

― and i don't even care, similar to how a badass would respond (Abbbottt), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 23:18 (thirteen years ago)

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