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Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Wonderful US version too – with a 40 page deluxe booklet that features extensive notes on the album – and a 1971 interview with Gainsbourg!

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier".

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Ford Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie And Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll Et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack".

A great Serge Gainsbourg album from 1973 – one that we'd rank right up there with his best work! The record's got a slinky funky groove that's right in a perfect post-Melody Nelson mode – music written by Serge, and played by a hip small combo that includes lots of great guitar from Alan Parker and sweet electric keyboards and organ from the great Alan Hawkshaw – both of whom really help keep the sound great! Many tracks have that mellow funk groove that's become the best-remembered Gainsbourg sound over the years – and as with many of his other albums of the time, this one's brimming over with potential samples and riffs to steal. Titles include "Panpan Cucul", "Sensuelle Et Sans Suite", "Pamela Popo", "Titicaca", and "Par Hasard Et Pas Rase". Nice cover, too, with Serge pictured amidst a bunch of photographs of monkeys!

A landmark collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin – his paramour at the time, and a much younger woman! The pair come together beautifully here in a set of sensuous duets – tunes that have an open, honest approach to the relations between the sexes – yet never in any sort of cliched late 60s hippie-esque ways. This album is perhaps the archetypal Gainsbourg erotic effort – and it's filled with wonderful duets set to breathy, bouncy orchestrations – tunes that forged a whole new "adult" level in pop music – not just in France, but around the globe! The arrangements are amazing, and feature some of the weirdest instrumentation ever heard on a pop record – especially one that was as successful as this. Backings are by Athur Greenslade – and titles include the classic "69 Annee Erotique" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus", plus "Jane B", "Elisa", "Orang Outan", "Les Sucettes", and "Manon".

2 incredible soundtracks from Serge Gainsbourg – both of them from his best period of work! Cannabis is a tremendously funky set of tunes – and some real standout soundtrack material from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Serge is working here with some great help from Jean-Claude Vannier – the guiding force behind Melody Nelson – and Vannier brings some great grooves to the record, really going for those sexy riffs and breaks that make us love Gainsbourg's music so much! There's a bit of vocals, but the main focus is on the instrumentation – which shifts nicely from track to track, taking the themes in some very nice directions – all of them definitely up to the sexy standard of Serge. The score to Ce Sacre Grand Pere is included here as bonus work – and features tracks written by both Serge and Michel Colombier. The overall feel is more orchestral and traditionally soundtrack-styled, but there are a few really sly funky tracks that offer up Serge at his sexy best! The set's got 21 tracks in all, and titles include "Cannabis", "Jane Dans La Nuit", "Danger", "Avant De Mourir", "Cannabis-bis", "Piege", "I Want To Feel Crazy", "Le Deuxieme Homme", "Champetre Et Pop 1", "Nous Les Jericho", and "L'Herbe Tendre".

2 incredible soundtracks from Serge Gainsbourg – both of them from his best period of work! Cannabis is a tremendously funky set of tunes – and some real standout soundtrack material from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Serge is working here with some great help from Jean-Claude Vannier – the guiding force behind Melody Nelson – and Vannier brings some great grooves to the record, really going for those sexy riffs and breaks that make us love Gainsbourg's music so much! There's a bit of vocals, but the main focus is on the instrumentation – which shifts nicely from track to track, taking the themes in some very nice directions – all of them definitely up to the sexy standard of Serge. The score to Ce Sacre Grand Pere is included here as bonus work – and features tracks written by both Serge and Michel Colombier. The overall feel is more orchestral and traditionally soundtrack-styled, but there are a few really sly funky tracks that offer up Serge at his sexy best! The set's got 21 tracks in all, and titles include "Cannabis", "Jane Dans La Nuit", "Danger", "Avant De Mourir", "Cannabis-bis", "Piege", "I Want To Feel Crazy", "Le Deuxieme Homme", "Champetre Et Pop 1", "Nous Les Jericho", and "L'Herbe Tendre".

A landmark collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and actress Jane Birkin – his paramour at the time, and a much younger woman! This album is perhaps the archetypal Gainsbourg erotic effort – and it's filled with wonderful duets set to breathy, bouncy orchestrations – tunes that forged a whole new "adult" level in pop music – not just in France, but around the globe! The arrangements are amazing, and feature some of the weirdest instrumentation ever heard on a pop record – especially one that was as successful as this – and titles include the classic "69 Annee Erotique", plus"Jane B", "Elisa", "Orang Outan", "Les Sucettes", and "Manon".

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Great new LP reissue package – with 180 gram vinyl, notes, an interview, and even lyrics in English & French!

Amazing music – at an equally amazing price! The set features every studio album ever recorded by Serge Gainsbourg – monumental sounds that completely transformed the world of French music in the 60s and 70s, and have gone on to have a global impact well into the 21st Century! The sounds here are amazing right from the start – a mix of jazz, Latin, and other hip modes – all set to playfully sinister lyrics by Serge – which get even better as the 60s move on, and Gainsbourg dips into fuzz, funk, and other amazing elements to push out some far frontiers in his music! The 70s sees some great electronics, classic collaborations with Sly & Robbie, and gives way to some surprisingly great 80s material towards the end of Serge's too-short career. Box features 14 albums on 12 CDs – with records that include Du Chant A La Une, No 2, L'Etonnant Serge Gainsbourg, No 4, Gainsbourg Percussions, Initials BB, Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg, Histoire De Melody Nelson, Vu De L'Exterieur, L'Homme A Tete De Chou, Aux Armes Et Caetera, Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Etoiles, Love On The Beat, and You're Under Arrest.

Serge's 4th album – and another wonderful gem from his early years! The record's like some of the others from the time, mixing together jazz, Latin rhythms, and all the offbeat existentialism of the postwar Paris scene. The record was originally only ever issued as a 10" LP – and it's been wonderfully redone here, with the original cover art. Titles include "Les Cigarillos", "Intoxicated Man", "Les Goemons", "Baudelaire", "Black Trombone", and "Requiem Pour Un Twisteur".

Late 50s material by the incomparable Serge Gainsbourg – studio and live recordings from 1958 and 1959 – plus tunes from singer Juliette Greco's EP of Gainsbourg songs from the same period – really wonderful stuff all the way! A number of the tunes feature wonderful arrangements by Alain Goraguer, with Serge's earlier, less nicotine stained vocals a bit smoother, but no less charismatic. Titles include "Le Claqueur De Doights", "Mambo Miam Miam", "Indifferente", "L'Amour A La Papa". "La Jambe De Bois", "Agioisse". "La Licorne". "Tension Mambo" and more by Serge Gainsbourg, plus "Il Etait Eune Oie", "Les Amours Perdues", "Amour A La Papa", "Defense D'Afficher" and more by Juliette Greco.

A late 60s soundtrack by Serge Gainsbourg – but a record that's easily as great as any of his studio albums from the same time! The bulk of the album has a spare, punctuated groove that's somewhat funky – quite a bit like Melody Nelson in its sense of space and timing – and its sex-heavy groove that bubbles up nicely from the bottom of bassy backings and mod orchestrations. Serge sings a bit – as does Anna Karina and Jean-Claude Brialy, Gainsbourg's co-stars in the film – and the orchestrations on the record were handled by Michel Colombier, and easily rank as some of his greatest work ever! Titles include both vocal and instrumental versions of "Sous Le Soleil Exactement", "Pas Mal Pas Mal Du Tout", "Boomerang", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Ne Dis Rien", "Roller Girl", "GI Jo", "Pistolet Jo", "Photographes Et Religieuses", "Rien Rien J'Disais Ca Comme Ca", and "Un Poison Violet C'Est CA L'Amour".

Stunning sounds from the team of Serge Gainsbourg and Michel Colombier – and maybe the most perfect example of why Gainsbourg soundtracks can be so great! First up is the duo's fab music for the film Le Pacha – a wonderful blend of trippy touches and more subtle jazzy moments, plus bits of electric sitar and bassy funk – shifting effortlessly from track to track to create a mad melange of musical grooves! Cuts include the classic "Requiem Pour Un Con", which is a funky gem – plus "Psychastenie", "Joss A La Calvados", "Un Noel 67", "Cadavres En Serie", "Batucada Meurtriere", and Brigitte Bardot singing "Harley Davidson"! Next is Vidoq – a handful of songs originally penned for a TV series in the 60s, and very unusual work from Serge! The tunes include two very offbeat vocal numbers, sung in this deep-voiced style – plus a few more serious instrumentals, but with a weird twist. Titles include "Le Mariage De Vidocq", "A Vous De Jouer", "L'Evasion", and "Chanson Du Forcat". Comment Trouvez-Vous Ma Soeur – or "how do you find my sister?" – seems like a perfect title for a film to feature music from Serge – and the music definitely follows suit! The movie's from 1964, so captures that pivotal time when Gainsbourg was shifting from classier French styles to groovy ones – both modes featured here in the instrumentals directed by Colombier, and on Serge's vocal reading of the title tune. Tracks include "Erotico Tico", "No Love For Daddy", "La Course Au Mariage", "Rendez Vous A L'Eglise", "Surboum Chez Ma Soeur", and "Quart D'Heure Americain".

Some of Serge Gainsbourg's first recordings – a mixture of left bank chic, jazzy rhythms, and some of the strangest songwriting to grace the Parisian scene! All titles feature great backings by Alain Goraguer, Serge's longtime musical partner, who brings in some wonderful elements to the songs – embellishing them with cool vibes, offbeat piano, snapping snare drum, and bubbling bass to match the oddly-crafted lyrics of the tunes. Titles include "Ronsard 58", "Ce Mortel Ennui", "Le Poinconneur Des Lilas", "Douze Belles Dans La Peau", "Charleston Des Demanageurs De Piano", and "L'Alcool".

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie & Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Docteur Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack".

One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers of the 60s, and both a very good choice to work with Brigitte! Bardot sings in a sexy, whispery style that's a bit like Jane Birkin, but somewhat different too – and the arrangements are by Michel Colombier, Paul Pio, and Christian Gaubert – three talents who definitely keep things groovy. There's a few instrumentals mixed in with the vocal tracks – but that's totally fine with us, because they're all pretty great – and there's plenty of moments with a nice groove and a bit of funk. Titles include "Harley Davidson", "Ay Que Viva La Sangria", "Gang Gang", "David B", "Mister Sun", "Paris", "On Demenage", and "Contact" – plus the excellent "Marseillaise Generique" instrumental – used to great effect in Austin Powers!

Beautiful work from Benjamin Biolay – easily one of our favorite French artists of the 21st Century – even though we've been following his work since the previous one! Benjamin's got a sound that's just perfect if you, like us, dig an older generation of French work by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Polnareff, and others from that magical late 60s moment when French pop really found its own sound. Biolay's got a way of sliding in the sinister next to the groovy – often with vocals that are spoken as much as sung – and produced to perfection by his own strong ear for unusual combinations of sounds. Benjamin helped launch the career of many other great French acts in the past decade or two – but we still love his own work the best – and an album like this definitely lives up to that faith. Titles include "Venganza", "Marlene Deconne", "Personne Dans Mon Lit", "Confettis", "La Fin De La Fin", "L'Insigne Honneur", and "Tresor Tresor".

Beautiful work from Benjamin Biolay – easily one of our favorite French artists of the 21st Century – even though we've been following his work since the previous one! Benjamin's got a sound that's just perfect if you, like us, dig an older generation of French work by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Polnareff, and others from that magical late 60s moment when French pop really found its own sound. Biolay's got a way of sliding in the sinister next to the groovy – often with vocals that are spoken as much as sung – and produced to perfection by his own strong ear for unusual combinations of sounds. Benjamin helped launch the career of many other great French acts in the past decade or two – but we still love his own work the best – and an album like this definitely lives up to that faith. Titles include "Venganza", "Marlene Deconne", "Personne Dans Mon Lit", "Confettis", "La Fin De La Fin", "L'Insigne Honneur", and "Tresor Tresor".

Mindblowing work from French film composer Francois De Roubaix – an artist who's perhaps gotten more credit in recent years for his electronic sounds, but who's featured here in a fantastic batch of vocal numbers too! Many of these tracks have that great messed-up funky style of the era of Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier – bouncing bass, psyche-inspired instrumentation, and lots of weird production that trips things out in these subtle, wild ways. Vocals are sung by a host of different artists, and the styles vary up nicely too – but the whole thing's really unified with that sense of madness we've always loved in the instrumental work of De Roubaix! Titles include "Les Poupons" by Olivier & Louis De Funes, "Le Rapace" by Los Incas, "Loin" by Joanna Shimkus, "Just Be Cool" by Fire Exit, "Mon Ami Thia" by Serge Reggiani, "Chacun Son Homme" by Brigitte Bardot & Annie Giradot, "Pour Qui Pourqui" by Nicoletta, "My Sky Is Blue" by Alice Herald, "Un Peu Beaucoup Passionnement" by Vaea Sylvain, "La Ballade Du Heros" by Farid, and "Avec Des Cubes" by Chapi Et Chapo. 24 tracks in all – and some very copious notes!

An excellent reissue of funky work by this obscure European combo – a favorite with grooveheads for years because of their unique mix of funk, exotica, and strange studio touches! In a way, these guys are kind of like a collision between Mandingo, Chakachas, and Serge Gainsbourg – with lots of nice conga work, breathy wordless vocals, funky flute, and sexy tribal grooving. The set includes their classic slow funk cut "La La La", plus the tracks "King Kong", "Streaking A Gogo", "Wild Groove", "Bantu", "Please Love Me", "Girl Safari", "Brigitte Bardot", and "Music For A Playboy".

A record as revolutionary as the French year in which it was recorded – an amazing batch of late 60s grooves from Parisian pop madame France Gall! The set's upbeat and jaunty, with plenty of fuzz – almost a psyche pop sound, with lots of groovy guitars that make the album sparkle with plenty of razor-sharp notes! Gall's vocals are as wonderful as ever, and almost sound a bit more sinister in this setting – thanks to arrangements by Alain Gouraguer and the great David Whitaker. There's plenty of France Gall classics here – including versions of the Serge Gainsbourg tunes "Nefertiti" and "Teenie Weenie Boppie" – plus "Toi Que Je Veux", "Made In France", "Bebe Requin", and "Avant La Bagarre".

Incredibly groovy work from France Gall – easily one of our favorite French singers of the 60s! France has a sound that's really unique – one that comes from the Frenchified pop of the "yeh yeh" generation, but which really packs a lot more punch than her contemporaries – a bold, proud, loud quality that's really wonderful – and which makes just about every number from the time a total killer! Part of the help here comes from Serge Gainsbourg – who wrote a good number of tracks for the young Gall – but the style's also quite different than that of Serge, too – often with an emphasis on punchy drums at the bottom, which creates a hint of funk – bringing a nice nasty feel to France's little girl vocals. The set's a great one – overflowing with key cuts from singles of the 60s – and titles include "Made In France", "Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son", "Laisse Tomber Les Filles", "Quand On Est Ensemble", "Rue De L'Abricot", "Bloody Jack", "Le Temps De La Rentree", "Mon Bateau De Nuit", "Baby Pop", and "Les Sucettes". 22 tracks in all!

3 rare French jazz soundtracks on one CD! First up is the music from the film Les Loups Dans La Bergerie, written by Serge Gainsbourg, and performed by Serge's arranger Alain Goraguer – in a hip modern mode that recalls some of the best soundtrack work by Barney Wilen, Miles Davis, and Art Blakey from the same period. Next up are 5 tracks from Les Tripes Au Soleil, written and performed by Andre Hodier – with a feel that's similar to that of Gourager's work, but perhaps a bit more modern. Hodier's tunes feature solos by Roger Guerin on trumpet and Pierre Gossez on alto, plus some performances by Christine Legrand. Last up are tracks from the Freddie Redd's score for The Connection – played by the Daniel Humair Soultet, a very cool group that features Humair on drums, Eddy Louiss on piano, Sonny Grey on trumpet, Jean-Louis Chautemps on tenor, and Rene Urtreger doing the arrangements. The work on the set's a wonderful variation on the American recording of the work – done by Redd and Jackie McLean – with a very different kind of energy that opens up the compositions nicely. Titles include "Wigglin", "Overdose", "Danse", "Le Desert", "Rhythm & Blues No 1", "Les Loups Dans La Bergerie", and "Cha Cha Cha Du Loup".

Fantastic French grooves from the end of the 60s – a killer set of jazz-based tracks recorded by trumpeter Ivan Jullien, with help from funky arranger Michel Colombier! Jullien recorded a fair bit of jazz and studio work around the time, and his playing here is razor-sharp – and supported by Colombier grooves that rival his best soundtrack material, his experiments with Pierre Henry, or his backings for singers like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Bardot! Colombier also plays keyboards on the record, as does the great Maurice Vander – amidst a host of other great French jazzmen who include Pierre Gossez on sax, Roger Guerin on additional trumpet, and Eddie Louiss on organ. Drums are nice and funky on most cuts – and the whole thing kicks even more than most funky big band records on MPS! Includes the great break cut "I Remember Otis" – plus "Sonoro", "The Looser", "Talk", "An Oscar For Eddy", "Wake The Monster", "Edith", and "Crescendo".

Mindblowing work from a young Michel Polnareff – spacey pop from late 60s France, with a sound that's completely sublime! Polnareff's never been taken up as strongly as Serge Gainsbourg or Jane Birkin by English-speaking audiences, but we think his music is equally great – a baroquely beautiful pastiche of groovy rhythms, acoustic guitar lines, and lots of tripped-out touches – as you might expect from French pop of the time! Production often has Michel's vocals echo out a bit – a slightly spaced-out quality that rings out in really unique tones that highlight his songcraft beautifully. Titles include "Ta Ta Ta Ta", "Jour Apres Jour", "Mes Regrets", "Piplette", "Ame Caline", "Le Bal De Laz", "Oh Louis", and "Les Grands Sentiments Humains".

A great new issue – and jam packed with the usual madness! The center of the magazine features a huge year 2000 calender – with Roctober legends like Serge Gainsbourg, Sugarpie De Santo, Gary Glitter, Fela, and The Zone Brothers. Plus, there's great features on Tim Maia, Sparks, Rock & Wrestling, Terry Jacks, Johnny Legend, and others. Also includes Ivan Brunetti's hilarious I Almost Drew Nancy, the super-silly Ratso Meets Cibo Matto – and James Porter's loving Tribute To Alvin Cash! 105 pages, and worth every penny!

The legendary Rinder & Lewis team headed up this Frenchy effort by the pop disco group Saint Tropez. The centerpiece is the album's cover of Serge Gainsbourg's classic "Je T'Aime", redone here with a distinct 70s feel, and a groove that's just right for the dancefloor. Other tunes include "Coeur A Coeur", "On Rien A Perdre", and "La Symphonie Africaine".

Sweet and sexy sounds from William Sheller – a rare French set from the early 70s – and a record we'd rank right up there with the best work by Serge Gainsbourg and Jean-Claude Vannier! Sheller's got a similar groove here – a way of compressing the instrumentation right down to the core, and slipping it around slinky rhythms and spacey production – both of which make familiar instruments sound really way-out! There's also a bit of darkness to the set too – which comes from Sheller's process of recasting a mass structure into a new sort of vision – and a few points feature vocalizations alongside the way-out instrumentation. Titles include "Introit", "Ave Frater Rosae Et Aurae", "Lux Aeterna", "Hare Krishna", and "Souls Le Signe Du Verseau". Plus, there's some even groovier stuff at the end – a whole host of rare singers form Sheller, which feel like some of the best French sound library funk or soundtrack cuts of the period! These tracks are wonderful – and titles include "Couleurs", "Lands Of Shadow", "Generissimo", "Exctissimo", "Erotissimo", "My Year Is A Day", and "Living East Dreaming West".

A fab little soundtrack from one of our favorite Italian composers – a lost gem originally issued in 1971, with a very groovy sound! The score has Piero Umiliani picking up a bit more funk than usual – working with electric bass and keyboards to come up with some totally great tracks that kind of pick up a sexy Euro funk groove from the Serge Gainsbourg generation, and give it some excellent soundtracky touches in terms of tone, color, and melody. The tracks are all pretty darn great – bouncy, sunny, and with funk at just the right moments – and a few nice numbers even have a bit of scatting vocals, an element that makes them all the more pleasing to our ears! Titles include "Mah Na Cowboy", "Holiday Inn", "Love In", "Il Mondo Dell Infanzia", "Luna Di Miele", "Pepito", and "La Nuova Frontiera".

A great late album from French composer, arranger, lyricist, singer and all around creative musical force Jean Claude Vannier – with Vannier singing moody, vintage orch pop numbers in a mode that does both JCV and his old collaborator Serge Gainsbourg proudly! The set has a very lively feel to it, which is quite natural, given that the album came about following the group's rehearsals for the Histoire De Melody Nelson performance at London's Barbican in 2006. It features a brilliant group of players who worked with Vannier and Serge Gainsbourg on that uber-iconic album as well as other boundary-busting projects and soundtracks – including Cannabis, La Horse, Slogan and Vannier's own legendary leftfield classic L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches. Vannier's voice is charismatic as can be, and the vintage pulp orchestrations are as fresh as ever. Includes "Londres-Paris-Sofia", "Les Yeux Valise", "Au Desespoir Des Singes", "Les Coquelicots", "La Vie En Live", "Une Partie De Scrabble", "Roses Rouge Sang" and "Un Petit Quelque Chose".

Freaky French grooves – a fantastic follow-up to the first Wizzz volume that we loved many years back – and like that great set, a huge batch of rare 60s gems you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere! The core rhythms are often rockish, but usually pretty funky too – a freaked-out, fuzzed-up batch of sounds that support some really great French language vocals – most of which are from the farther reaches of the late 60s generation of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. The package features a fair bit of great notes on the music – but in French, unfortunately – and titles include "Crazy Girl Crazy World" by Alain Boissanger, "KKK" by Serge Franklin, "Un Soir D'Ete" by Nelly Perrier, "Hallucinations" by Bruno Leys, "Dans Son Euphorie" by Chorus Reverendus, "Des Arbres De Fer" by Guy Skornik, "Je T'Aime Normal" by Jean Et Janet, and "J'Aime Ou J'Emm" by San Antonio.

A never-ending batch of wonderful tunes – the 5th volume in this amazing series of 60s French pop! If your ears have been a bit lazy lately, pick up this set and prepare to have your mind blown – as it's filled with loads of groovy little tunes you've probably never heard, all stacked up back to back in one completely wonderful set of groovy 60s numbers! 22 tracks in all – with many many rare numbers, and titles that include "Seul" by Stone, "Les Filles A Papa" by Chris Kersen, "J'Achete Tout" by Claude Channes, "SOS Mademoiselles" by Ronnie Bird, "C'Est Fou" by Bernadette Grimm, "Qui Est In Qui Est Out" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Ailleurs" by Elsa, and "Ca S'Est Arrange" by Jean-Paul Keller.

A fab little soundtrack from one of our favorite Italian composers – a lost gem originally issued in 1971, with a very groovy sound! The score has Piero Umiliani picking up a bit more funk than usual – working with electric bass and keyboards to come up with some totally great tracks that kind of pick up a sexy Euro funk groove from the Serge Gainsbourg generation, and give it some excellent soundtracky touches in terms of tone, color, and melody. The tracks are all pretty darn great – bouncy, sunny, and with funk at just the right moments – and a few nice numbers even have a bit of scatting vocals, an element that makes them all the more pleasing to our ears! Titles include "Mah Na Cowboy", "Holiday Inn", "Love In", "Il Mondo Dell Infanzia", "Luna Di Miele", "Pepito", and "La Nuova Frontiera".

Funky grooves from Jiro Inagaki and his Soul Media combo – and some cool vocals from 70s Japanese singer Sammy – a pretty enigmatic talent who really makes her mark with this record! The album's less island-styled than you might guess from the title or cover – and instead, it mixes these spacious vocal passages with more forceful backings from Soul Media – a groove that's got the same blend of female lead and funkier elements that you might find in a Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin project – although the lyrics here are mostly in Japanese! The set features a killer version of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady", with really wild vocals and drums – plus the cuts "Memories Of That Guy", "So High", "Wanderer's Lullaby", "The In & Outer Stomp & Shouter", "Nobody Loves Me", and "My Sweet Dolls".

One of the greatest Brigitte Bardot albums you could ever buy – some of the grooviest, sexiest work the famous French actress ever cut! The album's overflowing with excellent original material written by Bardot by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis Lai – two of our favorite French composers of the 60s, and both a very good choice to work with Brigitte! Bardot sings in a sexy, whispery style that's a bit like Jane Birkin, but somewhat different too – and the arrangements are by Michel Colombier, Paul Pio, and Christian Gaubert – three talents who definitely keep things groovy. There's a few instrumentals mixed in with the vocal tracks – but that's totally fine with us, because they're all pretty great – and there's plenty of moments with a nice groove and a bit of funk. Titles include "Harley Davidson", "Ay Que Viva La Sangria", "Gang Gang", "David B", "Mister Sun", "Paris", "On Demenage", and "Contact" – plus the excellent "Marseillaise Generique" instrumental – used to great effect in Austin Powers!

Very groovy solo work by the lovely Jane B – working here with a set of songs by Serge Gainsbourg, and sublime arrangements by Brit Easy/KPM maestro Alan Hawkshaw. The record's got a super-sexy sound, with a lot of whispered Frenchy tracks in a style that's similar to Serge's best work – especially on the duets that him and Jane recorded in earlier years. The songs are very cool, too, and have a dreamy spacey quality to them, with cool lyrics, as you might guess from titles like "Nicotine", "Classee X", "Apolcalypstick", and the groovy "Ex Fan Des Sixties", which is filled with dreamy references to big rock stars!

Sexy grooves from 70s France – exactly the kind of record that we'd never find coming out in the US! Philippe Nicaud has this whispering, talking sort of style – kind of a cross between Serge Gainsbourg and Rod McKuen, set to music that's much more in the spirit of the former – with hip funky French touches in the rhythms, and lots of cool tripped-out instrumentation in the mix! Nicaud voice sets the scene wonderfully for the erotic themes of the set – and even on the few numbers where he sings a bit more, his style is still plenty great – with a raspy edge that's almost the summation of Euro erotic for the time. Titles include "Cuisses Nues Bottes De Cuir", "Leger Leger", "La Marie Des Champs", "Bonne Nuit Chuck", "Tout Bas Tou Bas", "Cover Girl", "Le Jardin Merveilleux", "Les Cigales Et Les Fourmis", and "Breve Rencontre".

Jayne/Wayne County by Peter Crowley. Cyndi Lauper interview and beautiful comic. A lenthy converstaion with jazz/soul vocal genius Oscar Brown, Jr. Ass kickin' rockabilly/country diva Wanda Jackson interviewed. Little Jimmy Scott comic. 10 seconds with John Doe and Ron Kittle. #1 fans section with tales of George Strait's luckiest fan, an Olivia Newton John obsessed mormon and a Lou Christie fan who practices "Christie-anity. Serge Gainsbourg by David Grubbs. Plus: Ozzy Osbourne, Van Morrison, Elvis, more.

The groovy French pop of Serge Gainsbourg gets the remix treatment! After years of being sampled by hip hoppers, referenced by post-rockers, and claimed as an influence by a wide range of singers and instrumentalists – Serge Gainsbourg's finally breaking into the mainstream of modern music with this tasty batch of remixes from some of Europe's best producers. Of course, ol' Serge is probably rolling over in his grave at the thought of the project – but from our end of things, the whole thing sounds pretty groovy! Titles include "La Bas C'est Natural" remixed by Faze Action, "Ballade De Melody Nelson" remixed by Howie B, "Bonnie & Clyde" remixed by Herbert, "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" remixed by Dzihan & Kamien, "Requiem Pour Un Con" remixed by The Orb, "Marabout" remixed by Bob Sinclair, and "Lola Rastaquouere" remixed by Chateau Flight.

A treasure trove of groovy tunes from 60s France – one of the most wonderful pop scenes of the 20th century, perfectly captured in this great set! The tunes really know how to groove – blending guitars, tight drums, lots of bass, and other cool elements – all in support of catchy little singers, many of whom we'd never heard of, but all of whom really rock our world – despite an obvious language difference! These tunes are all pretty darn great – the kind of numbers that grab you immediately with a groovy magic that's never been duplicated! Titles include "Diba Diba" by Boby Lapointe, "Tu Crois Toujours" by Virgine, "Marilu" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Heuruex Tous Lex Deux" by Frank Alamo, "I Got You Babe" by Eddie Vartan, "Sensationnel Jeffry" by Annie Philippe, "Jimmy Est Parti" by Anouk, "Mon Ami" by Chris Kersen, and "Le Roi D'Angleterre" by Nino Ferrer.

Really cool work from Guy Cabay – a singer who's a bit hard to describe accurately in words, but who definitely ranks right up there with some of the hippest French talents of the 70s! Cabay's got a breathy style of singing that's kind of post-Serge Gainsbourg, and a bit in the Saravah Records mode – especially as the small combo backings often feature some tenor or alto sax elements behind the vocals – a slight jazzy touches that helps underscore the hip singer/songwriter approach of Guy's music. There's a lyricality to his approach that comes through strongly – even if you don't understand French – and titlles include "Tot Reguede", "Julia L'Ote", "Julia Onk", "Li Harlake Et L'Djone Feye", "Li Nuleye E M'Payis", and "Camamele Et Cataplame".

A totally excellent soundtrack! This is one of the maddest we've heard from the 70s – with a baroque mix of wah wah funk and sophisticated orchestrations, very much in the mode of work by David Axelrod or some of the backings heard on Serge Gainsbourg's best records. No surprise it's handled by Alain Gouraguer, a groovy Frenchman with a style that's a mix of the late 60s baroquery of Michel Columbier, and some of the smooth sexiness of the best Italian composers of his age. Great electric piano, wah wah guitar, and soaring strings – with a sound that's as odd as the cover! Titles include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor".

Fantastic French pop from Liminanas – two cuts that sound wonderful on a 45! "La Fille De La Lingne 15" mixes Serge Gainsbourg-like spoken vocals with a dipping, turning guitar line – moving slow with a mix of twang and psych, which really fits the lyrics! "Mobylette" has a fuzzier feel overall – almost like the French pop that Stereloab might have thrown us back in their early days – but somehow more authentic too!

Finally – a chance for American listeners to get a look into the life of Serge Gainsbourg – served up here in a massive biography on one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the 20th Century! The book is way more than we could have hoped for – not a sensational fluff piece on Serge, as has been written in the past overseas – but a really thoughtful, well-researched culled from extensive interviews with a huge number of Gainsbourg's contemporaries! The book features loads of lyrical translations, a few black and white photos, and most importantly, almost 600 pages of great biographical details.

A wonderfully groovy set – every bit as great as you might guess from the title and the cover – and the very first installment in the now-legendary Mood Mosaic series! The set's one of the few to bring together tunes from the groovier side of the spectrum at the end of the 60s – work from British, French, American, and German sources – all awash in a great blend of funky, easy, and pop-oriented modes! There's a nicely trippy feel throughout – and titles include "Hascisch Party" by George Garvarenz, "Kiss This" by Claude Denjean, "Acka Raga" by Shocking Blue, "Mas Que Nada" by Luiz Enriquez, "En Melody" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Love For Sale" by Marian McPartland, "Batucada" by Phil Crewe, "Marins Armins Amant Ou Maris" by Michel Legrand, and "Sitar Beat" by Klaus Doldinger.

A wonderfully groovy set – every bit as great as you might guess from the title and the cover – and the very first installment in the now-legendary Mood Mosaic series! The set's one of the few to bring together tunes from the groovier side of the spectrum at the end of the 60s – work from British, French, American, and German sources – all awash in a great blend of funky, easy, and pop-oriented modes! There's a nicely trippy feel throughout – and titles include "Hascisch Party" by George Garvarenz, "Kiss This" by Claude Denjean, "Acka Raga" by Shocking Blue, "Mas Que Nada" by Luiz Enriquez, "En Melody" by Serge Gainsbourg, "Love For Sale" by Marian McPartland, "Batucada" by Phil Crewe, "Marins Armins Amant Ou Maris" by Michel Legrand, and "Sitar Beat" by Klaus Doldinger.

A great late album from French composer, arranger, lyricist, singer and all around creative musical force Jean Claude Vannier – with Vannier singing moody, vintage orch pop numbers in a mode that does both JCV and his old collaborator Serge Gainsbourg proudly! The set has a very lively feel to it, which is quite natural, given that the album came about following the group's rehearsals for the Histoire De Melody Nelson performance at London's Barbican in 2006. It features a brilliant group of players who worked with Vannier and Serge Gainsbourg on that uber-iconic album as well as other boundary-busting projects and soundtracks – including Cannabis, La Horse, Slogan and Vannier's own legendary leftfield classic L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches. Vannier's voice is charismatic as can be, and the vintage pulp orchestrations are as fresh as ever. Includes "Londres-Paris-Sofia", "Les Yeux Valise", "Au Desespoir Des Singes", "Les Coquelicots", "La Vie En Live", "Une Partie De Scrabble", "Roses Rouge Sang", "Un Petit Quelque Chose" and more.