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! LP, Vinyl record album

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! LP, Vinyl record album

A sexy soundtrack to a mid-70s film written and directed by Serge Gainsbourg – and starring Jane Birkin and a young Gerard Depardieu! The feel here is very much in the spirit of Serge's work of the time – especially that recorded with Birkin – but in a way, it's almost even better, because the soundtrack setting has most of the tunes stripped down to their barest elements – with a simplicity not heard in Gainsbourg's music since Melody Nelson! Instrumentation includes some great "watery" piano bits that kind of float over the main rhythmic theme – but other tracks get a bit more rockish, with heavy bunker rock-styled guitar, and a few more use a bit of banjo – but in a weirdly syncopated way. The score features a few great variations on the classic "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus" – and the "Ballade De Johnny-Jane" is a great instrumental that stands as one of Serge's most compelling themes from the 70s! Other tracks include "Banjo Au Bord Du Styx", "Joe Banjo", "Le Camion Jaune", and "L'Abominale Strip-Tease". CD

One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! CD

One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! 2CD version features a whole bonus set of instrumental tracks from the album sessions – and alternate versions of "Transit A Marilou", "Lunatic Asylum", "Meurtre A L'Extincteur", and "Ma Lou Marilou". CD

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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". CD

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", "Dr Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

The coolest collection we've ever seen to focus on the soundtrack work of the great Serge Gainsbourg – and the most complete as well! The package really digs deep – and seems to offer up tracks from just about every single film that Gainsbourg was involved with – from his own compositions, to partnerships with greats like Alain Goraguer, Michel Colombier, and the mighty Jean-Claude Vannier – all of whom come up with very groovy, often funky instrumentation that rivals Serge's own releases! In fact, we might well even say that we find the Gainsbourg soundtrack material to be even cooler – as the films often gave Serge a chance to experiment, and try out new ideas he wouldn't do on his own records. This LP package is a great distillation of the larger CD set, with a focus on the grooviest cuts – and includes selections from the films L'Eau A La Bouche, Manon 70, Anna, Si Jetais Un Espion, Le Pacha, Slogan, Une Vueve En Or, and Les Chemins De Katmandou. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collaboration between Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot – one of Serge's first duet albums ever – and a gem all the way through! In the year before he cut "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" with Jane Birkin, Serge recorded this great album with Brigitte Bardot in which he worked out many of the same ideas. The album is probably best known for the track "Bonnie & Clyde" – which has been sampled to great fame over the years – but there's loads of other great tracks on here, with a mix of styles that joins Serge's jazzy years with his softcore 70s work – very cool, very groovy, and years ahead of its time. Some tracks are duets, and some are sung individually by Serge or Brigitte, but they're all great, and titles include "Intoxicated Man", "L'eau A La Bouche", "Un Jour Comme Un Autre", "Comic Strip", and more! Arrangements by Alain Gourager, Michel Colombier, and Claude Bolling – and the cover's got a great shot of Serge & BB as Bonnie & Clyde! LP, Vinyl record album

A very well done compilation truly including some of the very Best Of Serge Gainsbourg – programmed chronologically starting with the late 50s – not only some of the best of Serge, but some of the most provocative, innovative and creatively fearless popular music ever! From the more elegant, jazzier early number and on through the great duets, more sultry and stripped down numbers and bits of all the great strains of his inimitable style. Features the previously unissued "Comme Un Boomerang", plus "Leau A La Bouche", "Baudelaire", "Elaeudanla Teiteia", "Comic Strip", "Requiem Pur Un C", "L'Anamour", "Elisa", "La Decadanse" with Jane Birkin, "Bonnie And Clyde" with Bridgette Bardot, "Aux Armes Et Caetera" and more. 27 tracks on the 2LP version, LP1 from 1960-1968 and LP2 from 1968 to 1979. LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too confidential here, given the openness that Serge Gainsbourg brings to his music – and a great early 60s session that has Serge working with spare jazz backing, courtesy of bassist Michel Gaudry and guitarist Elek Bacsik! With no other percussion, piano, or orchestral backings to support his vocals, the album is one of Serge's most intimate – a strangely personal portrait of his work, as the two stringed instruments weave webs of rhythm and melody against Serge's raspy vocals on tunes like "Maxim's", "Negative Blues", "Elaeudania Teiteia", "Chez Les Ye Ye", "Scenic Railway", and "No No Thanks No". Despite the absence of other instrumentation, the effect is wonderfully full – and the songs sparkle as much as Serge's other work from the time! LP, Vinyl record album

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Nine incredible albums from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg – all presented together here in a limited box set, with very high quality vinyl, and half-speed mastering that makes the records sound even better than ever before! The set begins with a number of key early albums by Serge – work that shows him emerging from the postwar left bank scene, and working in a mix of jazz and Latin styles, always with the sharp edge, wit, and offbeat approach to material that made his music so great! Next are two records with famous female co-stars – one record that has the lovely Brigitte Bardot working with Serge – getting some fantastic grooves in the process, and also pushing boundaries of sexual liberation in the 60s! That same mode follows in Gainsbourg's famous album with life partner Jane Birkin – barely an adult at the time of recording, but a fantastic muse for Serge's music! The set also features a record exclusive to this set – rare 60s material from singles and soundtracks – featuring some of Gainsbourg's famous cinematic performances! Other albums on the set include Du Chant A La Lune, Serge Gainsbourg No 2, L'Etonnant Serge Gainsbourg, Serge Gainsbourg No 4, Confidentiel, Gainsbourg Percussions, Initials BB, and Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg – and all albums come with their original artwork inside the slipcase! LP, Vinyl record album

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Great 20 track compilation that focuses on the pivotal years for Serge Gainsbourg – the time when he was turning his twisted French pop into a sound that would forever be remembered, and become an inspiration for so many of today's musicians. The set's got a few tracks that are on other albums we stock, but it's also got a lot of other groovy stuff that's pretty tough to find, and which was on rare singles, or other hard to find sources. Titles include "Shu Ba Du Ba Loo Ba", "Black & White", "Requiem Pour Un C", "Les Sucettes", "L'Anamour", "Hold Up", "Marilu", "Ford Mustang", and "Docteur Jeckyll Et Monsieur Hyde". Very cool, and with a great set of notes! CD

One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Serge Gainsbourg's best albums ever – a set that we love every bit as much as his Melody Nelson classic, or his killer records with Jane Birkin! The set was recorded in the mid 70s, and it features amazing orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw – backings that are even better than Hawk's previous sound library work, and which are filled with loads of cool spare moogy and electronic bits filtering in and out of the mix! Some tracks bubble with the same brooding brilliance and funky touches that you'd find on the Melody Nelson album – and others have a uniquely spacey quality that's unlike any of his other work! Tracks include "Transit A Marilou", "Aeroplanes", "Variations Sur Marilou", "Premiers Symptomes", and "Lunatic Asylum". A great record – and one of the first of Serge's that we'd recommend! 2LP version features a whole bonus set of instrumental tracks from the album sessions – and alternate versions of "Transit A Marilou", "Lunatic Asylum", "Meurtre A L'Extincteur", and "Ma Lou Marilou". LP, Vinyl record album

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A stunner from Charlotte Gainsbourg – in keeping with her style of crafting a diverse body of avant pop sounds by working with stellar collaborators – this time with producer/composer Beck, and it's her best to date! A few tunes are sung in French and have a kind of dramatic French pop noir vibe that would made Serge proud, a mix of sweet and sultry, lightness and drama. Others have more of a raw and messed up vibe with heavier percussion and more of a leftfield sound, and still others have kind of a freaky folk funk sound with horns, drums and more. She covers a lot of stylistic terrain with equally successful wins all around. It's the mark of a true talent that Charlotte can invite such hugely impacting collaborators onto her albums – Beck and his stable of amazing studio musicians on this album, and previous collaborators from Jarvis Cocker to Air – yet it's her show all the way. Titles include "Master's Hands", "IRM", "Le Chat Du Cafe Des Artistes", "In The End", "Heaven Can Wait", "Vanities", "Time Of The Assassins", "Trick Pony", "Greenwich Mean Time", "La Collectionneuse" and more. CD

Brigitte Bardot's best known on these shores as an actress, but during the 60s she cut some really fantastic work on the scene in Paris – including a fair bit of groovers that were done with help from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Bardot provided a fantastic new voice in the world of pop music – a singer who was unabashedly open about her desires, and very different than the more melancholy stars of a few years before – a quality that's further emphasized by the wonderfully groovy instrumentation used on most of these tracks! Production and arrangements are superb – and put this music in the best territory of the grooviest 60s French pop by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc, and a rare few others. This is the first-ever English-annotated collection of work from the period – and features a whopping 25 tracks from her recordings for Philips and Disc AZ – titles that include "Harley Davidson", "Contact", "Neu Au Soleil", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "La Madrague", "Les Hommes Endormis", "Je Voudrais Perdre La Memoire", "Mr Sun", "Le Diable Est Anglais", "Tu Es Venu Mon Amour", "John Et Michel", "Gang Gang", and duets with Serge Gainsbourg on "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". CD

A great document of the way that Jane Birkin really flourished in the second half of her musical career, especially in the years after the passing of Serge Gainsbourg – a time when Birkin was emerging to be one of the real giants of French music on her own, as testified to in the power of this series of live performances! The Jane Birkin here is very different than the breathy voice next to Serge on her early recordings – and instead, she commands the stage with the presence of singers like Maria Bethania or Gal Costa – maybe no surprise, as the very generous presentation of these performances will attest. The box brings together live sets from 1987 up to 2023 – albums that include Au Bataclan, Au Casino De Paris, A L'Olympia, En Concert Au Japon, Arabesque, Au Palace, Sings Serge Gainsbourg Via Japan, Le Symphonique Live, and Oh Pardon Tu Dormais. CD

The complete recorded works of the legendary Jane Birkin – the English actress who teamed up with Serge Gainsbourg at the end of the 60s, and set a whole new tone that would forever revolutionize the world of French music! Birkin's maybe best known for her collaborations with Serge – who wrote a fair bit of her songs during the 70s – but she continued to be one of the key figures in French music for decades after Gainsbourg passed away – and has an amazing legacy of albums that's presented here in a beautiful book-styled set! The package features 15 full albums, plus 41 bonus tracks – a massive 292 titles in all, with a big booklet of notes and photos inside the cover. The set features the full albums Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg, Di Doo Dah, Lolita Go Home, Ex Fan Des Sixties, Baby Lone In Babylon, Lost Song, Amours Des Feintes, Versions Jane, A La Legere, Arabesque, Rendez Vous, Fictions, Enfants D'Hiver, Birkin Gainsbourg Le Symphonique, and Oh Pardon Tu Dormais – plus a bonus CD of Duos & Rarities, and a DVD of television material from France. CD

A stunning introduction to the music of Nino Ferrer – one of the coolest, grooviest French singers of the late 60s and 70s – an artist who never gets the same sort of exposure as Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, or some of his other contemporaries – but who we think is equally great! Nino can bring in bits of soul, mod, bossa, or other elements to his music – and as the 70s move in, he still keeps things very groovy by moving into headier territory that uses organ, guitar, and drums in ways that open up and make the music even cooler than before! This package features 40 gems from Nino – a tremendous selection of great tracks that includes "Vomitation", "Cannabis", "Vivent Les Moules", "Le Sud", "La Rua Madureira", "Les Hommes A Tout Faire", "L'Arbre Noir", "On He Hein Bon", "Je Vends Des Robes", "Le Roi D'Angleterre", "La Banda A Ferrer", "Je Vous Dis Bonne Chance", "Moses", "Un An D'Amour", "L'Angleterre", "Knou", "Bloody Flamenco", and "Sodome Et Gomorrhe". Also features the rare soundtrack tune "La Route". CD

A stunning introduction to the music of Nino Ferrer – one of the coolest, grooviest French singers of the late 60s and 70s – an artist who never gets the same sort of exposure as Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, or some of his other contemporaries – but who we think is equally great! Nino can bring in bits of soul, mod, bossa, or other elements to his music – and as the 70s move in, he still keeps things very groovy by moving into headier territory that uses organ, guitar, and drums in ways that open up and make the music even cooler than before! This package features 40 gems from Nino – a tremendous selection of great tracks that includes "Vomitation", "Cannabis", "Vivent Les Moules", "Le Sud", "La Rua Madureira", "Les Hommes A Tout Faire", "L'Arbre Noir", "On He Hein Bon", "Je Vends Des Robes", "Le Roi D'Angleterre", "La Banda A Ferrer", "Je Vous Dis Bonne Chance", "Moses", "Un An D'Amour", "L'Angleterre", "Knou", "Bloody Flamenco", and "Sodome Et Gomorrhe". Also features the rare soundtrack tune "La Route". CD

A stunning introduction to the music of Nino Ferrer – one of the coolest, grooviest French singers of the late 60s and 70s – an artist who never gets the same sort of exposure as Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, or some of his other contemporaries – but who we think is equally great! Nino can bring in bits of soul, mod, bossa, or other elements to his music – and as the 70s move in, he still keeps things very groovy by moving into headier territory that uses organ, guitar, and drums in ways that open up and make the music even cooler than before! This package features 40 gems from Nino – a tremendous selection of great tracks that includes "Vomitation", "Cannabis", "Vivent Les Moules", "Le Sud", "La Rua Madureira", "Les Hommes A Tout Faire", "L'Arbre Noir", "On He Hein Bon", "Je Vends Des Robes", "Le Roi D'Angleterre", "La Banda A Ferrer", "Je Vous Dis Bonne Chance", "Moses", "Un An D'Amour", "L'Angleterre", "Knou", "Bloody Flamenco", and "Sodome Et Gomorrhe". Also features the rare soundtrack tune "La Route". CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest French female singers of the 60s – presented here in a classic collection of work! If you've gotta dig one gal vocalist of the Parisian scene of the time, Gall is definitely your girl – as her brash, bold style of singing really sums up the hippest, grooviest French styles of the time! Many tracks here were penned by some of the best French arrangers and composers of the period – including a fair bit by Serge Gainsbourg, who really helped Gall find her groove, and moved her from being just another girl singer to one of the more powerful 60s voices in French pop! There's even a few funky numbers in the mix, and the rest mostly have a modly snapping 60s groove – of the sort that's being heavily revived these days – and titles include "Pense A Moi", "Laisse Tomber Les Filles", "Attends Ou Va T'En", "Nous Ne Sommes Pas Des Anges", "Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son", "N'Ecoute Pas Les Idoles", "Baby Pop", "Les Sucettes", "Cet Air-La", "Bebe Requin", and "24/36". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 12 albums in all – albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues. CD

A huge amount of recordings from one of our favorite singers ever – the incredible Claude Nougaro, a French vocalist of the postwar years, and a master of many styles that included jazz, samba, and bossa nova! Nougaro had a unique talent for penning French lyrics to American and Brazilian tunes – and during the 60s, he rose to fame through his inventive compositions, unique vocalizations, and keen ear for a jazzy groove. His work of the 70s progressed with an even deeper exploration of modern jazz and Brazilian idioms – and as the 80s approached, he stretched out into even more complicated styles of his own. Nougaro's growth over the years is tremendous – and his work comes across with a sound that is really unique, and which stands as some of the greatest mainstream French work of his era – on a par with that of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Fontaine! The set features 24 different albums by Nougaro – mostly studio, but with a few live records – mostly from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – but also including some real gems from his comeback years in the 21st century. Albums include Cecile Ma Fille, Bidonville, Paris Mai, Soeur Ame, Locomotive D'Or, Femmes Et Famines, Plume D'Ange, Tu Verras, Assez, Chansons Nettes, Ami Chemin, and Bleu Blanc Blues – and the package is a book-style volume, with a 48 page booklet, and 24 CDs with 317 songs in all! CD

The lovely Jane Birkin is maybe most famous for her late 60s duets with Serge Gainsbourg, but the singer's also got a huge legacy of great music as well – both with Serge and on her own! Author Gary Simons digs deep into the long legacy of Jane Birkin's recordings – from those late 60s/70s moments when Serge was writing a lot of her material and handling production – to that surprisingly long run in later life, when after the passing of Gainsbourg, she turned into a creative force on her own – far more so than anyone might have guessed from her early teen years as an actress. Simons presents Birkin's discography in a very cool way – with full color pages that focus on each album, with images of the album covers and other details – plus other notes on the contents. The book begins with an essay on Jane, then runs through all the records – even up to the recent complete CD box set. The book is relatively slim, but hardcover and well done – full color images throughout! (Books, French) Book

Sexy stuff from one of the most famous French stars of the 60s – a record that has Brigitte Bardot working in the same sort of slinky territory as Serge Gainsbourg, but with a slightly different feel overall! The album's a bit jazzier than some of Bardot's later work – with great backings from Claude Bolling and Francois Rauber – served up with some occasional Latin touches, of the type you might find in some of Gainsbourg's music of the time. Backings are somewhat large, but never sleepy – and titles include originals by Bolling and Serge Gainsbourg – titles that include "C'est Rigolo", "Pas D'Advantage", "Noir Et Blanc", "Rose D'Eau", "Invitango", "El Cuchipe", and "Les Amis De La Musique". LP, Vinyl record album

France Gall won the Eurovision song contest with the title track of this one – and for good reason too, given that the tune is totally groovy! The rest of the work here really follows suit – romping, jerking, and grooving in that wonderful mix of mod rhythms that made France's 60s material so great – some of the best of the French pop scene at the time, with a sound that's really a cut above on all the numbers here! Backings are by the mighty Alain Gouraguer, who brings in a hip mix of jazz inflections, rocking rhythms, and some of the more sparkling soundtrack elements bubbling in the French 60s scene – all a perfect accompaniment for Gall's catchy girl pop vocals. Titles include "Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son", written by Serge Gainsbourg – plus "Le Coeur Qui Jazze", "Le Premier Chagrin D'Amour", "On T'Avait Prevenue", "Dis A Ton Capitaine", "Nounours", "Laisse Tomber Les Filles", and "Bonne Nuit". LP, Vinyl record album

The group name's got "opera" in the middle, but the set is way more than that – and way more than the usual "rock opera" modes in which the rare album is frequently cited! Instead, the whole thing's a freewheeling bit of French psych – very much tied to the trippier corners of the world that included music of Serge Gainsbourg and Jean-Paul Vannier, but with some freakier elements around the edges! The arrangements and production are wonderful – very different than some of the looser hippie modes that would come on the French scene in the early 70s – with sonic energy that keeps things nicely intense throughout, even when things are going wild! The project is the brainchild of mad rockers Francois Wertheimer, Guy Skornik, William Sheller, and Dominic Perrier – and also features sitar from Serge Franklin, orchestrations from sound library maestro Paul Piot, and jams from the group Alice. The whole thing is fantastic – and the reissue features a great booklet of notes and information on this very unique record! (Rock, French) LP, Vinyl record album

Lost legendary work from Guy Skornik – a heady set from early 70s France, and proof that there's a hell of a lot of greatness to discover on that scene! The album's got a blend of psych fuzz and deeper ideas that's not that far from Serge Gainsbourg – although the overall presentation is more cerebral, and influenced by the ideas of GI Gurdjieff, carried out by Skornik in this sublime blend of acoustic elements and larger orchestrations directed by jazzman Ivan Jullien! Like some of the best French work of this time, the album has a wonderful balance between the personal and professional – the intimate and the ambitious – which really makes things exciting and fresh, and very different than anything you might have been digging on this side of the Atlantic at the time. Titles include "Realite", "L'Ile De Paques", "Fulcanni", "Je Vois Ce Que Je Crois", "Quest Ce Que Le Dream", and "Je Ne Sais Pas Je Ne Sais Plus Rien". CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album

Dig French pop from the 60s? Here's a way to dig even deeper – as this great little collection is filled with rare gems that go past the classics in your collection by Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, and Jane Birkin! Most of the material here is work that we'd never have come across otherwise – and the package definitely lives up to the "groove" promised in its title – as the work is upbeat, and blends together yeh yeh 60s modes with other mod styles, and even some touches of funk and psych from time to time! There's a massive amount of work here – 22 rare tracks in all – and titles include "Bye Bye City" by Le Coeur, "Flower Power" and "Georgie Girl" by Les Hamsters, "Dee Duck" by Maraton, "Une Petite Fille" by L'Empreinte, "Bye, Bye Brighton" by Epta, "Nevada" by Les Rotomagus, "Crazy Mister Badge" by Mister Badge, "Monsieur Cyber" by Les Chimeriennes, "Luimere Et Paix" by Pax Quartet, "Vous" by Michel Pagliaro, "Vivre D'Amour Et De Musique" by France, and "Un Rayon De Soleil Est Entre Dans Mon Lit" by Les Parisiennes. CD

A great 2LP collection that features all the best early work of the great Jane Birkin – including a few key duets with Serge Gainsbourg, lots of other Gainsbourg-penned tunes, and great orchestrations from Alan Hawkshaw, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Arthur Greenslade! LP, Vinyl record album

A totally fresh take on French sounds of the late 60s – served up here with a sound that's as revolutionary as the image on the cover! This isn't the dreamy strings of familiar Paris in the Spring – but instead, the sound of change that happened in and around 1968 – as a whole new generation of younger French musicians, singers, artists, and intellectuals were really making themselves known in bold new ways! You'll recognize a few names here – like Serge Gainsbourg or Brigitte Fontaine – but the collection goes way beyond those bigger names, and features loads of obscure artists from the scene that will be a real revelation. The collection was done by the same Saint Etienne team that gave us the excellent English Weather and Songs For The Carnegie Deli compilations on Ace – and titles include "L'Elu" by Ilous & Decuyper, "La Metaphore" by Jacques Dutronc, "Looking For You" by Nin Ferrer, "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver" by Cortex, "Couleurs" by Leonie, "Leslie Simone" by William Sheller, "Litanies" by Triangle, "Baleines" by Francois De Roubaix, "Lileth" by Leonie, "Ystor" by Ys, "Chanson Pour Que Tu M'Aimes U Peu" by France Gall, "Le Victime" by Karl Heinz Schafer, "Les Adventures Extraordinaires D'Un Ballet De Banque" by Bernard Lavilliers, "Helicoptere" by Mireille Darc, "Les Garde Violent Au Secours Du Roi (alt version)" by Jean Claude Vannier, and "La Chanson D'Helene" by Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli. (Funky Compilations, French) LP, Vinyl record album