Are there songs by Serge that can't be sung by a girl? Requiem pour un con springs to mind, but there are at least two female versions of this bitter, angry revenge-song Serge wrote for (and sang in) the 1968-movie Pacha, with Jean Gabin. See that great scene here. To me, the song is a speech on a funeral of a major asshole, read by someone who finally sees his chance to get even. Ofcourse, girls can feel that emotion just as well, both Zazie and Vanessa Paradis did credible live-renditions. [There's another female version by Japanese hipsters EPO, but that one's a little on the weird side] Still, the song suits men better. It's probably the pounding beat, and the way you have to sing it, with clenched jaw and fists. Here are versions by Mick Harvey (in English), Franz Treichler, Martin Solveig, Brian Molko+Françoise Hardy+Faultline and Doudou Masta, plus a remixed version by The Orb, the 1991-remix (issued right after Serge's death), a Spanish cover by Bunbury, and the instrumental hommages by the Bill Wells Octet and Folk Implosion. UPDATE: FFF and L'Affaire Louis Trio added. And who are these guys?
By the way, Florent Pagny's very dramatic version is also added.
Another UPDATE: Thanks to Patrick (and Natashka), another real good female version is added, by the Quebecoise Marie Chantal Toupin.
Original:
Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Con
Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Con (1991 remix)
Female:
Zazie - Requiem Pour Un Con (merci jean-luc)
Vanessa Paradis - Requiem Pour Un Con (see video on YouTube)
Marie Chantal Toupin - Requiem Pour Un Con (yousendit-link)
French covers:
Florent Pagny - Requiem Pour Un Con (merci Dennis)
EPO - Requiem Pour Un Con
Franz Treichler - Requiem Pour Un Con
Martin Solveig - Requiem Pour Un Con
Doudou Masta - Requiem Pour Un Con
L'Affaire Louis Trio - Requiem Pour Un Con (merci Dennis)
FFF - Requiem Pour Un Con (merci J-L)
English covers:
Mick Harvey - Requiem For A C
Brian Molko, Françoise Hardy & Faultline - Requiem For A Jerk
Spanish:
Bunbury - Requiem Por Un Cabron
Remix:
The Orb - Requiem Pour Un Con
Instrumental:
Bill Wells Octet - Requiem Pour Un Con
Folk Implosion - Serge
Hi
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThank you for the songs. I have some problems with the files of Vanessa Paradis and Zazie. These two can't be downloaded.
Euclide
oops. fixed now
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIronically, the original meaning of the word 'con' in French designates the female, er, cunt.
BeantwoordenVerwijderencon
I love this song! Great post.
right, but would girls call each other the c-word? highly likeky. Thats why its so extraordinary that V. and Z. are doin'it, credible.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenunlikely, ofcourse
BeantwoordenVerwijdereni don't know about in french, but i wouldn't consider it that extraordinary to hear a girl say it, about a another girl or a guy.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenOoh, I like it when you talk dirty to me, Christine ;-)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHi Guuzbourg!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe answer to your "Who are these guys" question!
http://raultco.free.fr/
I'm a DJ and "Con" is definitely the best Serge track to play (in almost any set). I play it all the time.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThanks for the indepth post! I love the EPO version.
En Melody is my fave dj-track, it's almost rare groove. fits in my sets nicely.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenoooh i'll have to try that... i've doubled the portishead mix of massive attack's "karmacoma" back on the "melody nelson" track it samples. that was a bit of sonic fun.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenby the way, thanks for running this blog. i was able to play a lot of stuff i found here or found out about here for our annual Bastille Day bash this summer and it was a roaring success!
where i dj: http://marysatlanta.com/
Actor Robert Carlyle calls his buddies 'cunts' in Transpotting.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAdmit you've used that word in Dutch when some dumbass broad on her bike in Amsterdam is yapping on her cell phone not watching traffic :)
I love SG' 'con' and play it every set I have had as well. But you know this, too...
Sheesh, Guuz, hehe. I do understand what you mean though and can see it's a brave choice for a female (popular, especially) to sing. More than can be said for the cop-out of 'jerk' ;).
BeantwoordenVerwijderen"Con" in French is much more less outrageous than the English 'Cunt'; When one of your friends plays a trick on you or tells a poor joke, etc; you can always tell them "Putain, t'es con comme mec!!", which could translate as a much much much more offensive "Fuck, you bloke are are a cunt!!". In France, the word "Con" is part of the everyday language. But I reckon that the Gainsbourg's song was meant to be offensive (at the time the cover of the 45 rpm read "Requiemm pour un c...). Way back then, the word "con" was the equivalent of the "F" word.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDid I write "Much more less outrageous"? ouch OUCH!! I'm a "Con"!!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSorry, I was on holiday....
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHere are some other versions:
Oberkampf (P.L.C.) They also made poupée de cire poupée de son
White Lily (Maxi 1990 – cool and dance versions)
United Future Organization (Jazzin’ 91-92) - (moondance) sample
Inri (1993)
Rico - On S’la Donne (Maxi)
Nicolas Repac – Played on France Inter radio 23.03.98 show « Dans tous les sens »
Bill Wells (Bill Wells Octet) 1998
Général Alcazar - Played on France Inter radio 10.02.99 show « Dans tous les sens »
The Folk Implosion - sample (One Part Lullaby) 1999
Pierre Alain Goualch (Exploring The Music Of Gainsbourg) 2000
Basty Bérengère (Portraits) read not sung ! 2000
Zazie – not only on CD but also on TV show « Serge, Si Tu Nous Regardes » France 2 - 10th March 2001
Stomy Bugsy et les Tambours du Bronx - TV show « Gainsbourg pour toujours » France 2 - 15th April 2006.
A couple more:
BeantwoordenVerwijderenBy Rachid (It's on a 12", I'm not sure if it's also on an album).
By Doudou Masta on a compil called Grande Épopée du Hip-Hop Français released in 2000.
Coates, by all means, please send the missing versions to guuzbourg(a)gmail.com (folk implosion and bill wells are already in the list, so is Doudou Masta, designwalla)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAny chance I could get you to send these to me or just upload them again? I know that's a lot to ask and it's been a couple of years, but I just found out about Serge and I love this song! If not I completely understand, but it would make my week/month(year?) if I could get all of these!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHope all is well!
Always look forward for such nice post & finally I got you. Really very impressive post & glad to read this.
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Good luck & keep writing such awesome content.
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