Back from New York (where I saw Nous Non Plus live - very, very good!), and glad to find Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited in my mailbox. A few songs from this tribute-album have been posted elsewhere, I chose I Call It Art, a version of La Chanson de Slogan by UK/US-duo The Kills. Alison and Jamie, a.k.a. VV and Hotel, make steamy, tensed rock, reminiscent of the first P.J. Harvey-albums. They claim they're not lovers, but if see them live, you could be fooled. I really like their two albums, as much as I like their Slogan-version. They didn't translate the song themselves (Boris Bergman and Paul Ives are responsable, who also adapted a lot of other songs on Mr Gainsbourg Revisited), and it certainly isn't a literal translation. The spirit of the song is there, but it's not even a duet anymore, like it was in the original version by Serge and Jane.
Mick Harvey covered and translated the song too, on his Intoxicated Man-tribute - compare the versions. Also here is a cover of Slogan by Blonde Redhead and, ofcourse, the original version, written for the 1969 film Slogan.
Mick Harvey & Anita Lane - Song of Slurs (La Chanson de Slogan)
Blonde Redhead - La Chanson de Slogan
Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - La Chanson de Slogan
Nice bunch of covers. I like the Kills and the Harvey & Lane.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenTranslation changes much more than words. Many songs take on a different life.
Now I'm curious about the film :)
good stuff. never been to your site before. it's tight
BeantwoordenVerwijderenwhy, thanks ekko. do come again.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenand natasha: let's hope the gainsbourg-tribute in amsterdam in september will include a screening of slogan
love the kills song.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenthey were lovers - she flew to the UK to be with him and start this band, but now they've broken up. but they're still together band-wise which is great!
I was a bit disappointed by the latest Gainsbourg tribute - but I had high expectations. (see my take)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe Kills number is defianely one of the stronger tracks and Slogan seems to have been treated well by other acts as eveidenced by your nice list!
Hope you enjoyed NYC!