Thanks to FS-contribuants Speenhoff and Pascal I present you the missing versions of Je suis venu(e) te dire que je m'en vais, a search that started here.I don't know anything about Harry O, only that his version is on the almost untraceable Lucien Forever tribute-cd. He made an almost comical version of the song, his voice thick with mock emotion.
Inna reggae stylee is Coumba Gawlo's version. This singer from Senegal made a name for herself outside Africa thanks to a coverversion of Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata (number one in France in 1998). She comes from a highly musical family of griots (West-African troubadours, so to speak), won several music prizes and recorded her album with the help of reggae-vets Sly and Robbie, and guitar-legend Michel-Yves Kochmann.
The Maurice Garrel-version is taken from the double-cd Portraits, that came out in 2000 and surely is the most unnecessary Gainsbourg-tribute ever released. Bambou, Serge's last female companion, oversaw the project and takes part: she reads Gainsbourg's lyrics. Just as actor Maurice Garrel does, and family friend Huguette Maillard, Guy Godefroy ad Sabeline Campo. That's right: no music, just 73 lyrics. The idea was to preserve the humour and the beautiful poetic language of the songs - at least, that's what I understand from the booklet. Although I love Serge's lyrics, I don't think his songs were poems, or should be read out like poems.
Harry O - Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Coumba Gawlo - Je suis venue te dire que je m'en vais
Maurice Garrel - Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
I have a version of Jo Lemaire on some give-away cd, don't remember where I got it, I was not very impressed, nothing like the real thing...Je le postera dès que je la retrouvera.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenNo worries, I have that version! And I think it's great! Check the first posting of Je suis venu-covers.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIs it just me or are the music files not available on your server?
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThey are now. Sorry
BeantwoordenVerwijderenCoumba Gawlo is from very very far the best version apart the master himself no need to say.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenExcellent and meaningful after the new immigration laws in France.
Exodus...