The World Of Kane.

2009-11-12T00:33:00.000-08:00

"Gainsbourg (Vie Héroïque)" - The Trailer.

Featuring Éris Elmosnino (Serge), Lucy Gordon (Jane Birkin), Laetitia Casta (Brigitte Bardot), Anna Mouglalis (Juliette Gréco), Sara Forestier (France Gall), Mylène Jampanoï (Bambou) Orphée Silard (Charlotte Gainsbourg), Lucile Vezier (Kate Barry), Claude Chabrol (as L'Editeur de Gainsbourg) and Kacey Mottet Klein as young Serge.

2009-11-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Graphitti de Gainsbourg.

Arnaud Jourdain's amazing animated clip of 5 years worth of graphitti covering Gainsbourg Parisian residence at 5 Bis rue de Verneuil.

via Filles Sourires.

2009-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

Making of vidéo : La musique.

From: Gainsbourg-le film.com
Aided by composer/arranger Olivier Daviaud, jazz guitarist Angelo Debarre, pianist Gonzales and rock band Dionysos; Serge Gainsbourg (Éric Elmosnino) records 'Elaeudanla Teïtéïa', 'Nazi Rock', and performs 'Intoxicated Man' with Boris Vian (Philippe Katerine).

2009-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Making of vidéo : Being Serge Gainsbourg.

From gainsbourg-lefilm.com
A first glimpse at footage from the (my) most highly anticipated film of 2010!
Éric Elmosnino in the titular role of "Gainsbourg (vie héroïque)" seen here in the make-up chair transformed prosthetically as Serge through the ages and performing 'Le poinçonneur des Lilas' for 50s French variety act 'Les Frères Jacques'.

2009-10-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Exhibition: Foale and Tuffin - Made in England.

"From October 2009 London's Fashion and Textile Museum is staging a retrospective exhibition of Foale and Tuffin - two influential designers who were at the heart of the cultural explosion in London in the Sixties.

The Foale and Tuffin label was what cool girls wore - colourful, pop-inspired mini-dresses and trend-setting trouser suits were just some of the key pieces that were ahead of their time in developing popular, desirable fashion.

Foale and Tuffin - Made in England will present a vibrant and inspiring representation of two key British fashion designers of the 1960s and the part they played in creating the changing London scene. It will revisit the Sixties vibe by recreating their boutique, showroom and design studio and chart the very personal story of two women who set up on their own with just a lot of courage and £200 in their pockets!

Exhibition runs from Friday 23rd October until 24th February 2010."

This exhibition coincides withe release of the book 'Foale & Tuffin: The Sixties. A Decade in Fashion'.

2009-10-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

New book: Serge Gainsbourg by Tony Frank.
Amazon.fr

Press release, translated from French:
"In 1968, the record label Philips hired Tony Frank to make portraits for a record sleeve. Five pictures are finally selected in this series. Serge Gainsbourg would later say that these portraits are among his favorites. This moment marks the beginning of a long collaboration, a relationship of trust and friendship."

"Tony regularly photographed Serge at his home on Rue de Verneuil, in the studio, with his family and live in concert. He notably created the famous photograph on the cover of Serge's legendary LP 'Histoire de Melody Nelson'."

"All the talent of Tony Frank is revealed in this book, resembling an album of family photos. It uncovers warm and touching portraits of Serge Gainsbourg and his family (Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bamboo, Lulu ...) largely unpublished, revealing the human side, sometimes fragile but always engaging of an outside artist the ordinary."

2009-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Exhibition: Sexties: Peellaert/Forest/Crepax/Cuvelier.

Guy Peellaert

Guido Crepax

Jean-Claude Forest

Paul Cuvelier

25th September 2009 - 3rd January 2010

"In the prestigious setting of the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts, the exhibition will put the spotlight on four authors who, thanks to their graphical and narrative daring, have marked the development of the comic strip by moving it beyond the domain of children.
In the midst of the 1960s, these four artists drew inspiration from painting (in particular Pop Art), cartoons (Yellow Submarine, etc), the cinema, music (rock, but also the French “yéyé”), literature and photography. So it is the portrait of an era marked by rapid changes seen through the eyes of these four major artists."

Bozar
Rue Ravenstein, 23
1000 Brussels

2009-09-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Exhibition: 'Beatles to Bowie: The 60s Exposed'.
Link.

The Shadows and Ros Watkins, 1961. Photograph: Brian Duffy/Duffy Archive
From the National Portrait Gallery:
15 October 2009 - 24 January 2010
"Beatles to Bowie explores the leading pop music personalities who helped create ‘Swinging London' in the 1960s. Bringing together 150 photographs, together with a range of memorabilia, the exhibition evocatively illustrates how image, music, fashion and performance combined to make these musicians the leading icons of their time and London the world's most important cultural capital.

Cilla Black, 1965. Photograph: Robert Whitaker.
Highlighting key pop cultural figures from each year of this remarkable decade, the exhibition includes classic images of groups such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who as well as early portraits of singers such as Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Marianne Faithful, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie."

Marianne Faithfull, Battersea Park, London, 1965
Photograph: Tony Frank

Sandie Shaw in Regent's Park, London, 1965
Photograph: Tony Frank

2009-09-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

Faut pas prendre les enfants du bon Dieu pour des canards sauvages (1968).

Possibly only the...ooh... third greatest movie of all time*, "Faut pas prendre..." ("Do not take the children of good God for wild ducks"**) is a gangster comedy caper written & directed by the great French screenwriter of the 60s & 70s Michel Audiard***.

A masterpiece of French Pop cinema, 'Faut pas prendre...' tells the tale of Rita (the almost impossibly cute Marlène Jobert****) a completely spoilt and ruthless little madame who funds her luxury lifestyle by taking gangsters as lovers.
When Rita is cut out of her share of caper loot, she throws a temper tantrum, swearing revenge. Enter Rita's elderly Aunt Léontine (Françoise Rosay), an ex-Mobster herself, and hilariously violent vengeance is enacted.

'Faut pas prendre...' shares more with the manic animations of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery than the super-cool existential thrillers of Jean-Pierre Melville. Chock full of fantastic visual gags and surreal asides, the movie eschews any pretence at representing reality and instead throws itself headlong into cartoon farce.

Almost completely unknown outside of France, writer/director Michel Audiard's comedies just don't seem to possess the 'snob factor' required for analysis by chin-stroking, anglophone cineastes. On a recent visit to the DVD section of the Paris Virgin Megastore, I discovered to my surprise that approximately 90% of all French movies of a certain vintage appear to have been written, at least partly, by him.

Michel Audiard, also quite the snappy dresser!
Most noted for his screenplays for director Georges Lautner, 'Les Tontons Flingueurs' (1963) 'Les Barbouzes' (1964), 'Ne nous fâchons pas' (1965) and Le Pacha (1968), Audiard's specialty was a very clever, cynical, snappy, quotable dialogue based around Parisian street argot (Tarantino's a fan apparently, quelle surprise...). Indeed, so arcane and obscure is much of his terminology, that the French DVD releases come with a glossary of terms as an extra feature.

'Faut Pas Prendre...' was the first (and best) of nine movies Audiard would write and direct using much of the same acting repertory company from the Lautner/Audiard collaborations, most notably Mireille Darc, Bernard Blier and André Pousse.
Eventually, dissatisfied with his own directing efforts, in 1974 Audiard returned to screenwriting fulltime.

More images on my flickr gallery.

*'Erotissimo' and 'L'Homme Orchestre' since you ask.
**Taken from a famous General De Gaulle quote of the time.
***Father of current darling of French cinema Jacques Audiard.
****Bond girl Eva Green's mum, fact fans!

2009-08-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Michel Quarez: "La Vita Privata di Dyane" (1968).

Originally published in French as "La Vie Privée de Dyane".
Drawn by Michel Quarez, artist on "Mod Love" (1967).

More on my flickr gallery.

Images originally found here.

2009-08-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Yet more “Gainsbourg (vie héroïque)” images.
From last weeks Télérama (French equivalent to TV Guide) magazine.
Full article (en français) here.

Serge (Eric Elmosnino) and Jane (Lucy Gordon). - Photo : Jérôme Brezillon

Joann Sfar and Eric Elmosnino during the scene of the recording of "Aux armes et cetera." - Photo: Jerome Brezillon

Brigitte Bardot (Laeticia Casta) and Serge (Eric Elmosnino) - Photo : Jérôme Brezillon

2009-07-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

'The Hunter' is here!

And so, 2009’s most talked about, and critically fêted, graphic novel is finally here.
As previously mentioned on 'World of Kane', ‘The Hunter’ is the first of a projected four graphic novels adapting the work of the late, great Richard Stark (aka Donald E.Westlake), featuring his cool, calculating and utterly ruthless anti-hero Parker.

A perfect property for such an enterprise, cartoonist Darwyn Cooke has done sterling work in faithfully adapting, yet cunningly condensing Starks' lean, mean prose novel to the graphic novel format. I pity any such similar attempt with David Foster Wallace's 'Infinite Jest'.

Due in summer 2010, Cooke's next Parker tome will discharge a double-barrel of the next two novels in Stark's series, 'The Man with the Getaway Face' (albeit a shortened version thereof) and 'The Outfit'.
I thoroughly recommend this revealing roundtable discussion involving Stark/Westlake's work and Cooke's approach to his adaptation.

A preview of the first 21 pages of Cooke's 'The Hunter' adaptation can be viewed here.

2009-07-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

Gainsbourg (vie héroïque) : le teaser vidéo.
Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo

2009-07-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Germinal Tenas.

Badly translated from the sleevenotes to "Wizzz! Volume 2":
Germinal Floreal Tenas, initiator of the 'Reverendus Chorus' project, is in retrospect one of the major record producers of the French 60's counter-culture. A disciple of mockery and the DIY sound, his productions during the Sixties thumbed their nose to the masquerade of yéyé.

The son of Spanish immigrants who fled the Franco regime to live in Toulouse, Germinal Tenas is a true "enfant de la balle" (follows in parent's footsteps). At 7 years old, he performed with his father, a professional guitarist in flamenco shows.

Hired to perform by a local Christmas tree company, Germinal shared the bill with Christian Fechner, another child artist who numbered ventriloquism and sleight-of-hand among his talents. It was the birth of a long friendship between the two kids.

Christine Delaroche - La Porte á Cote MP3 (co-written by Tenas)
In 1961, Germinal and Christian discover through radio the first releases of Johnny Hallyday. It is a revelation and Fechner, in the guise of going to study in Toulouse, in reality took the opportunity to hang out with Germinal.
They spend their time at the 'Le Père Léon' café where all the young people of Toulouse go to listen to rock'n'roll, within their ranks are musicians Ticky Holgado and Mike Shannon.

Ticky Holgado recruits musicians to form 'Ticky James et le Plastiquers de Rock', but Germinal fails the audition due to his tender years. Germinal thus decides to assemble his own group.
They are at first called 'Les Conquérants' before quickly being renamed 'Les Caïds'. The average age of the group is only 14 years old!

During a contest hosted by Radio Andorra, 'Les Caïds' win the final after extensive heats among 1500 candidates. The first prize is recording a 45t at Barclay, The EP comes out and goes straight to No. 1 in Radio Andorra's hit parade.
Germinal, elated, wants to leave to conquer the rest of France and wishes for the group to settle in Paris. The Parents of the other musicians oppose this due to their young age and Germinal must resign himself to go up to the capital alone. It is understood with his parents that he will take the temperature by spending his holidays in Paris.

His stay in the capital proceeds badly, Germinal is distraught by the discovery of the harshness of his trade. On the eve of his departure, he crosses paths with Christian Fechner, at the 'Richelieu Drouot' metro station, who also came to Paris to try his luck without result. The reunion encourages them to extend their stay, from now on they will canvass the recording companies together.

They increase their auditions... without success. Running low on funds, Germinal's mother decides to settle in Paris also to provide for Christian and her son. Unable to promote their own compositions and pursue the singing career they desire, they decide to become Artistic Directors, believing that their early start in the entertainment business is enough to qualify for this position.
Léon Cabat, owner of Vogue records, agrees to a meeting and discovers he is amused by the antics of these two kids. Impressed by their confidence and nerve, he agrees to take them for a test period. This is the first time in the French music profession that such a position is assigned to such young people. The record industry is still in the hands of "old foxes" who decide, not without a little cynicism, the needs and desires of the kids of the time.

Les Problèmes - 'Passe Ton Chemin' MP3
Our two kids then work alongside Jacques Volfson (who notably discovered Johnny Hallyday, Francoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc) who finds their irreverence hysterical.
Always fascinated by rock'n'roll, they sign and transform Antoine's backing band 'Les Problèmes' into the highly successful 'Les Charlots'. Germinal writes the lyrics for 'Passe Ton Chemin' for the first 'Les Problèmes' EP which becomes a piece of French garage punk history. The most remarkable achievement of the Fechner/Tenas team is obviously their discovery of Antoine and his unprecedented success, but that's another story ...

Clothilde - Fallait Pas Écraser La Queue du Chat MP3
With Fechner now completely monopolised by Antoine, Germinal turned to more personal projects. For some time now that he is considering the creation of a creature which will be able to mix the detachment and softness of a Francoise Hardy with a violent, demented and cruel lyric.
This project is embodied in the person of Clothilde. In 1966 he releases two successive major EPs with her which with its adventurous arrangements, irresistible tongue-in-cheek lyrics, etc. now stand as masterpieces of French pop.

Clothilde - Saperlipopette MP3
The essential Germinal Tenas production of 1968 is the ambitious Jean-Bernard de Libreville EP: a conceptual meeting of dandyism, surrealism and punk before its time. This visionary, ramshackle and crazy disc is granted a rave reception within the profession but a frosty one from the public. The disc by Jean-Bernard de Libreville remains to date one of the finest French "UFO"* productions.

Jean Bernard de Libreville - La Juxtaposition 210 MP3
His crazy avant-garde productions finally try the patience of Léon Cabat and Germinal leaves Vogue to create his own label 'Thermidor organization' to give free rein to his creative thirst.

Chorus Reverendus - Ne Poussez Pas Mémé Dans Les Orties MP3
Chorus Reverendus - Dans Son Euphorie MP3
As its first release Chorus Reverendus were conceived as a frivolous French 'Mamas and the Papas', but with the derision and insolence that, as ever, characterized a Germinal production. The recording sessions are led by Bernard Estady in CBE studios during 1969 using the production techniques (tracks recorded in reverse, proto samples, etc.) developed by Germinal at Vogue.

For the purpose of the label, Tenas signs a deal with Barclay records who commit to distribute the discs in exchange for an refundable advance equivalent to 45,000 euros (a veritable fortune for the time).

The disc receives a warm welcome among professionals, but Barclay does not put the disc out and hands Thermidor a Machiavellian lawsuit to repay the advance. Due to lack of sales and consequently cash, Thermidor is unable to repay the sum claimed. The dead label is placed in liquidation.

A difficult period followed for Germinal. He puts out a single under his own name this time, 'Claustrophobie et Asphyxie' on the 'Compact' label in the early 1970s and then a successful career in advertising, where he wrote the memorable campaign 'Ticket chic, Ticket choc' for the Parisian RATP transport system, then music for numerous episodes of the hotel-based TV comedy show 'Palace' produced by his old pal Christian Fechner, as well as numerous soundtracks, including 'Bâtard de Dieu' which was unanimously praised in the profession and won many awards.

Recently, Germinal wrote the soundtrack for 'Chouchou et de L'antidote', the latest film by Jacques Villeret. He is now working on the creation of a comedy musical based upon 'The Count of Monte Cristo'.

*A French music term denoting a bizarre, unusual or unclassifiable release.

2009-07-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

Stone - Patati et Patata - 1968.

Born in 1947, shoe shop assistant Annie Gautrat spent her evenings at famed Parisian nightclub Bus Palladium, where her distinctive Brian Jones-like helmet hair led her to be dubbed "Petite Stone" by her pals.
Voted 'Miss Beatnik 1966' and offered a recording contract by Polydor, Annie adopted the stage name 'Stone', scoring her first success with the EP 'Baby Stone' written by her future husband Éric Charden.

Here Stone performs 'Patati et Patata' (French for "yadda yadda") on Dim'Dam'Dom' in 1968. Originally released on the 'Je reviens chez moi' EP it was re-released in 1969 in conjunction with the Woolmark Company to promote the opening of Women's wear store 'Gérard Pasquier'.

2009-07-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

Marisol - Corazón contento - 1968.

From Ready Steady Girls:
"Born Josefa Flores González in Malaga, Marisol became a star of the Spanish silver screen from the age of 12, after starring in the 1960 film Un rayo de luz. Numerous frothy records were issued to cash in on her further movie appearances, but it wasn’t until the late 1960s that the young beauty became a serious singer. Corazón contento, issued in the summer of 1968, proved a big hit. In the 1970s she returned to acting full-time and dropped the name Marisol in favour of Pepa Flores. "

Performing 'Corazón contento' in the movie "El Taxi de los Conflictos" in 1968.

2009-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

More Gainsbourg movie photos.
Link.

2009-07-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Jim Lee (b.1945).
Website.

Ossie Clark/ Plane Crash 1969.

Ossie Clark/ Rockers 1968.

Sunday Times/ Bike 1969.

Ossie Clark/ Aeroplane 1969.

Ossie Clark/ Vietnam 1969.

Train 1970.

Peter Robinson 1970.

Baader-Meinhoff 1969.

Jean Muir/ Midget 1968.

2009-06-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Gainsbourg movie photos.

Éric Elmosnino as Gainsbourg with Laetitia Casta as Brigitte Bardot.

Dieu fumeur de Gitanes...

Je t'aime... moi non plus.

Recording "Aux Armes Et Cetera" in Jamaica with Sly & Robbie and the I-Threes.

You're under arrest...

With Anna Mouglalis as Juliette Gréco.

With the late Lucy Gordon as Jane Birkin.
All photographs taken from the now fully-functioning Gainsbourg movie website, complete with comic strip (Pow! Blop! Wizz!) 'Making-of' journal by Mathieu Sapin.

2009-06-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dominique Walter - Les petits boudins - 1967.

Dominique Gruère (aka Dominique Walter) was born in Paris on 22nd April 1942. He is the son of singer and television producer Michèle Arnaud*.
Signed by DiscAZ, in 1965 he recorded the EPs "s'en vient le temps" and "Pourquoi ne viens-tu pas". In 1966, he represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Chez nous" (coming 16th out of 18).
In 67, with his sixth EP he found his greatest success with "Les Petits boudins"** (written by Gainsbourg), "Je n'ai pas osé" (composed by Polnareff) and "Penny Lane" (a French adaptation of the Beatles song).
He released a dozen or so more EPs and singles before retiring from singing in the early 70s.
Source.

*Michèle Arnaud was among the first to sing the songs of the young, struggling Serge Gainsbourg, including their fab duet "Les Papillions Noirs" and also produced the Karina/Brialy/Gainsbourg movie 'Anna'.
**A harsh insult directed at girls in France. A "Petit Boudin" ("little pudding"?) is a fat girl who doesn't get invited to parties, but is considered "easy" by boys.

Thanks to 'goochemesally' for uploading the video.

2009-06-18T23:14:00.001-07:00

Mod Love (1967).

"She's the Hippest Girl in the World" from 'Mod Love', Writer - Michael Lutin, artist - Michel Quarez. Published by Western Publishing Company, inc. 1967.
I was first made aware of this wonderful comic via Paul Gravett's amazing book 'The Leather Nun: And Other Incredibly Strange Comics' (UK title) aka 'Holy Sh*t!: The World's Weirdest Comic Books' (US title).

2009-06-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Lobby Cards: 'Perry Rhodan - SOS aus dem Weltall' (1967).

"Seli" sung by Edda Dell'Orso with I Cantori Moderni. Music by Marcello Giombini.
-From, "4...3...2...1...MORTE!" (Italy, 1967)
-"YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE", "MISSION STARDUST", "MORTAL ORBIT", "OPERATION STARDUST"
-"ORBITA MORTAL" (Spain)
-"4,3,2,1, OBJECTIF LUNE" or "4,3,2,1, OPERATION LUNE" (France)
-"PERRY RHODAN- SOS AUS DEM WELTALL" (West Germany)
-"SYNOMOTES TON DYO KOSMON" (Greece)
Directed by Primo Zeglio. Starring Lang Jeffries and Essy Persson.

2009-06-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Movie Posters: 'Una Vedova Tutta D'Oro' (1969).

'Une Veuve en Or' (UK:'A Golden Widow', Italy: 'Una Vedova Tutta D'Oro') (1969)
Starring Michèle Mercier, written & directed by France's best kept secret Michel Audiard.

Michèle Mercier:"La Fille Qui Fait Tchic Ti Tchic". Song written by Serge Gainsbourg, arrnged by Jean-Claude Vannier.

2009-06-02T01:00:00.001-07:00

Ebay Emporium: Velvet Cave Vintage.
Ebay
Myspace
Facebook

Ms. Shurey modeling her wares in a recent shoot for i-D magazine.
"Psychedelic Delights, Sixties Victoriana, Hippie Florals, Paisley Prints & Mod Attire."
Named after a track by pioneering electronic psych-rock duo 'Silver Apples', Velvet Cave Vintage is the brain/love child of swinging London's very own glamorous girl-about-town Imogen Shurey; who, with significant other Bobby Grindrod, can regularly be seen cutting a distinctive dash across the capital.

At a time when many of our so-called "vintage" stores are regularly filled to brimming with (gasp!) 80s dayglo tat, it is refreshing to see a young entrepreneur prepared to buck that trend with her own distinctive take on 60s psych-stylings.
New auctions start Thursday (4th June).

2009-06-02T00:58:00.002-07:00

Draw Serge!

Draw Serge is an illustrative tribute to the late, great Serge Gainsbourg. Curated by Guardian illustrator Jonathan Edwards (above), the blog features contributions from some of the UK's finest illustrators and cartoonists.
If I still have to explain who Gainsbourg was, or why he is significant, then really this blog has been a waste of my time.

Steve Millington

Chris Kasch

Warwick Johnson Cadwell

Here's my contribution, where's yours?