The world and its wife (and probably its mistress too) knows Serge as the dirty old man who penned Je t'Aime (Moi Non Plus) but there's more to this homme than infamous ditty. Accorded legendary status and respect in his native France, Gainsbourg was a singer-songwriter, performer, composer, actor and writer who rarely did something simply for the sake of doing it if there was another option to explore or personage to offend.
Born in Paris in 1928, Gainsbourg was initially too shy and image-conscious (he called himself Cabbage Head because of his ears) to release under his own name, so initial compositions were written for others, such as Dionne Warwick. However, it was his collaborations with lover Brigitte Bardot which established his reputation, thanks to tracks and Gainsbourg recruited Jane Birkin (Mrs John Barry and the star of classic 1960s fashion-set flick, Blow-Up) as his foil for the track and subsequent muse. While Je t'Aime was banned by the BBC and other broadcasters, it enjoyed huge commercial success.
Gainsbourg's musical moves in the 1970s and 1980s were highly experimental and often contentious. He began to explore issues around Nazism, thus facing accusations of anti-Semitism (somewhat ironic given that he was Jewish). The late 1970s saw Gainsbourg developing a fascination with Jamaica and Although the hits outside his native land remained beyond his reach, controversy, ensured he crossed every border.
While he put much of his walks on the wild side (and especially drunken appearance on TV chat shows which made Oliver Reed look like and ideal house guest) down to an alter-ego, "Gainsbarre", much of it seemed deliberately designed to provoke: burning bank-notes, doing a reggae version of the national anthem; featuring his 13-year-old daughter in a video for Lemon Incest; telling Whitney Houston: "I want to fuck you", on live TV. His private life was altogether different. A shy and devoted husband and father, he seemed to balance both sophistication and a beguiling innocence with ease. It was something his native land adored and it's little wonder Paris came to a standstill for his funeral in 1991.