16/07/2023
RIP Jane, sadly missed 😢 by us All.. mrkevin.co.uk
RIP Jane Birkin, the British born actress who became a French icon, symbolising the ‘60s ‘permissive society’ via her, then, scandalous single, ‘Je T’aime...Moi Non Plus’, recorded with her long-time partner, actor/singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.
‘Je T’aime’ was originally meant for screen goddess, Brigitte Bardot, Gainsbourg’s previous girlfriend, and a version, unreleased at the time, eventually saw the light of day in 1986 - Bardot later said she regretted her decision not to issue their recording.
This led to Birkin’s version, released in 1969 on Fontana. With all the heavy breathing and sweet talk, the media speculated as to what was actually afoot in the studio. This, of course, led to a clamour to hear this forbidden fruit, banned from radio in the UK and other countries, and even denounced by the Vatican, leading Gainsbourg to quip that the Pope was their ‘greatest PR man’.
It peaked at #2 in Sept, when, mindful of the controversy, Fontana withdrew the single. Major Minor quickly took up the baton, leapfrogging the original pressing before hitting #1 in Oct. There was a two week crossover, with both of these pressings on the chart concurrently, a unique occurrence in UK chart history – the first foreign language #1, the first banned single #1, ‘Je T’aime’ became a multi-million seller worldwide. A 1974 re-release on Antic took it back into the UK charts.
The precedent, earlier in ‘69, was Max Romeo’s sexually explicit reggae single, ‘Wet Dream’, - a UK top 10 hit despite a radio ban. ‘Je T’aime’ was the precursor for Sylvia’s sensual 1973 US R&B #1, ‘Pillow Talk’, and especially Donna Summer’s seminal ‘Love To Love You Baby’ in ’75, the first hit by the soon to be crowned ‘Queen of Disco’ (Summer would record ‘Je T’aime’ for the soundtrack of the 1978 movie, ‘Thank God It’s Friday’).
Despite a long and illustrious acting career, and many other recordings, Birkin will forever be remembered for ‘Je T’aime...Moi Mon Plus’, although she may be known to others via the hugely expensive and highly collectable tote bag, ‘the Birkin’, introduced in the '80s by Hermès.
She died in Paris earlier today, aged 76.