Serge Gainsbourg/Biography/1928-1959

1954

26 August 1954: Under the pseudonym "Julien Grix" Lucien Ginsburg deposits his first six songs at the SACEM, among them "Les amours perdues" and "Défense d'afficher".

He ends his first season at the Club de la Forêt, at Le Touquet (now known as Le Touquet Paris-Plage), as a bar pianist and pianist "d'ambiance": he returns there every summer, from 1 June to 30 September, until 1957.

1955

Lucien Ginsburg works at the cabaret Madame Arthur and specializes in music-hall songs interpreted by transvestites. He conducts the small orchestra as his father did and composes a number of songs with Louis Laibe, the musical director of the place. At the beginning of the season 1955-1956 he performs a circus revue.

1957

June 1957: Lucien, who works at the Milord L'Arsouille, deposits three songs at the SACEM: "Ronsard 58" (with lyrics by Serge Barthélémy), "La jambe de bois (Friedland)" and "Le poinçonneur des lilas".

9 October 1957: Lucien and Elizabeth Ginsburg get officially divorced.

December 1957: Lucien Ginsburg performs "Le poinçonneur des lilas" live at the studios of Paris-Inter (the precursor of France-Inter).

1958

Pianist-guitarist Lucien Ginsburg works at the Milord d'Arsouville, located at the basement under the right side of the river Seine. He is paid 2'000 francs (about 200 "new" francs) a night for playing the pianist. "Bonsoir, je suis le gigolo youpin!"

One night Boris Vian plays at the Milord d'Arsouville, accompanied by a shocked Ginsburg: "Il a commencé à balancer ses chansons devant les gens sidérés et ce fut pour moi un catalyseur, un coup de poing dans la gueule! Il chantait La lava martienne, Les arts ménagers, Je bois, Le déserteur. Là, ça été la folie. Les gens hurlaient, ils en redemandaient!"

29 March 1958: First appearance on television in Chez vous ce soir.

May 1958: The first important article about Serge Gainsbourg is published - two columns in Combat.

19 July 1958: Serge Gainsbourg sings "Douze belles dans la peau" in the TV broadcast Avec le sourire.

3 September 1958: The first 10" album Du chant à la une! is released. "Le poinçonneur des lilas" is popularized through a version sung by Les Frères Jacques. Michèle Arnaud, his first female interpret, sings "La femme des unes sous le corps des autres" and "Jeunes femmes et vieux messieurs".

26 November 1958: Serge Gainsbourg sings "Le poinçonneur des lilas" in the TV broadcast Magazine de la chanson.

Meanwhile the show "Opus 109" ("Le sang neuf du rire et de la chanson 1959") has started at the theater of the Trois-Baudets: on the same bill Jacques Canetti presents Bernard Haller, Ricet Barrier, Lafleur, Serge Gainsbourg and Guy Béart. It's the last one who wins. At the beginning of 1959 the show goes to the province, headlined by Jacques Brel.

Opus 109 ou la rentrée des Trois-Baudets by Guy Dornand Et voici encore Serge Gainsbourg, pianiste de Michèle Arnaud. Serait-ce à l'ombre de ses chansons douces qu'il a contracté un tel penchant pour le vitriol avec quoi il écrivit "Douze belles dans la peau", "La recette de l'amour fou", "La femme des uns sous la corps des autres", etc?... Ce Mirabeau de la chanson, qui se pose en rival de Léo Ferré le restera-t-il ou préférera-t-il d'être dâbord le poète du "Poinçonneur des lilas" ou de "Ronsard 58"? C'est une tempérament à coup sûr, un auteur de valeur. Mais a-t-il raison avec son physique blême, sa voix blanche de vouloir être aussi interprète?... Source: 1958.12.15 Libération

1959

13 March 1959: Serge appears on television for the first time: in the broadcast Discorama where he sings "La recette de l'amour fou".

April 1959: Awarding of the Grands prix du disque of the Académie Charles Cros at the Palais d'Orsay at the occasion of the "Festival international de haute fidélité et de stéréophonie". There are four prize-winners for variety theatre: Serge Gainsbourg, Denise Benoit, Marcel Amont and Jacques Dufilho.

4 June 1959: Serge Gainsbourgs second 10" album No. 2 is released.

23 June 1959: Boris Vian dies.

10 July 1959: Serge appears again at Discorama, where he sings "Le claqueur des doigts".

14 October 1959 onwards: Serge Gainsbourg sings before Colette Renard at the Théâtre de l'Etoile in Paris.

November 1959: Juliette Grécos EP (45 rpm) Juliette Gréco chante Serge Gainsbourg is released and contains four songs, among them "Les amours perdues" and "L'amour à la papa".

20 December 1959: In Paris, Voulez-vous danser avec moi? premieres, a movie by Michel Boisrond featuring Brigitte Bardot. Serge plays a mean singer in this bungle flick - it is his first apparition in cinema.