Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes
by Sylvie Simmons
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In this, the first English biography to capture Gainsbourg in all his contradiction and gleeful outrageousness, Simmons tells the fascinating story of the Gallic star. Drawing on hours of new interviews with his intimates-among them Jane Birkin, Sly & Robbie, Marianne Faithfull, and celebrated producer Philippe Lerichomme-Simmons describes in crackling prose the scope of Gainsbourg's achievement while doing full justice to his complicated emotional life. Simmons's work will stand as the show more definitive take on a dizzying genius. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Stumbled upon this in a filing cabinet just now. I inhaled this bookt back in 2008, took its wayward magic into my lungs and held it. Historically I haven't read much about performers. Perhaps I stoned form the novelty of it all. Serge's televised encounter w/ the late Whitney Houston was astonishing as was his less than cereberal time in Yugoslavia. Beyond such, Gainsbourg was an unflinching artist, one compensating for his own insecurites and baggage. He stormed across borders and perforated genres. His mark on music is unmistakable. This biography illuminates such and is a remarkable survey of his life as well.
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Music Journalism and Biography
56 works; 1 member
Author Information
9+ Works 861 Members
Sylvie Simmons is an award-winning writer and one of the foremost music journalists working today. Born in London, she moved to Los Angeles in the late seventies and started writing about rock music for magazines such as Sounds, Creem, Kerrang!, and Q. She is the author of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books, including the biography Serge show more Gainshourg: A Fistful of Gitanes and the short-story collection Too Weird for Ziggy. She has lived at various times in England, the United States, and France, and she currently lives in San Francisco, where she writes for MOJO magazine and plays the ukulele. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Serge Gainsbourg. A Fistful of Gitanes
- Original publication date
- 2001
- People/Characters*
- Serge Gainsbourg
- Dedication
- For Stan, who loved music
- First words
- Serge Gainsbourg owed his life to dirt.
- Blurbers
- Ballard, J.G.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Music, Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 782.42164092 — Arts & recreation Music Vocal Music, Singing Secular forms of vocal music Songs General principles and musical forms Traditions of secular songs {genres} Western popular songs
- LCC
- ML420 .G12 .S56 — Music Literature on music Literature on music History and criticism Biography
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 124
- Popularity
- 262,159
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.71)
- Languages
- 7 — Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 1
