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Histoire de Melody Nelson

Histoire de Melody Nelson ([is.twaʁ me.lɔ.di nɛl.sɔn] "Story of Melody Nelson") is a 1971 concept album by French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Produced by Jean-Claude Desmarty, the album was released on March 24, 1971 through Philips Records. Its narrative follows an illicit romance which develops between the middle-aged narrator and fourteen-year-old girl Melody Nelson, portrayed on the album and its cover art by Gainsbourg's then-partner Jane Birkin.

Histoire de Melody Nelson

24 March 1971 (1971-03-24)

21 April 1970 – 4 February 1971

Studio Marble Arch, London, England; Studio des Dames, Paris, France

27:57

French

Jean-Claude Desmarty

Histoire de Melody Nelson is considered by many critics and fans to be Gainsbourg's most influential and accomplished work, as well as one of the greatest French-language albums in popular music history.[3]

Release[edit]

After the release of the album, a music video was made for each song and released all together as Melody, a short musical.


On October 18, 2011, Mercury Records through Universal Music released the album with a second CD containing alternate takes of all seven tracks as well as instrumental and vocal versions of the excised track "Melody Lit Babar". A limited edition was also released that included a DVD which featured the original album remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and a 40-minute documentary on the making of the album which includes interviews with Jane Birkin, Jean-Claude Vannier, and others. This release also includes a full-color booklet of liner notes in both French and English.

– vocals, piano, guitar

Serge Gainsbourg

– guitar

Alan Parker

– lead guitar

Vic Flick

– rhythm guitar

Big Jim Sullivan

– bass guitar

Dave Richmond

– keyboards

Roger Coulam

– orchestral arrangements, conductor

Jean-Claude Vannier

– vocals

Jane Birkin

Dougie Wright – drums

– electric violin (6)

Jean-Luc Ponty

Jean-Claude Charvier – recording

Jean-Claude Desmarty – production

Album personnel:[21][22]

at Discogs (list of releases)

Histoire de Melody Nelson

at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

Histoire de Melody Nelson

at IMDb

Melody