Hugely revered and an absolute all time essential, but one that still gets asked about whenever we spin it. So, this is the Histoire de Melody Nelson.
Histoire de Melody Nelson was originally released in 1971 and is a collaborative album in four parts. Firstly, iconic French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, accompanied by composer and arranger Jean-Claude Vannier, created a rich and sweeping soundtrack. I mean, it is just sublime and was hugely influential in bringing funk, pop, cinematics and other timbres together to the most evocative effect. Vannier assembled a proper crack team of session players, including Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick, Herbie Flowers, Brian Odgers and Dougie Wright - who between them claim about 900 charting singles, the ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ bassline and the James Bond riff! The magical fourth part is Gainsbourg's then-partner Jane Birkin, who embodied the album's titular star and graces the album cover.
A concept album. The story of a developing romance between the album’s middle-aged narrator and the teenage Melody Nelson… I mean, that bit never reads great.
Photo: Tony Frank.Gainsbourg and Birken were already controversial, their collaborative single Je t'aime... moi non plus was banned all over the world on release. It was literally too sexy. But, Histoire de Melody Nelson really rubbed people up the wrong way. Although nineteen at the time, the cover depicts a topless (and possibly pregnant if memory serves right) Birkin with rag-doll makeup and a soft toy. The public were largely incensed and judged the record by its sleeve and what they thought they knew. We always try and bring you albums on Sunday Classic that are very much formed through our own experiences and conjecture, which can be difficult on albums with such huge cultural importance and commentary as Histoire De Melody Nelson. Fortunately, this 2024 pressing has a really informative set of liner notes from New York-based writer Andy Beta, diving into the myths, misunderstandings and rumours that have always been so locked to the album. Also, there is an archive interview with maestro Gainsbourg himself that was originally published in June 1971 in France’s Rock N Folk Magazine.
So back to where we started then. Each time we stick this incredible album on the stereo, the spell it creates is so powerful. It is such a vibe album. It sounded like nothing else and the shadow it created over popular music for the decades that followed is fairly unprecedented. Almost unbelievably, when Light In The Attic first reissued Histoire De Melody Nelson in 2009 (LITA 040), it was the first time that the album had been pressed in the USA. It remains one of the most famous albums that in flashes you might not even recognise. Everyone knows all about its allure; but the cinematic swells, the pioneering arrangements, the peerless performances and its dark alchemy are just like nothing else.
An unparalleled 30 minutes.
Further Reading
Another Mag | The Story Behind Jane Birkin’s Transformation into Melody Nelson
The Quietus | The Mystery Of Melody Nelson: The Making Of Gainsbourg’s Histoire
