“fucks too much, smokes too much, drinks too much”

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Over the years it would continue to make the odd reappearance. First came the spoof version: Up Pompeii’s Frankie Howerd duetting with June Whitfield in 1971 on ‘Up Je T’Aime’. It featured June trying to stir the snoring Frankie by whispering French words of love in his ear, only to be met by protests: “Not again! Do you know what time it is? What on earth’s got into you? It’s not Friday, is it? Speak English, woman!” It was the U.K. that truly embraced the song – for which Serge had a theory. “I know certain people close to Princess Margaret who think it’s about sodomy. A fact which made them very happy.”

"Guitar Wolf meets Super Vixen, Kitten Natividad".

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Bardot asked Serge to write for her the most beautiful love song in the world; his reply was the cult classic "Je t'aime ... moi non plus."  The song starts off simple enough, but before long the vocal track progresses into a series of moans, with Brigitte and Serge whispering "Je t'aime" and groaning lustily. The press went so far as to say they recorded themselves in the true act of copulation. In truth, they had been lovers, but you don't have to be Fellini to have figured that out. "Je t' aime ... moi non plus" was not initially released. Bardot's husband, the extremely wealthy German Guntar Sachs, was so enraged by the song's connotations that he would not allow it to be pressed. Gainsbourg locked the master tape away and 'claimed' it would stay there forever. Gainsbourg later re-recorded the song with his British wife, Jane Birkin, and the press made the same "they're doing it!" allegation. Years later Birkin was cast as Bardot's female lover in Don Juan. Being nervous about their nude scene, Brigitte suggested they sing a song. The only song they both knew the words to was "Je t'aime ... ", prompting them to break into an amusingly passionate rendition.

a hymn to oral sex in the guise of innocent praise for lollipops

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This is all to show the subterranean influence of French filles de la pop on some of the strongest currents of international pop music. The subjects French women dared to sing about in the 1960s were much more adventurous than those chosen by their English or American counterparts: the pleasures of fellatio, stories of bad LSD trips (Gall’s “Teeny Weeny Boppy”), or more generally speaking, sheer enjoyment of the most sullen moments of existence (nearly all of Hardy’s stuff) ... Rather expectedly, “Je T’Aime” was the one that raised passions. It was banned by the BBC, as well as by other radio stations across the world. The Vatican excommunicated the A&R man responsible for having imported the song into Italy. Its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, claimed the song was “obscene and unlistenable by underage kids.” The publisher was even condemned to a two-month sentence. Fontana agreed to stop pressing it, in accordance with Queen of the Netherlands Juliana’s demand (she was a shareholder in the company). Irish label Major Minor took advantage of the situation and bought the licensing back. In France, Philips sold the rights to Gainsbourg, who then negotiated with label AZ. Such controversy was all the more beneficial for the song: in Italy alone, the single was exchanged for 50,000 liras on the black market, hidden under Maria Callas record covers. The ban had the opposite effect of its intention: the song sold by the ton throughout the world. People were proud to say they had conceived their children to that song.

Sky Saxon with his leopard skin suit jacket and silver glitter creepers

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BP-O  About 1981, '82 I met Mr. Sebastian in London. At that time he was the only man in Britain who was doing any kind of piercing and tattooing. He did it very, very secretly, only by recommendation from somebody he knew. It was a very secret practice only 20 years ago. They were going to charge him with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. The case was known as the "Spanner Case," which is what the police called the squad that was set up, specially. The squad was set up to enforce the idea that any form of piercing or tattooing was illegal. It was illegal to knowingly cause a wound and a wound is defined as the skin being broken. If you tattoo or pierce someone, you are breaking their skin, which is grievous bodily harm, which is one step below manslaughter. So, it was a serious offense. They wanted to set a legal precedent, so they could victimize anybody who was different. They took him to court in the Old Bailey, which is where they put on trial murderers and spies. This is only 14, 15 years ago.

BB When you are walking around the streets now and see a piercing and tattooing parlor on every corner and Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson coming out of windows, you must feel responsible?

BP-O I didn't until Lady Jaye and I were walking down St. Marks Place one day and she turned to me and said I blame you for this.

One of my favorite stories is the one he tells about Julie London. He said that they originally signed her because of what a 'good looking dame' she was. I don't think they had even heard her sing anything. They just thought that the record would sell for the cover. One of the amazing things about that song, aside from how great her voice is, is the stripped down production. Everyone really responded to the different sound that added all that sultriness to her track and voice. The real reason for that was because they had spent all of their money on the cover and didn't have any money left for the musicians.