The Gainsbourgs

Above:  Charlotte Gainsbourg, Daughter of Jane Birkin and maverick French poet

and musician Serge Gainsbourg, in a wonderful image from Charlotte's debut album

'Charlotte Forever' released in 1986 which featured tracks from the film of the same

name with music mostly composed by Serge Gainsbourg.

And it was around this time when Charlotte arrived on the entertainment scene that

she adopted a rather androgynous and make-up free persona. She certainly inherited

her late Mother's beauty.

Of course many might remember Charlotte when she was introduced to English

audiences in the 1993 movie 'The Cement Garden' directed by her Uncle Andrew Birkin.

I recently bought this album with it's eye catching image of Charlotte on the cover,

and added it to my ever growing vinyl collection.  

 

VIDEO KINDLY UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE BY PHILLIPPE ISABELLO

FEATURING CHARLOTTE PLUS ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF SERGE AND JANE.

Above is a catchy little tune by Serge Gainsbourg that featured as part

of the soundtrack to the 1977 film 'Goodbye Emmanuelle, something I also

recently bought on vinyl. And all the tracks have an upbeat Caribbean Reggae

calypso feel to it with most of the filming having taken place in The Seychelles.

Gainsbourg first emerged to British fans with his controversial 1969 hit 'Je t'aime moi non plus.'

And the song was immediately banned by the BBC, which as always, assured the song's

success.

Gainsbourg and his partner Jane Birkin were seen as the 'It' couple in what many deemed

a tempestuous relationship while Gainsbourg went through many ups and downs in a career riddled with controversies.

They're relationship ended in 1980 when Jane Birkin could not live with his alcoholism and behavioural problems. And over the next ten years Serge Gainsbourg descended into

a life of over indulgence, passing away in 1991 at the age of 62.

But it seems that Serge was much loved and missed by the French audience. 

JANE BIRKIN   DEC 1946  -  JULY 2023

Above:  Jane Birkin and Joe Dallesandro in Serge Gainsbourg's 1977 controversial film

'Je t'aime moi non plus' in which Jane Birkin adopted an androgynous appearance

that was later to be emulated by her Daughter Charlotte (below) in the 1992 movie

'Amoureuse.'

THE EPIC THAT NEVER WAS

It must be rare when a major film production gets shut down and terminated after only

a month. But that's what happened back in 1937 after a brief few weeks of shooting of

what was planned to be an epic production of I Claudius. But unfortunately the whole film

project came to a sudden end after the film's leading actress Merle Oberon was involved

in a car accident.

And headlining the cast of the doomed project was one of our greatest actors Charles

Laughton. And it was Laughton who struggled to get into the part while also not getting

along with it's Director Josef von Sternberg, one of the last of the old fashioned Hollywood Directors. But it seems that Laughton found his inspiration after listening to a recording

of King Edward VIII's 1936 Abdication speech.

So what came out of the existing film footage was a 1965 tv documentary titled 'The Epic

That Never Was' with Charles Laughton giving what some say might have been his finest

ever performance.

And although in history Claudius was the Uncle of the tyrant Emperor Caligula, the

Roman Senators saw him as a stuttering buffoon and certainly didn't want to see him

follow Caligula and become the new Emperor.

But what is interesting about the build up followed by Laughton's great speech is

how Claudius quickly transforms from a stuttering and much mocked clown, and into

a strong and decisive leader ready to take on the responsibility of Emperor.

Much of the video above shows the build up to Laughton's speech but I've set it to go

straight into the speech itself.

THIS VIDEO WAS KINDLY UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE BY TINNED TEA

BRIGHTON'S VERY OWN....THE PHENOMENAL REN & THE BIG PUSH

I've seen some street bands in my time but this is a phenomenal performance by Brighton band

The Big Push. Lead by the outrageously multi talented frontman Ren, the band originally got

together around 2017. And by 2019 they began to make an impact and started to pick up a local

cult following.

Of course by 2020 things started to slow down due to the pandemic when the band were forced to

perform online for a while. But the momentum soon picked up when they were back on the streets

of Brighton performing once again, along with touring around the country as well as releasing singles and videos.

But then in September 2022 the big crash came and the band dissolved, performing one last time

at The Brighton Dome. Fans were devastated. And it's believed that the end came due to frontman

Ren's physical and mental problems, even though he occasionally performed solo on and off around Brighton.

But the good news is that Ren and The Big Push reformed and performed in the Brighton Pavillion

Gardens just over a week ago, hinting that they just might be looking at a comeback.

In the video below we see Ren and the boys performing in what many fans consider their best ever street gig.

You can see and feel the sheer excitement as guitarist Romain Axisa whips the crowd into a frenzy during his guitar solo of Bob Marley's I Shot the Sheriff.

And reacting to this video is Kai from Kais Tv youtube Channel. And what I like about Kai is that

he doesn't pause the video and keep interrupting like so many other youtube reactors have on this video.

Sadly so many youtube reactors want the videos to be about themselves and not the artist they're

reacting to. So well done to Kai. And for showing it in full screen.

Links for Ren and The Big Push are a little out of date since they broke up but hopefully they'll update

them soon.

Ren/Wiki Fandom

Youtube Channel

Facebook

Ren's Tiktok

 

Below:  Ren and the boys were spotted performing last weekend in the Brighton Pavillion Gardens. So will there be an official reunion? And can they gain the momentum once again?

Video of that performance can be seen via 'Lookalikes Official'

Back in Cornwall and The Passing of a Musical Icon

Brian Wilson was a pioneer of the 1960's California Surf sound, who

along with his Brothers Dennis, Carl and Cousin Mike Love, formed The

Beach Boys, and gave us some of the most iconic and memorable tunes of that decade.

Their 1966 groundbreaking album Pet Sounds is often considered as being one

of the most popular albums of all time and it even inspired The Beatles to up their

game and release Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

What was odd was that I was actually spending time down in Cornwall

when I heard about Brian's passing. I had just got back to the cottage after

spending an early evening watching the surfers on Porthmeor Beach, only to

phone home and discover the news.

Of course Porthmeor Beach in St Ives has become a sort of spiritual home for me.

It's where I first learnt to surf and enjoyed swimming there. And it's also where

I often take a rug out and sit on the beach to watch the Sun go down while

listening to the sounds of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

ABOVE:  EARLY DAYS ON PORTHMEOR BEACH IN MY

WET SUIT AFTER A SURFING SESSION.

SURFS UP - LIVE   BY BRIAN WILSON

UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE COURTESY OF

RUSTY MORRIS

On Saturday June 28th 2008 I was lucky to see Brian Wilson and his whole supporting Band

perform in the grounds of Kenwood House Hampstead. And not being too far from Kenwood,

it literally felt like he brought his magic into my back garden.

The front higher paying spectators sat in about thirty rows in front of the stage whereas I was sitting behind them in the picnic area.

But towards the end I managed to get down to the front of the stage and grab a few pictures of the great man himself.

In 1988 after many years of inactivity Brian Wilson emerged with his eponymous debut solo

album simply titled 'Brian Wilson.' Music critics praised it for it's rich harmonious sounds as well as it's wonderful production.

And just above here is a video clip cleverly put together by youtube creator ForJustSomeMusicStuff  in

which he allows us to hear just the epic chorus from the standout track 'Rio Grande.'

He even goes on to describe it as 'The most astounding piece of music created by any Beach Boy

in this entire decade.'

And yet when I hear this colossal chorus from Rio Grande I can't help thinking that this is what

Brian's whole music past was building up to, this peak moment, with it's Phil Spector wall of sound effect and it's overdubbed and harmonious voices.

Even The Beach Boys who were not involved in the project must have been stunned at the album's outcome.

So just a few images from my week in Cornwall in early June when sadly the weather was not favourable.

I had planned to do lots of filming rather that taking more pictures. And I was hoping to visit The

Isles of Scilly. But the predicted good weather changed at the last minute.

And with some niggling problems at the Holiday cottage it was almost a relief to get back to London and some home comforts.

I've paid up for another visit in early September when it's still warm down in those parts, but it

all depends how some August Hospital treatments go as well as judging the holiday weather for

that September week.

Above and below is Kai from Down Under in Queensland Australia, but now a resident in St Ives. And he

currently lives within feet of Porthmeor Beach, although amazingly he's thinking of moving away.

Thankfully he helped me out with a short video (below) as the poor weather that week halted any other

filming in Cornwall that week.

And so if Kai wasn't jumping off walls he could often be seen meditating on Porthmeor Beach

in his full Druid regalia. I hope to bump into him again if I decide to take up my September booking in St Ives.

Kai has quite a fun appealing childlike sense of fun and it didn't surprise me at how many stopped

by to say hello to him.

 

THE HOLIDAY COTTAGE  -  ST IVES

This is the holiday Cottage we stayed in just two years ago and it was an enjoyable stay. But sadly this June

all was not well with some niggling problems. In fact I left a note for the owner upon leaving, cancelling my

second stay there in September.

But after some back and forward e-mails with the owner and the promise that all efforts will be made

to correct everything at the property, I agreed to take up that September booking.

Oddly enough, and for the first time in a long time, I went on my own for the June holiday believing that I

could revisit some far flung places in West Cornwall, but sadly the weather didn't allow any exploring.

Hopefully it will all go much better in September.