Histoire de Melody Nelson

by Serge Gainsbourg

Histoire de Melody Nelson cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 24 March 1971
  • Label: Philips
  • Country: France
  • Length: 28:11
  • Community rating: 4.37/5 from 11 ratings

Artists on this release: Roger Coulam, Jane Birkin, Dave Richmond, Marc Chantereau, Big Jim Sullivan, Jean-Luc Ponty, Dougie Wright, Alan Parker, Brian Odgers, Jean-Claude Vannier

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Serge Gainsbourg's 'Histoire de Melody Nelson' is a brief, cinematic concept album detailing a Lolita-esque affair through his signature half-sung, half-spoken narration. The album's distinctive sound fuses a funk-influenced rhythm section, noted for its prominent bass, with the lush, complex string and choral arrangements of co-writer Jean-Claude Vannier. Initially a commercial failure upon release, the record's avant-garde blend of pop and orchestral composition has since become profoundly influential, cementing its status as a cult masterpiece.

Genres

Descriptors: french, orchestral, conceptual, narrative, strings

Tracklist

  1. Melody (7:36)
  2. Ballade de Melody Nelson (2:01)
  3. Valse de Melody (1:32)
  4. Ah Melody (1:50)
  5. L'hôtel particulier (4:06)
  6. En Melody (3:26)
  7. Cargo culte (7:40)

Credits

More from Serge Gainsbourg: full discography