Serge Gainsbourg's : ‘Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus’

In 1967, the French actress Brigitte Bardot was a pin-up the world over and Serge Gainsbourg was one of many millions enraptured by her. The roguish composer’s infatuation was different, however, in that it resulted in him signing Bardot to his record label and, despite her being married, convincing her to go on a date with him. Exacerbated by booze, Gainsbourg’s nerves got the better of him and he blew it. Or so he thought. The next day, Bardot called, offering him a chance to redeem himself – he’d just have to write her “the most beautiful love song he could imagine”. He wrote two for good measure: ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ and the altogether lustier ‘Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus’.

The pair became lovers and recorded a version of ‘Je T’aime…’ that was steamy enough to cause a scandal in the French press, leading Bardot to plead with Gainsbourg to shelve it. But he knew the song was too good not to return to and, in 1969, he convinced his new girlfriend, the English actress Jane Birkin, to sing Bardot’s parts. The moans, groans and heavy breathing caused a sensation, leading to a ban from the BBC and even a denouncement from the Vatican. That only added fuel to the fire. In the UK it became the first banned single (and first foreign-language single) to reach the top of the charts, despite its status as one of the most notorious banned songs of the 60s.