''N° 2'' is the second studio album by French musician
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
, released in 1959. It features Gainsbourg backed by the
Alain Goraguer Orchestra. The album was not well received at the time of its release.
Music journalist and Gainsbourg biographer
Sylvie Simmons
Sylvie Simmons is a London-born, California-based music journalist, named as a "principal player" in Paul Gorman's book on the history of the rock music press '' In Their Own Write'' (Sanctuary Publishing, 2001). A widely regarded writer and roc ...
described the album as "...mutant jazz-pop engaged in an unnatural act with chanson, French literature and Americana..."
The album cover is a reference to French author and musician
Boris Vian
Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sulliva ...
.
[ The cover of ]Lovage
Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is a tall perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a veg ...
's 2001 debut album pays homage to the cover.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
* Serge Gainsbourg – vocals
* Léo Petit - guitar
* Paul Rovère, Pierre Michelot – double bass
* Christian Garros – drums
* Alain Goraguer
Alain Goraguer (born 20 August 1931, Rosny-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis) is a French jazz pianist, sideman of Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg, arranger and composer.
He has composed some or all of the music for films including '' La Planète Sauv ...
– piano, arrangements, conductor
*Alain Goraguer et Son Orchestre - orchestra
*Georges Grenu, Jo Hrasko, Marcel Hrasko, Pierre Gossez, William Boucaya - saxophone
*Fernand Verstraete, Fred Gérard, Maurice Thomas, Roger Guérin - trumpet
*André Paquinet, Charles Verstraete - trombone
*Gaby Vilain - bass trombone
;Technical
* Denis Bourgeois – executive production
*Jacques Aubert - photography
References
External links
*
*
1959 albums
Serge Gainsbourg albums
Philips Records albums
French-language albums
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