Did you know the sexy female voice in the worldwide hit Je t’aime was that of a privately educated Shanklin schoolgirl, who spent her summers in the West Wight?
In the first of our series of Secret Isle of Wight articles, we look back on the eventful and often controversial life of former Upper Chine schoolgirl, the actress and singer Jane Birkin.
The single (full title Je t’aime moi non plus) – which Jane Birkin sang with her then partner the legendary French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg – is arguably the world’s best-known love song. It has sold 6 million copies worldwide since its release in 1969 and was the first foreign language song to reach number 1 in the British charts.
Je t’aime moi non plus (I love you, me neither) achieved chart success in the UK despite being banned by the BBC. It was also banned in Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the United States. Even in France, the record was only allowed to be played on the radio after 23:00.
The song was not well liked by religious conservatives. The Vatican reportedly excommunicated the record executive who released the song in Italy, leading Birkin to call the Pope “our greatest PR man” for generating publicity for the record.
Je t’aime culminates in Birkin simulating orgasm. When it was 1st played at a Parisian restaurant, diners were said to have put down their knives and forks to listen to the song, upon which Serge Gainsbourg exclaimed:
“I think we have a hit record.”
Birkin and Gainsbourg were rumoured to have actually been having sex when the song was recorded. Gainsbourg was apparently insulted by the suggestion, saying:
“Thank goodness I wasn’t, otherwise I hope it would have been a long-playing record.”
Je t’aime had originally been recorded in 1967 as a duet between Gainsbourg and his previous lover – Brigitte Bardot – then the world’s best known sex symbol. Brigitte had asked him to write the most beautiful love song he could imagine – a task Gainsbourg accomplished that very night. However, Bardot’s husband – German businessman Gunter Sachs – prevented the song’s release.
After recording Je t’aime, Jane went on to appear in numerous movies, including If Don Juan were a Woman, 1973, (co-starring Brigitte Bardot) and Death on the Nile, 1978. She also starred in the infamous film Je t’aime moi non plus, 1976, which was banned in the UK until 1993 because of its featuring the taboo subject of anal sex.
Before moving to Paris in 1969, Jane had appeared in the cult movie Blow Up, a further controversial film, being the 1st to show female pubic hair to British cinema audiences.
Prior to meeting Serge Gainsbourg, Birkin had been married to John Barry: composer of the James Bond theme tune.
Gainsbourg – whom she first met aged 22 – was 18 years her senior. She remained romantically involved with Gainsbourg from 1968 to 1980. They had 1 child together – Charlotte – who is now a well-known actress.
Jane’s life on the Isle of Wight was somewhat less bohemian. She did not enjoy her schooling at Upper Chine, which she has described as ‘horrid’. However, she did very much enjoy summers spent at her parents’ home, Bank Cottage in Hulverstone.
Jane said of her childhood:
“When people say, ‘Where would you like to go in your life?’ I’d like to go back to being a child again. We were allowed to be savages. We used to get up at 6 in the morning and get on our bikes, and we just went to discover things. Wrecks in the Isle of Wight – we were in the very wild part of the Island – there was black sand, and there were wrecks from the last war.
“We didn’t stay on the chic side of the Island, but near Brook beach, where we would ramble and have adventures together – it was wonderful. Being a 12-year-old on a bike on the Isle of Wight with my brother and sister and Ma and Pa is for me the epitome of happiness. The bits in between, the films, my time with Serge [Gainsbourg], everybody knows about that, but they don’t know about my childhood. It’s a country you can never go back to.”
Serge Gainsbourg – who reputedly smoked 5 packs of unfiltered Gitanes cigarettes a day – died in 1991, aged 62.
Jane Birkin is now 75-years-old and currently lives in Paris.
Island Echo first learned of Jane Birkin’s association with the Island from Andy Bull’s book Secret Isle of Wight, which was published by Amberley Books on 15th June.
Secret Isle of Wight can be purchased at Waterstones and all good local retailers and can also be bought directly from Amberley at https://www.amberley-books.com/secret-isle-of-wight.html.
Very interesting article, thank you
Yes, thank you. I didn’t know Jane Birkin was a local girl, and it was nice having the update. I look forward to the others in the series.