Je t'aime moi non plus

In January of 1969 (after DeSade but before Prince) a song exploded in the face of an unsuspecting pop universe -- "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus." The singer-provocateur: Serge Gainsbourg. Partner in crime: English actress (Blow Up ) and hearthrob, Jane Birkin. The effect: mayhem and scandal. The magnitude: somewhere between Elvis' censored pelvis and the tragedy at Altamont. Journalists, world politicians, even the Pope condemned the song as immoral. There were calls for stricter censorship, the review of pop lyrics. The single was banned in Sweden, Spain, Brazil, and Britain. The Vatican implores the Italian government to banish it. Philips is forced to stop pressing the disc. The slack is however, instantly taken up by various black market firms. It appears in 8 languages including Japanese. And with every shrill denunciation comes increased sales, exceeding 2 million by winter's end. Gainsbourg is one of Europe's biggest pop acts.