The love story of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot

I want to tell you about a romantic, illusory relationship that was formed in Paris these days, exactly 50 years ago. How did the most desirable woman, a sex symbol at the peak of her career, start on her own initiative with a novice musician who was quite poor and ugly at the time? Not a rich old millionaire, not a generous tycoon. Just a shy and insecure Jew, often drunk and maybe even drugged – even in the television studio.

This is the love story of B.B. – yes, Brigitte Bardot at the height of her glory – and Serge Gainsbourg. She was not only a sex symbol and a successful actress, but also served for a time as the character of Marianne, a character who symbolized France...and even served as the subject of a book dedicated to her by the famous writer Simone de Beauvoir.

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How the love story between Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg was created

One day this month in 1967, in a recording studio in Paris, B.B. recorded a song by Serge Gainsbourg. The song's title is: "I Need a Man on a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle." She looks crazy, and the world's greatest lovers are drooling over the sexy 33-year-old. But that evening, she actually desires him, who sits in a corner, embarrassed and in disbelief at the mere proximity to her. He finds it hard to believe, but he can't refuse when she suggests he accompany her to dinner with a couple of friends. And his astonishment grows when, during the meal, she grabs and caresses his hand under the table.

Would you say sexual harassment? Right. She doesn't hide her intentions and throughout the meal she devours him with her eyes, until the couple of hosts get the hint and evaporate. In the taxi she attacks him with devouring kisses until they arrive at the cabaret of Régine, the queen of the night at the time, also Jewish. The audience can't believe their eyes: the best and most outrageous show in the city. (If Sarkozy had been there he would surely have said: It happened to me with Carla too, except that with Carla he was the president of France, not some unknown and ugly young Jew).

While Serez sips a drink at the far end of the bar, she strums as she knows how on the dance floor and finally drags him into a sensual sloe. The sequel is predictable - she drags him to her luxurious apartment on Paul Domer Boulevard and after that night he no longer had reason to be jealous of Harley Davidson.

B.B. was then newly married to millionaire playboy Gunter Sachs, who won her heart when he scattered a shower of red roses from his helicopter over her home in Saint-Tropez. She soon realized she had made a mistake and returned to her sexual freedom. But lo and behold, Gainsbourg held on to her and became her permanent lover – a real love story – even though outwardly there seemed to be nothing between them. But it was an open secret.

At the height of his happiness, he composes for her the super-erotic song “Je t'aime mo-non plus” (“I love you – neither do I”) and they record it together. It is almost an act of love, she moans and he has an indifferent voice. For example, he is heard whispering: “I go in and out between your loins – and I hold back.”

The sensational story reaches her husband and he is angry: full of infidelities but with such an ugly person? And with such a song? And he threatens to divorce her, which will harm her career. Brigitte begs her lover to hide the recording and, as a perfect gentleman, he agrees. But somehow a copy reaches a radio station and a scandal breaks out. Which does not prevent the continuation of the affair, however, quite secretly.

The end of the novel

Then she is invited to film in Spain alongside Sean Connery (he is the first James Bond). When they part ways, they swear eternal love for each other like horny high schoolers. But as often happens, the promised eternity is shortened to three months and after a few days of suffering for both of them, she is comforted in the arms of a new lover. Meanwhile, Serez is broken, locks himself in his parents' house and turns his apartment into a temple to B.B.

But Israel is not a widower and slowly he recovers and at least one good thing has come out of it: he is no longer frustrated by his ugliness, he has self-confidence and beautiful and famous women are courting him. (After all, if he was good enough for B.B., he must be good enough for me too). Until he meets a young English actress, Jane Birkin, and marries her (from the marriage their daughter Charlotte was born, who is also now a successful actress). With Birkin he records B.B.'s duet, which becomes a world hit, even though it was banned from airing in Italy and France for a long time.

By the way, B.B. approved the distribution of her version in 1986, but by then it was too late, the song was already a hit and he didn't need the original version. (The song in this version was played along with Debri.) After Gainsbourg's death a few years ago, Birkin became a star in her own right, while B.B. is immersed in her new calling: saving animals.