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Many in the English-speaking world first heard of Jacques
Brel through Scott Walker's championing, yet when Scott
launched his post-Walker Brothers solo career with his
recording of Brel's 'Jackie' in 1967, Brel had been an
enormous star in France for years. That lofty status was
remarkable, given Brel's lyrical obsessions with doomed
romance, loneliness, prostitution and death. As he said in
1966, "I'm obsessed by those things that are ugly and
sordid, that people don't want to talk about, as if they were
afraid of touching a wound that might soil them."
It was American songwriter Mort Shuman who, by
remaining as faithful as he could to Brel's original words,
transformed several key chansons into versions English-
speaking audiences could relate to. Scott, however, was
introduced to Brel's songs by his chanson-loving German
girlfriend, who would translate them for him. He was
immediately smitten. Meanwhile, a demo disc of Shuman's
translations had reached Stones manager Andrew Loog
Oldham, who in due course passed the disc to Scott.
Brel's impassioned narrative-based compositions had a
profound impact on Scott, shaping the creation of his own
increasingly meditative and dramatic songs. His first three
solo albums - produced by John Franz with superb
orchestral arrangements by Wally Stott, Peter Knight &
Reg Guest - would each feature Brel songs. "With those
albums, I was very excited having discovered chanson and
Brel," Scott would recall decades later. "When I hear some-
thing I get excited about, I think everyone should hear it."
This new Ace compilation comprises Scott's
interpretations of the nine Brel songs featured on his
"Scott", "Scott 2" and "Scott 3" albums, followed by Brel's
own French language originals, plus Brel's version of
'Seul', a song Scott performed on his TV series but of
which made no studio recording. Packaged with a stylish
24-page booklet featuring essays on Scott Walker and
Jacques Brel by Ian Johnston and Kris Needs respectively.