Re: What about Neil Hannon?
> Jacques Brel - don't get me started - it's a little known fact that he
> wrote the original Seasons In The Sun, terribly plagiarised by Terry Jacks
> - orignally named Le Moribond. Have there ever been better displays of
> drunken rakishness than Amsterdam and Jacky (Le Chanson de Jacky) - I
> think not. And while we are at it, Neil Hannon did a far better cover
> version of Jacky than Marc Almond, marginally failing the superb Scott
> Walker version. Although, the translation left a bit to be desired
> ..."...whiskey that came from Twickenham.." - shocking!
> Cheers,
> Sk.
Jacques Brel-it takes a rare talent to make me listen to Flemish lyrics in the trusty lunatic wagon, but who else could write something as lovely as 'let me be the shadow of your shadow'. Scott's version of Amsterdam was a revelation when I first heard it...but you Jacques belt it out and it is another world. If you are a fan of Brel, I really recommend Alan Claydons biog of the great man 'Jacque Brel' ISBN 1860741363. His biggest English fan? Tony Hatch of Crossroads and Neighbours theme tunes no less-it was Brel's lyrics that got him co-writing with Moz darling, Petula Clarke.
Schuman, who translated most of Brels lyrics to English, also wrote most of the early Small Faces stuff with Kenny Lynch before going on to work with Scott. On a similar vein, what about Jimmy Webb? Did you know that Macarthur Park was originally written for Elvis;s 68 comeback, but the Colonel said a big no to the King embracing a 7 minute epic...can't blame him really.