Jacques Brel: 35th anniversary

Thirty-fiveyears after his death on October 9 1978, Jacques Brel is recognised not only as one of the finest French language songwriters, but simply as one of the greatest ever.

His work has been interpreted in the English language since the 1960s. Over the years, hundreds of performers , including  David Bowie and Scott Walker, have all recorded memorable versions of Brel's work.

Much of the popularity of his work is down to English versions of his songs that featured in the 1968 Broadway musical Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, where around 25 of Brel's songs were translated by Eric Blau  and Mort Shuman.

Bowie recorded and released versions of Amsterdam and My Death. He recorded Amsterdam in 1970, and it featured on the B side of the Sorrow single released in 1973.



He performed My Death live at the peak of his Ziggy Stardust-era popularity, a version being released on the film of his final concert in London in 1973.



Bowie's versions of Brel songs had been inspired by the versions of the songs that had been recorded by Scott Walker. Walker, who had a hugely successful career as part of the Walker Brothers, covered Brel's songs at the begining of his solo career, clearly showing that as an artist he was going in a different direction to his precvious career as a teen idol. Brel's songs underpinned his first three solo albums, and they would later be collected into a volume entitled Scott Walker sings Jacques Brel.



Another key version of the work of Brel in English came from Scottish singer Alex Harvey, whose version of Next was a hit for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in 1973. The band were able to effortlessly blend theatrics and progressive rock with a gritty and earthy style. Next was a perfect song for them to cover.



1974 saw one of Brel's songs becoming an international hit in English. A version of his song Le Moribund was entitled Seasons in the Sun, the English lyrics by  singer-poet Rod McKuen. Canadian singer Terry Jacks cover went to number one in the USA, Canada and the UK.



But Brel's work was not soley the property of acts rooted in the 60s and 70s. Acts from later generations who were themselves influenced by the legends of the previous decades found the work of Brel and made it their own.

Marc Almond recorded several of his songs, eventually releasing an album in 1989 entitled Jacques featuring his versions of Brel's songs. He later recorded Jacky for his 1991 Tenement Symphony collection, reaching the top 20 in the UK charts.



Nick Cave interpreted the song Next in his own fiery style.



Nirvana also recorded a version of Seasons in the Sun, albeit not as an official release while the band were around.



To mark Brel' s anniversary, a box set of his recordings has been produced, and Brel's legacy and reputation shows no sign of fading as the years pass.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: Next

February 4 marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Alex Harvey, a Scottish singer who at the peak of his powers in the 1970s was one of rock music's greatest frontmen.

He also was a key interpreter of Jacques Brel, his version of Next introducing the Belgian's music to a whole new audience.

For those like myself who first heard Harvey's version of the song, it remains the definitive version of the track.

Brel's earthy but dramatic style suited Harvey down to the ground. Before hitting the big time with the Sensational Alex Harvey band in the 1970s, Harvey had been an solo artist whose career had been met with only limited success, and he had put in a lengthy period working in musical theatre in London, specifically with the hippie musical Hair, where he worked for five years.

But his fortunes changed when he hooked up with Scottish progressive band Teargas, becoming the Sensational Alex Harvey Band in 1972.

The band enjoyed a successful run in the 70s, including a hit single with Delilah in the UK. They combined a style that was both appealing to serious rock fans, lyrically literate and musically adventurous, and with Harvey the band had a commanding front man.

His work was shot through with humour, dark and soaked through with the blues, and sung with a proud Scottish accent.

Harvey left the SAHB in 1976, the band issued an album without him, although he got back together with them for a final album Rock Drill in 1978.

Harvey went on to work with other musicians, but never re-discovered the popularity or the critical acclaim that the Sensational Alex Harvey enjoyed, with health problems and drink-related issues plaguing his later years.

Harvey died of a heart attack on February 4 1982 in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

However, while he might never have attained the commercial success of some of the acts of the 1970s, he is remembered to this day as one of Scotland's greatest ever rock stars.