Marianne Faithfull — BBC Four Interview/Sessions

Marianne Faithfull is an English singer, songwriter and actress whose career spans over four decades. Her early work in pop and rock music in the 1960s was overshadowed by her struggle with drug abuse and heroin addiction in the 1970s. After a long commercial absence, she returned late in 1979 with the landmark album, Broken English.

In the 1999 BBC Four program “Close Up” (first clip of five, above) Faithfull’s tumultuous life is examined in full detail — how she has become both the incredible iconoclast who has inspired such contemporary female artists as PJ Harvey, Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls), and Tori Amos (to name just a few), as well as the survivor in what has always been a male dominated industry.

Parts 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Duration: 50 minutes)

In the following 2009 BBC Four Sessions Interview, Marianne Faithfull talks about the making her new album, Easy Come, Easy Go (click here to listen to interview).

From her album’s premier performance, Faithfull performs Live with the London Symphony Orchestra at St. Luke’s, London, on February 18, 2009:

Children Of Stone” and “Sing Me Back Home” from Easy Come, Easy Go. “Crazy Love” from Before The Poison.

Partly a collection of covers of Faithfull’s favorite songs, and partly a collection of duets — indeed, such notables as Cat Power, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, Keith Richards, Sean Lennon, as well as Kate and Anna McGarrigle appear on the album — Easy Come, Easy Go is probably Marianne Faithfull’s best work since Broken English.

My favourite tracks on this 2CD album (there are 18 of them – 10 on the first disc, 8 on the second) are:

“Ooh Baby Baby”, with Antony Hegarty (originally by Smokey Robinson):
[audio:MarianneF Ooh Baby Baby (with Antony Hegarty).mp3]

“Black Coffee” (originally by Sarah Vaughan):
[audio:MarianneF Black Coffee.mp3]

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Author: urbangraffito

I am a writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, and foole (not necessarily in that order). Cultural activist and self-described anarchist.

8 thoughts on “Marianne Faithfull — BBC Four Interview/Sessions”

  1. [quote comment=”6645″]Marianne Faithfull’s music is fucking drudgery.[/quote]

    Little do you know of this particular artist’s oeuvre. Ironically, though, oeuvre is another word for work and another word for work is drudgery, so you are in the general neighborhood.

  2. It’s pretty much accepted that Broken English is Faithfull’s masterwork. In the albums that followed, yes, their were high points and songs that touched upon those she had so much success with on BE, but their will never be another masterwork like that. Artists are fortunate if they hit the mark a couple of times in their career, particularly female artists. Then again, I do have a penchant for brooding female voices (Marianne Faithfull, Monique Ortiz, Marisa Monte).

  3. [quote comment=”6649″][quote comment=”6645″]Marianne Faithfull’s music is fucking drudgery.[/quote]

    Little do you know of this particular artist’s oeuvre. Ironically, though, oeuvre is another word for work and another word for work is drudgery, so you are in the general neighborhood.[/quote]

    “Oeurve” huh? I must be out of my depth.
    Or not, whatever.

  4. i don’t know why everyone is so big on broken english… i thought a child’s adventure was better.

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