Compact Discoveries 201: Jacques Brel is Dead but not Gone as his Songs will Live Forever

From: Fred Flaxman
Series: Compact Discoveries
Length: 58:01

Fred Flaxman tells the story of Jacques Brel while playing eight of his most famous songs twice -- the first time in English as sung by the original cast of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris;" the second time in French as sung by Jacques Brel himself. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Compact Discoveries 201: Jacques Brel is Dead but ...
From: Fred Flaxman

Cdslogo2inch_small The songs include Marathon (Les Flamandes), Madeleine, Mathilde, Marieke, Brussels (Bruxelles), If We Only Have Love (Quand on a que l'amour), Amsterdam, and Carousel (La Valse a Mille Temps).

Flaxman points out Brel's influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Rod McKuen, and that English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the U.S., including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams.

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Piece Description

The songs include Marathon (Les Flamandes), Madeleine, Mathilde, Marieke, Brussels (Bruxelles), If We Only Have Love (Quand on a que l'amour), Amsterdam, and Carousel (La Valse a Mille Temps).

Flaxman points out Brel's influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Rod McKuen, and that English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the U.S., including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams.

Broadcast History

This is the world premiere.

Transcript

Compact Discoveries®
a series of one-hour radio programs produced, written, hosted, and edited by Fred Flaxman
©2012 by Fred Flaxman

Program 201
"Jacques Brel is Dead but not Gone as his Songs will Live Forever"

MUSIC: Brel: opening of Marathon performed by the original off-Broadway cast of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” [Columbia CGK 40817, Track 1] [under the following]

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, from which this recording was taken, debuted in 1968. It is a musical review consisting of 25 songs performed by four vocalists, two male and two female.

This is Compact Discoveries, and I’m your guide, Fred Flaxman. Stay with me for the next hour and we’ll listen to only eight of these songs, but each of them will be heard twice: the first time in English from this original cast recording, followed immediately by Jacques Brel singing his o...
Read the full transcript