Peter Straker Sings Brel

Not sure any of you would be that bothered about this... a bad (but servicable) live recording of Freddie's buddy live at The Kings Head, Islington 14th May 2004 singing a selection of GREAT Jacques Brel songs.

http://s42.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=23WB25FO91M5V1IKD0E54B3U1H

If anyone could help with the setlist (don't know a couple of the tracks) or even clean it up a bit, I'd be really grateful.

I love this, so enjoy!

Although familiar with some of Jacques Brel’s work, I’m not used to hearing his songs sung in English! The only English recordings of Brel material I’m familiar with are those made by Scott Walker in the late 1960’s. Therefore the only songs that featured in Peter Straker’s performance that I’m fairly confident I know are:

1. Jackie
2. Bruxelles
9. Amsterdam
12. Mathilde
17. Funeral Tango
18. Le Moribund

Hope this proves to be of some help… :o)

Hey, nice surprise to see this pop up in here!
Thanks a lot, I'm very curious to hear this!

@jollification: David Bowie also did some very nice Brel covers in English in his early days. (Amsterdam, My Death...)

Thanks very much for this nice surprise;))

Thanks for sharing this! I haven't listened to all of it but so far I also recognised Next! (Au Suivant!).

thanks for sharing. sounds interesting

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]jeroen wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Hey, nice surprise to see this pop up in here!
Thanks a lot, I'm very curious to hear this!

@jollification: David Bowie also did some very nice Brel covers in English in his early days. (Amsterdam, My Death...)

[/QUOTE]

Yes, I forgot about David Bowie - surprising really as I do actually own his version of "Amsterdam"! :o/

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]jeroen wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Hey, nice surprise to see this pop up in here!
Thanks a lot, I'm very curious to hear this!

@jollification: David Bowie also did some very nice Brel covers in English in his early days. (Amsterdam, My Death...)

[/QUOTE]

The Port Of Amsterdam is SO fabulous freaking good.
My Death is also VERY nice.

*edited - sorry did not read properly* ;-)

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<b><font color = "crimson">ThomasQuinn wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]such_a_jollification wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The only English recordings of Brel material I’m familiar with are those made by Scott Walker in the late 1960’s.
[/QUOTE]

What about 'Seasons In The Sun' by Terry Jacks?[/QUOTE]

Yes there's that too. If I remember rightly that one was based on "Le Moribund" wasn't it? When I said I wasn't familiar with any other English recordings of Brel's work other than those of Scott Walker I meant that I didn't own that many others... I really ought to have been more clear about that one...

Glad to see this starting a nice thread!

the tracklist I have managed to cobble together is:

1) intro
2) Jackie
3) Brussels
4) Je Ne Sais Pas
5) Next
6) Bachelor Dance
7) Les Bles

9) Amsterdam

12) Mathilde

14) Les Ramparts De Varsoure
15) Ces Gensula

17) Funeral Tango
18) Le Moribond
19) La Valse A Mille Temps

I planned on seeing this several times on it's run in Islington as it was BRILLIANT (and with a view to get a better recording) but it never happened. I hoped to ask Peter if Freddie rated Brel at all... I've never heard of him be mentioned by Freddie. Although wasn't Straker's single of Jackie produced by Mercury?

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<font color=black>Dennis Daja<h6>QZs God wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]jeroen wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Hey, nice surprise to see this pop up in here!
Thanks a lot, I'm very curious to hear this!

@jollification: David Bowie also did some very nice Brel covers in English in his early days. (Amsterdam, My Death...)

[/QUOTE]

The Port Of Amsterdam is SO fabulous freaking good.
My Death is also VERY nice.
[/QUOTE]
I've always preferred My Death...
One of the most outstanding renditions of any song on the Spiders from Mars tour!

The 1995 version Bowie did was slightly different to say the least ;-) Not as good as the early version, but still nice.

Nice stuff, thanks a lot (BTW it's really worth checking out Peter's three albums - they're all fantastic!) Cheers, Mike

You're absolutely right Mike! ;-) He realy has a very fine voice. I love the This One's On Me album.

Did any of you see Peter in the Shakespeare-thing he's doing now??

I must say as a final note, it was Bowie's versions of Brel songs (Amsterdam on Ziggy 30 and My Death on Ziggy Motion Picture I feel are definitive) that got me into Brel.

Check out the original 60's cast recording of Jacques Brel Is Alive & Well for 23 fine English language versions of Brel tunes.