Scott Walker : Jackie

God love Jacques Brel, because he really needs it. Every song is drenched in that bitter Gallic sense of cynicism and bile, shot through with the gaudy spangle of the Moulin Rouge. But it's so good. In "Jackie", as he fantasizes about the splendor that would accompany his meteoric rise to the top of the charts as a famous rock star, he writes about getting drunk, owning a bordello, smoking opium, queers, virgins and singing to the ladies in heaven with a giant flowing beard; you know, all that rock star stuff. Ironically, he had a couple of hits here in the states with "Ne me quitte pas" and "Seasons in the Sun", though I have no idea if he ever bought the whorehouse.

Scott Walker was a big hit in the UK, first with the Walker Brothers, then as a solo artist. The brothers had a minor hit here in the states with a Bacharach tune, but other than that, they never disturbed the charts. "Jackie" hit #20 in the UK, which I assume means it got a lot of airplay, which considering the lyrical content, I find amazing. Also, it's no mystery as to why it never got played over here. Scott loved Jacques Brel, and sang three of his songs on each of his first three solo LPs.

Anyway, this piece is a pretty typical Walker/Brel workout. The tune kicks in right away with the strings, horns and other orchestral trappings, as well as a martial beat that runs constantly throughout. Scott dives right in with his beautiful deep baritone, singing with the perfect mixture of glory and scorn, fluffed up with just a touch of reverb. The song drives forward relentlessly, with the orchestra pounding away and Scott just singing his heart out.

I love this song. I want to start a band just so I could cover this song. I like it so much, I'd be willing to sing it at a karaoke joint. (Note: Not really.) The orchestration is superb, the lyrics are astounding, and Scott's delivery is just top notch.

You can find this tune on Scott Walker's 1968 release, Scott 2. Oddly enough, it doesn't look like there are any compilations out there.

[You can listen to Scott Walker's "Jackie" by navigating to the post "Song048" and clicking or right-clicking on the title or the link.]

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