The loss of Scott Walker is about as monumental for many as was the loss of, say, David Bowie or Mark Hollis. Though I had known about his pop music (including the reinterpretation of Jacques Brel’s hit, Le Chanson de Jacky), this song was a revelation. It was so far removed from pop music that I figured it sounded more like a combination of cabaret music done by experimental or apocalyptic folk musicians. It was a brilliant career pivot, and he ended up working with some really intriguing characters until his passing yesterday.
Pop
[Music] “A-cute-cute in a stupid-ass way”
The last paragraph shows how devolved society has become if you can’t play a wonderful song by one of the most intriguing artists of his generation. So be it. Still, much respect to Ben Zimmer for the read of the day – commenting on the rendering of “stupid-ass,” which seems so non-offensive now, but which must have caused headaches for the censors back in the day.
With the passing of Scott Walker, who found pop-music fame as a member of the Walker Brothers before setting out on an inimitable solo career, the singer’s best-known work has been making the rounds online. One particularly memorable song from Walker was his first solo single, “Jackie,” released in December 1967. “Jackie” was an English-language rendering of Jacque Brel’s “La chanson de Jacky,” translated from French by Mort Shuman (a Brill Building songwriter who would go on to co-create the musical revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris). Both the French and English lyrics were quite racy for the time. The English chorus, as unforgettably delivered by Walker, goes:
If I could be for only an hour
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
A-cute-cute in a stupid-ass way
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[Music] Nat ‘King’ Cole – The Christmas Song
A perfect Christmas tune with Nat ‘King’ Cole.
[Music] Robert Goulet – Do You Hear What I Hear
As I prepare to spend Christmas alone in Beijing, it’s nice to be able to enjoy the dulcet sounds of the King of the Cameo, Robert Goulet.
[Music] Ethel Koffman – Flor Verbena
Editorial Municipal de Rosario is a record label out of Rosario, Argentina, which normally focuses on classical music. After digging into their catalog, I noticed that they’re not limited to that genre alone.
This album features the warm voice of Ethel Koffman, a fellow Argentine whose voice lilts in a way that would fit well with Bossa Nova music.
[Music] Valentīna Butāne un Edgars Zveja – Silavas valsis
Here’s a bit of light pop music from Latvia made for a relaxing day. The artists, Edgars Zveja and Valentīna Butāne, both came from conservatory backgrounds in what was then the Latvian S.S.R.
[Music] Sahar Sahra – Godar
It’s not often that I run into some charming music out of Afghanistan. Sahar Sahra is one of the country’s biggest stars currently.
[Music] Fred Lorca – Sonic Gringo
Imagine if DAF discovered cumbias in the 1980s with lo-fi equipment, but made up for it with a high, hazy, nearly psychedelic level of energy? Friends, I give you Fred Lorca, a composer originally from Argentina who had been residing in Spain for some years, and is, perhaps, once again residing in the Southern Cone.
This album isn’t imbued with kitschiness like, say, Señor Coconut. Think Yello, as this has a driving, danceable rhythm while maintaining its focus. That doesn’t mean it’s all serious, as there are small, cheeky interludes, and a feeling of a gang-land soundtrack in these rhythms.
[Music] Boris Tihomirov – Elektronnyi Budilnik (Electronic Alarm-Clock)
There’s something incredibly cheesy about this track, but it has the same charm that ‘Popcorn’ did in its heyday. As usual with these artists, there’s nothing I can find in English on Boris Tihomirov. Any information about him, of course, would be wonderful.
[Music] Scott Walker – The Seventh Seal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NoefTryy8
How many people do you know who could seamlessly pull off an Ingmar Bergman reference in a song? Scott Walker does so admirably.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 