Marianne Faithfull -

Marianne Faithfull (December 29, 1946 — January 30, 2025) was an English singer from Hampstead who released three albums on Decca between 1965 and 1967, scoring early successes with the singles “Come and Stay With Me,” “This Little Bird,” “Summer Nights,” and a cover of the Rolling Stones ballad “As Tears Go By.”

The early 1970s found her waylaid with drug addiction and domestic issues. In 1971, she recorded material for a fourth album that would ultimately be shelved until 1984 when it was released as Rich Kids Blues by Castle Communications.

Faithfull reemerged in 1976 with the rustic-tinged NEMS Records release Dreamin’ My Dreams, subsequently reissued as Faithless. She revised her sound and image for the 1979 Island Records release Broken English, recorded with backing by Darryl Way (Curved Air), Jim Cuomo (Fireballet), Morris Pert (Brand X), Steve York (Hardin & York), and Steve Winwood. Three further studio albums followed on Island between 1981 and 1987; a period capped with the popular 1990 live release Blazing Away. The ensuing decade saw her tackle the catalog of Weill and Brecht.

Background

She was born Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull on December 29, 1946, in Hampstead, London; the daughter of Eva von Sacher-Masoch (an Austrian ballerina) and Major Robert Glynn Faithfull (a British intelligence officer).

Raised between her father’s Oxfordshire commune and her mother’s modest household in Reading, Faithfull experienced a fragmented childhood shaped by postwar displacement, illness, and cultural duality. She attended St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Convent School on a scholarship, where she developed an early interest in performance through the school’s theater program. Her upbringing exposed her to classical music and European literature, while the beat scene of early 1960s London introduced her to folk clubs and poetry readings.

By 17, she was singing in coffeehouses and immersing herself in Soho’s art and music circles. Her life changed abruptly in early 1964, when she attended a Rolling Stones launch party with then-boyfriend John Dunbar and met Andrew Loog Oldham. Struck by her voice and presence, Oldham offered her a song co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards—“As Tears Go By”—which launched her recording career later that year.

Marianne Faithfull | Come My Way

On April 15, 1965, Decca Records simultaneously released Marianne Faithfull’s first two albums: Marianne Faithfull (a pop album) and Come My Way (a folk album).

Built around orchestral pop arrangements and contemporary song choices, the album combines covers of recent hits, translations of chanson material, and new compositions, including her first co-writing credit. The UK edition features fourteen tracks arranged across chamber pop settings and light beat instrumentation, while the US edition substitutes in the single “This Little Bird” and omits four UK tracks to emphasize her gentler material.

Songwriting contributions span both sides of the Atlantic. Jackie DeShannon penned three songs, including the opener and “In My Time of Sorrow,” co-written with guitarist Jimmy Page. Faithfull co-wrote “Time Takes Time” with Private Eye cartoonist Barry Fantoni. “As Tears Go By” comes from Andrew Loog Oldham, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards, who originally intended it for the Rolling Stones. Instrumentally, David Whitaker handles orchestral arrangements on select tracks, while Jon Mark contributes acoustic settings, and Mike Leander directs the broader arrangement structure.

A1. “Come and Stay With Me” (2:25) – originated as a 1965 Decca a-side written by Jackie DeShannon specifically for Marianne Faithfull. The song became one of Faithfull’s biggest hits, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and charting in multiple countries including Australia, Ireland, and Canada.
A2. “If I Never Get to Love You” (2:15) – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
A3. “Time Takes Time” (1:40) – Barry Fantoni, Marianne Faithfull
A4. “He’ll Come Back to Me” (2:33) – Claude-Henri Vic, Michael Farr, Robert Gall
A5. “Down Town” (2:45) – originated as a 1964 Pye a-side by Petula Clark; written and produced by Tony Hatch. Clark’s original reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the UK, and later earned Hatch the 1981 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
A6. “Plaisir d’amour” (2:34) – is a French classical romance composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, with lyrics adapted from the novel Célestine by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian. Faithfull’s version features a modern arrangement by David Whitaker.

B1. “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” (2:24) – originated as a 1965 Vee-Jay a-side by Herman’s Hermits; written by John Carter and Ken Lewis and produced by Mickie Most. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was concurrently issued in the UK as the b-side to “Silhouettes.” Goldie & the Gingerbreads also charted with it in the UK that same year.
B2. “As Tears Go By” (2:35) – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards co-wrote the song for Marianne Faithfull with their producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. The Rolling Stones later recorded their own version, released as a 1965 single in the US on London Records, where it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
B3. “Paris Bells” (2:45) – Jon Birchell
B4. “They Never Will Leave You” (2:07) – André Popp, Jean-Jacques Debout
B5. “What Have They Done to the Rain” (2:53) – originated as a 1962 protest song by Malvina Reynolds, written in response to concerns over nuclear fallout from above-ground atomic testing. The Searchers released a widely heard cover in late 1964, which charted in both the UK and US.
B6. “In My Time of Sorrow” (2:20) – Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Page
B7. “What Have I Done Wrong” (1:50) – Michael Farr
B8. “I’m a Loser” (2:15) – originated as a 1964 album track by The Beatles on Beatles for Sale (UK) and Beatles ’65 (US); written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Though briefly considered for single release, it was ultimately sidelined in favor of “I Feel Fine.”

Sessions took place between late 1964 and early 1965 at Decca Studio No. 2 with engineer Peter Hitchcock, and at Lansdowne Studios with engineer Gus Dudgeon. Mike Leander oversaw the arrangement direction across both orchestral and acoustic passages.

“As Tears Go By” was released as Faithfull’s debut single on June 26, 1964, reaching the UK Top 10 and establishing her international profile. “Come and Stay With Me” followed on February 5, 1965, becoming another UK Top 10 hit. “This Little Bird,” released on April 30, 1965, appeared only on the US version of the album. The UK album peaked at No. 15; the US version reached No. 12 on Billboard.

Come My Way

Come My Way fulfilled Faithfull’s vision for a traditional folk album, distinct from the orchestrated pop material featured on her debut.

It compiles adaptations of Anglo-American ballads, spirituals, and contemporary compositions. Most tracks draw from the folk canon and retain the modal austerity and narrative intimacy of their sources. The arrangements center on stripped-back acoustic settings, foregrounding phrasing and lyric delivery without orchestration or embellishment.

Jon Mark, who arranged and composed the title track, plays primary acoustic guitar throughout. Big Jim Sullivan complements Mark’s fingerpicking with secondary guitar lines, adding harmonic texture and reinforcing modal passages with overlapping patterns and suspended voicings.

A1. “Come My Way” (2:05) – Jon Mark
A2. “Jaberwock” (2:34) – adapts the 1871 nonsense poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, originally featured in his novel Through the Looking-Glass. Set to music by Jon Mark, the arrangement places Carroll’s mirror-verse in a modal folk setting.
A3. “Portland Town” (2:59) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
A4. “House of the Rising Sun” (2:28) – is a traditional American folk ballad first collected in Appalachia in the 1930s. Often attributed to earlier English sources, it became widely known through the 1964 UK/US chart-topping version by The Animals, which helped establish the song as a standard in the folk-rock canon.
A5. “Spanish Is a Loving Tongue” (2:43) – originated as the 1907 poem “A Border Affair” by Charles Badger Clark, a cowboy poet and eventual Poet Laureate of South Dakota. Billy Simon set the poem to music in 1925, and it entered the American folk repertoire soon after.
A6. “Fare Thee Well” (2:52) – also known as “The Turtle Dove” or “Ten Thousand Miles,” is an 18th-century English farewell ballad first printed in Roxburghe Ballads (1710) under the title “The True Lover’s Farewell.” Ralph Vaughan Williams recorded a traditional version sung by David Penfold in 1907, now archived in the British Library Sound Archive.
A7. “Lonesome Traveller” (2:05) – originated as a 1950 single by The Weavers, written and sung by Lee Hays. Described by the group as “a modern spiritual,” it featured vocal harmonies and banjo-guitar accompaniment and was issued with Woody Guthrie’s “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You” on the flip.

B1. “Down in the Salley Garden” (2:06) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B2. “Mary Ann” (1:45) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B3. “Full Fathom Five” (1:27) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B4. “Four Strong Winds” (3:00) – originated as the 1962 debut composition of Ian Tyson, first recorded by Canadian folk duo Ian & Sylvia on their 1963 album Four Strong Winds. Tyson wrote the song after hearing Bob Dylan in New York and completed it in 20 minutes while staying in the apartment of manager Albert Grossman.
B5. “Black Girl” (2:28) – also known as “In the Pines,” is a traditional American folk song with roots in the Southern Appalachian region, dating to at least the 1870s. Its lineage combines two earlier pieces, “In the Pines” and “The Longest Train,” both of anonymous authorship and passed down through oral tradition.
B6. “Once I Had a Sweetheart” (2:08) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B7. “Bells of Freedom” (2:04) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark, Big Jim Sullivan

Sessions took place at IBC Studios in London between late 1964 and early 1965, with Tony Calder producing and Martin Haines engineering. Unlike her pop debut, the production style maintains a raw ensemble feel, emphasizing natural room sound and mic placement over studio layering. Gered Mankowitz photographed the cover at The Salisbury pub in Covent Garden, with sleeve design by Chris O’Dell.

“Blowin’ in the Wind,” backed with “House of the Rising Sun,” was issued as a non-album single in advance of Come My Way on October 23, 1964, and marked Keith Richards’ first studio credit as a session guitarist. The album charted at No. 12 in the UK, a rare instance of a folk LP outperforming its pop counterpart during that period.

Marianne Faithfull (US)

Issued in the US in mid-1965 by London Records, Marianne Faithfull compiles material from her two UK debut albums—Marianne Faithfull and Come My Way—into a twelve-track set geared toward the American folk-pop market.

Nine tracks come from the pop album, including both UK hit singles and most of its orchestral material. These selections emphasize contemporary songwriting and light chamber-pop arrangements. Only three tracks come from Come My Way, and none represent its more traditional or modal folk material. “In My Time of Sorrow,” “What Have They Done to the Rain,” and “What Have I Done Wrong” reflect its more melodic, pop-adjacent moments.

“This Little Bird,” not included on either UK album, opens the US release and reinforces its focus on singles and lighter arrangements. No new material was recorded; the album’s distinction lies in its track selection. Unlike the UK’s separate folk and pop LPs, the US debut presents a single, consolidated view that favors Faithfull’s pop profile with minimal reference to her folk repertoire.

Go Away from My World (US)

Released in the US in December 1965, Go Away from My World was Marianne Faithfull’s second American album and her first to draw material primarily from her UK folk releases. Rather than repeating the pop-leaning focus of the US Marianne Faithfull LP, this twelve-track album shifts toward a folk-rock aesthetic, blending contemporary singer-songwriter material with traditional British and Irish ballads.

Seven tracks are drawn from Come My Way, including “Mary Ann,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Come My Way,” and “Sally Free and Easy.” “Lullabye” and “North Country Maid” were also recorded during sessions for Come My Way but held back from the UK release, making their first appearance here. The title track, “Go Away from My World,” composed by Jon Mark, is unique to this album and had not appeared on any UK release at the time. Similarly, “Summer Nights,” a 1965 UK Top 10 single, is included here but does not appear on either of her first two British albums. “Yesterday” is borrowed from Love in a Mist, and “The Last Thing on My Mind” would appear on North Country Maid the following year.

While much of the material overlaps with UK sessions, the Go Away from My World version of “Come My Way” is a distinct take from the one issued on the UK album of the same name, recorded during a different session with notable interpretive changes. The tracklist overall emphasizes Faithfull’s folk identity while incorporating more contemporary material from writers like Tom Paxton and Francis McPeake. The album reached No. 81 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 40 on the Cash Box Top 100 Albums chart.

“Summer Nights,” released as a single in July 1965, reached No. 24 in the US. Its b-side, “The Sha La La Song” (written by Michael Farr), remained an exclusive rarity until the 1981 compilation As Tears Go By.

North Country Maid

Marianne Faithfull released her third UK studio album, North Country Maid, on April 1, 1966, on Decca.

The album consolidates Faithfull’s growing shift toward traditional and contemporary folk material, with an emphasis on Scottish, Irish, and English ballads arranged in acoustic settings. It also incorporates modern contributions by songwriters like Donovan, Bert Jansch, and Tom Paxton, placing Faithfull’s interpretation of 1960s folk revival repertoire in a studio format with sparse, guitar-led arrangements. Several tracks had already appeared in the US the previous year on Go Away from My World, but North Country Maid presents them in a coherent folk-based sequence.

Acoustic guitarist Jon Mark arranges most of the traditional material and contributes the original song “Lullaby,” anchoring the record in modal voicings and restrained ornamentation. Mick Taylor, then in his final months with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, arranges “Cockleshells” and provides alternate voicings around Mark’s lead patterns. Big Jim Sullivan supports both with additional guitar, layering harmonic counterpoints beneath the melodic frame. The interplay remains fluid and subdued, maintaining clarity and balance across the album’s ballad-driven flow.

A1. “Green Are Your Eyes” (2:56) – Bert Jansch
A2. “Scarborough Fair” (3:14) – is a traditional English ballad (Roud 12, Child 2) collected from the Yorkshire–Northumbria region and traced in print to Frank Kidson’s Traditional Tunes (1891). The melody used here derives from a 1947 field recording of Mark Anderson by Ewan MacColl. Simon & Garfunkel later popularized the song with a 1966 counterpoint arrangement learned from Martin Carthy.
A3. “Cockleshells” (2:42) – Traditional; arranged by Mick Taylor
A4. “The Last Thing on My Mind” (2:29) – originated as a 1964 album track by American folk singer Tom Paxton, based loosely on the traditional farewell ballad “The Leaving of Liverpool.” It first appeared on Paxton’s Elektra debut Ramblin’ Boy.
A5. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (3:05) – was written in 1957 by British folk singer Ewan MacColl for American musician Peggy Seeger. Originally performed within the couple’s repertoire, the song circulated through 1960s folk scenes and was later covered by Roberta Flack, who scored a No. 1 hit with her 1972 version.
A6. “Sally Free and Easy” (3:44) – Cyril Tawney; arranged by Jon Mark

B1. “Sunny Goodge Street” (3:13) – originated as a track on Fairytale, the second album by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, released in October 1965 on Pye Records. The lyrics reference bohemian life in London’s Soho district, notably the titular street near Tottenham Court Road.
B2. “How Should I Your True Love Know” (2:03) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B3. “She Moved Thru’ The Fair” (3:16) – is a traditional Irish ballad (Roud 861) collected in multiple versions. This adaptation uses the melody arranged by Herbert Hughes and the lyrics shaped by poet Padraic Colum. The narrative centers on a ghostly reunion following the sudden death of a betrothed lover.
B4. “North Country Maid” (2:33) – Traditional; arranged by Jon Mark
B5. “Lullaby” (3:00) – Jon Mark
B6. “Wild Mountain Thyme” (2:36) – also known as “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?,” is a mid-20th century adaptation by Belfast musician Francis McPeake. It derives from the earlier Scottish song “The Braes of Balquhither” by poet Robert Tannahill and composer Robert Archibald Smith, and was first recorded by the McPeake family in the 1950s.

Sessions took place under producer Mike Leander with Gus Dudgeon as engineer. The studio setup favored dry mic placement and minimal post-production, preserving the intimacy of each acoustic arrangement. Gered Mankowitz handled the photography for the sleeve.

No singles were issued from North Country Maid in the UK, and the album remained unreleased in the US. Half of its songs had appeared earlier in the American market on Go Away from My World.

In the months surrounding the album’s release, Faithfull’s personal life shifted dramatically. She moved with her son Nicholas into the London home of Brian Jones and Anita Pallenberg, where she began smoking marijuana and became close friends with Pallenberg. That same year she entered a highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger, left her husband, and joined the core of the Swinging London scene. Her voice appeared in the background of The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” recorded in 1966 and released in 1967. That May, Graham Nash wrote the Hollies hit “Carrie Anne,” inspired by his infatuation with Faithfull.

Love in a Mist

Marianne Faithfull released her fourth UK studio album, Love in a Mist, on March 2, 1967, on Decca.

The album compiles material recorded across a transitional period as Faithfull moved between orchestrated pop and folk-influenced singer-songwriter material. It combines covers of contemporary songwriters such as Tim Hardin, Donovan, Jackie DeShannon, and Bob Lind, along with versions of “Yesterday” by Lennon–McCartney and “I Have a Love” from West Side Story. Several tracks had already appeared in the US months earlier on Faithfull Forever, with “Counting” issued only in the UK. This marks her last studio release for nearly a decade.

Donovan contributes three songs, with two sourced directly from his 1966 output. Jackie DeShannon provides “You Can’t Go Where the Roses Go” and “With You in Mind,” both arranged in a baroque pop style with alternating chamber and acoustic textures. “Is This What I Get for Loving You?” was recorded with producer Andrew Loog Oldham and released as a standalone single in early 1967. Guitarists Jon Mark and Big Jim Sullivan likely reprise their roles from earlier sessions, with Mike Leander again directing arrangements and shaping orchestral passages in tandem with the acoustic instrumentation. No keyboardists are credited, but Leander’s string settings imply sustained accompaniment layered behind the melodic frame.

A1. “Yesterday” (2:15) – originated as a 1965 Beatles ballad written by Paul McCartney, though credited to the Lennon–McCartney team. Initially released on Help! in the UK, the song reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most widely covered compositions in modern music history.
A2. “You Can’t Go Where the Roses Go” (2:55) – Jackie DeShannon
A3. “Our Love Has Gone” (3:15) – Chris Andrews
A4. “Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep” (2:48) – originated as a track on Tim Hardin 1, the 1966 debut album by American folk singer Tim Hardin. Released by Verve Folkways, the song showcased Hardin’s introspective writing style and soon attracted interpretations by dozens of artists across folk and pop circles.
A5. “In the Night Time” (3:00) – Donovan
A6. “This Little Bird” (2:00) – John D. Loudermilk
A7. “Ne Me Quitte Pas” (2:32) – Jacques Demy, Michel Legrand

B1. “Counting” (2:50) – Bob Lind
B2. “Reason to Believe” (2:17) – was first recorded by Tim Hardin on his 1966 album Tim Hardin 1. The song’s understated lament later gained broader recognition through versions by the Carpenters (1970), Rod Stewart (1971), and numerous others, but Faithfull was among the first wave of artists to cover it following Hardin’s original.
B3. “Coquillages” (3:37) – Marcel Stellman, Michael John Taylor
B4. “With You in Mind” (2:25) – Jackie DeShannon
B5. “Young Girl Blues” (3:35) – Donovan
B6. “Good Guy” (2:45) – Donovan
B7. “I Have a Love” (2:45) – Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein

Sessions took place under producer Mike Leander across multiple London studios between late 1965 and 1966. The album features a blend of older and newer material curated from overlapping pop and folk contexts. Photography and design were handled by Michael Cooper, with imagery reflecting the stylized mood of Faithfull’s late Decca era.

“Is This What I Get for Loving You?” backed with “Tomorrow’s Calling” was released as a non-album single in February 1967. Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, the single reached No. 43 in the UK and marked her final chart appearance of the decade. It appears on European editions of Love in a Mist but not the original UK release.

Faithfull Forever

Marianne Faithfull’s third US album, Faithfull Forever, appeared in September 1966 on London Records. It functioned as a transatlantic preview of Love in a Mist with several additions and alterations. Of its twelve tracks, nine appear—mostly in identical form—on the UK Love in a Mist, though “Counting” features a different mix and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is presented with added choral overdubs not found on its North Country Maid version.

Three songs are exclusive to the US album: “Some Other Spring,” “Lucky Girl,” and “I’m the Sky.” These are not included on any UK studio release, making Faithfull Forever unique in content despite its overlap. “Monday, Monday” and “That’s Right Baby,” while not on Love in a Mist, had appeared on singles or prior compilations.

In contrast to Love in a Mist, which was sequenced for a UK audience with a mix of folk-pop and singer-songwriter material, Faithfull Forever balances that tone with a few MOR-leaning selections tailored to US tastes, particularly in its use of richer vocal layering and contemporary covers like “Monday, Monday.” The album’s curation offers a soft-edged, stylistically diverse impression of Faithfull’s mid-60s output, drawing from multiple sessions under producer Mike Leander.

“Something Better”

Marianne Faithfull released the single “Something Better” on February 21, 1969, backed with “Sister Morphine.” Intended as a promotional tie-in with the World of Marianne Faithfull compilation, the release captures the stylistic shift from orchestrated pop to blues-based material with contributions from key members of the Rolling Stones’ circle. Producer Mick Jagger oversaw both sides, with arrangements by Jack Nitzsche and slide guitar work by Ry Cooder.

“Something Better” was written by Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin and arranged by Nitzsche for Faithfull’s appearance in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, where she performed the song live to a pre-recorded backing track. The studio version features interplay between acoustic textures and a compact horn arrangement. Charlie Watts is heard introducing the track in the Rock and Roll Circus version, underscoring the song’s role in bridging her Decca-era work with her forthcoming break from the label.

“Sister Morphine” was co-written by Faithfull, Jagger, and Richards and recorded during the Beggars Banquet sessions. Ry Cooder plays both slide guitar and bass, while Nitzsche adds piano and organ under Faithfull’s vocal. The lyrics trace themes of physical trauma and withdrawal, articulated through a sparse arrangement and fragmented narrative voice. Decca issued the single in the UK with full songwriting credits, but London Records omitted Faithfull’s name on the US edition. Faithfull eventually reclaimed co-authorship through legal action in the 1990s, after the Rolling Stones released their own version on Sticky Fingers with slightly altered lyrics.

A. “Something Better” (2:48)
B. “Sister Morphine” (5:33)

The UK single was withdrawn shortly after release due to concerns over drug references in the B-side title, though copies circulated elsewhere. Alternate versions of both tracks appear in various international pressings. Faithfull re-recorded “Sister Morphine” in 1979 and made it a fixture of her live repertoire.

Sessions took place in July 1968 during the Beggars Banquet period, with Faithfull working in tandem with the Stones’ extended studio circle. Jagger produced both tracks; Nitzsche arranged and handled keyboard parts. The single was released during a period of personal and artistic turbulence, as Faithfull’s public profile blurred with her association with Jagger and the Stones.

Rich Kid Blues

Marianne Faithfull recorded her intended fifth album, Masques, in 1971 with producer Mike Leander. The contents remained vaulted until the 1985 release Rich Kid Blues on Castle Communications.

The material spans pop, folk, and country interpretations drawn from contemporary singer-songwriters, including multiple selections by Bob Dylan, alongside songs by Terry Reid, Cat Stevens, George Harrison, Phil Ochs, and Sandy Denny.

Faithfull’s delivery adopts a darker, more introspective tone than her 1960s recordings, reflecting the personal and artistic upheaval she had undergone in the intervening years. The arrangements favor sparse instrumentation and slow pacing, marked by subdued interplay between acoustic guitar and piano, often left uncluttered to frame the vocal line. Specific instrumental credits remain undocumented, but the sessions exhibit a minimal setup that aligns with Leander’s shift toward singer-centered production during this period.

A1. “Rich Kid Blues” (4:17) – Terry Reid
A2. “Long Black Veil” (3:00) – originated as a 1959 Columbia a-side by Lefty Frizzell; written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin. Framed as a posthumous confession, the lyrics recount a man’s refusal to give an alibi for a crime he didn’t commit due to an affair with his best friend’s wife.
A3. “Sad Lisa” (2:28) – Cat Stevens
A4. “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (3:50) – originated as the closing track on Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home, recorded January 15, 1965, and released by Columbia that March. The song was later covered by Them, the 13th Floor Elevators, and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, among others.
A5. “Southern Butterfly” (3:16) – Tim Hardin
A6. “Chords of Fame” (3:46) – originated on Greatest Hits, an ironically titled collection of 1970 originals by protest singer Phil Ochs. The song critiques the disorienting effects of celebrity, an issue Ochs wrestled with throughout his career.

B1. “Visions of Johanna” (4:36) – originated as a 1966 Columbia album track by Bob Dylan on Blonde on Blonde. The song’s dense lyricism has earned wide acclaim for its evocative imagery and compositional structure, often cited among Dylan’s finest works.
B2. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” (3:54) – originated on Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, recorded July 29, 1965, and issued that August by Columbia. The song’s slurred phrasing and irregular timing marked an early stylistic shift into blues-inflected surrealism.
B3. “Beware of Darkness” (3:30) – originated as the opening track on side four of George Harrison’s 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass, released by Apple. The lyric draws from Eastern spiritual themes rooted in Harrison’s association with the Radha Krishna Temple.
B4. “Corinna, Corinna” (2:32) – Bo Chatman, J. Mayo Williams, Mitchell Parish
B5. “Mud Slide Slim” (3:38) – James Taylor
B6. “Crazy Lady Blues” (2:04) – Sandy Denny

Faithfull recorded the album at Trident Studios in London during 1971, with Mike Leander overseeing the sessions. Intended for release through Bell Records, the album was shelved after the label declined to issue it. The songs remained unreleased for 14 years, finally issued by Castle Communications in 1985 as part of a compilation titled Rich Kid Blues, which combined Masques with material from her earlier Faithless LP.

No singles were released from the sessions, and the album remained unissued during Faithfull’s 1970s career collapse. She had separated from Mick Jagger in May 1970 and lost custody of her son the same year. By the time of the sessions, she had entered a period of addiction and instability that rendered her largely absent from the public eye. Leander initiated the Masques project as an attempt to help her reestablish herself, but it went unheard until her post-Broken English resurgence.

Dreamin’ My Dreams [aka Faithless]

Marianne Faithfull released her sixth-recorded album, Dreamin’ My Dreams, in 1976 on NEMS. In 1978, the album appeared partially remixed with four additional tracks as Faithless.

The album marks Faithfull’s return after nearly a decade away from full-length studio releases, pivoting toward country-pop material rooted in the Nashville and Southern California songwriting circuits. It draws from the catalogs of Allen Reynolds, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Jackie DeShannon, mixing cover material with one co-written original.

Faithfull’s delivery reflects a deep shift in vocal tone developed over years of personal struggle, presenting the songs with huskier phrasing and flattened vibrato. Backing comes from members of The Grease Band, who had formerly supported Joe Cocker and contribute to the organic studio sound. Lead guitar shares interplay with piano and steel textures, alternating focal roles while remaining restrained in dynamic scope. “Lady Madelaine,” a new original co-written by Faithfull with arranger Bill Landis and conductor Bill Shepherd, closes the album with a darkened flair distinct from the rest of the set.

A1. “Dreamin’ My Dreams” (3:58) – Originally written and recorded by Allen Reynolds, the song gained prominence through Waylon Jennings’ 1975 rendition on Dreaming My Dreams. Crystal Gayle’s cover retains Jennings’ spare arrangement and melancholy tone, which helped establish the introspective mood of her debut album.
A2. “Fairy Tale Hero” (2:46) – John Rostill
A3. “This Time” (2:47) – Penned and originally performed by Waylon Jennings, this 1974 single marked his first No. 1 on the Billboard country chart. Gayle’s version preserves the steady tempo and direct phrasing of Jennings’ outlaw-era original, using it as a grounding moment early in the album.
A4. “I’m Not Lisa” (3:25) – Written and performed by Jessi Colter, “I’m Not Lisa” was a 1975 crossover hit, reaching No. 1 country and No. 4 pop. Its slow, piano-led arrangement and plaintive lyric provided a template for other country ballads that straddled traditional and pop markets.
A5. “The Way You Want Me to Be” (3:16) – David Price, Thomas Kelly
A6. “Wrong Road Again” (2:20) – Composed by Allen Reynolds and released as Crystal Gayle’s debut single in 1974, this track established her sound with its brisk shuffle rhythm and resigned vocal delivery. Loretta Lynn recorded a cover in 1975, highlighting the song’s family-line appeal.

B1. “All I Wanna Do in Life” (2:50) – Allen Reynolds, Sandy Mason Theoret
B2. “I’m Looking for Blue Eyes” (2:40) – Miriam Eddy
B3. “Somebody Loves You” (2:43) – Another Reynolds composition, “Somebody Loves You” was released in December 1975 as the title track to Gayle’s second album. The song helped further define her smooth phrasing style, and became her second major hit, peaking at No. 8 country in early 1976.
B4. “Vanilla O’Lay” (3:12) – Jackie DeShannon
B5. “Lady Madelaine” (4:27) – Marianne Faithfull, Bill Landis, Bill Shepherd
B6. “Sweet Little Sixteen” (3:30) – Chuck Berry’s 1958 classic celebrates teenage fandom with a rapid-fire lyric over twelve-bar rhythm. Gayle’s version closes the album with a nod to early rock ’n’ roll, adapting Berry’s phrasing to a softer vocal tone without altering the melodic shape.

Sessions took place at IBC Studios in London between 1975 and early 1976 under multiple producers, including Mike Leander, John Worth, Bob Potter, Derek Wadsworth, and Bill Landis. Instrumental backing came from The Grease Band, with arrangements tailored to Faithfull’s altered vocal range and tone.

“Dreamin’ My Dreams” was released as a single on November 7, 1975, and topped the Irish charts in 1976. Subsequent singles included “Wrong Road Again” and “All I Wanna Do in Life,” followed by the Faithless versions of “The Way You Want Me to Be” and a reissued “Dreamin’ My Dreams” in France.

Faithless, issued in 1978, reconfigures Dreamin’ My Dreams into a sixteen-track sequence that combines the bulk of the 1976 album with four newly introduced tracks. Ten songs appear in both versions, including “Dreamin’ My Dreams,” “This Time,” “I’m Not Lisa,” “Wrong Road Again,” and “Lady Madelaine.” The Faithless edition omits “I’m Looking for Blue Eyes,” “Somebody Loves You,” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” from the vinyl version, though all three are restored on the CD reissue.

Four tracks make their first appearance here: covers of Bob Dylan (“I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”), Bob Johnson (“Wait for Me Down by the River”), J.D. Miller (“Honky Tonk Angels”), and the Faithfull original “That Was the Day (Nashville),” the latter two recorded specifically for this edition. These additions broaden the album’s stylistic palette, deepening its roots-country profile with slower tempos and amplified steel-guitar presence.

Production credits remain split across the original sessions. Bill Landis reprises his work on “Dreamin’ My Dreams” and “Lady Madelaine,” while new producer Bob Potter handles the four exclusive tracks. The sequence rearranges material from Dreamin’ My Dreams and recontextualizes it alongside the new cuts, creating a longer and more varied listening arc.

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull released her seventh album, Broken English, on November 2, 1979, on Island.

The album marks a decisive break from her earlier acoustic and country-oriented work, adopting a late‑1970s new wave framework shaped by synthesizers, electric guitar, and clipped rhythmic structures. Material written during the sessions blends personal subject matter with contemporary political references, set against arrangements that favor tension and austerity over ornament. Faithfull’s altered vocal register, deepened by years of illness and substance abuse, becomes an integral structural element rather than an expressive overlay, aligning closely with the album’s stark instrumental palette.

Songwriting centers on collaborations with guitarist Barry Reynolds and members of the touring band formed in 1977. Reynolds co‑writes the title track and “Guilt,” while Heathcote Williams contributes the lyric that underpins “Why D’Ya Do It,” originally conceived as a spoken text. Shel Silverstein’s “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,” previously recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, anchors the album’s narrative core and became closely associated with Faithfull following its release. John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” appears as a direct cover, positioned within the album’s broader examination of disillusionment. Instrumentally, guitarist Barry Reynolds and Joe Mavety trade angular figures and sustained textures, while keyboardist Steve Winwood adds synthesizer and electric keyboard layers late in the sessions, reinforcing the album’s modernist edge.

A1. “Broken English” (4:35) – Faithfull wrote the lyric in response to a documentary on Ulrike Meinhof, co-founder of the Baader–Meinhof group. The song’s title refers to the fractured manner in which Meinhof spoke English during televised interviews. The band set the text to a 4/4 mid-tempo rhythm with synth overlays, co-written by Barry Reynolds, Joe Mavety, Steve York, and Terry Stannard.
A2. “Witches’ Song” (4:43) – Included in the Derek Jarman short film Broken English, “Witches’ Song” was grouped with “Broken English” and “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.” Faithfull envisioned it as a modern pagan anthem, co-written with her full studio band. Jarman’s visual treatment cast it as a walk through central London layered with wartime archival footage.
A3. “Brain Drain” (4:13) – Written by Faithfull’s then-husband Ben Brierley, “Brain Drain” appears as the B-side to “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” and again on the US 7″ pressing of “Broken English.” The song functions as a sardonic counterpoint to the album’s darker psychological themes.
A4. “Guilt” (5:05) – Barry Reynolds composed “Guilt” as a reflection on Catholic repression, which Faithfull—raised in a mixed Anglican–Catholic household—identified with. Her vocal performance draws out the lyric’s sense of moral entrapment and personal damage.

B1. “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” (4:09) – Originally recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show in 1974, this Shel Silverstein song recounts a suburban housewife’s mental unravelling. Faithfull’s 1979 version, arranged over sparse synthesizer textures by Steve Winwood, reframes Lucy’s rooftop fantasy as a metaphoric escape via psychiatric hospitalization.
B2. “What’s the Hurry” (3:05) – Penned by guitarist Joe Mavety, “What’s the Hurry” addresses the weary, aimless pacing of habitual drug use. The track’s jittery pulse and slurred vocal delivery mirror the psychological inertia described in the lyric.
B3. “Working Class Hero” (4:40) – Originally released in 1970 on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, this stark acoustic protest serves as Faithfull’s homage to Lennon, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop—figures she cited as personal icons. Her version retains the original’s bitterness while adapting its phrasing to her coarsened vocal register.
B4. “Why D’Ya Do It” (6:45) – Adapted from a poem by Heathcote Williams, this final track is delivered as a caustic, accusatory rant against infidelity. Faithfull convinced Williams—who intended the piece for Tina Turner—to let her record it. The studio band arranged the backing as a slurred 4/4 tango with punctuated guitar stabs and rhythmic dissonance, referencing Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower as a sonic model. Early Australian pressings omitted the track due to obscenity concerns.

Recording took place at Matrix Studios in London between May and July 1979. Barry Reynolds initially produced demos for “Broken English” and “Why D’Ya Do It,” which attracted Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Producer Mark Miller Mundy then oversaw the full album, later reshaping the mixes to emphasize electronic elements and bringing in Steve Winwood to expand the keyboard textures. Engineering and mixing prioritized stark separation between instruments, allowing Faithfull’s voice to sit prominently within the arrangements.

“The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” was released as a single on October 26, 1979, reaching the UK Top 50 and becoming one of Faithfull’s most widely recognized recordings. The title track followed as a single in January 1980, with “Working Class Hero” issued in June. Broken English entered the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, marking her first American chart appearance since the mid‑1960s and establishing the album as her commercial and artistic reemergence at the end of the decade.

Dangerous Acquaintances

Marianne Faithfull released her eighth album, Dangerous Acquaintances, on September 1, 1981, on Island.

The album expands the new wave framework of Broken English into a denser rock format with occasional elements of disco, pairing sharp rhythmic patterns with layered keyboards and brassy overlays. Faithfull co-wrote most of the material in collaboration with Barry Reynolds and other members of her touring band. Guitarists Barry Reynolds and Joe Mavety alternate between clipped leads and chordal textures, often interacting with keyboardists Steve Winwood, Denis Haines, and Chris Stainton, who shift between electric piano, organ, and synthetic layers.

Mel Collins adds melodic lines on saxophone, particularly in moments of transition, while trumpeter Martin Drover underscores some of the more rhythmic passages. Faithfull wrote “For Beauty’s Sake” in collaboration with Winwood and recorded “Intrigue” from then-husband Ben Brierley. “Truth, Bitter Truth,” co-written with David Courts, stretches over seven minutes and closes the album in a slower, dramatic arc.

A1. “Sweetheart” (3:15) – Marianne Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
A2. “Intrigue” (4:29) – Ben Brierley
A3. “Easy in the City” (3:16) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
A4. “Strange One” (2:51) – Joe Mavety, Terry Stannard
A5. “Tenderness” (3:53) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds

B1. “For Beauty’s Sake” (3:30) – Faithfull, Steve Winwood
B2. “So Sad” (4:31) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds, Steve York
B3. “Eye Communication” (3:35) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds, Calvin Samuel, Terry Stannard
B4. “Truth, Bitter Truth” (7:24) – David Courts, Faithfull, Barry Reynolds

Sessions took place in March 1981 at Matrix Studios, London, with Mark Miller Mundy producing. Faithfull later expressed dissatisfaction with the process, noting communication breakdowns between producer, band, and herself. She cited the addition of horns on “Intrigue” and friction between bassist Steve York and drummer Terry Stannard as emblematic of the troubled sessions. Engineering was handled by Bob Potter with mixing by Ed Thacker.

“Intrigue” was issued as the lead single in September 1981, followed by “Sweetheart” on September 30, and “Truth, Bitter Truth” later that year. Island issued “Tenderness” as a single on January 13, 1982, and “For Beauty’s Sake” on May 25. Dangerous Acquaintances entered multiple national charts, including the UK, France, Canada, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia, continuing the international reach reestablished with Broken English.

A Child’s Adventure

Marianne Faithfull released her ninth album, A Child’s Adventure, in March 1983 on Island.

The album shifts away from the hard edge of her previous two records, drawing instead on more atmospheric textures and subtle electronic framing. Arrangements emerge from close collaboration between guitarist Barry Reynolds and keyboardist Wally Badarou, who alternate as co-writers and co-producers. Badarou’s keyboard layers interlock with Reynolds’ clean-toned guitar phrasing, creating tension and release through sparse harmonic structures rather than overt rhythmic drive. Mikey Chung adds additional guitar lines, often echoing Reynolds’ motifs with slight delay or harmonic emphasis.

Faithfull’s then-husband Ben Brierley contributes two co-writes and guitar parts, notably on “Falling from Grace” and “She’s Got a Problem,” the latter adapted from a poem by Caroline Blackwood that Faithfull had performed live since 1978. “Morning Come,” “Running for Our Lives,” and “Ireland” display the interplay between Badarou’s synth voicings and Reynolds’ melodic counterlines, with additional layering from percussionist Rafael de Jesus.

A1. “Times Square” (4:22) – Barry Reynolds
A2. “The Blue Millionaire” (5:35) – Wally Badarou, Marianne Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
A3. “Falling from Grace” (3:56) – Ben Brierley, Faithfull
A4. “Morning Come” (5:16) – Wally Badarou, Faithfull

B1. “Ashes in My Hand” (4:51) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
B2. “Running for Our Lives” (4:48) – Wally Badarou, Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
B3. “Ireland” (4:37) – Faithfull, Barry Reynolds
B4. “She’s Got a Problem” (3:55) – Caroline Blackwood, Ben Brierley

Sessions took place in 1982, without a traditional outside producer. Faithfull worked directly with Badarou, Reynolds, and engineer Harvey Goldberg, emphasizing small-scale decisions over imposed structure. She later stated that the absence of a formal producer allowed closer attention to harmonic detail and dynamics. The process also marked a rare moment of collective balance between musicians, as Faithfull moved further into collaborative authorship.

“Running for Our Lives” appeared as the lead single in March 1983, followed by “Blue Millionaire” and “Times Square.” The album charted in several territories, reaching No. 9 in Sweden, No. 14 in Australia, and entering the Top 20 in New Zealand and Norway. It marked her final studio release of the Island era.

Strange Weather

Marianne Faithfull released her tenth album, Strange Weather, in July 1987 on Island.

The album centers on interpretations of 20th-century ballads, blues, and cabaret songs arranged with sparse instrumentation and subdued dynamics. Hal Willner curated the project after Faithfull’s 1985 performance on Lost in the Stars rekindled interest in her ability to reinterpret songbook repertoire.

Electric guitarist Bill Frisell establishes a fragmented harmonic language, threading through the arrangements with sustained, slow-moving voicings and bent tones. Keyboardist Dr. John (credited as Mac Rebennack) adds rolling blues phrases and block chords, particularly on “Hello Stranger” and “Love, Life and Money.” Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Keep It With Mine” receives a retimed phrasing and stripped arrangement, while the title track, written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, unfolds across quiet guitar and skeletal rhythm support. Faithfull closes the album with “A Stranger on Earth” and a reimagined version of her 1964 debut single “As Tears Go By,” sung an octave lower and slowed to emphasize the lyric’s resignation. She dedicated the album to Howard Tose with a handwritten note on the sleeve: “To Howard Tose with love and thanks.”

A1. “Stranger Intro” (0:31) – Bill Frisell
A2. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (3:04) – Originally composed by Al Dubin and Harry Warren for the 1934 film Moulin Rouge, this song was first recorded by Hal Kemp’s Orchestra with Deane Janis and released by Brunswick in October 1933. The lyrics evoke Parisian melancholy, where “gigolo and gigolette” lose themselves on the titular boulevard. Covered by Café Jacques on their 1978 album International and by James White on his 1983 album Flaming Demonics. Also given a 1958 instrumental arrangement by Esquivel.
A3. “I Ain’t Goin’ Down to the Well No More” (1:07) – Huddie Ledbetter, Alan Lomax, John Lomax
A4. “Yesterdays” (5:20) – Written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical Roberta, “Yesterdays” was initially overshadowed by the show’s hit “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” It became a jazz standard through recordings by Billie Holiday (1939, 1952), Clifford Brown (1955), and Miles Davis (1951, 1965), among others.
A5. “Sign of Judgement” (2:54) – Kid Prince Moore
A6. “Strange Weather” (4:05) – Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan

B1. “Love, Life and Money” (4:40) – Julius Dixon, Henry Glover
B2. “I’ll Keep It With Mine” (4:13) – Bob Dylan wrote this song in 1964, and it first appeared on a 1965 single by folk singer Judy Collins. Dylan recorded several versions himself, including an unreleased take during the Bringing It All Back Home sessions and a Blonde on Blonde-era rehearsal later issued on compilations.
B3. “Hello Stranger” (2:30) – Doc Pomus, Mac Rebennack
B4. “Penthouse Serenade” (2:34) – Will Jason, Val Burton
B5. “As Tears Go By” (3:42) – Faithfull’s second studio version of the Jagger/Richards ballad, a 1965 hit for her and the Rolling Stones.
B6. “A Stranger on Earth” (3:56) – Sid Feller, Rick Ward

Sessions took place at A&R Recording Studios, Bearsville Studios, and the Record Plant in New York City. Willner assembled the musicians from New York’s downtown experimental and jazz scene. Frisell, Rebennack, and other contributors recorded with minimal overdubs and an emphasis on natural room ambience. Arrangements follow the song rather than the structure of a traditional rhythm section, allowing space for Faithfull’s voice to guide phrasing and cadence.

“As Tears Go By” was released as the lead single in July 1987, followed by “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” on September 30 and “Sign of Judgement” later that year. Strange Weather charted in the UK and Australia and marked a shift into jazz-influenced repertoire that informed Faithfull’s live sets and future recordings.

Discography: