Marianne Faithfull’s work is criminally underrated. Not just pretty much everything she has done post-”Broken English” but her musical output from 1960s onwards as well. Many know her hits such as “As Tears Go By”, “This Little Bird” and “Come And Stay With Me” however there are lots hidden gems in her early catalogue. This is why I made another playlist focusing on exactly those songs.
What’s interesting is that people tend to think of Marianne’s early work as being shallow which I think is unfair. She didn’t just have an absolutely beautiful voice and image. She wrote some of her own songs, experimented with unusual arrangements - like in this psychedelic spin on “She Moved Thru’ The Fair” - and different vocal styles. The lyrics she sung were often quite world-weary and melancholy.
It’s especially apparent on “Loveinamist” released in 1967 that she was trying to become more of a serious artist. Her final 1969 effort, the single “Something Better” that featured the more famous B-Side “Sister Morphine”, was taken off of the shelves after three days because of the aforementioned song. At the time it was deemed too inappropriate to be associated with for someone with Marianne’s image and, well, gender.
My personal favourites: “Paris Bells”, “Time Takes Time”, “Young Girl Blues”, “Counting”, “Tomorrow’s Calling” ♥