Jacques Brel - who's with me?

[CatWranglersAnonymous]

Most random AIBU in the world, but am I being U to be a little bit in love with Jacques Brel?? Well I don't think I am , so I guess it's a question of who's with me?

I read this morning that they're putting up a statue of him in Brussels this year, which made me remember my year abroad all over again and falling in love with (old) French music!

For anyone who doesn't know, he's a long-dead Belgian singer with huge teeth who gave amazing live performances (like this, live or this.

Then, when he'd had enough of performing, he dabbled in acting then bought a boat and plane and sailed to French Polynesia 😍

Interested to hear whether I'm going to be told IABU (or, just perhaps, IANBU).

Thanks beachygirl :)

I really like this cover of La Valse à Mille Temps as well (one of my absolute favourite songs by him ❤️ - it's amazing how he speeds up, almost like he's rapping by the end).

It's by a band called Babel - they wanted to cover a song about Paris to show solidarity after the Paris attacks, and there are some really nice clips of Paris in the video.

YANBU!

He is not quite my type, but there's something passionate in his songs. I quite like him as an actor, I thought he was great in "risky business" (the 60s one, nothing to do with Tom Cruise!)

g.co/kgs/5BXDcr Marieke. Best listened to on a train on a sunny summer's day on holiday in Flanders. It helps if you speak Dutch/Flemish, too

m.youtube.com/watch?v=wfGDpzL9H7Y

Link fail

Ahaha and that's the French version. Let me
Concentrate on cooking
Dinner first

Au Suivant! Yanbu.

Ahh yes Marieke's a lovely song. Thanks anna :)

Also Les Prénoms de Paris - perfect for strolling through Paris 😍m.youtube.com/watch?v=ug_iVT5ZzhQ

Au printemps
La bourree du celebataire
Marieke
La Colombe
Je ne sais pas
Ne me quitte pas
La mort

All fabulous - I listen to a whole bundle of Brel every spring.

YADNBU! Amazing talent.

I like a bit of charles aznavour myself.
Comme ils disent
about a stripping drag act being judged and lonely

tous les visages de l'amour
Love song

A ma fille
about having one day to not be the number one man in her life.

www.dailymotion.com/video/xih36v_marieke-in-vlaams-marieke-en-flamand-brel_music

In Flemish this time!

Ooh me too qazxc - also Georges Brassens and Serge Gainsbourg(!!)

Claude Francois was huge in France, ripping off motown tunes and for the claudettes (kind of like pans people).
Electrocuted himself in his bath changing a lightbulb.

I showed my sixth form the video for Ne me quitte pas. By the middle of it, we were crying laughing at the sweating intensity of the close up. Those teeth!! Whenever the class wanted to distract me, they'd ask for the video again. Brilliant!! I love the man, but I'm not sure my 17 year olds were so impressed!

Ginger Alas, my sister thinks the same as your 6th formers (how to convince her...?)

I love watching his clips.

qazxc and Dawn who indeed could forget Johnny and Cloco??

Dawn I read the other day that apparently Emmanuel Macron is a huge fan of Johnny Hallyday (who knew?) Apparently he listens to his song Gabrielle to psyche himself up before big speeches

I like that song about his grandparents in Brussels: C'était au temps où Bruxelles rêvait...

YANBU!

Totally love him, the drama...
Dans les ports d'Amsterdam
Ne me quitte pas

There's a version of this with English subtitles but I can't find it.

This is a stunning song and the lyrics are vicious.

You can keep your Scott Walker.

and for the more politically minded there was renaud.

I love Jacques Brel. I have a cassette tape somewhere of his greatest hits - I'd forgotten. I love Marieke. And Les Flamandes

Not so keen on Jonny Halliday personally - Macron is welcome to him!

Since Rod McKuen's sappy English versions of Brel songs have already been mentioned, how about Le Moribund? It's a brilliant, darkly cynical, witty song that bears almost no resemblance to the awful, cloying soppy English version (which is so bad I can't even bring myself to name the title)

m.youtube.com/watch?v=h02pNUKInBo

Although I think my favourite ever song in French is Le Poinçonneur Des Lilas which is Gainsbourg