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Le Grande Jaques



Born 8 April 1929, Jaques was a Flemish stage and movie actor, and a master of the French Chanson.  He married his wife in 1950, Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen and they had three children.  As a singer songwriter, his emotive songs exhibited many shades of his character form desperate to manic to joyful.  He suffered an untimely death at aged 49, on October 9th , 1978, due to a pulmonary embolism. 


The Renaissance Man

As an artist he had many strings to his bow.  Not only a fantastic singer and songwriter, but he was also a prolific screen and stage actor, starring in an array of movies.  He also composed soundtracks for 12 movies, and even wrote as a playwright for several movies.  He even directed and composed for two of his own self-penned films: Franz (1971) and Le Far West (1973).

The French Chanson

He was the master of the French Chanson, a genre of emotive melodies, deep lyrical content, and dramatic storytelling, setting it apart from other musical forms.  In the 20th Century, performances of this chanson were to be seen at cabaret and live intimate concerts, with minimal staging.  The French chanson is distinguished by several key characteristics:

1.      Cultural Significance: Historic French speaking heritage (originating in medieval times.)

2.      Lyrical Depth: thought provoking lyrics; themes go to the core of life’s experiences; great highs and lows.

3.      Melodies: While the lyrics are intense and emotive, the melodies are typically simple and memorable.  The melodies serve the lyrics and their emotional weight.

4.      Expressive Delivery: Performers of chansons are highly dramatic.  In this genre, the connection with the lyrical content is paramount.  They perform as if in the solitude of their own mind, delivering a raw and basic emotional palate.


Musical success

As a musician, his success reached far beyond the French speaking world, his acclaim and popularity being worldwide through the 60s.  Performance was very important to him.  He would sing in film and on the stage, boasting a great career on the Parisian Cabaret Scene.  He released 14 studio albums of his songs and 2 live albums of his performances.  Many great artists have covered his works, either in French or translated to English.  Some of these include:

Joan Baez

Shirley Bassey

Bellowhead

David Bowie

Glen Campbell

Ray Charles

Judy Collins

John Denver

Neil Diamond

Marlene Dietrich

Céline Dion

Marianne Faithfull

Goldfrapp

Cyndi Lauper

Johnny Mathis

Liza Minnelli

Alison Moyet

Olivia Newton-John

Nirvana

Edith Piaf

Tom Robinson

The Seekers

Nina Simone

Frank Sinatra

Dusty Springfield

Sting

Scott Walker

Dionne Warwick

Andy Williams

Barbra Streisand

 

Two of his songs

The 1963 song, “On Suivant”, was a daring song about the trauma of the army gifting the soldiers with prostitutes.  It deals with the gore of STIs and the humiliation of sexual abuse.    Brel never shied away from frank description and naked drama.  This was later translated to English by Scott Walker (“Next”), and then Alex Harvey who released it as a rock song.   

 

“Ne me quittes pas” (1959).  Jaques was a method actor, and he really got into his characters.  For this character, while his audience assumed that he was singing about a woman, he decided to go deeper.  He was said to have been channelling a child begging their parent not to abandon them.  He was focusing on the child’s absolute vulnerable need for love and care.  It is deeply emotive and intense.  On November 10, 1966, he gave an unforgettable performance, to a standing ovation from his audience at the Maison de Radio France.  (Ina Chansons, 2012).   This song was covered many times in French and English, translated for the Dusty Springfield song “If you go away”.

 

To Conclude

Jaques Brel, though currently relatively uncommonly known in the English-speaking world, has had a massive influence in songwriting in the 20th Century.  Through the refining of his skill in the Chanson genre, he has brought a candour to the modern song.  This influence has been taken up by many of the cornerstone world artists of the 20th century.  He has left an indelible mark on popular music. 


 

Bibliography

·         AudAnd (2006). Alex Harvey Band - Next. [online] YouTube. Available at:

 

·         Brel, J. (1987). “Les plus grandes chansons de Jacques Brel.”, Intersong.  Paris.

·         Brel, J. (2018). “Ne Me Quitte Pas”.  Le Chant du Monde Album. France.

·         Ehsan Nikbagh (2014). Jacques Brel Au suivant(ژاک برل بعدی). [online] YouTube. Available at:

·         Ft.com. (2024). Financial Times. [online] Available at: https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/next.html

·         Ina Chansons (2012). Jacques Brel ‘Ne me quitte pas’ (live officiel) | Archive INA. [online] YouTube. Available at:


 
 
 

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