Faithfull’s 1987 release recast her as a nicotine-stained chanteuse, approa… Read Full Bio ↴Faithfull’s 1987 release recast her as a nicotine-stained chanteuse, approaching such standards as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Penthouse Serenade” with a ravaged, world-weary demeanor that recalls the latter-day recordings of Billie Holiday. She also tackles some blues and jazz material and turns “As Tears Go By” into the gut-wrenching torch ballad neither the Stones nor Faithfull could ever have done in the ’60s. A dark, challenging masterpiece.
- John Floyd/AMG (4.5/5 Stars) -
Strange Weather is a 1987 studio album by British singer Marianne Faithfull.
This album is the first complete studio work recorded by Marianne Faithfull after recovering from a 17-year addiction to heroin in 1986. The album’s 3 predecessors on Island Records were all recorded while Faithfull confronted various personal struggles and contained a majority of lyrics and some music penned by Faithfull herself. In contrast, Strange Weather is a striking mix of rock, blues and dark cabaret, and though none of the songs were written by Faithfull all are tied together by the spare and nuanced production of Hal Willner along with a notable group of contributing musicians. The title track has since become a Faithfull concert staple and has appeared live in 3 additional recordings.
In 1985 Faithfull contributed a single track, “Ballad of the Soldier’s Wife”, to Lost In The Stars, a tribute to the music of Kurt Weill by various contemporary artists. In response to the success of the project and to favourable reviews for Faithfull’s contribution, producer Hal Willner suggested the potential of an expanded project of classic compositions, but, according to Willner in Strange Weather’s liner notes, he believed it was “one of those projects which usually never comes to fruition.”
Just prior to her recovery, Faithfull began work on a new album of rock songs, but Island Records scrapped the project though five of the songs would later appear on the 1990s releases Blazing Away and A Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology. Instead, Willner re-entered the picture and the concept of the album of classic standards was expanded to include not only material contemporary to Weill’s Weimar Republic era, but a more recent song by Bob Dylan, two early folk-era spirituals, traditional piano blues with accompaniment by Dr. John (credited as Mac Rebennack), and all new material written specifically for the project. The album’s title track was written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, and “Hello Stranger” was written by Rebennack and Doc Pomus. Faithfull also re-recorded her 1964 hit, “As Tears Go By,” in a markedly different arrangement using a slower time signature, and sung a full octave lower than the original.
Strange Weather failed to make it to the US Album charts (it did chart in both the UK and Australia), and never charted its only single.
Track listing
01 -- “Stranger Intro” (Bill Frisell) – 0:31
02 -- “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) – 3:04
03 -- “I Ain’t Goin’ Down To The Well No More”(Huddie Ledbetter, Alan Lomax, John Lomax) – 1:07
04 -- “Yesterdays” (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 2:53
05 -- “Sign of Judgement” (Kid Prince Moore) – 4:09
06 -- “Strange Weather” (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan) – 4:05
07 -- “Love, Life and Money” (Julius Dixon, Henry Glover) – 4:40
08 -- “I’ll Keep It With Mine” (Bob Dylan) – 4:13
09 -- “Hello Stranger” (Doc Pomus, Dr. John credited as Mac Rebennack) – 2:30
10 -- “Penthouse Serenade” (Will Jason, Val Burton) – 2:34
11 -- “As Tears Go By” (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Andrew Loog Oldham) – 3:42
12 -- “A Stranger On Earth” (Sid Feller, Rick Ward) – 3:56
Personnel
Marianne Faithfull -- vocals
Bill Frisell – Guitars
Michael Levine – Violin
Sharon Freeman – Piano
Fernando Saunders – Bass
Chris Hunter – Flute
Garth Hudson – Accordions
Dr. John – (credited as Mac Rebennack) – Piano
Robert Quine – Guitar
J.T. Lewis – Drums
Chris Hunter – Alto Saxophone
Steve Slagile – Alto Saxophone
William Schimmel – Accordion
Strings Arranged by Michael Gibbs
Horns Arranged by J.T. Lewis
Hal Willner – Producer
Assistant Engineers – Various
Tony Wright: cover and sleeve photography
- John Floyd/AMG (4.5/5 Stars) -
Strange Weather is a 1987 studio album by British singer Marianne Faithfull.
This album is the first complete studio work recorded by Marianne Faithfull after recovering from a 17-year addiction to heroin in 1986. The album’s 3 predecessors on Island Records were all recorded while Faithfull confronted various personal struggles and contained a majority of lyrics and some music penned by Faithfull herself. In contrast, Strange Weather is a striking mix of rock, blues and dark cabaret, and though none of the songs were written by Faithfull all are tied together by the spare and nuanced production of Hal Willner along with a notable group of contributing musicians. The title track has since become a Faithfull concert staple and has appeared live in 3 additional recordings.
In 1985 Faithfull contributed a single track, “Ballad of the Soldier’s Wife”, to Lost In The Stars, a tribute to the music of Kurt Weill by various contemporary artists. In response to the success of the project and to favourable reviews for Faithfull’s contribution, producer Hal Willner suggested the potential of an expanded project of classic compositions, but, according to Willner in Strange Weather’s liner notes, he believed it was “one of those projects which usually never comes to fruition.”
Just prior to her recovery, Faithfull began work on a new album of rock songs, but Island Records scrapped the project though five of the songs would later appear on the 1990s releases Blazing Away and A Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology. Instead, Willner re-entered the picture and the concept of the album of classic standards was expanded to include not only material contemporary to Weill’s Weimar Republic era, but a more recent song by Bob Dylan, two early folk-era spirituals, traditional piano blues with accompaniment by Dr. John (credited as Mac Rebennack), and all new material written specifically for the project. The album’s title track was written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, and “Hello Stranger” was written by Rebennack and Doc Pomus. Faithfull also re-recorded her 1964 hit, “As Tears Go By,” in a markedly different arrangement using a slower time signature, and sung a full octave lower than the original.
Strange Weather failed to make it to the US Album charts (it did chart in both the UK and Australia), and never charted its only single.
Track listing
01 -- “Stranger Intro” (Bill Frisell) – 0:31
02 -- “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) – 3:04
03 -- “I Ain’t Goin’ Down To The Well No More”(Huddie Ledbetter, Alan Lomax, John Lomax) – 1:07
04 -- “Yesterdays” (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 2:53
05 -- “Sign of Judgement” (Kid Prince Moore) – 4:09
06 -- “Strange Weather” (Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan) – 4:05
07 -- “Love, Life and Money” (Julius Dixon, Henry Glover) – 4:40
08 -- “I’ll Keep It With Mine” (Bob Dylan) – 4:13
09 -- “Hello Stranger” (Doc Pomus, Dr. John credited as Mac Rebennack) – 2:30
10 -- “Penthouse Serenade” (Will Jason, Val Burton) – 2:34
11 -- “As Tears Go By” (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Andrew Loog Oldham) – 3:42
12 -- “A Stranger On Earth” (Sid Feller, Rick Ward) – 3:56
Personnel
Marianne Faithfull -- vocals
Bill Frisell – Guitars
Michael Levine – Violin
Sharon Freeman – Piano
Fernando Saunders – Bass
Chris Hunter – Flute
Garth Hudson – Accordions
Dr. John – (credited as Mac Rebennack) – Piano
Robert Quine – Guitar
J.T. Lewis – Drums
Chris Hunter – Alto Saxophone
Steve Slagile – Alto Saxophone
William Schimmel – Accordion
Strings Arranged by Michael Gibbs
Horns Arranged by J.T. Lewis
Hal Willner – Producer
Assistant Engineers – Various
Tony Wright: cover and sleeve photography
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Strange Weather
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
A Stranger On Earth Some fools don't know what's right from wrong But somehow th…
Ain' Goin' Down To The Well No Mo' Oh I ain't going down I ain't going down Oh, honey, to the…
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams I walk along the street of sorrow The boulevard of broken…
Hello Stranger Hello stranger Hello stranger Who is that person in the mirr…
I'll Keep It With Mine You will search, babe At any cost But how long, babe Can you…
Love Life And Money Love, you made me pay an awful price I tried to…
Penthouse Serenade Just picture a penthouse way up in the sky With hinges…
Sign Of Judgement Yes, sign of judgement, yes Sign of judgement, yes Sign of j…
Strange Weather Will you take me across the channel, London Bridge is fallin…
Yesterdays Yesterdays, yesterdays Days I knew as happy, sweet, sequeste…