Marianne Faithfull (1946 - 2025)

With the shortest of mentions the Thursday 8 o’clock news mentioned the passing of Marianne Faithfull in such a way that it seemed that she had scored a hit only with her cover version 'Yesterday' in the 60s and that was about it. A friend sent me an obituary in his paper that described her in exactly the same way. Both wiped out a 60 year career in music. My paper had a whole page on her on Saturday (1 Feb).

Marianne Faithfull's career started before I was conscious of her. Only a few year's later I saw pictures of a blond woman next to Mick Jagger, always in hippy clothes, but not as a singer in her own right.

The Rolling Stones' then starting songwriting duo Jagger - Richard(s) wrote  a song for her at the instigation of their manager Andrew Loog Oldham. That became 'As Tears Go By', in 1965 a hit for The Stones as well.

Looking at a clip on You Tube, I see this blond, beautiful girl. England's answer to Françoise Hardy or so is my impression today. She has this slightly hesitating, regular girlish voice, full of innocence. It was not long before she left her husband and was ensnared in the Stones' entourage and became Mick's girlfriend. Like many others she got caught in the world of ever harder drugs until she was dropped from the gang and had to sleep on the streets like other junkies. While she is credited with bringing especially Jagger into the circles he wanted to be, nobility, royalty, high fashion, etc., the Stones can be credited with her personal descent. The X messages by the Stones('s members) after her passing sound a little hypocritical, although of course things may have been patched up between them years, even decades ago. Marianne Faithdull is even credited for 'Sister Morphine'.

Faithfull crawled out of the gutter and managed to carve out a long-lasting career with partly ruined looks and a voice changed beyond recognition, but very much her own. The album 'Broken English' and the single 'The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan' paved the way lasting well over forty years. Working with younger and successful artists she released a string of successful albums and was able to tour. I have never been a fan of her music and voice, but especially could not get past that rasping voice. It totally had its own quality and character, that much is certain.

Slowly but surely her body started to give out on her but that did not stop her from working, until late in January 2025 she parted this world surrounded by her family. A remarkable life she certainly led.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght