"Jacky" (La chanson de Jacky) is a song written by the Belgian singer-songwriter

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...

and

Gérard Jouannest Gérard Jouannest (2 May 1933 – 16 May 2018) was a French pianist and composer. Early life Jouannest was born on 2 May 1933 in Vanves near Paris. His father was a piano manufacturer. Jouannest graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris in 1954. ...

. Brel recorded the song on 2 November 1965, and it was released on his 1966 album '' Ces gens-là''. The song was translated from French into English and retitled "Jackie". The song has been covered a number of times, particularly in Europe. In the United States, the song's popularity grew through its appearance (as "Jackie") in the score of the

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris ''Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'' is a musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel. Brel's songs were translated into English by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, who also provided the story. The original 1968 Off-Broadway product ...

'', which opened on 22 January 1968.

Scott Walker version

"Jackie" was later recorded and released in 1967 by the American singer-songwriter Scott Walker as his first solo single in the UK. Walker recorded the

Mort Shuman Mortimer Shuman (12 November 1938 – 2 November 1991) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including " Viva Las Vegas". He also wrote and sang many songs in French, such as ...

translation. The accompaniment was directed by

Angela Morley Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an England, English composer and Conductor (music), conductor who became familiar to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s under the name of Wally Stott. Morley provided incidental music for ''The Go ...

. The single was controversial in the UK likely because of lyrics like "authentic queers and phony virgins" and drug references. The song was banned by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and was not performed on the corporation's TV or played on the mainstream radio channels. The song was performed on non-BBC channels, most notably on

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

's show ''Howerd's Hour'' where Walker danced comically during the performance. "Jackie" was a moderate hit spending nine weeks on the UK Singles Chart and peaking at No. 22 in January 1968. The following year it was included as the opening track on Walker's most popular album '' Scott 2''. The single is notable for including one of Walker's few non-album b-sides. The accompaniment for "The Plague" was directed by Peter Knight in an atypical arrangement that featured guitar and female backing singers. English singer Marc Almond covered "The Plague" in 1986 for his covers EP ''A Woman's Story''.

Track listing

Chart positions

Other recordings

In 1977, Jacky (entitled as "Jackie") was recorded by

Peter Straker Peter Straker (born 7 November 1943) is a Jamaican-born British singer and actor. Life and career Straker was born in Jamaica, and moved to London in his early childhood. He first became known in 1968, when he starred as Hud in the original Lo ...

on his album ''This One's On Me'', which was co-produced by his close friend

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...

. He has since recorded the song a second time for his 2012 album and associated stage show ''Brel''. In May 1986,

Momus Momus (; Ancient Greek: Μῶμος ''Momos'') in Greek mythology was the personification of satire and mockery, two stories about whom figure among Aesop's Fables. During the Renaissance, several literary works used him as a mouthpiece for their ...

released his version of the song, retitled as "Nicky" after the singer's first name, as the title track of a three-song EP of Brel covers. In 1991,

Marc Almond Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...

recorded a cover version of Brel's song for his album '' Tenement Symphony'', and released it as a single. It reached No. 17 in the UK and No. 14 in Ireland, as well as number six on Finland's sales-only chart. In 2012,

Secret Chiefs 3 Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American experimental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide ...

and

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...

collaborated under the moniker Traditionalists to release a cover of this on the

Mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

record label. It also marks the first recorded collaboration of original

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California, in 1985. The band is known for its eclecticism, cycling through several musical genres, often within the course of a single song, including heavy metal, avant-garde ...

founders

and

Trey Spruance Preston Lea "Trey" Spruance III (born August 14, 1969) is an American composer, producer, and musician who co-founded the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle. He is also leader of the multi-genre outfit Secret Chiefs 3. Originally a guitarist an ...

since the band dissolved in 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacky (Jacques Brel Song) Jacques Brel songs Songs written by Jacques Brel Songs in French 1965 songs 1967 debut singles 1991 singles Scott Walker (singer) songs Marc Almond songs Philips Records singles Songs banned by the BBC