Marianne Faithfull: STILL ALIVE, BITCHES!

Right before she contracted the virus in March 2020, Faithfull was working on an album she’d dreamed of making for more than half a century: “She Walks in Beauty,” a spoken-word tribute to the Romantic poets, who had first inflamed her imagination as a teenager. In the mid-1960s, the demands of Faithfull’s burgeoning pop career pulled her out of her beloved Mrs. Simpson’s English literature course, “but I went on reading the books,” Faithfull said. And through the ups and downs of her life, those poems stayed with her like well-worn talismans: “If you’ve ever read ‘Ode to a Nightingale,’ ‘The Lady of Shallot’ — you’re not going to forget it, are you?”

Faithfull had recorded recitations of seven Romantic poems, from Byron (“She Walks in Beauty”), Shelley (“Ozymandias”) and Keats (“Ode to a Nightingale”). After she was hospitalized with Covid-19 and fell into a coma, her manager sent the recordings to Faithfull’s friend and frequent collaborator Warren Ellis, to see if he would compose music to accompany them. Neither was sure Faithfull would live to hear the finished product.

Ellis was told, “‘It’s not looking good,’” he recalled, on a video call from his Paris home. “‘This might be it.’”

But — ever the Lady Lazarus — Faithfull pulled through. Only once she began to recover did her son, Nicholas, tell her what they’d written on the chart at the foot of her bed: “Palliative care only.”

“They thought I was going to croak!” Faithful said, likely for not the first time in her life.

“But,” she added with a wizened chuckle, “I didn’t.”

MARIANNE’S FATHER, Glynn Faithfull — yes, that improbably perfect surname is real — was a British spy in World War II, and the son of a sexologist who invented something called “the Frigidity Machine.” Her mother, just as improbably, was the Austrian Baroness Eva von Sacher-Masoch — the great-niece of the man who wrote the sensationally scandalous novella “Venus in Furs” and from whose name we are blessed with the word masochism. Put all those things together and you get their only child, born a year after the armistice.

Her parents split when she was 6, and at 7, her mother sent her to boarding school at a Reading convent. (“Glynn begged her not to,” she writes in “Faithfull.” “I remember him saying, ‘This will give her a problem with sex for the rest of her life.’”) When she visited her father, who was living and teaching in a commune, she got a glimpse of the polar opposite end of the spectrum. At 18, she married the writer John Dunbar and gave birth to Nicholas shortly after.

“I wanted to go to Oxford and read English literature, philosophy, and comparative religion. That was my plan,” she said. “Anyway, it didn’t happen. I went to a party and got discovered by bloody old Andrew Loog Oldham.”

Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ first manager, hadn’t heard Faithfull sing a note; he just took a long look at her and decided this striking young blonde was destined to be a pop star. He had Mick Jagger and Keith Richards write a song for her, the melancholy ballad “As Tears Go By.” It was, in her words, “a commercial fantasy” that pushed “all the right buttons.”

Which is to say she didn’t take this accidental pop career of hers that seriously, not at first. On her debut tour, she always seemed to have her nose buried in a book, “poring over my reading list for English literature as if I were going back to school.”

But that wasn’t happening. In swinging, psychedelic London, Faithfull was a beautiful girl suddenly in the eye of a cultural hurricane. She met everybody. She left her husband and child behind, dabbling in everything the men did without apology. She and Richards dropped acid and went looking for the Holy Grail. She wrote in her autobiography that Bob Dylan tried to seduce her by playing her his latest album, “Bringing It All Back Home,” and explaining in detail what each track meant. (It didn’t work. “I just found him so … daunting,” she wrote. “As if some god had come down from Olympus and started to come onto me.”)

Jagger had more luck, and for a few seemingly glamorous years they were a generational It Couple. But there were tensions from the start, and Faithfull wasn’t sure she was cut out for the wifely muse role that, even in such bohemian circles, she was expected to play. Then there was the Redlands drug bust.

Tipped off by a sanctimonious British tabloid in February 1967, the police raided Richards’s Sussex home during a small party, and found a modest amount of drugs. Faithfull had just taken a bath when the cops arrived, and the only clothes she brought were dirty, so without thinking too much about it she flung a rug over herself.

Jagger and Richards’s subsequent drug trial is now generally seen as a pivot in mainstream acceptance of certain countercultural behaviors. But Faithfull bore the brunt of the backlash. One headline blared in all caps: Naked Girl at Stones Party. “I was slandered as the wanton woman in the fur rug,” Faithfull wrote, “while Mick was the noble rock star on trial.” It certainly wouldn’t be the last rage-inducing double standard she’d endure.

A FEW YEARS ago, over a Christmas dinner, Faithfull gave Ellis’s teenage children a long, anecdote-filled talk about why they should stay away from drugs. She spoke about the infamy at Redlands as though it was something they would be familiar with.

“My kids had no idea what she was talking about,” Ellis said. “But when I drove her home, my son just looked at me and goes, ‘[Expletive], she’s awesome.’”

Ellis — who Faithfull affectionately described to me as “a sexy old thing” — conducted his interview from a low-lit, brick-walled room that looked like it may or may not be a dungeon. This is where he was holed up for long hours last spring, listening to the voice of his dear friend, who may or may not have been dying, read him Romantic poetry.

He said he found the poems “so incredibly beautiful and uplifting, a total balm for all this turmoil and sadness that was going on in the world.” This was new: When he read them as a schoolboy in Melbourne, Ellis had found the Romantics mostly “impenetrable.” But listening to a masterful interpreter like Faithfull intone them, he said, “suddenly they felt ageless. They felt freed of the page. Because of this authority and absolute belief in them. She believes what she’s reading.”

In composing the tracks, Ellis wanted to shy away from the expected “lutes and harpsichords” approach. Instead he studied some of the records he thought most successfully blended spoken-word and music, like Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’m New Here,” Sir John Betjeman’s “Late-Flowering Love” and Lou Reed and Metallica’s “Lulu.” Like Faithful’s fiery readings, Ellis’s meditative compositions — featuring contributions from Nick Cave and Brian Eno — accentuate the poets’ enduring modernity. (The Romantics might not have yet lived to see rock ’n’ roll, but they certainly knew a thing or two about sex and drugs.)

Before Ellis was finished, he got the news that Faithfull had woken up from her coma, left the hospital — and, in time, recorded four more poems. “She survived Covid, came out, and recorded ‘Lady of Shallot,’” Ellis said shaking his head, referring to the 12-minute Tennyson epic. “She’s just the best, Marianne.”

The remarkable — and even fittingly spooky — thing about the record is that you cannot tell which poems Faithfull recorded before or after her brush with death. Perhaps only Faithfull herself can hear the difference. “I was quite fragile, but I didn’t start to do it until I was better,” she said. “And I liked it very much, because I sound more vulnerable — which is kind of nice, for the Romantics.”

Faithfull has fashioned sticking around into a prolonged show of defiance — a radical act, for a woman. She did not come into her own musically until her mid-30s, with the release of her punky, scorched-earth 1979 masterpiece “Broken English.” In the subsequent decades, her artistry has only deepened, and she has gradually, grudgingly earned her respect (“I’m not just seen as a chick and a sexy piece anymore — though I should think not, I’m 74!”). Her anger about the industry and the media subsided a great deal in the time between her 1994 and 2007 memoirs. What happened?

“Just time, you know. From everything I know about life in general — which is probably not much — is that you have to get over those things, or they eat you up,” she said. “And I’m not going to let that happen. So I let it go. I don’t hold resentment anymore about the press.” She laughed, genially. “But of course I don’t let them near me, really!”

She has a lighter attitude, but Faithfull has not made it out of her latest battle without some lingering scars. She lost her dear friend and collaborator Hal Willner to the virus. And after initially feeling better, a few months ago she started feeling worse. She has since been experiencing the stubborn symptoms of long-haul Covid, which for her include fatigue, memory fog and lung problems.

She has been working diligently on her breathing; a close friend comes by weekly with a guitar to lead her in singing practice — her own version of the opera therapy that has shown promising results in long Covid patients. She’s been spending quality time with her son and grandson, reading (Miles Davis’s autobiography, among other things), and counting the days until she can once again go to the movies, the opera, the ballet. When she first got out of the hospital — après Covid, as she likes to call it — it seemed like Faithfull may never sing again. Now, she is looking forward to writing new songs, and envisioning what a return to the stage might look like.

“I’m focusing on getting better, really better — and I’m beginning to,” she said. “I’ll certainly never be able to work as hard as I was, and long tours are not going to be possible. But I do hope to do maybe five shows. Not very long — 40 minutes perhaps.” Still, she admitted, “It’s a long way away.”

Ellis said, “If anyone can do it, it’s Marianne, because she just doesn’t give up. She constantly surprises you.”

Sometimes she even surprises herself. Earlier in our conversation, Faithfull had let me know, in her admirably no-nonsense way, that she hadn’t called me up to chat for fun, but because she had an album to promote. But she ultimately admitted to finding it vivifying to talk about her life, her art, her past and future. “It’s good for me to remember who I really am, not just an old sick person,” she said.

“Of course,” I replied. “You’re Marianne Faithfull, damn it!”

She mulled it over for a long moment. “It’s true, I am.” Then, with an unexpected surge of strength, like a hammer’s blow, she added, “Damn it.”

All people will remember her for is that Mars Bar.

No. Only stupid people who think a woman is diminished by sex will hold on to the Mars bar incident.

After all that she still looks better than Justine Bateman.

I remember being very startled by the change in Marianne’s voice from the 60s to the 70s. It dropped precipitously from sweet and pure to raspy and world-weary. Couldn’t believe it was the same person singing.

Loved her as the empress of Austria or whatever it was in Marie Antoinette. Inspired casting given her aristocratic Austrian mother.

Her full name is Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull. So beautiful, I love the two Ls in Faithfull. (The other full name I like is Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow.)

When is the biography being filmed? After Boynton is finished shooting The Ipcress File?

How much did she smoke? Sounds like 2 packs a day.

I've never understood her appeal or popularity. She became famous for fucking Mick Jagger and has rode those coat tails for 50 years. Amazing.

"It is absurd to live in a cage."

Definitely. I’m sure Miss Markle could find inspiration in that.

Fun fact: Her mother was Jewish and part of the cabaret scene in Berlin.

That's why I love MF's Kurt Weill recordings.

"In My Time of Sorrow" is lovely, from the pen of DL fave Jackie DeShannon. The double tracked version hasn't been reissued much.

Say it in brrrrrrrrrroooooooookkkkkkkkkeeeeeeennnnnnnnn English!

YAS BITCH YAS!

She's had all the good drugs and most of the good cock. I want her to be Queen!

She should be DAME MARIANNE!!!!!

Yes!

Lady Faithfull!

I love her. I'm so glad she survived coronavirus and drugs,.

I've been through Alma Cogan, and I'm here!

Nobody cares.

Her voice sounds gorgeous on this one.

She is a pistol.

But how did she go from that voice in R24 to the voice in the Ballad of Lucy Jordan, about fourteen octaves lower, without suffering all the humiliating voice cracks I had to endure when I was14?

R26 That's what I wonder! I remember being shocked by her "Broken English" voice at the time.

R26 r27 Heroin, booze, cigarettes and cock.

She sings like someone sitting on a motor.

Her voice was already much lowered by "Is This What I Get For Loving You?" from 1967.

Bit of a pompous cunt to be honest.

Bit of a dream figure to me.

I had only ever heard her 60s hit "As Tears Go By", when she appeared on a late night tv show (SNL?) and performed "Broken English".

At first I was incredulous - what the hell had happened to her voice? Then the song and her performance drew me in. I was absolutely transfixed. It was an unforgettable performance.

The first time I ever heard her was in college, watching this exact video at a gay bar.

3 minutes and I was in LOVE.

and THEN one of my friends did this song in drag and it brought a hundred people to their feet.

A fabulous song!

IMHO she has all the talent a drunk in a karaoke bar, which is appropriate, because that’s what she sounds like.

She's similar to Tom Waits. Both have the gravely voices from living the hard, underbelly of life and survived to tell about it.

...*gravelly^^

R37 I suppose Judy Garland, too. It's just startling how quickly it happened, at least with Marianne.

R36 has cobwebs in her fanny and believes in giving to the poor!

I have such a soft spot for her, although I do think her musical talent itself is actually minimal... even before her voice cracked and deepened, in the "As Tears Go By" era she didn't have much in the way of vocals (a lot of her 60s luvvie pop contemporaries were much better). She was smart to morph into more of a spoken-word 'song stylist' as she has the last few years, but even then the material is pretty basic - and i've actually bought quite a few of the albums! I wish she had more performances like "Why'd Ya Do It" where she kind of sings 'in character' rather than just mumbling and rasping her way through these songs over (often quite nice) orchestral arrangements.

Broken English will always be her masterpiece. I love the scene in Thelma & Louise where they are pulling in after sundown and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" plays. I'm a man but that song really seems to capture the exasperation and disillusionment of the suburban housewife so well (just like the movie did).

She also has a VERY good career as an actress considering how difficult she must be to insure (Courtney Love, another talented actress/rockstar/drug addict has not been afforded the same luck). Has anybody else seen Irina Palm? It's a rare lead role (dare I say 'star vehicle') for Marianne that is surprisingly moving. Her grandson has a rare illness and she moonlights as 'Irina Palm' at her local glory hole parlour to raise the money, and finds she's surprisingly good at it. She was nominated for a few awards for it I think. An oddball but quite tender Sunday afternoon film.

Very good career as an actress?? I suppose you'd say the same for Debbie Harry.

R43 I would. Especially for a 'second career'. Debbie Harry has worked with great auteur filmmakers like David Cronenberg, Isabel Coixet, Jonas Akerlund, and John Waters, and been in some legendary cult films.

Faithfull has done quite a lot of theatre, including Shakespeare in the West End (she also played Ophelia in the film by Oscar winner Tony Richardson). She's immortalised as the person to say 'fuck' in a mainstream film, got to be the leading lady in a cinematic film opposite Alain Delon in the 60s, was in 'Intimacy' with Mark Rylance, which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival... got to have a fun role as God on 'Absolutely Fabulous', relatively big arthouse hits like Marie Antoinette and Paris Je t'aime (she was directed by Gus Van Sant in this). All this and her own starring role in a film as mentioned above?

I know a lot of full time actresses who never get their own vehicle, and would LOVE an acting career like that. Especially considering it's been more like a hobby for Marianne through the years, and she has a reputation for drug use and health issues.

She was prettier when she was younger.

R44 I’ve seen most of those films and barely recall her in them aside from the Alain delon one.

Broken English still sounds fresh today and "Why'd Ya Do It?" is still the best angry-woman song I have ever heard.

Yeah. None of the fab four made as good a comeback album as Marianne.

In terms of "angry-woman" songs, I don't think any song has ever topped Why'd Ya Do It. PJ Harvey's Rid of Me album is a classic, better than Broken English, but even at its angriest, I don't think any song bothers me the way Why'd Ya Do It does. I can really imagine an angry, depressed, scorned woman walking the streets of 70s-era NYC when I hear it.

She had a few great albums in the aughts. One where a lot of Britpop stars and Beck all wrote songs for her.

The other really great 00s one was co written by PJ Harvey. Four or five really amazing tracks on this one.

We had TWO Marianne Faithfull threads last year.

And four others before that.

There's nothing new to be said

Thank you, Thread Patrol Cunt, for that fascinating observation.

Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted......

Yuck. Stop singing you old bag.

[Quote] Stop singing you old bag.

But enough about Mick.

R55 both of them should have fatally OD'd in the 60s.

"Sleep" from "A Secret Life" (1995) is one of my favorite MF tracks. (Collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti). Very moody shit.

This thread title addressed to "bitches" reinforces the notion that this 72 year old is making a living by justifying and celebrating drug-taking, ill-health and abuse.

Hiss.

Hisssssssssssssss!!!

Marianne Faithfull is identical to Jane Birkin.

Celebrating sluttiness and abuse.

We were all "prettier" when we were younger.

It's so weird watching her performances/videos from the late 70s. She sounds like an old woman but still looks young.

Ravaged hag

What was so controversial about this thread?

It was shut down after just eight posts.

In her dotage, Marianne looks like Camilla Parker Bowles. I find it strange there are no mention of her female lovers in any interviews and articles. She and Anita Pallenberg were occasional lovers according to her autobiography.

[Quote] What was so controversial about this thread? It was shut down after just eight posts.

All eight posts were from 2008. Old threads got closed after several years if there were no bumps/new posts.