Photo: Photographer: A. Vente, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons
Marianne Gabriel Faithfull was born in Hampstead, London in 1946. She began her singing career at the age of eighteen in 1964 as a folk performer. She got her first big break whilst attending a party that year that was being held by The Rolling Stones. Whilst at this party, she was discovered by the band’s manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Oldham, along with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote Marianne Faithfull’s first major release titled “As Tears Go By” which was a massive success. After releasing several more successful singles, she and Mick Jagger entered a highly publicized relationship.
After this relationship ended in 1970, Marianne Faithfull’s life and career took a turn for the worst. After losing custody of her son, she became a heroin addict and ended up living on the streets for two years. She also suffered from Anorexia. Despite attempts from friends and peers to help her, she still continued to suffer with addiction throughout most of the next decade and spent much of it in obscurity. Her drug use and heavy smoking even affected to the sound of her voice, which became much deeper and cracked sounding. Although she produced her first album of new material in a decade in 1976 with the country album Dreamin My Dreams, it was not until 1979 that she had a true career comeback with the album Broken English. An album that saw her embracing the then-contemporary sounds of the punk and new wave movements, to this day it is considered to be Marianne Faithfull’s definitive release.
As Marianne Faithfull entered the 1980’s, her career may have been revived but she was still having a lot of trouble in her personal life with ongoing addiction battles. She would produce several more albums throughout this decade, including Rich Kid Blues in 1985 which was a combination of both new and re-recorded songs. In 1987, after finally getting completely clean, she produced the album Strange Ways of which she wrote none of the material. It became her most critically lauded album of the eighties.
In the years since, Marianne Faithfull has continued to be a successful and popular artist. She has won many accolades and is considered to be one the greatest female rock singers of all time.
# 10 – Come My Way
In 1965, Marianne Faithfull released two versions of this song: one from her second album of the same name and the other from her US only release titled Go Away From My Life. Both versions are great, but the first version is the better one, having a more simplistic and youthful energy to it.
# 9 – As Tears Go By
Next on our Top ten Marianne Faithfull songs list is this song from 1964 from her self-titled debut that was written by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Andrew Loog Oldham. It peaked at number nine in both the UK and Ireland. The Rolling Stones would later record their own version and it has since been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Avenged Sevenfold.
# 8 – Blowin’ in the Wind
Up next is Faithfull’s cover that is one of literally hundreds of the Bob Dylan classic that was released in 1963. This was her second single in 1965 and was accompanied by the B side “House of the Rising Sun.” In her first autobiography, she wrote that she was feeling drained and tired from a tour that she had been on when she recorded this.
# 7 – Come and Stay With Me
Here we have a single that was released in 1965 and written by Jackie DeShannon also included on Faithfull’s first album. It is one of her biggest hits, having reached number four in the United Kingdom. According to Faithfull’s manager Tony Calder, it was written in Los Angeles when he was there with Jackie DeShannon and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page who Jackie DeShannon was in a relationship with at the time.
# 6 – Yesterday
The next entry on our Top ten Marianne Faithfull songs list is another cover that most people reading this will know was originally by a certain band from Liverpool called The Beatles. This cover is one of an estimated 1,600 , making the track one of the most recorded of all time. This version was recorded in 1965 and included on Go Away From My World. It was later featured on 1967’s Love in a Mist.
# 5 – Is This What I Get For Loving You?
The third cover on our list of the top ten best Marianne Faithfull songs was originally written by Phil Spector and recorded by the Ronnettes in 1965. This version was produced by Oldham and released in 1967. It was Faithful’s final charting single of the sixties, reaching number forty-three in the United Kingdom, forty-two in Australia and 125 in the US.
# 4 – Something Better
This track was released in 1968 was written by Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin and produced by Mick Jagger. It was released as a single to promote the Decca Single compilation The World of Marianne Faithfull. Its B-side was “Sister Morphine.” This single was ultimately the final release of Faithful’s initial career, as it was the last thing that she produced until Dreamin My Dreams in 1976.
# 3 – The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
Here is a song that was originally recorded by Dr Hook, their version of which was included in my previous top ten list of their best songs. It was taken from Faithful’s 1979 album Broken English. When it was released as a single it became one of her highest charting songs, reaching high positions in various countries all over the world. This album was a major comeback for Faithful after having spent many years battling with heroin addiction and living on the streets.
# 2 – Broken English
Just off the top spot on this Marianne Faithfull songs list is the title track of Faithful’s seventh album Broken English. It was the second single to be released from the record in 1980. Faithful co-wrote the song along with Barry Reynolds, Joe Mavety, Steve York and Terry Standard. The song’s lyrics are about terrorism. With this track, Faithful is very much reinventing herself for the New Wave era. Her voice her sounds a lot deeper and cracked, which is due to her years of drug abuse and heavy smoking. Despite a positive critical reception, it failed to chart in both the UK and the US.
# 1 – Sister Morphine
We close out our top 10 Marianne Faithfull songs list is a song that Marianne Faithfull wrote with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Faithful released the original version as the B side to “Something Else” in 1969. The Rolling Stones released their own version two years later on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Jagger plays acoustic guitar on this version, along with Ry Cooder who plays both Slide and Bass guitar, Jack Nitzche on piano and Charlie Watts on drums. Although Marianne Faithful was credited as writer on the initial release, her name was omitted from it when it released in the US, as it was from the Stones version. This led to a legal battle, which Marianne Faithful won and was given back credit as a co-author. Marianne Faithful later re-recorded it during the Broken English session and to this day it is a staple of her live sets.
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
