Scott (album)
Scott | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 25, 1967[1] | |||
Recorded | 1967 | |||
Genre | Baroque pop | |||
Length | 40:30 | |||
Label | Philips | |||
Producer | John Franz | |||
Scott Walker chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork Media | 8.4/10[3] |
Scott is the debut solo album by Scott Walker, originally released in the United Kingdom on Philips Records in 1967. The album received both strong commercial success as well as critical praise, hitting No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] The album was produced by John Franz, who had previously worked with Walker's group the Walker Brothers, while its instrumental accompaniments were arranged and conducted by Angela Morley, Reg Guest and Peter Knight.
Overview
[edit]Scott was released only six months after Walker's third album with The Walker Brothers, Images. Its mixture of Walker's original compositions and selection of cover versions established Walker as a more serious and sombre artist; gone were the Beat group and Blue-eyed soul material of his former group. The choice of material generally fell into four main categories: his own work ("Montague Terrace (In Blue)", "Such a Small Love", "Always Coming Back to You"), contemporary covers ("The Lady Came from Baltimore", "Angelica"), movie songs ("You're Gonna Hear From Me", "Through a Long and Sleepless Night") and significantly, English-translated versions of the songs of the Belgian singer and songwriter Jacques Brel ("Mathilde", "My Death", "Amsterdam"). Brel was a major influence on Walker's own compositions, and Walker included three of his songs on each of his next two solo albums, Scott 2 and Scott 3. Walker described Brel without qualification as "the most significant singer-songwriter in the world".[5] The real coup for Walker was his luck in acquiring and recording the new Mort Shuman-translated versions of Brel's material before anyone else.[citation needed]
Since the album's release, three complete outtakes, likely recorded during the Scott album sessions, have circulated in bootlegged form. These are "Free Again" (Basile/Canfora/Colby/Jourdan), "I Get Along Without You Very Well" (Hoagy Carmichael) and "I Think I'm Getting Over You" (Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway), the latter of which was recorded for potential single release.[6]
Release and reception
[edit]The album was released by Philips Records on 25 August 1967 in the UK.[1] It reached No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for seventeen weeks.[4] It was released the following year in the US on Smash Records under the title Aloner.
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mathilde" | Jacques Brel, Gérard Jouannest, Mort Shuman | 2:39 |
2. | "Montague Terrace (In Blue)" | Noel Scott Engel | 3:31 |
3. | "Angelica" | Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann | 4:02 |
4. | "The Lady Came from Baltimore" | Tim Hardin | 1:59 |
5. | "When Joanna Loved Me" | Jack Segal, Robert Wells | 3:08 |
6. | "My Death" | Brel, Shuman | 4:57 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Big Hurt" | Wayne Shanklin | 2:26 |
2. | "Such a Small Love" | Engel | 4:55 |
3. | "You're Gonna Hear From Me" | André Previn, Dory Previn | 2:53 |
4. | "Through a Long and Sleepless Night" | Mack Gordon, Alfred Newman | 4:12 |
5. | "Always Coming Back to You" | Engel | 2:41 |
6. | "Amsterdam" | Brel, Shuman | 3:04 |
Personnel
[edit]- Scott Walker – vocals
- Wally Stott – arranger, conductor (1, 2, 5, 7, 8)
- Reg Guest – arranger, conductor (3, 4, 6, 11)
- Peter Knight – arranger, conductor (9, 10)
- John Franz – producer
- Peter J. Olliff – engineer
- Keith Altham – liner notes
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
---|---|---|---|---|
France | 1967 | Philips | LP | 844 202 BY |
United Kingdom | September 1967 | Philips | LP (Stereo) | SBL 7816 |
UK | September 1967 | Philips | LP (Mono) | BL 7816 |
United States | 1968[7] | Smash | LP (Title: Aloner) | 27099 |
UK | March 16, 1992 | Fontana | CD | 510 879-2 |
UK | June 5, 2000 | Fontana | HDCD | 510 879-2 |
US | February 15, 2008[8] | 4 Men With Beards | LP | 4M149 |
Charts
[edit]Chart (1967–68) | Peak
position |
---|---|
Finnish Soumen virallinen Albums[9] | 14 |
UK Record Retailer LPs Chart[4] | 3 |
UK Disc and Music Echo Top Ten LPs[10] | 3 |
UK Melody Maker Top Ten LPs[11] | 3 |
UK New Musical Express Top 15 LPs[12] | 3 |
References
[edit]Citations
- ^ a b Anon. (August 19, 1967). "Scott Walker LP next week" (PDF). New Musical Express. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
His [Scott Walker's] first solo LP, Scott, has been scheduled for release by Philips next Friday (25th) [August 1967]. But there are still no plans for a solo single.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. Review: Scott. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-08-10.
- ^ "Scott Walker: Scott: The Collection 1967-1970". Pitchfork.
- ^ a b c "Scott – Scott Walker". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ Williams, Lewis (2006). Scott Walker – The Rhymes of Goodbye (1st ed.). London: Plexus. p. 61. ISBN 0-85965-395-1.
- ^ Williams, Lewis (2006). Scott Walker – The Rhymes of Goodbye (1st ed.). London: Plexus. p. 185. ISBN 0-85965-395-1.
- ^ "Billboard". January 27, 1968.
- ^ "VinylFanatics.com Vinyl Records, Vinyl Record Reviews, News, Forum Vinyl reviews Audiophile vinyl The best site for vinyl records – UPDATE : Vinyl Lovers – New record label?". 2010 VinylFanatics.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ Nyman 2005.
- ^ "Top Ten LPs" (PDF). Disc and Music Echo. September 30, 1967. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
- ^ "Top Ten LPs" (PDF). Melody Maker. September 30, 1967. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
- ^ "Britain's Top 15 LPs" (PDF). New Musical Express. September 23, 1967. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 8, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
Sources
- Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja [Finland is Calling 4: The Great Finnish Chart Book] (in Finnish). Finland: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-31-2503-5. OCLC 936866988.
Further reading
[edit]- Draper, Jason (2008). A Brief History of Album Covers. London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781847862112. OCLC 227198538.
- Scott Walker (singer) albums
- Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements
- 1967 debut albums
- Albums conducted by Wally Stott
- Albums conducted by Peter Knight (composer)
- Albums arranged by Peter Knight (composer)
- Albums produced by Johnny Franz
- Philips Records albums
- Smash Records albums
- Fontana Records albums