Amsterdam (Jacques Brel song)
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"Amsterdam" is a song by Jacques Brel. It combines a powerful melancholic
crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...
with a rich poetic account of the exploits of sailors on
shore leave Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as "liberty" within the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. During the Age of Sail, shore leave was often abused by the ...
in Amsterdam. Musically, it takes its base melody line from the melody of the English folk song
Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fo ...
. Brel never recorded this for a studio album, and his only version was released on the live album ''
Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964 ''Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964'' is Jacques Brel's second live album. The original 25 cm LP version only contained track 1-8. Also known as ''Olympia 64'', the album was reissued with a total of 15 chansons in 1988 as part of CD Box ...
''. Despite this, it has been one of his most enduringly popular works. It was one of the songs
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 " ...
translated into English for the musical '' Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris''. Brel worked on the song at his house overlooking the Mediterranean at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the house he shared with Sylvie Rivet, a publicist for Philips; a place she had introduced him to in 1960. "It was the ideal place for him to create, and to indulge his passion for boats and planes. One morning at six o'clock he read the words of Amsterdam to Fernand, a restaurateur who was about to set off fishing for
scorpion fish The Scorpaenidae (also known as scorpionfish) are a family of mostly marine fish that includes many of the world's most venomous species. As their name suggests, scorpionfish have a type of "sting" in the form of sharp spines coated with venomo ...
and
conger eel ''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during ...
s for the
bouillabaisse Bouillabaisse (; oc, bolhabaissa, bullabessa ) is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating in the port city of Marseille. The French and English form ''bouillabaisse'' comes from the Provençal Occitan word ''bolhabaissa'', a compound ...
. Overcome, Fernand broke out in sobs and cut open some sea urchins to help control his emotion." Originally the song was situated in
Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (, from: ''Brugge aan zee'' meaning "Bruges at Sea", french: Zeebruges) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zee ...
, but moved to Amsterdam as "it sounded better to the ear". Noteworthy is that in modern Amsterdam there is still a port, but owing to widespread automation and decline in crew sizes, there are far fewer sailors on shore leave.


Cover versions


David Bowie version

Scott Walker recorded several of these translated Brel songs in the late 1960s. This inspired
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
to record his own versions of "Amsterdam" in the early 1970s. Bowie's studio version was released as the B-side to his single " Sorrow", released in September 1973. (This recording may have been made in the summer of 1973Kevin Cann (2010). ''Any Day Now - David Bowie: The London Years: 1947-1974'': p.311 or in late 1971.Chris O'Leary (2015). ''Rebel Rebel'': p.496) Brel refused to meet Bowie when he visited Paris, saying he did not wish to meet a "pédé" ("faggot"), but the latter nevertheless still admired him. Bowie's version is also found on several other releases: * The original mix, as heard on the 1973 single B-side, was included on the
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
compilation album '' Rare'', in December 1982, and on ''Re:Call 1'', part of the ''
Five Years (1969–1973) ''Five Years (1969–1973)'' is a box set by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in September 2015. The period of Bowie's career from 1969 to 1973 is summarised over twelve discs and thirteen LPs. Exclusive to the box sets is ''R ...
'' compilation, in September 2015. * Bowie's recording was released as picture discs in both the
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
''Life Time'' picture disc set and the ''Fashion Picture Disc Set''. * A remix was included as a bonus track on the 1990
Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record la ...
CD release of Bowie's 1973 album ''
Pin Ups ''Pin Ups'' (also referred to as ''Pinups'' and ''Pin-Ups'') is the seventh studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 19October 1973 through RCA Records. Devised as a "stop-gap" album to appease his record label, it is a cove ...
'' under the title "Port of Amsterdam", and on the bonus disc of the 2002 '' Ziggy Stardust - 30th Anniversary Reissue''. * The July 1982 German rerelease of the single " Alabama Song" had "Amsterdam" as the B-side. * On the 1989 Living Legend Records Publishing CD ''Chameleon Chronicles Vol.3 (LLRCD 050)'' "Amsterdam" was recorded for D.L.T. (Dave Lee Travis Show) as "David Bowie and
Junior's Eyes Junior's Eyes was a British group led by guitarist Mick Wayne (born Michael Wayne, 1945, Kingston upon Hull - died 26 June 1994), which recorded one album and is notable for acting as David Bowie's backing band during 1969. Beginnings Mick W ...
" 20 October 1969; broadcast date 26 October 1969. * "David Bowie and the
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
Trio (aka The Hype)" recorded "Amsterdam" for the BBC radio show The Sunday Show introduced by John Peel on 5 February 1970 (broadcast date 8 February 1970). This performance may be heard on the 2000
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
CD ''
Bowie at the Beeb ''Bowie at the Beeb'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three-CD set, the third, bonus CD being a live recording made on at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre. Later ...
''.


Other English covers

Scott Walker recorded a version on his 1967, debut solo album, '' Scott''.
Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of Ma ...
recorded a version on his 1971 album, '' Van Ronk''.
Fred Holstein Fred Holstein (December 9, 1942 – January 12, 2004) was an American folk music singer. Holstein was a prominent figure in the Chicago folk music scene in the 1960s through 1980s. He co owned two clubs in the Old Town and Lincoln Park neighbo ...
recorded a version for his 1977 album "Chicago and Other Ports."
The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; addi ...
often play a cover of the song live with English lyrics. More recently, Amanda Palmer has performed the original French version in her live solo show with
Jason Webley Jason Webley is an American musician known for his sincere fusion of folk, experimental, and alternative music. Webley plays the guitar and accordion, sometimes providing percussion by stomping or shaking a plastic vodka bottle filled with coins ...
playing accordion.
The Bolshoi The Bolshoi were an English London-based music group prominent mostly in the mid to late 1980s. They are best known for the hits "Sunday Morning" and "A way" or "Away" (the name is interchangeable and has been noted as both on different albums ...
recorded a version for their debut single '' Sob Story in 1984''.
Goodbye Mr Mackenzie Goodbye Mr Mackenzie is a Scottish rock band formed in Bathgate near Edinburgh. At the band's commercial peak, the line-up consisted of Martin Metcalfe on vocals, John Duncan on guitar, Fin Wilson on bass guitar, Shirley Manson and Rona Scobi ...
recorded a version for their debut album '' Good Deeds and Dirty Rags''. Irish cabaret singer
Camille O'Sullivan Camille O'Sullivan is an Irish musician, vocalist, and actress. O'Sullivan is known for her unique, dramatic musical style and covers of artists such as Radiohead, Tom Waits, and David Bowie. As an actress, O'Sullivan has appeared in Mrs Hend ...
performs a cover of the song as part of her show with the
Spiegeltent A spiegeltent (Dutch for "mirror tent", from '' spiegel''+''tent'') is a large travelling tent, constructed from wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass, intended as an entertainment venue. Originally built in Belgium during ...
. Irish singer-songwriter Jack L has also recorded a version of the song. John Denver released a version of this song on his album, '' Take Me To Tomorrow'' (1970). He also released live versions on Live In London (1976) and the
An Evening With John Denver ''An Evening with John Denver'' is the first live album by American singer and songwriter John Denver. It was recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California in August and September 1974. He was backed by an orchestra conducted ...
bonus reissue tracks (1973). Bellowhead have recorded Amsterdam on their 2010 album '' Hedonism''. Rod McKuen made his own translation of "Amsterdam" and included it on his album ''Rod McKuen Sings Jacques Brel''. In 2007
Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...
recorded a version for the EP "Brel Extras" released 2008 (http://www.discogs.com/Marc-Almond-Brel-Extras/release/1481753)


Dutch covers

Both Dutch band
De Dijk De Dijk (English: The Dike (construction), Dike) is a Dutch Rock music, rock Musical ensemble, band which formed in 1981. The band is named after Zeedijk, a street in their hometown Amsterdam. Their music can be described as a mixture of Soul mu ...
and Dutch artists Acda en De Munnik recorded
Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-Europea ...
versions of the song, called "Amsterdam" and "De stad Amsterdam" (The city Amsterdam) respectively. Other Dutch versions can be found by
Liesbeth List Elisabeth Dorathea List, generally known as Liesbeth List (December 12, 1941 – March 25, 2020) was a Dutch singer, stage actress and television personality. She became popular during the 1960s and frequently collaborated with Ramses Shaffy. Sh ...
(''Liesbeth List zingt Jacques Brel''), Jan Mesdag (''Jan Mesdag zingt Brel'') and Jeroen Willems (''Jeroen Willems zingt Jacques Brel'').


Other languages

*Finnish: Finnish singer-songwriter
Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
recorded a cover of the song in Finnish for his album ''Yhtenä iltana'' (1990). Finnish actress and singer Susanna Haavisto sang this song in Finnish translation in a theatrical stage variety based on Brel's songs. A version is included on a compilation album ''Laulusi elää, Brel!'' (1984) of songs from this revue. *German: The song was translated into German and regularly sung by
Hildegard Knef Hildegard Frieda Albertine Knef (; 28 December 19251 February 2002) was a German actress, voice actress, singer, and writer. She was billed in some English-language films as Hildegard Neff or Hildegarde Neff. Early years Hildegard Knef was born ...
at the end of her live performance career, usually to conclude her concerts. A different German translation was also recorded by Klaus Hoffmann in 1975. German chanteuse
Ute Lemper Ute Gertrud Lemper (; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playing Sally Bowles in the original Paris production of ''Cabaret'', for which she won the 1987 Molière Award for Best Newcomer, and Velm ...
included a version of "Amsterdam", in English and French, on her 2002 album '' But One Day...''. *Greek: Translated and performed by Giorgos Arapakis. Also performed by Manos Xidous, and by Vassilis Papakonstantinou. *Hebrew: Translated by
Dan Almagor Dan Almagor ( he, דן אלמגור; born 1935) is an Israeli playwright who has adapted and translated over a hundred plays for the Hebrew stage, including Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors", "As You Like It", "Fiddler on the Roof," "The King a ...
and originally performed by Dani Litani in 1970. Later on also performed by Corinne Allal and by Sassi Keshet. *Polish: The Polish version of "Amsterdam", with lyrics translated by
Wojciech Młynarski Wojciech Młynarski (26 March 1941 – 15 March 2017) was a Polish poet, singer, songwriter, translator and director. A well-known figure on the Polish musical scene, he was most famous for his ballads and what is known as sung poetry, as well a ...
, was performed by, among others, Piotr Zadrożny, Katarzyna Groniec and Marcin Czarnik. *Slovenian: Slovenian actor Branko Završan translated and recorded "Amsterdam" in his album ''Senca tvojga psa'' (Shadow of your dog), realised in 2008. *Basque: Basque poet and singer
Xabier Lete Xabier Lete Bergaretxe (Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa, April 5, 1944 - Donostia, December 4, 2010) was a Basque writer, poet, singer and politician. He started to write from an early age and he often published articles in the magazine "Zeruko Argia". In 1965 h ...
translated "Amsterdam" and sang it in his last concert in
Errenteria Errenteria ( eu, Errenteria/Orereta, es, Rentería) is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, in the north of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun (rive ...
, on 25/09/1999. The concert, given for the basque festival Kilometroak, was recorded and finally released in 2011. *Turkish: Adapted from the original French lyrics together with the English lyrics of David Bowie version by Şamil Şirin in 2018 and performed by the band Hanımlar&Beyler in the IzTech SpringFest'18. *Spanish: Asturian singer-songwriter Pablo Und Destruktion recorded a Spanish cover called "Gijón" for his 2020 album "Futuros Valores". *Italian: Translated and recorded in 1996 by
Duilio Del Prete Duilio Del Prete (25 June 1938 – 2 February 1998) was an Italian actor, dubber and singer-songwriter. Del Prete was born at Cuneo, Piedmont. As a singer-songwriter, he wrote political songs and recorded an album of Jacques Brel's covers; he a ...
and released on his posthumous album ''Duilio Del Prete canta Brel'' (2002). Translated and recorded by Pippo Pollina for his album ''Versi per la libertà'' (2001). Also translated by Sergio Secondiano Sacchi and performed by Peppe Voltarelli for his album ''Planetario'' (2021).


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amsterdam (Jacques Brel Song) David Bowie songs Jacques Brel songs Songs written by Jacques Brel 1964 songs French-language songs Songs about Amsterdam Songs about sailors Music in Amsterdam Scott Walker (singer) songs