Grand Jacques

One of the few Belgian singers to make a worldwide impact, Jacques Brel spent much of his early career struggling to break out of Parisian nightclubs. Quite what affected the transformation from struggler to superstar is not known, but certainly his abilities as a songwriter played a significant part in his elevation, especially when the likes of Juliette Greco began covering his material. Over the years, the likes of John Denver, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow would also record songs written by Jacques. His own singing career was equally lucrative, with worldwide sales topping the 25 million mark. His first recording contract came in 1953, with Philips issuing a 78 RPM single. The following year came his first album, a nine track package released as a 10 inch album. It is this album that we have reissued here, with all the tracks being recorded live at the Théâtre de l'Apollo on 15 February 1954 with arranger Andre Grassi.