ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

‘Scott 3’: Scott Walker Makes It A UK Top 3 Hat-Trick

1969’s ‘3’ album gave the great vocal craftsman his third UK Top 3 album in a row.

Published on

Scott Walker 'Scott 3' artwork - Courtesy: UMG
Scott Walker 'Scott 3' artwork - Courtesy: UMG

If British pop audiences of the 1960s missed the impassioned vocals of the late and great Scott Walker on the Walker Brothers’ memorable hits, they still traveled with him very willingly into the next phase of his career.

Walker started his solo period with the 1967 album Scott, which hit No. 3. The next year’s follow-up, Scott 2, went all the way to No.1. Then, on April 5, 1969, he made the UK charts with Scott 3. It would soon make it three Top 3 albums in a row.

Click to load video

Again produced by John Franz, the new set saw the American-born vocalist, by now aged 25, going deeper into his exploration of highly stylised baroque pop and chanson. Among its notable highlights was “30 Century Man,” his own composition which many years later would lend its name to the documentary film about Walker’s life. Like its two predecessors, the LP also displayed Scott’s admiration for the writing of Belgian song craftsman Jacques Brel.

This time, the bulk of the record was comprised of ten of Walker’s own songs, written under his real name, Noel Scott Engel. Then, the UK version of Scott 3 concluded with three Brel co-writes, “Sons Of,” “Funeral Tango,” and one of the most celebrated of all his compositions. The mournful ballad “If You Go Away“ was written by Brel as “Ne Me Quitte Pas” and had English lyrics penned by the American writer and poet Rod McKuen.

Listen to uDiscover Music’s Scott Walker Best Of playlist.

Scott 3 entered the UK charts at No.9, as the Australian group the Seekers continued at the top with a Best Of collection. A week later, Walker’s album rose to its No.3 peak, as Cream’s farewell release Goodbye replaced the Seekers at the summit. In June, Scott made one last visit to the UK singles chart as a solo artist with a track that was on the American version of Scott 3 but not the British one, “Lights Of Cincinatti.”

Read our story on 15 essential Scott Walker tracks, and buy or stream Scott 3.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. yvan

    January 4, 2016 at 11:49 pm

    Like to hear scott walker!

  2. Carneham

    April 9, 2021 at 10:59 am

    This is his best album, alongside “Scott 4”. A great voice and sublime arrengements in both records.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Billy Idol - Rebel Yell LP
Rebel Yell (40th Expanded Edition) (Marbled Limited Edition) 2LP
ORDER NOW
Def Leppard - Pyromania 2LP
Def Leppard
Pyromania 2LP
ORDER NOW
The Who - Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
The Who
Live At Shea Stadium 1982 3LP
ORDER NOW
Keane - Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
Keane
Hopes And Fears 20th Limited Edition 2LP
ORDER NOW
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary
Abba - Waterloo 50th Anniversary (Limited Edition 3 x 7" Box Set)
ORDER NOW
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
Bob Marley - Songs Of Freedom Limited Edition 6LP Box Set
ORDER NOW
uDiscover Music - Back To Top
uDiscover Music - Back To Top