Marianne Faithfull started out the same way many aspiring performers did in London in the heart of the swinging ‘60s: by performing in coffeehouses and wine bars. Despite having a baby in mid ‘65, Faithfull would soon leave her husband to shack up with the young Mick Jagger and begin a recording career that would see her release a string of hit records by the year’s end. Just prior to their union, Faithfull had been spotted at a party by Jagger’s manager, Andrew Loog-Oldham, who was intent on making The Rolling Stones the most controversial and best-selling band in the UK. 

He was also intent on finding himself a female pop star; his only criteria was that she be pretty and able to sing. Young Marianne fit the bill and was soon holed up with Jagger while he and bandmate Keith Richards started figuring out how to write their own songs. According to legend, “As Tears Go By” was one of the first songs The Glimmer Twins wrote together, and happy enough with it, Oldham suggested it would be the perfect debut single for Marianne. That it was, and as was the custom in those days, an album was thrown together in a matter of days to capitalize on the surprise success of Faithfull’s first hit.

Marianne Faithfull was released almost simultaneouslywith Come My Way in April of 1965.  The latter is a bizarre mix of mainly traditional folk songs, while this one covers some original and random pop songs of the day. This record fares better as a conventional album only, and although the first single is a clear standout, there is much more to it than history would suggest.  “As Tears Go By” is a wonderfully eerie ballad that suited Faithfull’s equally eerie voice perfectly. Her delivery of the awfully melancholic lyric (“It is the evening of the day / I sit and watch the children play / Smiling faces I can see, but not for me / I sit and watch as tears go by”) is enchanting to say the least.

Another hit single was a cover of Jackie DeShannon's “Come And Stay With Me,” a glorious ‘60s pop cut that is given much lighter arrangement, which Faithfull matches with a cheerful delivery. The Bacharach/David composition “If I Never Get To Love You” is one of their understated best. Marianne’s voice here sounds much older than her nineteen years, which only gives the song a much more convincing tone. “Time Takes Time” is one of the first songs written by Marianne; it’s incredibly short (a tad under two minutes) and sounds like it would be more at home on a Spaghetti Western soundtrack rather than a pop album.

Marianne’s voice sounds almost angelic on the sweet love song, “He’ll Come Back To Me.”  It’s followed by a short but ultimately inferior version of “Downtown.” It is easily one of the decade’s best pop songs but it really misses the mark here, definitely a cheap shot at a hit that failed, as well it should have. “Plaisir d’Amour” is covered with conviction and although it would have better suited Come My Way, it is still a highlight for its simplicity that is tailor made for Marianne’s voice to shine.

“Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” is a run-of-the-mill pop ditty of the time that just really hasn’t aged very well. I’m sure I’ve heard a much better version of it, but I can’t recall who did it.  Songs like “Paris Bells,” “They Will Never Leave You,” and “What Have They Done To The Rain” work wonders for Faithfull’s slightly snooty delivery but fail to offer up anything memorable. “In My Time Of Sorrow” is much better, as Marianne gives another stellar delivery of a depressive lyric, a theme that would become much more prevalent in her later work.

The album closes out with a couple of downright wacky songs. “What Have I Done Wrong” is another dose of melancholy that’s oddly given another silly arrangement. The Lennon/McCartney penned “I’m A Loser” finds Faithfull lamenting the demise of a love affair albeit set to a very poppy beat. It’s wacky in good way but frustratingly short, barely surpassing the two-minute mark. 

Marianne Faithfull is an eclectic collection of ‘60s pop songs that perfectly reflect the time and place they came from. It was an important record for Marianne, but after doing its job and elevating her to pop stardom, she curiously turned to traditional folk for pretty much the next ten years. This is, however, where one of the great careers in rock began, and Marianne (the former convent school girl) would never again sound as innocent and carefree as she did here.

Rating: B

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