Scott 3

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Scott 3
Scott 3 (Front Cover).jpg
Studio album by
Scott Walker
ReleasedMarch 1969
Genre
Length37:22
Label Philips
Producer John Franz
Scott Walker chronology
Scott 2
(1968)		Scott 3
(1969)		 Scott: Scott Walker Sings Songs from his T.V. Series
(1969)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Pitchfork Media (8.5/10) [2]

Scott 3 is the third solo album by American singer songwriter Scott Walker, released on March 1, 1969, in the United Kingdom through Philips Records. It was produced by John Franz. Though a majority of the tracklist features original songs from Walker, the final three tracks are covers of compositions by Jacques Brel.

Contents

Reception

Commercial

Upon release in 1969, it met with slightly fewer sales than his previous albums, as pop audiences struggled to keep pace with Walker's increasingly experimental approach, though it still reached No. 3 on the UK Album Chart. [3]

Critical

In a retrospective review, Mark Lager wrote that the album contained "contemplative, delicate, and nostalgic songs surrounded by a string section of somber darkness. The opening track 'It's Raining Today' is autumnal, gray, misty, and overcast and his lyrics share similarities with Leonard Cohen's songs from around this same time period. 'Copenhagen' contains Christmas chimes and, at the end, a carnival carousel. His voice is reminiscent of crooner Andy Williams, yet the lyrics are akin to Marcel Proust's Swann's Way in their recollections upon faraway childhood innocence. 'Winter Night' is a crystalline, melancholy mood piece that is best accompanied by a glass of Amontillado sherry." [4]

Legacy

The album's slightly muted reception and subsequent failure of Walker's short-lived BBC TV series signified the beginning of his decline in popularity. Since its release, however, it has been regarded by many of Walker's fans as a favourite. [5]

In September 2019, Thom Yorke, on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs , named "It's Raining Today" as one of the eight pieces of music he would take to an imaginary desert island. [6]

The title of the 1981 compilation Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker is taken from the lyrics of the song "Big Louise", and the 2006 documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man is named after "30 Century Man".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Scott Walker (credited as S. Engel), except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."It's Raining Today"4:02
2."Copenhagen"2:22
3."Rosemary"3:22
4."Big Louise"3:10
5."We Came Through"1:59
6."Butterfly"1:42
7."Two Ragged Soldiers"3:07
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."30 Century Man" 1:29
2."Winter Night" 1:45
3."Two Weeks Since You've Gone" 2:48
4."Sons Of" Gérard Jouannest, Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman 3:45
5."Funeral Tango"Jouannest, Brel, Shuman2:56
6."If You Go Away"Brel, Rod McKuen 4:57

The original U.S. Smash label vinyl issue omitted "30 Century Man", replacing it with "Lights of Cincinnati", a UK non-LP single from the same period. This issue also featured a different cover design from the UK Philips release.

Personnel

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalogue
United Kingdom March 1969 [7] Philips LPSBL 7882
United States June 1969 Smash LPSRS 67121
UKJune 22, 1992 [7] Fontana CD510 881-2
UKJune 5, 2000 [7] Fontana HDCD510 881-2
USFebruary 15, 2008 [8] 4 Men With BeardsLP4M151

Charts

ChartPosition
UK Albums Chart [9] 3

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ "Scott Walker: Scott: The Collection 1967-1970". Pitchfork .
  3. ↑ Sexton, Paul (April 5, 2025). "'Scott 3': Scott Walker Makes It A UK Top 3 Hat-Trick". UdiscoverMusic. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  4. ↑ Lager, Mark (January 2022). "Cinematic Genius and Haunting Poetry of Noel Scott Engel". Vinyl Writers.
  5. ↑ Baddeley, Kieran (February 13, 2019). "Album Review: Scott Walker - Scott 3". The Rockhaq Community. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  6. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Thom Yorke, musician". BBC. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Release: Scott 3 - MusicBrainz" . Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Scott Walker". Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 12, 2009.
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