Singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt dies aged 75

 

Singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt, best known for the song Where Do You Go To (My Lovely), has died at the age of 75, his family has said.

 

The song topped the UK singles charts in February 1969 and remained number one for four weeks.

 

It was also number one in many other countries and won the Ivor Novello award for best song composition.

 

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38548507

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2017-01-09

Awful song, I hated it

An Indian boy who did well in music and was popular back than.....

he'll in a very good company of recently passed music's icons

up there in the music fields for ever....

So is he the first noted musician/singer to go so far in 2017?

I guess he is noted because he did have a number 1 single but otherwise never heard of him.  I knew the song in the late 70's because I had an older sister.

 

I have a file of well over 1000 songs, one of which is Where do you go to my lovely and it comes up occasionally.   Great song to this day.

 

This dying thing is a bitch.

I'd never heard of the song, so took a break to go to utube.  Barely lasted over the minute.  What a ghastly song!!!  It is out of date, but even so!!!!

4 hours ago, thai3 said:

Awful song, I hated it

 

is this a necessary reaction to a passing?  who cares if YOU 'hated it' or not?  it was a 'classic' of it's time and the thread is about him dying?  RiP I say

My parents had an album of his. Check out the song 'Blagged' its actually a pretty snappy number. Its on Youtube

25 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

is this a necessary reaction to a passing?  who cares if YOU 'hated it' or not?  it was a 'classic' of it's time and the thread is about him dying?  RiP I say

 

The song has not passed he has, I did not mention him, IMO it's was not a classic, it was pretentious rubbish. 

30 minutes ago, thai3 said:

 

The song has not passed he has, I did not mention him, IMO it's was not a classic, it was pretentious rubbish. 

 

Dude the thread is about HIS passing not the song

Dude? The song was the only thing he was known for and is mentioned in the original post.

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by thai3

4 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Dude? The song was the only thing he was known for and is mentioned in the original post.

 

Dude no matter what (apologies to Meatloaf and Boyzone) he's DEAD and the thread is about that he was 'best known for' not your musical preferences 

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by LannaGuy

Heard that song again recently in a movie I watched and it brought back memories..........!

 

This time round I listened more closely to the lyrics and it was a very 'clever' song, telling a story and belittling pretentiousness.

 

RIP Peter and thanks for the memories.

9 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

 

is this a necessary reaction to a passing?  who cares if YOU 'hated it' or not?  it was a 'classic' of it's time and the thread is about him dying?  RiP I say

thai3 also known as jackie 54 likes to wind up folks with his negative comments. It's the way he is.

I believe he said he's leaving Thailand this year. 

 

8 hours ago, thai3 said:

 

The song has not passed he has, I did not mention him, IMO it's was not a classic, it was pretentious rubbish. 

"Pretentious"?  How can the song be pretentious?  Rubbish maybe, but no more so than most pop songs of it's time (and of any time, come to that).

8 hours ago, thai3 said:

Dude? The song was the only thing he was known for and is mentioned in the original post.

...apart from his other hit, and many albums.

8 hours ago, thai3 said:

Dude? The song was the only thing he was known for and is mentioned in the original post.

It might have been the only song he was known for, but untill his death he was getting £60,000 a year for it. Great song by the way, one of the first songs I learned on guitar.

For all those thinking the song was 'pretentious', Sarstedt grew up as a kid with the girl that would become the woman Sophia Loren. He loved her, the song was about her. They grew up in the slums together.

 

RIP Old Man, I enjoyed the song anyway, as I always knew what it meant.

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by Andaman Al

16 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

"Pretentious"?  How can the song be pretentious?  Rubbish maybe, but no more so than most pop songs of it's time (and of any time, come to that).

 

I honestly think it's the most pretentious song I ever heard, and the 60's had a few annoying ones, but nothing as bad as this

 

You talk like Marlene Dietrich
And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire
Your clothes are all made by Balmain
And there`s diamonds and pearls in your hair
You live in a fancy appartement
Of the Boulevard of St. Michel
Where you keep your Rolling Stones records
And a friend of Sacha Distel
But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head
I've seen all your qualifications
You got from the Sorbonne
And the painting you stole from Picasso

 

etc etc 

^^^

 

See my post above. Exactly as stated!

It's not at all certain it was about Loren, he never said it was, some say it was about Bardot and others an old girlfriend of his who died

3 minutes ago, thai3 said:

It's not at all certain it was about Loren, he never said it was, some say it was about Bardot and others an old girlfriend of his who died

It was about Loren. But whatever!

Just now, Andaman Al said:

It was about Loren. But whatever!

Wrong, it was his old girlfriend, but you obviously know better.

Just now, vogie said:

Wrong, it was his old girlfriend, but you obviously know better.

Yes.  RIP Peter

from wikky, which of course is not always right, but probably more often than a lot of posters on here :

 

According to Alan Cooper: 'Sarstedt insisted it was not written with actress Sophia Loren in mind. "Yes, it's a portrait of a poor-born girl who becomes a member of the European jet-set. And yes, there's reference to her growing up on the 'back streets of Naples', so I can see why people may think it was written with Sophia Loren in mind. But that's just a co-incidence. I really wasn't thinking of anyone specific."' ^[4]

 

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Do_You_Go_To_(My_Lovely)%3F}

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by thai3

1 minute ago, thai3 said:

from wikky, which of course is not always right, but probably mor often than a lot of posters on here :

 

According to Alan Cooper: 'Sarstedt insisted it was not written with actress Sophia Loren in mind. "Yes, it's a portrait of a poor-born girl who becomes a member of the European jet-set. And yes, there's reference to her growing up on the 'back streets of Naples', so I can see why people may think it was written with Sophia Loren in mind. But that's just a co-incidence. I really wasn't thinking of anyone specific."' ^[4]

He was being polite, a gentleman. I remember he was called out about it on the Parkinson Show ( Or some other of those Genre in the 70's). Whatever, he was a good person lets not have a thread like this turned into an argument thread shall we. Lets all just believe what we want.

I think it's a shame when any composer or performer dies.

 

That song was a good one and very much of its time. I'm always happy to hear it again, especially as I have usually have 60s/70s internet radio stations playing all day.

 

5 hours ago, bannork said:

thai3 also known as jackie 54 likes to wind up folks with his negative comments. It's the way he is.

I believe he said he's leaving Thailand this year. 

 

Quite honestly I couldn't give a damn what the "NAY SAYER" has to say, Loved the song when it was released, gave it a stack of airplay on my radio shows and millions of people still love it.

4 hours ago, thai3 said:

 

I honestly think it's the most pretentious song I ever heard, and the 60's had a few annoying ones, but nothing as bad as this

 

You talk like Marlene Dietrich
And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire
Your clothes are all made by Balmain
And there`s diamonds and pearls in your hair
You live in a fancy appartement
Of the Boulevard of St. Michel
Where you keep your Rolling Stones records
And a friend of Sacha Distel
But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head
I've seen all your qualifications
You got from the Sorbonne
And the painting you stole from Picasso

 

etc etc 

So how is the song pretentious, then?

36 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

So how is the song pretentious, then?

 

It is pretentious with all its name dropping.  But that is the point, it mocks the vapid values of "my lovely."  Missing from the lyrics listed is the part about children begging in the street, when she's faced with real  things.

 

I remember this from 1969 when my friend picked up the album.  I don't think I've heard the song since 1970.  I don't recall it getting much airplay in the US.  I'm surprised anyone remembers it.