Four new songs by Marianne Faithfull, the English singer best known for the 1960s hit "As Tears Go By” and who died earlier this year, will be released this summer, her son said on Friday.
Faithfull, one of the most colorful personalities of London’s Swinging 60s, endured homelessness, drug addiction, and cancer before she passed away aged 78 in January.
As the former girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Faithfull gained notoriety for her escapades in the era of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Still, she has released 21 solo albums, won a Grammy nomination, and has had a film acting career.
Faithfull had worked on the new recordings over the past year. They were inspired by her first two albums from 1965 and were due to be revealed last month, Decca Records said, but plans were put on hold following her death.
"Marianne lived to create and perform music – it was her driving force, and she never stopped,” her son Nicholas Dunbar said in a statement. "Right up until the end, she was looking forward to this release, which now completes and celebrates her remarkable artistic career.”
One of the new songs, "Burning Moonlight,” which also gives the EP its title, was inspired by the opening line of "As Tears Go By.” It will be released on Friday, while the full digital EP will be released on June 6.
"It’s a good time to look back,” Faithfull had said after completing the project, according to Decca Records.
"It helps me to remember all the things I’ve done. I can’t say I’m a particularly nostalgic person, but I am enjoying this period of reflection.”
