Montreux Jazz Festival, MQA, & BMG Announce Two Compelling High-Res Live Recordings From Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL & BMG TO RELEASE BRAND NEW MARIANNE FAITHFULL AND MUDDY WATERS LIVE ALBUMS

THE NEXT FEATURED ARTISTS IN THE MONTREUX YEARS SERIES

RELIVE ICONIC PERFORMANCES FROM THE LEGENDARY MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL IN STUNNING AUDIO QUALITY

● ‘MARIANNE FAITHFULL: THE MONTREUX YEARS’ and ‘MUDDY WATERS: THE MONTREUX YEARS’ available Friday 27 August
● The series from the Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG celebrate the festival’s 55-year history and the timeless artists that have graced its stages

TUESDAY 20 JULY 2021: Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the next anticipated installment in The Montreux Years collection series with ‘Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years’ and ‘Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years’ to be released on Friday 27 August 2021. Available on multi-format configurations including double LP as well as download and streaming services (including TIDAL Masters), the two new full-length albums feature captivating performances from Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters’ multiple appearances at the iconic Swiss festival for the very first time, recorded and remastered in breath-taking quality.

Pre-order ‘Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years’ and Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years’ here.

The Montreux Years is the embodiment of the spirit of the Montreux Jazz Festival and the legacy of its much-loved founder, Claude Nobs. Nobs refused to compromise on quality or settle for anything other than the best and this ethos lives on in the superb quality of the recordings compiled in The Montreux Years. Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of these special live performances. Similar to the first albums in the series, Nina Simone and Etta James, the Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters albums will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography.

Instantly recognizable with her raw, varied vocal talents and tangible charisma, Marianne Faithfull has been a long-time friend of the Montreux Jazz Festival, appearing five times over a nearly 15-year period: 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2009. The first live album of Faithfull in over 10 years, ‘Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years’ opens with an enchanting rendition of Van Morrison’s Madame George, recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski on 10th July 1995, where her powerful range and unfaltering dynamism is instantly apparent.

Fans of Faithfull can immerse themselves in these unique recordings which include several songs from her celebrated album Broken English, such as an electrifying, guitar-heavy performance of the titular track Broken English, the soaring Guilt, and John Lennon’s rousing anthem Working Class Hero. Meanwhile, the haunting sensitivity of Strange Weather, recorded live at Casino Barrière 6th July 2005, captures the bottomless depths of Faithfull’s brutal and ragged beauty.

An unstoppable blues colossus, the king of Chicago Muddy Waters was the hot ticket during his run of appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in the 1970s. Already a cultural and musical force to behold when festival founder Claude Nobs first caught him live in 1965, Waters found critical acclaim outside of the US, sparking the blues revival in the U.K. and finding a clamoring crowd in Montreux.

The Montreux Years brings together an impressive repertoire of Waters’ blues classics, from the chugging standard Mannish Boy and genre-defining I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man to the stripped-back majesty of Rosalie, all oozing with effortless style and Delta swagger.

Thierry Amsallem, Claude Nobs’ Universal Legatee, Chair/CEO of Montreux Sounds and Chair of Claude Nobs Foundation, says: “These latest additions to The Montreux Years series celebrate Claude’s legacy of bringing together brilliant, era-defining artists, creating unique, unforgettable events.”

Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, added: “Muddy Waters and Marianne Faithfull have both made indelible marks on the Montreux Jazz Festival and these releases will immortalize their iconic performances for fans both new and old in stunning quality.”

‘Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years’ and ‘Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years’ are the second installment of The Montreux Years series, which started with two true titans Nina Simone and Etta James. Both received critical acclaim, ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ debuted at #1 on the UK Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.

‘Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years’ is released on Friday, 27 August 2021
Pre-order here

‘Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years’ is released on Friday, 27 August 2021
Pre-order here

TRACKLISTINGS:

MARIANNE FAITHFULL: THE MONTREUX YEARS

2LP

SIDE A

1. Madame George *
2. Broken English ‡
3. Times Square **
4. Guilt •

SIDE B

5. Song for Nico **
6. Come And Stay With Me •
7. Sister Morphine †

SIDE C

8. She *
9. Hold On Hold On ‡
10. Solitude ‡
11. Working Class Hero •

SIDE D

12. Tower Of Song •
13. Strange Weather †
14. Why D’Ya Do It *

• Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 10th July 1995
  • Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 3rd July 1999
  ** Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 11th July 2002
  † Recorded live at Casino Barrière 6th July 2005
  ‡ Recorded live at Miles Davis Hall 13th July 2009

CD

1. Madame George *
2. Broken English ‡
3. Times Square **
4. Guilt •
5. Song for Nico **
6. Come And Stay With Me •
7. Sister Morphine †
8. She *
9. Hold On Hold On ‡
10. Solitude ‡
11. Working Class Hero •
12. Tower Of Song •
13. Strange Weather †
14. Why D’Ya Do It *

• Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 10th July 1995
  • Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 3rd July 1999
  ** Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 11th July 2002
  † Recorded live at Casino Barrière 6th July 2005
  ‡ Recorded live at Miles Davis Hall 13th July 2009

MUDDY WATERS: THE MONTREUX YEARS

2LP

SIDE A

1. Nobody Knows Chicago Like I Do *
2. Mannish Boy •
3. Long Distance Call ‡
4. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ ‡

SIDE B

5. County Jail ‡
6. Got My Mojo Working *
7. I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man *
8. I’m Ready •

SIDE C

9. Still A Fool *
10. Trouble No More *
11. Rosalie ‡
12. Rock Me Baby ‡

SIDE D

13. Same Thing •
14. Howlin’ Wolf *
15. Can’t Get No Grindin’ (What The Matter With The Meal) *
16. Electric Man •

• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 23rd July 1977
  • Recorded live at Congrés Montreux 28th June 1974
  ‡ Recorded live at Montreux Pavillion 17th June 1972

CD

1. Nobody Knows Chicago Like I Do *
2. Mannish Boy •
3. Long Distance Call ‡
4. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ ‡
5. County Jail ‡
6. Got My Mojo Working *
7. I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man *
8. I’m Ready •
9. Still A Fool *
10. Trouble No More *
11. Rosalie ‡
12. Rock Me Baby ‡
13. Same Thing •
14. Howlin’ Wolf *
15. Can’t Get No Grindin’ (What The Matter With The Meal) *
16. Electric Man •

• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 23rd July 1977
  • Recorded live at Congrés Montreux 28th June 1974
  ‡ Recorded live at Montreux Pavillion 17th June 1972

ABOUT MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
Montreux Jazz Festival is a renowned music festival created by Claude Nobs and held annually in Montreux, Switzerland across two weeks in July. Now in its 55th year, the festival draws 250,000 music lovers from all across the world to the Lake Geneva shoreline. Montreux Jazz Festival celebrates the industry’s emerging and contemporary acts, whilst paying homage to music’s legendary acts. Originally a pure jazz festival since inception in 1967, Montreux began showcasing other styles of music throughout the decades and today presents artists from across every genre imaginable. Artists that have graced the stage of Montreux include Etta James, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Ms Lauren Hill, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, James Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Leonard Cohen, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and many more. Mathieu Jaton serves as CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival after taking over the festival in 2013.

ABOUT BMG
BMG is the new model music company founded by Bertelsmann in 2008 as a direct response to the challenges of music’s digital revolution. Key to its innovative approach is the fact it represents the traditionally separate music publishing and recording rights off the same state-of-the-art platform internationally. BMG is already the world’s fourth biggest music publisher and the first new global player in the recordings business in decades. BMG’s pitch is unique – a relentless focus on fairness and transparency and service to its artist and songwriter clients. BMG’s 19 offices across 12 core music markets now represent over 3m songs and recordings, including the catalogues of Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave and Talpa Music, as well as literally thousands of artists and songwriters attracted by its fresh approach. BMG is owned by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann, which also includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group, and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. With its multi-platform perspective, integrated technology platform and commitment to help artists maximize their income, BMG aims to be the best company in music to do business with. www.bmg.com

ABOUT MONTREUX SOUNDS
Founded by Claude Nobs in 1973, Montreux Sounds owns a collection of 5’000 concerts “Live at the Montreux”” recorded both in audio and video (More than 2’000 performances were filmed in High Definition since 1991) and has published already more than 450 major artists, live on the same stage, including shows dating back to the late 1960s.

For more information, visit: www.montreuxsounds.com

ABOUT CLAUDE NOBS FOUNDATION
The Claude Nobs Foundation, Founded and Presided by Thierry Amsallem, oversees the preservation and valorization of Claude Nobs’ legacy including the audio & visual archives, which is one of the World’s largest private collection of “live” music recordings – all of which was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) since 1967 and inscribed in 2013 on the UNESCO’s international Memory of the World Register.

In 2007, Thierry Amsallem and Claude Nobs joined forces with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) to create a unique, first of its kind, high resolution digital archive of the future. Considered both as an educational tool and research infrastructure, this audiovisual heritage has become a unique platform for students and researchers to innovate in fields such as acoustics, data science, archiving, musicology, museology, or neurosciences.

For more information, visit: www.claudenobsfoundation.com

About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures the sound of the original performance. The MQA file is fully authenticated, backward compatible, and small enough to stream, so you can play MQA on any device. MQA powers award-winning products and services worldwide with unmatched efficiency, which also makes it the most sustainable solution for the entertainment industry. Partnerships span recorded music, video, radio, broadcast and livestreaming. Wherever there is audio, MQA delivers the best sound. MQA is a UK-based private company.

For more information visit: www.mqa.co.uk