Tag Archives: Leonard Cohen

Pearls Before Swine: …Beautiful Lies You Could Live In

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In November 1871, “Reprise” label released”.. Beautiful Lies You Could Live In” the sixth Pearls Before Swine album. It was recorded in 1971, at “A&R Studios” and “Aura Sound” in New York City, “Bearsville Studios” in Woodstock and was produced by Peter H. Edmiston.

Personnel:

  • Tom Rapp – vocals, guitar
  • Jon Tooker – guitar
  • Stu Scharf, Amos Garrett – electric guitar
  • Elisabeth Rapp – vocals
  • Michael Krawitz – piano
  • Steve Alan Grable – piano, organ
  • Bob Dorough – piano
  • Morrie E. Brown, Gerry Jermott, Gordon Hayes: bass
  • Billy Mundi, Herb Lovell, Grady Tate – drums
  • Mark Harman – engineer
  • Charles R. Rothschild – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Snow Queen – Tom Rapp
  2. A Life – Tom Rapp
  3. Butterflies – Tom Rapp
  4. Simple Things – Tom Rapp
  5. Everybody’s Got Pain – Tom Rapp
  6. Bird On A Wire – Leonard Cohen
  7. Island Lady – Tom Rapp
  8. Come To Me – Tom Rapp
  9. Freedom – Tom Rapp
  10. She’s Gone – Tom Rapp
  11. Epitaph – Housman, Elisabeth Rapp

Joe Cocker: Joe Cocker!

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In November 1969, “Regal Zonophone” label released “Joe Cocker!”, the second Joe Cocker studio album. It was recorded in 1969, at “A&M Studios” and “Sunset Sound Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Denny Cordell and Leon Russell.

Personnel:

  • Joe Cocker– vocals
  • Henry McCullough– guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow– pedal steel guitar
  • Clarence White– guitar
  • Leon Russell– piano, organ, guitar
  • Chris Stainton– piano, organ, guitar
  • Alan Spenner– bass
  • Bruce Rowland– drums
  • Paul Humphrey– drums
  • Milt Holland– percussion
  • Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Coolidge, Patrice Holloway, Sherlie Matthews– backing vocals
  • Henry Lewy, Brian Ingoldsby – engineer
  • Glyn Johns – remix, mastering

Track listing:

  1. Dear Landlord – Bob Dylan
  2. Bird on the Wire – Leonard Cohen
  3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy – Lloyd Price
  4. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  5. Hitchcock Railway – Don Dunn, Tony McCashen
  6. That’s Your Business Now – Joe Cocker, Chris Stainton
  7. Something – George Harrison
  8. Delta Lady – Leon Russell
  9. Hello, Little Friend – Leon Russell
  10. Darling Be Home Soon – John Sebastian

Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker

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On October 21, 2016, “Columbia” label released “You Want It Darker”, the fourteenth and final Leonard Cohen studio album.  It was recorded April – July 2016, at Leonard Cohen’s house in Wilshire, Los Angeles, and was produced by Leonard Cohen, Adam Cohen and Patrick Leonard.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen– vocals
  • Bill Bottrell– electric guitar, pedal steel guitar
  • Adam Cohen– classical guitar
  • Zac Rae – guitar, classical guitar, mandolin, keyboards, Mellotron, celesta, piano, Wurlitzer, floor tom, octophone
  • Patrick Leonard– keyboards, organ, piano, bass synthesizer, bass guitar, percussion, drum programming
  • Michael Chaves – keyboards, bass guitar, drum programming
  • Brian Macleod – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Leonard Cohen, except where noted.

  1. You Want it Darker – Patrick Leonard
  2. Treaty
  3. On the Level – Sharon Robinson
  4. Leaving the Table
  5. If I Didn’t Have Your Love – Patrick Leonard
  6. Traveling Light – Adam Cohen, Patrick Leonard
  7. It Seemed The Better Way – Patrick Leonard, Adam Cohen
  8. Steer Your Way – Leonard Cohen, Adam Cohen
  9. String Reprise / Treaty – Leonard Cohen

Dave Van Ronk: Van Ronk

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In August 1971, “Polydor” label released “Van Ronk”, the tenth Dave Van Ronk album. It was recorded December 1970 – May 1971, at “Sound Exchange Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Dave Woods.

Personnel:

  • Dave Van Ronk – vocals, guitar, arrangements
  • Dave Woods – arrangements
  • Steve Katz – engineer
  • Anne Friedman – cover art
  • Joanne Grace – morale
  • John Jameson – spiritual

Track listing:

  1. Bird on the Wire – Leonard Cohen
  2. Fox’s Minstrel Show – Michael Small
  3. Port of Amsterdam – Jacques Brel, Eric Blau, Mort Shuman
  4. Fat Old John – Peter Stampfel
  5. Urge for Going – Joni Mitchell
  6. Random Canyon – Peter Stampfel
  7. I Think It’s Going to Rain Today – Randy Newman
  8. Gaslight Rag -Dave Van Ronk
  9. Honey Hair – Dave Van Ronk
  10. Legend of the Dead Soldier – Bertolt Brecht, Eric Bentley
  11. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive – Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen

Roberta Flack: Killing Me Softly

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On August 1, 1973, “Atlantic” label released “Killing Me Softly”, the fifth Roberta Flack album. It was recorded 1972 – 1973, and was produced by Joel Dorn. “Killing Me Softly” won the 1974 “Grammy Award for Record of the Year”. In 2006, the album was certified 2 x Platinum in US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Roberta Flack – arranger, piano, vocals
  • Deodato– conductor, string arrangements
  • William Eaton – brass arrangement
  • Alfred Ellis – brass arrangement, conductor
  • Kermit Moore – arranger, cello
  • Don Sebesky– conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements
  • Eric Gale– guitar
  • Ron Carter– bass
  • Grady Tate– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– congas, percussion, tambourine
  • Bob Liftin, Gene Paul– engineer
  • Barry Diament – mastering
  • Rod Dyer – design
  • Burt Goldblatt – photography
  • David Redfern – inside photo
  • Jack Shaw – associate producer

Track listing:

  1. Killing Me Softly with His Song – Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel
  2. Jesse – Janis Ian
  3. No Tears (In the End) – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  4. I’m the Girl – James Alan Shelton
  5. River – Gene McDaniels
  6. Conversation Love – Terry Plumeri, Bill Seighman
  7. When You Smile – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  8. Suzanne – Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen: Death Of A Ladies Man

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death_of_a_ladies_man

On November 13, 1977, “Warner Bros” label released “Death of a Ladies’ Man”, the fifth Leonard Cohen studio album. It was recorded June – July 1977, and was produced by Phil Spector.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals
  • Phil Spector– guitar, keyboards, background vocals, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangements
  • Art Blaine – guitar
  • Jesse Ed Davis– guitar
  • David Isaac – guitar
  • Art Munson– guitar
  • David Kessel – guitar, backing vocals
  • Al Perkins– pedal steel, slide guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow– guitar, pedal steel, slide guitar
  • Dan Kessel – organ, synthesizer, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Michael Lang – keyboards
  • Tom Hensley – keyboards
  • Bill Mays – keyboards
  • Don Randi– keyboards
  • Pete Jolly– keyboards
  • Barry Goldberg – keyboards
  • Bob Robitaille – synthesizer, assistant engineer, synthesizer programming
  • Devra Robitaille – synthesizer
  • Ray Neapolitan – electric and upright bass
  • Ray Pohlman – bass, guitar
  • Jim Keltner– drums
  • Hal Blaine– drums
  • Terry Gibbs– percussion, vibraphone
  • Gene Estes – percussion
  • Robert Zimmitti – percussion
  • Emil Radocchia – percussion
  • Don Menza– flute, saxophone, wind, horn arrangements
  • Jay Migliori – saxophone
  • Steve Douglas– flute, saxophone, wind
  • Conte Candoli– trumpet
  • Charles Loper – trombone
  • Jack Redmond – trombone
  • Bobby Bruce – fiddle, violin
  • Brenda Bryant – backing vocals
  • Ronee Blakley– backing vocals
  • Billy Diez – backing vocals
  • Oma Drake – backing vocals
  • Bob Dylan– backing vocals
  • Venetta Fields– backing vocals
  • Gerald Garrett – backing vocals
  • Allen Ginsberg– backing vocals
  • Clydie King– backing vocals
  • Sherlie Matthews– backging vocals
  • Bill Thedford , Julia Tillman Waters, Oren Waters, Lorna Willard – backing vocals
  • Nino Tempo– arrangements
  • Larry Levine– engineer
  • Bruce Gold – engineer, engineer assistant
  • Stan Ross – engineer, assistant
  • John Cabalka – art direction
  • Bill Naegels – design
  • Ron Coro – design

Track listing:

All lyrics by Leonard Cohen, all music by Phil Spector.

  1. True Love Leaves No Traces
  2. Iodine
  3. Paper Thin Hotel
  4. Memories
  5. I Left a Woman Waiting
  6. Don’t Go Home with Your Hard-On
  7. Fingerprints
  8. Death of a Ladies’ Man

Jacques Brel

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On October 9, 1978, Jacques Romain Georges Brel died aged 49. He was a Belgian singer, songwriter and actor, widely considered a master of the modern chanson. He recorded most of his songs in French and in Dutch, but he became a major influence on English speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond and Rod McKuen. The English translations of his songs were recorded by many famous performers including Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio,  Scott Walker and Andy Williams. Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, Brel is the fourth best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.

Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs

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ten-new-songs

On October 9, 2001, “Columbia” label released “Ten New Songs”, the tenth Leonard Cohen studio album. It was recorded 1999 – 2001, at “Still Life Studios” in Los Angeles, and “Small Mercies Studio” in Hollywood, and was produced by Sharon Robinson. The album was certified Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”, and Platinum in Poland by “ZPAV”.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals, cover photography
  • Sharon Robinson– vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, programming, arrangements
  • Bob Metzger – guitar
  • David Campbell– string arrangements
  • Leanne Ungar – engineer
  • Nancy Donald – art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson.

  1. In My Secret Life
  2. A Thousand Kisses Deep
  3. That Don’t Make It Junk
  4. Here It Is
  5. Love Itself
  6. By the Rivers Dark
  7. Alexandra Leaving” (based on The God Abandons Antony, a poem by Constantine P. Cavafy)
  8. You Have Loved Enough
  9. Boogie Street
  10. The Land of Plenty

Leonard Cohen: Recent Songs

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recent_songs

On September 27, 1979, “Columbia” label released “Recent Songs” sixth  studio Leonard Cohen album. It was recorded April – May 1979, at “A&M Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Leonard Cohen and Henry Lewy.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals, arrangements
  • Ricardo Gonzalez – guitar
  • John Bilezikjian – guitar
  • Everado Sandoval – guitar
  • Mitch Watkins – guitar
  • Bill Ginn – keyboards
  • Randy Waldman – keyboards
  • Charles Beck – bass
  • John Miller – bass
  • Steve Meador – drums
  • Paul Ostermayer – saxophone
  • Jose Perez – trumpet
  • Pablo Sandoval – trumpet
  • Earl Dumler – oboe
  • Jim Gilstrap – vocals
  • Roger St Kennerly – vocals
  • Stephanie Spruill – vocals
  • Julia Tillman Waters – vocals
  • Jennifer Warnes – vocals
  • Maxine Willard Waters – vocals
  • Skip Cottrell – engineer assistant, mixing assistant
  • Derek Dunann – engineer assistant, mixing assistant
  • Glen Christensen – art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Leonard Cohen, except where noted.

  1. The Guests
  2. Humbled in Love
  3. The Window
  4. Came So Far for Beauty – Leonard Cohen, John Lissauer
  5. The Lost Canadian (Un Canadien errant) – traditional, Antoine Gérin-Lajoie
  6. The Traitor
  7. Our Lady of Solitude
  8. The Gypsy’s Wife
  9. The Smokey Life
  10. Ballad of the Absent Mare

Leonard Cohen: New Skin for the Old Ceremony

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New_skin_for_the_old_ceremony

On August 11, 1974, “Columbia” label released “New Skin for the Old Ceremony”, the fourth Leonard Cohen studio album. It was recorded February 1974, at “Sound Ideas Studio” in New York, and was produced by Leonard Cohen and John Lissauer.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals, guitar
  • Janis Ian– vocals
  • Ralph Gibson – guitar
  • Jeff Layton – banjo, mandolin, guitar, trumpet
  • John Lissauer– woodwinds, keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements
  • John Miller – bass
  • Don Payne – bass
  • Roy Markowitz – drums
  • Barry Lazarowitz – percussion
  • Armen Halburian – percussion
  • Gerald Chamberlain – trombone
  • Lewis Furey– viola
  • Gail Kantor – backing vocals
  • Emily Bindiger– backing vocals
  • Erin Dickins – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Leonard Cohen.

  1. Is This What You Wanted
  2. Chelsea Hotel #2
  3. Lover Lover Lover
  4. Field Commander Cohen
  5. Why Don’t You Try
  6. There Is a War
  7. A Singer Must Die
  8. I Tried to Leave You
  9. Who by Fire
  10. Take This Longing
  11. Leaving Green Sleeves