Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

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david birkett
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Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by david birkett »

Today's UK Independent newspaper carries an extract from Steve Machat's book, Gods, Gangsters and Honour: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gods-Gangsters- ... 94&sr=8-1,. In this tome, Mr. Machat chronicles his legal adventures in the pop world, and the extract carries an amusing snippet about the relationship between Spector and Cohen.

The link to the article is:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 64965.html

David
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tomsakic
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by tomsakic »

Now we finally know what brought Spector and Cohen together.
Marty Machat was first Cohen's manager, replaced by Kelley Lynch when he died.
Phil Spector and Leonard Cohen

In 1977, my father was confronted by a big problem that was threatening his relationship with Phil Spector. Dad had negotiated Phil a label deal with Warner Brothers that involved Spector getting a huge advance before he delivered his future product. Unfortunately, Spector had failed to deliver the product and Warners wanted their money back.

Machat Senior came up with the answer: stick two of his top clients in the studio. My dad would then give the album to Warners to keep them happy, clear the debts, and keep both clients happy. But this involved two of his most problematic clients. Not just Spector but Leonard Cohen, who, like Phil, could not buy a pop hit in the US. Nevertheless, Death of a Ladies' Man was born. The album would become one of the most controversial productions of the 1970s for the press. My father handed me this poisoned chalice. The lyrics basically involved Cohen and Spector trying to get laid. Track titles such as "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On" might have been funny to me, but they sure were a hard sell to the labels.

If that wasn't enough, Cohen and Spector didn't exactly hit it off. An irate Cohen said to me in September 1977: "Are you out of your brains? This album is junk. It's your father's masturbation. I love Marty. He's my brother. But I never want to see that man Spector again. He is the worst human being I have ever met."

Cohen complained that he had been held at gunpoint by Spector during the recording sessions. "The man is crazy. We were drunk and stupid. I do not wish for this album to see daylight."

Warners quickly abandoned the album after its release with no promotion and eventually CBS, after much pushing by my dad, put it out in late 1977 in Europe. My father was so lucky that Spector and Cohen didn't fire him. He was even luckier that Warners forgot to ask for their advance back. Or chose not to.

This is an edited extract from 'Gods, Gangsters and Honour' by Steven Machat, published by Beautiful Books on 6 August 2009, hardback, price £16.99. Steven Machat will be appearing at the Green Man Festival in Wales on Saturday, 22 August
MaryB
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by MaryB »

Warner Bros. should have gotten their advance back from Marty Machet. Spector massacred this album! Would still love to see this redone to LC's satisfaction. There are so many phenomenal tracks on this that are buried by Spector's 'wall of sound'.

Best regards,
Mary
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RainDog1980
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by RainDog1980 »

MaryB wrote:Warner Bros. should have gotten their advance back from Marty Machet. Spector massacred this album! Would still love to see this redone to LC's satisfaction. There are so many phenomenal tracks on this that are buried by Spector's 'wall of sound'.

Best regards,
Mary
Agreed, there are a lot of great songs on this record, particularly the title track. I love Iodine, I Left a Woman Waiting, Paper-thin Hotel, etc. I don't agree that the lyrics were Cohen trying to get laid.

I had once considered approaching the local university to see if their symphony conductor would write some more subtle charts to record. But I never really got around to it.
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david birkett
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by david birkett »

Actually (and I realise we've wandered off News into Music here - bad Forum lane discipline) and I'm not just saying this for effect or to embrace the perversity of difference for its own sake, but......I like the album.

There, that feels better.

David
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Deeds quite impossible for Man,
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Phantom Stranger
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by Phantom Stranger »

I have grown to love this album over the years. A couple of songs are embarrassing, but there is real gold also included. It does not compare to Leonard's best albums, but it would rank very highly in many lesser artists' careers.
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by ronaldlupe »

MaryB wrote:Warner Bros. should have gotten their advance back from Marty Machet. Spector massacred this album! Would still love to see this redone to LC's satisfaction. There are so many phenomenal tracks on this that are buried by Spector's 'wall of sound'.

Best regards,
Mary
yes the really made a good job on Marty Machet, amazing Spector's 'wall of sounds..


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goldstei
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by goldstei »

I agree with phantom stranger here. As was said of Wagner's music, "It's not nearly as bad as it sounds."
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Womanfromaroom
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by Womanfromaroom »

Yes, I like the albnum, too.. And, goldstei, it definitely has got the advantage of not being nearly as long as anything by Wagner! How did Rossini put it?! "Wagner has some lovely moments but some terrible quarters of an hour". No danger with DOALM there in the first place...
That said, IF Leonard chose to re-record it, in a more minimalistic style, I would certainly not complain, either!
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RainDog1980
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by RainDog1980 »

Womanfromaroom wrote:Yes, I like the albnum, too.. And, goldstei, it definitely has got the advantage of not being nearly as long as anything by Wagner! How did Rossini put it?! "Wagner has some lovely moments but some terrible quarters of an hour". No danger with DOALM there in the first place...
That said, IF Leonard chose to re-record it, in a more minimalistic style, I would certainly not complain, either!
I really wish he had. The lyrics on this record are still great. They're a lot more straight forward than some of his other writings, but still great nonetheless. Even Fingerprints, which is THE bomb of the record (IMO), if sung differently, is poetic.

What's funny is that after seeing the 1972 videos of Leonard backstage, I can almost hear him saying those things about the album. I'm pretty sure Ladies Man and Dear Heather are the only two albums that have been ignored by this recent tour. Too bad.
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by MaryB »

RainDog1980 wrote:. Even Fingerprints, which is THE bomb of the record (IMO), if sung differently, is poetic.
Amazing how everyone reacts differently. This is one of my favorites from DOALM.

Kindest regards,
Mary
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by captrenault »

Oh, God -- I love this one, every single note. Such a magnificent beast... As much as you never hear the same Leonard song twice, it's especially true here. For all my years of listening, the final tracks never become less inscrutable.

If I had to pick two, it'd be DOALM and Recent Songs, the two bookends. Everything else falls between.
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Bird off the Wire
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by Bird off the Wire »

MaryB wrote:
RainDog1980 wrote:. Even Fingerprints, which is THE bomb of the record (IMO), if sung differently, is poetic.
Amazing how everyone reacts differently. This is one of my favorites from DOALM.

Kindest regards,
Mary
Mine too, Mary
RainDog1980
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by RainDog1980 »

Bird off the Wire wrote:
MaryB wrote:
RainDog1980 wrote:. Even Fingerprints, which is THE bomb of the record (IMO), if sung differently, is poetic.
Amazing how everyone reacts differently. This is one of my favorites from DOALM.

Kindest regards,
Mary
Mine too, Mary
I don't know what it is. I am a country fan, to some degree... but this song just doesn't do it for me. My faves from the record are Iodine (would love to play that one live), Left a Woman Waiting, and the title track. I love the vibe of Don't Gome Home... but the mixing on it is horrible.
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Re: Music lawyer on Death of a Ladies' Man

Post by Womanfromaroom »

My favourite on the album is "Memories" (especially the "bodaaaay"-part!) - followed for me, too, by "Left a Woman Waiting" and the title track.
"You thought that it could never happen / to all the people that you became"...
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