Hello,
I just had the opportunity to listen to 2 concert CDs that I would appreciate a little background information about.
1. Tel Aviv - April 19, 1972. During this concert Leonard says that he is going to dedicate the next song to the "men in orange". That is followed by what seems to be mass pandamonium. He is unable to perform the next song, and after a while breaks into a spontaneous version of "We Shall Not Be Moved". Can anyone fill me in on this?
2. Paris, France - (Parc de la Courneuve),
September 7, 1974
During this concert, Leonard is unable to complete the singing of The Stranger Song and there seems to be an awful lot of crowd noise in the background. There are also a number of other times during this concert that there seems to be discontent in the audience.
Any information that would help me to understand the events would be appreciated greatly.
Ken
A few questions
A few questions
Ken Kurzweil
Hi Ken ~
Regarding your first question, my understanding has always been that "the men in orange" are the Security people, hired to keep everything under control. As I'm recalling, at that concert, people were sitting in the aisles to get closer to him [a 'forbidden' in concert halls and auditoriums]. [The 'pandemonium' may be the audience's 'agreement and re-enforcement' of the 'message' Leonard was 'giving' to the security people, via the song] ~ However, it seems that maybe the security people were pushing and shoving for a bit, as well, so that may have been the point when they did. It seems this scenario is on the videotape "Bird On A Wire," and it's been awhile since I've seen it, so will have to watch it, again, to be certain of everything I'm saying. Perhaps, someone will confirm or clarify for me, regarding what I've said.
The scenario accompanying the second one isn't ringing a bell. If I listened to it, it might, however.
~ Lizzy
Regarding your first question, my understanding has always been that "the men in orange" are the Security people, hired to keep everything under control. As I'm recalling, at that concert, people were sitting in the aisles to get closer to him [a 'forbidden' in concert halls and auditoriums]. [The 'pandemonium' may be the audience's 'agreement and re-enforcement' of the 'message' Leonard was 'giving' to the security people, via the song] ~ However, it seems that maybe the security people were pushing and shoving for a bit, as well, so that may have been the point when they did. It seems this scenario is on the videotape "Bird On A Wire," and it's been awhile since I've seen it, so will have to watch it, again, to be certain of everything I'm saying. Perhaps, someone will confirm or clarify for me, regarding what I've said.
The scenario accompanying the second one isn't ringing a bell. If I listened to it, it might, however.
~ Lizzy
Lizzytysh is right - few days ago I also received the new (partial) soundboard rec of Tel Aviv 72, which ends with We Shall Not Be Moved. The happening is filmed in Tony Palmer's Bird On A Wire, as lizzytysh described it, and you can hear the sound of fights with security people on this recording you have.
http://www.uqtr.ca/%7Ebertrank/cohenliv ... -04-19.htm
Parc Corneuve 1974 - well, this is much harder. The copy is so bad that people usually enlist it as audience recording, but from some information it seems it is AM radio taped. But - from some sources it seems it was some kind of open air show. Leonard's show was very short for his usual standards (58 minutes!), so it could be it really was an open air show. The crowd was very noisy and Leonard was annoyed because he couldn't perform solo parts so he stopped Stranger Song. As you say, there are some more moments during the show where it's obvious that audience isn't interested, and I guess the tape was so low-quality due to such activities plus open air recording. ~ Alas, few weeks later he gave few amazing shows in crowded Olympia, so it simply wasn't the right place for him.
http://www.uqtr.ca/%7Ebertrank/cohenliv ... -09-07.htm
http://www.uqtr.ca/%7Ebertrank/cohenliv ... -04-19.htm
Parc Corneuve 1974 - well, this is much harder. The copy is so bad that people usually enlist it as audience recording, but from some information it seems it is AM radio taped. But - from some sources it seems it was some kind of open air show. Leonard's show was very short for his usual standards (58 minutes!), so it could be it really was an open air show. The crowd was very noisy and Leonard was annoyed because he couldn't perform solo parts so he stopped Stranger Song. As you say, there are some more moments during the show where it's obvious that audience isn't interested, and I guess the tape was so low-quality due to such activities plus open air recording. ~ Alas, few weeks later he gave few amazing shows in crowded Olympia, so it simply wasn't the right place for him.
http://www.uqtr.ca/%7Ebertrank/cohenliv ... -09-07.htm
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
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Scooby Doo
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An open-air performance has always been such a romantic notion for me....fresh air, sunshine, blue sky, green grass, blankets, picnics; warm night air, stars, moon, romance; etc. However, I've generally found them more frustrating than not. A lot of side-talking. They also lend to drinking while watching, which increases the voice volume and interaction already, typically rampant in such settings; comings-and-goings from one group to another, to the car, or whatever; children running about and playing, with loud voices, and parents trying to control them; etc. If I'm at one, I want to be right in front of the stage, to maximize my chances of actually hearing something. I prefer closed venues for performances. Fortunately, perhaps because it was Leonard appreciators, the "Came So Far for Beauty" performance in the park, in NYC, was more the exception than the rule.
Live performances
Hi Kkurzweil
I was in La Courneuve in 1974 and it was a magic moment (my first LC concert). Would it be possible to have the 2 cd's ? can you ps advise ?
It would be great.
Patyou
I was in La Courneuve in 1974 and it was a magic moment (my first LC concert). Would it be possible to have the 2 cd's ? can you ps advise ?
It would be great.
Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
Patyou, maybe you could share with us how it was? Was it open air show, is the setlist correct, why the audience wa sso hostile (at least it sounds so on the recording)?
Lizzytysh - you're right. My poorest LC tapes are from open air shows, Isle of Wight, and from 1980s, festivals in Roskilde and Bergen in 1988; you hear Leonard's show in the background, and rest is chatting, bottles on the floor, doors opening, people moving around plus jet plane over the venue
Also, I read about catastrophe at 1993 Rock am Ring festival in Germany... I presume that the tape will never be released, or that it was even destroyed... I see that festival every year on MTV Germany. Not place for Leonard. They said the 1993 line up was only heavy metal bands plus Leonard in between... So probably the worst evening in Leonard's life (not very nice story).
Lizzytysh - you're right. My poorest LC tapes are from open air shows, Isle of Wight, and from 1980s, festivals in Roskilde and Bergen in 1988; you hear Leonard's show in the background, and rest is chatting, bottles on the floor, doors opening, people moving around plus jet plane over the venue
Also, I read about catastrophe at 1993 Rock am Ring festival in Germany... I presume that the tape will never be released, or that it was even destroyed... I see that festival every year on MTV Germany. Not place for Leonard. They said the 1993 line up was only heavy metal bands plus Leonard in between... So probably the worst evening in Leonard's life (not very nice story).
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
La Courneuve
Hi everyone
Well, people was not hostile at all but Leonard came there a few months after the Melody Maker told that he was about to retire and everyone was so enthousiast and it was a time (a few years after the woodstock period) when the audiences were always very provocant with the artists. It was an open air concert, it was cold and Leonard jumped on the stage dressed with a white leather coat. That was very unusual for an artist to keep his coat during a set even though it was cold. He looked like he just arrived from the airport... His old spanish guitar was for the first time "electrified", was very hard to tune because of the cold. He sung "oranges that come all the way from Communist China" because this festival was, as each year, organized by the French "Parti Communist". Thanks to yo to remind me that period (and my youth). If I could hear the tapes, i can tell you more. Thanks. Patyou
Well, people was not hostile at all but Leonard came there a few months after the Melody Maker told that he was about to retire and everyone was so enthousiast and it was a time (a few years after the woodstock period) when the audiences were always very provocant with the artists. It was an open air concert, it was cold and Leonard jumped on the stage dressed with a white leather coat. That was very unusual for an artist to keep his coat during a set even though it was cold. He looked like he just arrived from the airport... His old spanish guitar was for the first time "electrified", was very hard to tune because of the cold. He sung "oranges that come all the way from Communist China" because this festival was, as each year, organized by the French "Parti Communist". Thanks to yo to remind me that period (and my youth). If I could hear the tapes, i can tell you more. Thanks. Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
If kkurzweil doesn't send you a copy, I can do it. Although it seems there's new emerged version, in 2004... I don't know, I got mine last year, maybe I have that one.
I think mine is the 2nd one, but I must check.[lc740907-1]
source: audience
length: 68 minutes (complete)
details: -.
[lc740907-1A]
length: 58 minutes (complete)
details: remaster. Crowd noise & "dead air" removed. More dynamic than the original version. Circulates since april 2004.
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
La Courneuve
Well I just received the cd from Ken (my thanks again) and a lot of images are coming back to my brain... I repeat : the audience was not hostile at all, but we were 90 000 persons there and the people in front of the scene did'n want to sit down. That was the reason of the perceptible tension. The wind was strong and the sound seems very poorer in the tapes than the sound we could hear there (the guitar... horrific). Leonard told in an interview with Jacques Vassal (his French biograph) in the day after that he felt he could not be as excellent as the people there (a good hommage to the french people). The long time before Sisters of Mercy was because a person just in front of the scene was sick and Leonard asked for a doctor ("y a-t-il un medecin ou une ambulance" in french). Evevybody stood up and the people in the back was very troubled and that's why we can hear "assis ! assis !" (sit down, sit down). No hostility among Leonard or the group. That's all for the moment but the cd is playing again... Maybe another "souvenir". Sorry for my poor English. Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
I know it's been a while since the last post on this particular discussion, but here is what the taper of the september 1974 concert wrote when it was upped at dimeadozen a couple of weeks ago:
"I taped the Cohen Humanité show from the press area in front of the stage with a Telefunken cassette recorder and Grundig stereo microphones on a Chromdioxid C90 cassette which I still have. A small anecdote about Track 13 "crowd noise, etc", at 00:11 you can hear a guy go "aaaaaargh..." the poor guy wasn't expressing his admiration for Leonard, he was actually having an epilecptic fit and literally collapsed convulsing at my feet. I called for 2 Red Cross guys who were nearby while Cohen who had seen the guy convulsing asked for a doctor, and the Red Cross guys carried out the sick man out on stretchers. It was VERY cold, VERY late, about one in the morning, you could see the backing singers were freezing, Leonard was freezing, everyone was freezing, I guess that's the reason why the show was so short. AND no bus to go back home, so I had to hitch a ride back to Paris."
Greetings to you all
"I taped the Cohen Humanité show from the press area in front of the stage with a Telefunken cassette recorder and Grundig stereo microphones on a Chromdioxid C90 cassette which I still have. A small anecdote about Track 13 "crowd noise, etc", at 00:11 you can hear a guy go "aaaaaargh..." the poor guy wasn't expressing his admiration for Leonard, he was actually having an epilecptic fit and literally collapsed convulsing at my feet. I called for 2 Red Cross guys who were nearby while Cohen who had seen the guy convulsing asked for a doctor, and the Red Cross guys carried out the sick man out on stretchers. It was VERY cold, VERY late, about one in the morning, you could see the backing singers were freezing, Leonard was freezing, everyone was freezing, I guess that's the reason why the show was so short. AND no bus to go back home, so I had to hitch a ride back to Paris."
Greetings to you all
La Courneuve
Happy to see that the years didn't betray my memory. By the way, the taper should have slept there as we all did this year in spite of the cold. Don't forget we were a few years after Woodstock...
Patyou
Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
?