Nancy & Me

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:11 pm

I had to do a double-take when I picked up the November edition of Mojo magazine yesterday. In the 'Ask Fred' section at the back was a letter from one Nancy Priddy. Priddy, who used to be girlfriend to Stephen Stills, is better known as Nancy Applegate - mother of former Married With Children star Christina Applegate. Anyway, her letter was a response to a letter sent in to Mojo some time ago enquiring about the female backing singers on Cohen's first three albums.

It was Nancy herself who sang on the first album - on, of course, So Long, Marianne, Suzanne and Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye.

I was especially delighted to read her response because it was me who wrote the original letter.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:16 pm

What a great round-robin, Jim

!

Ali · Post by **Ali** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:17 pm

That is lovely Jim

I note you are from the UK, will you be attending the Bristol Meet-Up

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:32 pm

Ali wrote:That is lovely Jim I note you are from the UK, will you be attending the Bristol Meet-Up

I was unaware of any such meet-up, Ali - sorry, I've not used the board much. Feel free to give me the details and I'll see what I can do. Cheers.

In the meantime, I've asked Fred Dellar at Mojo to pass this on:

Dear Nancy,

Thankyou so much, Nancy, for answering my query regarding backing vocalists on Leonard Cohen's early albums. Yes, it was me who sent in that initial enquiry that your friend spotted in Mojo magazine. It's quite a privilege to know that I'm thanking the very person behind 'that voice' - a voice that, for me, will always be inseparable from the very fabric of those great songs. Many, many thanks for your reply to Mojo, and for those moving and timeless contributions to a classic album.

Kind regards

Jim Williams, Staffordshire, England

Incidentally, Nancy Priddy's album You've Come This Way Before is to be re-released on CD, £8.50 (Rev Ola - CRREV134)

These are the comments I found about it - and her - from http://www.freakemporium.com:

Very collectable and highly sought after sole album from this US singer songwriter and actress, and a bit of a psych-folk classic. Eschewing the more conventional janglepop of most Greenwich Village folksters, and instead opting for a more 'out there' approach spiced with spare basslines, experimental instrumentation and DJ-enticing drum breaks, with a decidedly occult-mystical lyrical bent, this unique lady (the mother of Christina Applegate and the subject of the Buffalo Springfield song 'Pretty Girl Why') laid down an album as eclectic as it was enticing, which has resulted in the kind of cult growing round it that reserved only for the very special. Beautifully remastered with a 24 page foldout telling the whole story in the words of Nancy and producer Phil Ramone (and yes, that is his real name). Priddy good all round!!! (You're fired again- Ed) Due In: 21/11/2005

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:02 pm

Did "Ed" originally nix/bypass a contract possibility with Nancy? Enticing, indeed, this album sounds.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:47 pm

lizzy - I've read both of your posts (several times) and I don't understand a word of them.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:20 pm

Hi Jim ~

The round-robin indicated the flow of communication in your original question [your letter re: singer's identity]/singer [answer to your letter]/reader [you of the answer to your question]/letter [yours to singer, via magazine]. It came full circle in its way.

The question regarding Ed was guessing at what this might mean:
"(You're fired again- Ed)" ~ as near as I can tell, "Ed" is mentioned only here. It was a guess as to what said-Ed's role might have been that he was fired not only once, but "again," after this "Beautifully remastered" and highly popular album comes out.

Does any of that help?

~ Lizzy

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:41 pm

lizzytysh wrote:Hi Jim ~

The round-robin indicated the flow of communication in your original question [your letter re: singer's identity]/singer [answer to your letter]/reader [you of the answer to your question]/letter [yours to singer, via magazine]. It came full circle in its way.

Ah, now I understand. Sorry - I wasn't too familiar with the 'round-robin' motif. But now you mention it, I like the elegant logic of it all.

The question regarding Ed was guessing at what this might mean: "(You're fired again- Ed)" ~ as near as I can tell, "Ed" is mentioned only here. It was a guess as to what said-Ed's role might have been that he was fired not only once, but "again," after this "Beautifully remastered" and highly popular album comes out.

Er, slight misunderstanding, lizzy. This is the editor (Ed.) interjecting and warning the author that if he persists in using corny puns ("Priddy good") he will be fired. If a comma had been substituted for the dash ("You're fired again, Ed") it could, conceivably, have been read in the manner of your interpretation; but it would be nonsensical.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:52 pm

Ah, okay, gotcha ~ I saw the hyphen as a separation for emphasis, as in [more dramatized] "Ed!" [to indicate continuing and mounting frustration with Ed's poor decisionmaking].

Personally, I like puns and liked this one, so getting fired [joking or otherwise] for a pun never occurred to me

. Did the poor guy lose his job once already for being punny

?

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:56 pm

Well, as a regular reader of the music press since I was 13 or so, Ed.'s always been familiar to me, a popular interjection being: 'shurely shome mishtake?' whenever he or she has questioned the veracity of a certain point made by a not-so-intrepid reporter etc.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:01 am

Well, therein, lies the difference

[well, that, and the lack of a period after Ed.

].

Enjoyed all this clarifying

. Rather educational, in fact

.

~ Lizzy

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:38 pm

Dear Jim,
thank you on this discovery, I'll add this to my list at http://www.leonardcohencroatia.com/album1.php. The first three record are indeed very misterious, regarding musicians and other credits.

I didn't find Nancy Applegate on AMG site nor Google yet...?

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:57 pm

Nancy Priddy, I found her on AMG. John Simon was in production team for her 1968 album. Of course.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:36 pm

Here's the full text of Nancy's letter:

A friend of mine saw an Ask Fred question concerning the voices behind Leonard Cohen on his first three albums. Well I don't know about the second or third but I certainly do about the first, which contained Hey, That's No Way To Say Goddbye, Suzanne and So Long, Marianne.

At that time I was writing with John Simon, the album's producer, who was a very good friend. When Columbia informed him that they would put no futher money into the project, John told me we'd have to finish the album together. I was delighted to do that - so I provided the female voice on the record. I believe John song with me on So Long, Marianne, but I certainly did Suzanne and Hey, That's No Way To Say Goddbye.

John and I loved Leonard's songs, and when we played our additional vocals to him he seemed to love our work in return. I often think about the first time John played Leonard's work for me in that darkish studio, late night in New York. Little did any of us know what would happen with those songs - especially the record label!

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:46 pm

When Columbia informed him that they would put no futher money into the project,

Now, there's an unpleasant bit of information

.

in that darkish studio, late night in New York.

Perfect

.

especially the record label!

Comeuppance of the finest kind

. "There's no revenge like success."

Thanks for sharing the rest of this letter, Jim.

~ Lizzy