Lizzie don't get your hopes up - on a scale of ten that programme was -1. I just watched a programme about Sam Cooke and he was singing Tennesse Waltz.
Paula,
I had a second look at the Leonard prog, and saw the Sam Cooke film that followed it. Now he was born with a golden voice. His rendition of "a change is gonna come" was fantastic. Christmas is coming, and I want Sam Cooke cd's.
Rob.
I wonder how good the programme was for anyone curiously tuning in who was not a Cohen fan?
Did it intrigue? Did it entice? Did it inform?
I think there will be some viewers (although BBC 4 does not boast a large viewing audience) who would have found it all mildly interesting and possibly wanting to know a little more.
I may be wrong.
Well done to the BBC for compiling the programme in the first place. It's one channel where I have discovered some other interesting programmes which possibly wouldn't see the light of day on BBC1 or even BBC2.
Pete
1974: Brighton Dome 1976: Birmingham Town Hall 1993: London RAH 2008: Manchester Opera House, London O2, Matlock Bandstand, Birmingham NEC 2009: Liverpool Echo Arena 2013 Birmingham
Rob those were my exact same thoughts I must get a Sam Cooke CD. I love Otis Redding and I have his version of "a change is gonna come" and that makes me cry the line "its been too hard living and I'm scared to die" he died too young in tragic circumstances and Sam Cooke what can I say that stupid stupid woman.
Pete I have never watched BBC 4 before what a revelation they have some blinding stuff on there. I shall keep an eye on that channel from now.
Ah, I remember Sam Cooke from my youth, Paula. "Silhouettes on the Shade" in particular. Wonderful voice. Good points, Pete. Geez ~ just having Lizzie Madder talking about Leonard on film will be great.
Jonnie I didn't hear Dylan's version of "change is gonna come" but on that Sam Cooke programme apparently the reason he wrote "CIGC" was he had heard Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind" and wished he had wrote it so "CIGC" was his version of "BITW" and was the hardest song he had ever written. A true classic thought
I haven't forgotten my pledge to copy this program.
However I have been deeply involved in Trade Union Activitties (and probably will be for another 2-3 weeks) and so have not even been home to watch this myself, let alone copy it.
All requests will be honoured, apologies for the delay but I am trying to help save over 100000 jobs.
To err is human
To forgive is against government policy
it was a dreadful programme redeemd slightly by the intelligence of Nick Cave. I think it was Arthur Smith, who I found cloying and unfunny, who described LC as a "minor poet", huh!
I haven't got round to watching the programme yet. As I predicted, the first ten minutes are apparently MTV, before Hazel remembered to change channels! Arthur Smith has a cheek calling Leonard Cohen a minor poet when he has used his name to draw attention to Smith's own comedy act, which I seem to remember showed very little in-depth knowledge of Leonard's work.
Linda
1972: Leeds, 2008: Manchester, Lyon, London O2, 2009: Wet Weybridge, 2012: Hop Farm/Wembley Arena
I heard Arthur Smith's radio show recently, didn't this "minor poet" characterization part of his joke - because Leonard refers to himself as the minor poet in dozens of interviews?
This link has a quiz "test your knowledge of Leonard Cohen" (in the top right hand corner of the page). I don't think anyone will find it too taxing, but I did get the "Desert Island discs" question wrong.