blonde madonna wrote:IMO Jennifer Warnes is the best back up singer LC has had.
As much I love Anjani, personally and musically (great and emotional voice, since "she got it" in Undertow track), I agree with this. Few days ago I listened to Various Positions, and somebody said "Who's that woman singing with him?" Everybody seems to forget that VP's liner notes says "Vocals: Leonard Cohen and Jennifer Warnes" - although the album was released under Leonard's name, inside it's actually credited to both of them! ... Then also, her voice's all over Recent Songs, and her vocal harmonies on later tracks like Take This Waltz, Democracy, Light as the Breeze, which she actually helped to finish (like, taking Take This Waltz, adding harmonies and Raffi's violin; she's credited for harmonies' arrangements). Considering Anjani's tracks over the years (First We Take Manhattan, Jazz Police), she was more like female back vocal, little harsh and ironic (and replacable, let's be honest, with any othe rfemale background vocalist); she achieved Warnes' level only with Dear Heather tracks. Her only contribution to
The Future, Waiting for the Miracle, is, on the other hand, sung like it's Sharon Robinson (of Ten New Songs) - supressed, "silent", lullabying in the background, covering Leonard's voice. That's not strange as she obviosly has been instructed to sing it in Sharon's arrangement, as Sharon co-wrote that song. Sharon Robinson's TNS contribution works in same way as Warnes' worked on Recent Songs and VP - she is duetting, subdued to Leonard's vocal, laying over him, and little (in over-vocals) around him. Anjani is always more independent, singing her own parts or going out of Leonard's (Because Of, Villanelle, Morning Glory); she actually tooks the song and leaves with "Gloria" or some kind of similar vocal experiment. And that's working well with me; also, she's capable of making her music and voice, so I like it. It's something new for Cohen's music also I guess and I can't wait to hear new album; will she be still independent, or subdued? Real (even typical) Leonard Cohen style was that female voice is his alter ego, always with him, but merged into one voice, that's why I think that Jennifer was the best, and Sharon comes close (supported strongly by the fatc's the songs are hers also, plus her production).
PS. "a" and "the" - I think it's about copyrights. I checked US Cop. Office; Leonard protected both versions of the title, but it seems that US artists get the name from BMI or somewhere else where it's listed as Bird On A Wire.
Anyhow, In Jennifer's case, I think Leonard was the one who changed it. He was involved completely in making of
Famous Blue Raincoat, giving new song (First We Take Manhattan, early version without final verses; and Leonard kept Warnes' "Eurodisco" arrangement for his own album version, changing it in live version, on Perla's idea), writing Ain't No Cure For Love (obviously new verses were added later) on Jennifer's idea (song emerged from their talk about AIDS in 1986, when LC said to her "well, darling, there ain't no cure for love"). He also changed pronouns in Famous Blue Raincoat, and re-wrote Ballad of the Absent Mare into Ballad of the Runaway Horse (which wasn't on the record, but song was released later on Robert Wasserman's album). He actually was modifying the lines so the woman can sing it from her point of view. He was also trying to achieve more general level, particularly in Famous Blue Raincoat changes. So I guess he decided that Bird on
a Wire is in this case (more general level of song contents) more appropriate, as earlier he insisted it's on
the (particular) wire.
Maybe all this is irrevelant, but I cheat myself that I will someday make annottated lyrics. I started the job for reissue (first three albums), planning to add them to site, but didn't have time to finish it until the albums' re-release.
Anyhow, I miss Jennifer.
Always thought great lyrics, but bad music, so I always keep losing it out of my sight.