L.C. Song Hunt

[Hartmut]

Now this’ll make you laugh.....As a guess I had listed BOTAM as no 13 then remembered Jennifer Warnes words and withdrew it!

Then we'll count this as you having nailed it on the first try.

The liner notes of Recent Songs: I think my copy also doesn't have them. But they are quoted in the Wikipedia entry on 'Recent Songs'.

Number 6: Yes, you're right. That was one of the tougher questions. - Is it possible Hitchcock once made a movie about you? 'The Woman Who Knew Too Much'?

[holydove]

Quite ambitious indeed, Hartmut!! And good to see you here, Bev . I will venture a few guesses for the items not answered yet:

#19: Villanelle For Our Time by F.R. Scott

#12: Do I Have To Dance All Night - 1976 & 1980 versions (?). I don't know who composed the music for each version, but the musical arrangements are distinctly different.

#21: The Window? I remember seeing that the chorus, at least, (". . .tangle of matter & ghost. . .") is based on a poem by Rumi.

[Hartmut]

#19: Villanelle For Our Time by F.R. Scott

Indeed.

#21: The Window?

Yes.

#12: Do I Have To Dance All Night - 1976 & 1980 versions (?). I don't know who composed the music for each version, but the musical arrangements are distinctly different.

No, I'm talking about two totally different melodies here. The second composer didn't even know that the first melody existed.

[holydove]

I remembered that, in an interview, Leonard said that he had written a melody for a song, but then Sharon Robinson wrote a different melody for it & he liked Sharon's melody better, so he recorded the song with the melody she had written. I think it was when they were working on TNS & I suppose Sharon might not have known that Leonard had previously written a melody for the song. At the moment, I don't remember which song it was (maybe Secret Life or Alexandra Leaving?); I would have to work on remembering which one it was. Is this what you have in mind, Harmut?

[Hartmut]

Leonard said that he had written a melody for a song, but then Sharon Robinson wrote a different melody for it & he liked Sharon's melody better, so he recorded the song with the melody she had written.

Thank you for that anecdote! - Might she have been talking about "A Thousand Kisses Deep"? The melody in the Mount Baldy demo seems to be quite different than the one on "Ten New Songs".

("A Thousand Kisses Deep", Mount Baldy demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko7Pyz55ziU)

Is this what you have in mind, Harmut?

No, sadly. - But, of course, the song you have in mind fits the definition as well, apparently. So you have answered the question. If you can name the song you're thinking of!

The difference is that I'm not talking about a demo version, but about two actually released versions of a song (with two different melodies).


Would you like to get a hint for the numbers 12 and 22?


P. S.: Found this:

'We know that there was Leonard’s version of In My Secret Life also, and he discarded both because he "loved your version best".'
http://www.leonardcohencroatia.com/engl ... -interview

"The Billboard on August 5, 1995 reported that two songs are nearly complete, A Thousand Kisses Deep and My Secret Life, and that album is on the way (!!!). My presumption is that both songs were re-recorded later for Ten New Songs, co-written by Sharon Robinson. Sharon started to work with LC on album only when he came down, in about 2000, and he said that he discarded his versions because he liked hers better."
viewtopic.php?t=5108

[holydove]

Might she have been talking about "A Thousand Kisses Deep"? The melody in the Mount Baldy demo seems to be quite different than the one on "Ten New Songs".

Thanks for the link, Hartmut - very interesting interview (& interesting hints too!). And, as I'm sure you already know, the question about which melodies Leonard discarded in favor of Sharon's versions is answered there - it was 2 songs - My Secret Life & A Thousand Kisses Deep. I suppose one can say the demo version of Thousand Kisses Deep was "released" (sort of) in the Mt. Baldy video, but since it's not what you had in mind, here are my new guesses:

#12: Everybody Knows? There is the LC version, on which LC & Sharon collaborated, & then there is Sharon's solo version on her album entitled Everybody Knows.

#22: To A Teacher? (though I wouldn't know what Israeli folk song is allegedly played behind the recitation, but that song seems a more likely candidate than Morning Glory).

[Hartmut]

Hi,

interesting hints too!).

Hints? I gave no hints. At least not intentionally.

I suppose one can say the demo version of Thousand Kisses Deep was "released" (sort of) in the Mt. Baldy video,

That's true. Yeah, ok, your guess counts.

Now _here's_ a hint for my number 12, and a big one: Both versions appeared on official studio albums. One a long time ago, the other one quite recently. One of these albums is not really a LC album. Both melody writers told Leonard that they loved him; but he felt like smooching only with one of them.

#12: Everybody Knows? There is the LC version, on which LC & Sharon collaborated, & then there is Sharon's solo version on her album entitled Everybody Knows.

Im not trying to be difficult. But: no. The melody of Sharon's Version is more or less identical to Leonard's version, don't you think?

#22: To A Teacher? (though I wouldn't know what Israeli folk song is allegedly played behind the recitation, but that song seems a more likely candidate than Morning Glory).

No.

A hint for number 22: It's not on an officially released album.

[holydove]

Now_here's_ a hint for my number 12, and a big one: Both versions appeared on official studio albums. One a long time ago, the other one quite recently. One of these albums is not really a LC album. One melody was written by a woman, the other by a man.

The melody of Sharon's Version is more or less identical to Leonard's version, don't you think?

Yes, I do think the melody is basically the same; I thought maybe it sounded different enough to you .

Are you thinking of Crazy To Love You for #12? Again, based on my memory, Anjani's version sounds pretty much the same as LC's to me, in terms of basic melody in the vocal, except for some slight variation; just the musical arrangement behind the vocal is different, but it seems to fit your other clues, so I'm giving it a try, though it's probably wrong. . .& I think that will be my last guess!

[Hartmut]

You're awfully close now. I mean you mentioned Anjani ...

[Hartmut]

And while you were already answering I changed the hint a bit.

[B4real]

I was going to leave this for others but I couldn't help to post these two answers I had ready just before your last clue. I remembered the first one from the list of poems into songs that I recently posted because I found another one to add to it - Dear Heather (2004): Spice-Box Of Earth (1961) To A Teacher.

NO 12. Blue Alert (2006), by Anjani: includes The Mist, which is As The Mist Leaves No Scar As The Mist Leaves No Scar set to music (different from Phil Spector's version known as "True Love Leaves No Traces). According to the video interview at Sony site, Anjani bumped into the poem in Stranger Music, unaware that Cohen and Spector already adapted this poem to music. Her version uses the original poem's verses, without additional verses Leonard wrote for Spector's version.

Speaking of different versions by female artists of course most of Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes has different melodies to LC’s original ones but they both knew about it.

NO 22. Puppets - the background music could be considered similar to the start of Hava Nagila

[Hartmut]

Hi Beverly ... Beverlee ... Bevley ... Hi Bev,

You're right with both songs.

Hava Nagila: I just can't hear this in the background music. I mean it sounds familiar, but that's all. Can you hear it?

Ok, you say "similar to the start of Hava Nagila". So I'll have to listen to it again with that in mind.

of course most of Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes has different melodies to LC’s original ones

I would say these are variations / interpretations, not totally different independent melodies.

[B4real]

Thanks Hartmut, this list could go on and on but then we would run out of questions to ask
About FBR album - yes, they are considerably different interpretations/variations for sure.

Hi Beverly ... Beverlee ... Bevley ... Hi Bev,

Beverley...ah, why don't you you just call me by my second name Suzanne ...it would be easier

Now if someone else would like to take a turn in asking a question please do.

[Hartmut]

Yes, much easier. Thank you, Susanne.

[Hartmut]

I think it's your turn now, Suzane. - Or Holydove's.