Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

General discussion about Leonard Cohen's songs and albums
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Hartmut
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Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by Hartmut »

Patrick Leonard said some time ago that he and Leonard Cohen had been working on an R&B album. (http://ew.com/article/2016/11/11/leonar ... -rb-album/)

About six of those songs are finished. However, Leonard (C.) had only recorded very few of the vocals.

So, if these songs were to be released, who should do the vocals?

a) Adam Cohen
b) Sharon Robinson
c) Jennifer Warnes
d) Nick Cave
e) Kris Kristofferson
f) Bob Dylan
g) Chris Rea
h) Tom Waits
i) Morrissey
j) some male studio singer
k) some female studio singer
l) someone else
m) Don't make this so complicated. Just feed Leonard's voice into a computer program and let it create new vocal tracks.


And since six songs is not enough for an album, which already existing songs should Patrick Leonard give an R&B treatment (meaning: taking Leonard's vocal tracks and adding R&B arrangements)?

My suggestions:
- Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
- Bird on the Wire
- Tonight Will Be Fine
- Diamonds in the Mine
- Lover Lover Lover
- Who By Fire
- Crazy to Love You

And yours?
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B4real
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Re: Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by B4real »

Hi Hartmut,
Regarding the uncertain R&B album it doesn’t seem clear to me if those songs possibly on it would be old or new ones.

Either way, if it went ahead the first four singers you have listed are a good bet. I would add Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla, Jackson Browne and Gregory Alan Isakov but with the last two I really can’t see much chance of that happening!
Hartmut wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2017 5:26 pm m) Don't make this so complicated. Just feed Leonard's voice into a computer program and let it create new vocal tracks.
Ha! That would be beyond words!

Relating to your link, this is an interesting listen: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/popup/audio/lis ... =1.3847032

I absolutely love the idea of the string thing! It does seem this is a feasible proposition because Patrick Leonard and LC had talked about the string record, and LC said, “I might not see it finished, but I’d like it to be finished no matter what.” There are 10 arrangements and I’m assuming they are all for previously written and sung songs as the first four mentioned are Anthem, Suzanne, Bird On The Wire and Sisters Of Mercy. I wonder which 6 songs could be the remaining ones?
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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Hartmut
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Re: Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by Hartmut »

Hi Bev,

Thank you.
B4real wrote: Regarding the uncertain R&B album it doesn’t seem clear to me if those songs possibly on it would be old or new ones.
Hm ... according to what Patrick Leonard says in the interview your link points to, these are "songs that we had written over the years", so I think he means new songs.
B4real wrote: There are 10 arrangements and I’m assuming they are all for previously written and sung songs as the first four mentioned are Anthem, Suzanne, Bird On The Wire and Sisters Of Mercy. I wonder which 6 songs could be the remaining ones?
Interesting question. - In Amsterdam, he played "No Way to Say Goodbye" (among other songs) on the piano. And I guess there must be a reason why he was so familiar with that song ...

Does anybody remember which other songs he played? That might be a clue.
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B4real
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Re: Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by B4real »

Hi Hartmut,
Hartmut wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2017 3:19 pm Interesting question. - In Amsterdam, he played "No Way to Say Goodbye" (among other songs) on the piano. And I guess there must be a reason why he was so familiar with that song ...

Does anybody remember which other songs he played? That might be a clue.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by that - how he played and when :) ....so here's my choice below -

For the string album which already has 4 songs included, to make it 10 in total maybe these could get the “reprise” treatment:

The Window
The Traitor
The Guests
Night Comes On
Joan Of Arc
Nightingale

Or these songs could be an alternative choice for the strings album:

Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong
Seems So Long Ago, Nancy
Why Don’t You Try
Take This Longing
Priests

And for the R&R album which already has 6 new songs some of these could be added:

Iodine/Guerrero
True Love Leaves No Traces
Fingerprints
Memories
The Smokey Life/I Guess It’s Time
Ballad Of The Absent Mare
Tower Of Song
I Can’t Forget
Heart With No Companion/Thirsty For The Kiss
Stories Of The Street
Lady Midnight
Never Got To Love You
Thanks For The Dance
Innermost Door
The Captain
Billy Sunday
Come Spend The Morning
Hummingbird Hill

.....plenty to choose from. Some are more suitable than others, a few have never been officially released and one remains unfinished. Maybe with all those extra songs they could make a double album!
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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Hartmut
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Re: Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by Hartmut »

B4real wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2017 4:48 am
Hartmut wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2017 3:19 pm Does anybody remember which other songs he played? That might be a clue.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by that - how he played and when :)
I meant Patrick Leonard's brief piano concert during the LC event in Amsterdam last year.

That's an impressive and ambitious list!

Thank you for reminding me of "Come Spend The Morning", by the way. I had forgotten about that song.
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B4real
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Re: Surveys: Leonard's R&B album

Post by B4real »

Thank you Hartmut,
I wasn’t at the Amsterdam 2016 event so now it’s all clear what you meant!
I was thinking you were referring to LC at a concert there and not PL at the event :)

I don't hold out much hope for the R&R album but it has been a good distraction for me to speculate on which songs could be eligible ;-)

btw....for those who want to know, Come Spend The Morning is credited to both LC & Bob Johnston.
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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