leonardcohenforum.com

Hi Tom,

Thanks for a very insightful post. In an earlier post I had retracted the information that Leonard played Bird twice during the late concert in Dublin,Dec.14th 1979. Your link to cohenlive.com seems to confirm that Leonard did play it twice. Something brought me back to the recording of this concert( I was there). Although Bird is stated on song listings what Leonard played that night the second time round was a song he called Jews Blues. Maybe Bird was deleted from the recording I have (?) - and I can't remember that far back myself-but to listen to the cd again as I did last night Bird was not played on the second occasion.

Enjoyable thread.

All the best,
merton

Thank you, Tom!

Tom,

Thanks, that's a very interesting stuff! Are you planning to write an article or something like that dedicated to the analysis of LC setlists?

Merton,

Firstly, the show uploaded by Artur at DIME in 2010
as the afternoon Dec 14, 1979 show = this long, "evening" setlist (with or without 2 Birds)
as the evening Dec 14, 1979 concert = this one, short, so called "1st show"

There is a dispute regarding the two Dublin 1979 tapes. The scholars disagree about which tape captures which show to the extend that they provide four different setlists for the two Dublin concerts. This very recording confirms the setlist given in "Recordings of Leonard Cohen 1957-1986" (Schinzel/Lohse, 1988; p. 116).

Secondly, you are right.
The longer recording include "Jews Blues" (aka Blues by the Jews, Billy Sunday) in place of an expected second Bird on the Wire.
That's an accidental error, I suppose - this performance is listed in Rare Live Songs list:

Billy Sunday (The Blues By The Jews)
1-Birmingham, England, 1979/12/08
2-Manchester, England, 1979/12/09
3-Edinburgh, England, 1979/12/11
4-Preston, England, 1979/12/13
5-Dublin, Ireland, 1979/12/14
6-Brighton, England, 1979/12/15
7-Melbourne, Australia, 1980/03/07
8-Melbourne, Australia, 1980/03/08

I didn't notice this issue so far (I probably have both Dublin 1979 shows given to me by Arturo but didn't listen to any:) - for those who wonder, Billy Sunday a.k.a. Jews Blues is one of Leonard's great unreleased songs... Audio from Manchester Dec 9 1979 is here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ0aMJ0RNUk

Tom,

Thanks for confirming my distant memory that Leonard sometimes played "Do I Have To Dance All Night" twice at his 1976 shows. I think this was the case at his three New Victoria Theatre shows in London (July 6th-8th). However, I 've since wondered whether he actually played "Do I Have To Dance All Night" and "Storeroom", as I thought they sounded similar when I heard them live (both having a danceable tune - which was a first for Leonard, at the time).

All the best, John E

Leonard Cohen performed a concert in 1976 at the "Shaboo Inn" in Willamantic, Connecticut, USA.
He played a great set, there was an intermission, and then he came out and played the entire first set again
for the second half of the show. That night, Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder" concert was playing in New Haven, CT.
Leonard Cohen prefaced the second set by saying that contrary to the rumour going around that Dylan was going to
appear at the Cohen Concert, he didn't know anything about that and we'd just have to settle, instead, for an "old crow".
Hard to imagine a more humble celebrity than Mr. Cohen. By the way, the audience applauded his second-set "encore"
and enjoyed it just as much as the first set, if not more so. Great Concert!!!!!!!!

bposside wrote:Leonard Cohen performed a concert in 1976 at the "Shaboo Inn" in Willamantic, Connecticut, USA.
He played a great set, there was an intermission, and then he came out and played the entire first set again
for the second half of the show. That night, Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder" concert was playing in New Haven, CT.
Leonard Cohen prefaced the second set by saying that contrary to the rumour going around that Dylan was going to
appear at the Cohen Concert, he didn't know anything about that and we'd just have to settle, instead, for an "old crow".
Hard to imagine a more humble celebrity than Mr. Cohen. By the way, the audience applauded his second-set "encore"
and enjoyed it just as much as the first set, if not more so. Great Concert!!!!!!!!

Wow, that's so fascinating - I love it!! Glad that you were there for the wonderful experience, & wish I could have been there too. It's a shame there's no recording of it (at least, not that I know of. . .)

Thank you for posting about it, bposside. You get the prize for that one, in my book!

Thanks for the report, bposside!

CohenLive.com argues there was an American tour of 1976.
Dylan didn't perform in New Haven that year. But he did on November 13, 1975 (even twice: 1st concert and 2nd).
Could it be the date you're referring to?

Until now, that's all that we knew about LC concert in Willimantic:
http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... mantic.htm

LEONARD COHEN
Willamantic, CT, USA - (Shaboo Inn)
November ??, 1975


Set:
-. Guerrero [early Iodine]

(...)

_________________

(no known recording)

62 - Bird on the Wire (1972-1985)
21 - First We Take Manhattan (1988, 1993)
15 - Do I Have to Dance All Night (1976)
13 - Lover Lover Lover (1974-1976)
12 - So Long, Marianne (1970-1976)
8 - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (1974, 1976)
5 - Dance Me to the End of Love (1985, 1988, 2012)
2 - Sing Another Song, Boys (1972); The Partisan (1974, 1976)); The Butcher (1976); Democracy (1993)
1 - Tonight Will Be Fine (1972); Seems So Long Ago, Nancy (1974); Diamonds in the Mine (1975); I Tried to Leave You (1976); There Is a War (1976); Lady Midnight (1976); The Guests (1979); The Future (2012)
(total: 19 songs)

1970

Kingston - So Long, Marianne (3 times, complete setlist is unknown, info from a 1970 magazine article) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-15.htm

1972

Glasgow - Sing Another Song, Boys (2 times, in the beginning of the 2nd set) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -03-19.htm
Vienna - So Long, Marianne (#2, #17) and Tonight Will Be Fine (#16, #19 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-10.htm
Munich - Sing Another Song, Boys (#10, #22) - Bird on the Wire (#2, #23 - the last song), also, 2 "takes" of The Partisan with "I Always Sing Alone" improvisation in between (#9) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-11.htm
Amsterdam - So Long, Marianne (#3, #20), also, 2 "takes" of One of Us Cannot Be Wrong with "I Always Wanted to Sing for Naked People" improvisation in between (#8) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-15.htm

1974

Brussels - Lover Lover Lover (#11, #23), the world premier of the song, and Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-01.htm
Paris - Lover Lover Lover (#3, #16 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-07.htm
Edinburgh - Seems So Long Ago, Nancy (2 times, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-10.htm
Glasgow - Lover Lover Lover (2 times, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-11.htm
Brighton - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #29) - Lover Lover Lover (#21, #30 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-16.htm
Birmingham - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-18.htm
London - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28) - Lover Lover Lover (#20, #29) and Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#10, #31 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-20.htm
Munich - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -09-28.htm
Frankfurt - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28) - Lover Lover Lover (#21, #29) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #30 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-06.htm
Vienna - Bird on the Wire (3 times: #1, #3, #26 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-07.htm
Barcelona - Bird on the Wire (#1, #25) - The Partisan (#14, #26 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-12.htm
Paris - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28), So Long, Marianne (#2, #30) - Lover Lover Lover (#21, #31 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-20.htm
New York - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -30-II.htm

1975

Philadelphia - Bird on the Wire (#1, #29 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-05.htm
New York - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-07.htm
Boston - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) and Diamonds in the Mine (#10, #29) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-09.htm
Montreal - Lover Lover Lover (#21, #26) - Bird on the Wire (#2, #27) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... 2-10-I.htm
Bryn Mawr - So Long, Marianne (#3, #33 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-23.htm
Willimantic - see above: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=33064&start=15#p318504

1976

Frankfurt - Bird on the Wire (#1, #29) and Do I Have to Dance All Night (#13, #31) - Lover Lover Lover (#21, #32) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-25.htm
Ludwigshafen - Bird on the Wire (#1, #29) - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#4, #30) and Do I Have to Dance All Night (#13, #32 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-27.htm
Mainz - Bird on the Wire (#1, #29) and Do I Have to Dance All Night (#13, #32 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-04.htm
Stuttgart - The Butcher (2 times in the second set, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-07.htm
Munich - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28 - the first and the last song? - incomplete recording) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-09.htm
Dublin - Bird on the Wire (#1, #33) = So Long, Marianne (#2, #34 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-11.htm
Sheffield - Bird on the Wire (#1 and #?, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-14.htm
Glasgow - false start of Famous Blue Raincoat http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-15.htm
Southport - Bird on the Wire (#1, #36) - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#20, #37 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-18.htm
Bristol - Do I Have to Dance All Night (2 times, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-24.htm
London - Do I Have to Dance All Night (2 times, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-25.htm
Glasgow - Do I Have to Dance All Night (2 times, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-26.htm
Paris - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#15, #30 - the last song of both sets) and, probably, Bird on the Wire / Je veux vivre, tout seul (the possibly #1 and #29) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-04.htm
Paris - Bird on the Wire (#1) / Je veux vivre, tout seul (#31), Do I Have to Dance All Night (#17, #33) - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#4, #34) - I Tried to Leave You (#7, #35) - Lover Lover Lover (#25, #36 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-05.htm - 5 repeated songs
Paris - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#12, #25 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-06.htm
Paris - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#4, #9, complete setlist is unknown) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-07.htm
Reims - Bird on the Wire (#1) / Je veux vivre, tout seul (#26) - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#12, #27), Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#4, #29) - The Butcher (#24, #30) - The Partisan (#17, #31) - There Is a War (#8, #32 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-09.htm - 6 repeated songs
Vienna - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) - Do I Have to Dance All Night (#12, #28) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #29 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-14.htm
Linz - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-16.htm
Nuremberg - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) and Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#4, #30) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #31 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-18.htm
Karlsruhe - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23), Lady Midnight (#9, #27) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #28), Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#5, #30) - Lover Lover Lover (#16, #31 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-19.htm - 5 repeated songs
Zurich - Do I Have to Dance All Night (3 times: #11, #12, #29) - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#3, #30) - Lover Lover Lover (#20, #31 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-21.htm
Zurich - Bird on the Wire (#1, #25), Lover Lover Lover (#20, #28), Do I Have to Dance All Night (#12, #30 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-22.htm
Strasbourg - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) - So Long, Marianne (#2, #28) - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (#4, #29 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-23.htm

1979

Paris - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-22.htm
Munich - The Guests (#2, #8) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-31.htm
Frankfurt - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-01.htm
Ludwigshafen - Bird on the Wire (#2, #26 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-26.htm
Munich - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... 2-01-I.htm
Bonn - Bird on the Wire (#2, #23) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -12-03.htm
London - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -12-04.htm
Manchester - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -12-09.htm
Edinburgh - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -12-11.htm

1980

Lille - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -10-28.htm
Hamburg - Bird on the Wire (#1, #21) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-21.htm

1985

Mannheim - Bird on the Wire (#1, #25) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -01-31.htm
Münster - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-01.htm
Wiesbaden - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-02.htm
Berlin - Bird on the Wire (#1, #25 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-03.htm
Hamburg - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-04.htm
Oslo - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-06.htm
Stockholm - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-08.htm
Copenhagen - Bird on the Wire (#1, #25 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-09.htm
Madrid - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-16.htm
Paris - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-22.htm
Paris - Bird on the Wire (#1, #22 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -23-II.htm
London - Bird on the Wire (#1, #26 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-25.htm
London - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-26.htm
Manchester - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-27.htm
Birmingham - Bird on the Wire (#1, #27 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -02-28.htm
Basel - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -03-05.htm
Vienna - Bird on the Wire (#1, #26 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -03-06.htm
Linz - Bird on the Wire (#1, #24 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -03-08.htm
Munich - Bird on the Wire (#1, #26 - the first and the last song; also #22 - first verse only) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -03-09.htm
Milan - Bird on the Wire (#1, #23 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -24-II.htm
New York - Bird on the Wire (#1, #28 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-05.htm
Sydney - Bird on the Wire (#1, #30 - the first and the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-24.htm
Vienna - Dance Me to the End of Love (#6, #29 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-06.htm
Montreux - Dance Me to the End of Love (#6, #29 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-09.htm

1988

Berlin - First We Take Manhattan (#10, #24) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-09.htm
Mannheim - First We Take Manhattan (#10, #24 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-12.htm
Copenhagen - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #22 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-23.htm
Stockholm - First We Take Manhattan (#10, #23) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-26.htm
Oslo - First We Take Manhattan (#9, #21) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -01-II.htm
Stavanger - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #22 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-06.htm
Paris - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #23) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-27.htm
Paris - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #23) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-28.htm
London - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #25) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-31.htm
Reykjavík - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #26) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-24.htm
Bergen - Dance Me to the End of Love (#1, #17, complete setlist is unkniwn) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-28.htm
Stockholm - First We Take Manhattan (#2, #16) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -06-30.htm
Roskilde - First We Take Manhattan (3 times: #2, #10, #15 - the last song) and Dance Me to the End of Love (#1, #13) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-02.htm (additional info about the third Manhattan was posted at Dime)
New York - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #21) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-05.htm
New York - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #21) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-06.htm
Berkeley - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #22) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -07-08.htm
Philadelphia - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #24) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-04.htm
Toronto - First We Take Manhattan (#9, #23) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -11-09.htm

1993

Helsinki - Democracy (#10, #21 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -04-29.htm
Copenhagen - Democracy (#10, #23 - the last song) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-06.htm
London - First We Take Manhattan (#7, #22) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-10.htm
London - First We Take Manhattan (#7, #20) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-11.htm
Madrid - First We Take Manhattan (#8, #23 - the last song of both sets) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-16.htm
Berlin - First We Take Manhattan (#7, #19) http://cohenlive.com/concerts/setlists/ ... -05-25.htm

(2008, 2009, 2010)

2012

Los Angeles - The Future (#2, #3 - the last verse and the chorus as a reprise) and Dance Me to the End of Love (#1, #23) viewtopic.php?f=74&t=33015#p317863

Very impressive, Roman. Thank you!

Thank you from me too, Roman, for your very diligent research & reporting!!

And Nov. 1975 for Willimantic does make more sense, as I didn't think Leonard came to the U.S. in 1976.

Sorry -- don't know how to quote from a previous post . . .

. . . but I was at the Shaboo in Willimantic Connecticut for both nights in 1975; in fact, I wrote a review of the show for the Harford Advocate. It was my first-ever published article, and Leonard was the first artist I ever interviewed. Despite my clumsiness and inexperience (I'm sure I came off as some unholy combination of Jimmy Olsen and the Geek from Hell), he was so kindly and forthcoming that he gave me the confidence to believe I could keep doing it . . . I've been a freelance writer (and eventually, an author) ever since. I pretty much owe it all to him.

As I remember it, he told the audience that "the Great Nightingale" (i.e., Dylan) was rumored to be on his was, but that instead, we'd have to settle for "the same old cuckoo clock" (not "old crow"). I believe this was the same night he became irritated at folks in audience who wouldn't stop talking, and so truncated what sounded as if it was going to be "The Stranger Song" in favor of a very pissed-off sounding version of "There Is A War."

He also did an early version of "Don't Go Home With your Hard-On" that was absolutely hilarious; he crooned it like a drunken nightclub Lothario, all moody keyboards and lugubrious moans. It dripped with irony -- a far cry from the abomimation that eventually appeard on the Ladies' Man LP.

By the way, at the Shaboo, Leonard told us that he had written "Chelsea Hotel" for Janis Joplin. When I spoke with him afterward, he said that he'd never revealed that before -- so this might have been the first time that story was ever officially made public.

The very first time I saw Leonard was in early 1970 at the University of Hartford. He said it was his first time performing live, which we know wasn't technically true. But it does seem to have been a warm-up for his first actual major tour (the band was the original "Army" with Charlie Daniels, Bob Johnston, Corlynn Haney, et al.), so it probably felt that way to him. For some reason, I've seldom seen this performance in listings of Leonard's concerts. It seems to have been forgotten.

He began with a recitation of "The Music Crept By Us;" the first actual song was "Marianne." The final song of his planned show, of course, was "Suzanne." But he apparently hadn't prepared anything for an encore, so when he came back he played "Marianne" again.

Hi jazzmanchgo,

Your posts are incredibly interesting! Thanks for sharing these memories with us!
Any new information is welcome, as we

- didn't know about the second Willamantic concert at all (two nights in a row?)
- don't have setlists of either Willamantic or Hartford show (every mention of a song or a poem is significant)
- don't now a thing about the dates (Jan 1970, Nov 1975 - is it right?), time, concert duration, actual place (building) where the Hartfort concert took place...

Why did you decide to go to LC concert? Do you remember the advertisment campaign (it seems that you have studied in the University of Hartford, but I'm not sure)? Hartford 1970 definetely was a warm-up show, to say more, a detached one (European tour occurred in May, North American tour started in October).

Do you have a copy of your review/interview for the Harford Advocate (this newspaper doesn't seem to have an online archive, I'm afraid)?

Long story, Goldin --

I'd just graduated from college and had gone back to my folks' house for what I hoped was going to be a very brief time . . . I saw that Leonard was coming to the Shaboo (the concert was announced on pretty short notice, if I recall) -- I'd always wanted to be a writer, but I had no idea how to hustle a gig. So I called the Advocate and basically sold them a bill of goods. I told them that I was an experienced critic and writer (total bullschitt) and that I knew all of Leonard's music, both of his novels, most of his poems, and a lot of his life story (all true). I told them that I'd be perfectly capable of writing a review of his show, if they'd let me (doubtful, because I'd never done such a thing before). They fell for it, hook line and everything else.

So . . . I went up there, did it, wrote it, it worked, and . . . the rest is -- if not history, at least stuff that happened in real life.

Yes, I have a faded copy of the article (or at least I used to), but have to way to scan it and send it to anyone.

If you're curious, the following link to the "Speaking Cohen" file has a version of a review of The Future that I wrote for the Chicago Reader some time ago, as well as a piece I wrote specifically for that website, which includes what I could remember about both that first U. of Hartford gig and the Shaboo show several years later:

http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/whiteis.htm

And, I guess, while I'm being insufferably vain and self-promoting, here's a link to another piece I wrote for the Reader, this one a review of a concert he did in Chicago in 1988 (The "I'm Your Man" tour) . . .

http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/parkwest.htm

p.s. Well, this is embarrassing -- Looking over those articles,I just realized that in one of them I referred to the wrong Leonard Cohen novel. I suggested a conncection between William Burroughs and some of Cohen's writing, but the novel I should have cited was Beautiful Losers, not The Favorite Game. I have no idea how that slipped past me.