Rarities Unearthed For Leonard Cohen Reissues
January 10, 2007, 4:30 PM ET
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Several previously unreleased tracks have been unearthed for Columbia/Legacy’s reissue series of Leonard Cohen’s first three albums, due April 24.
„Songs of Leonard Cohen“ sports two tracks from sessions with Columbia’s legendary A&R man John Hammond in the summer of 1967 that were never completed: „Store Room“ and „Blessed Is the Memory.“
The 1968 follow-up, „Songs From a Room“ features the evergreen „Bird on a Wire,“ an early version of which appears here as „Like a Bird“ with different instrumentation. That song, as well as an early take on „You Know Who I Am“ dubbed „Nothing to One“ that features harmony vocals by David Crosby, were recorded in Hollywood. „Songs From a Room“ wound up being put to tape in Nashville.
„Songs of Love and Hate,“ released in 1971, is expanded with a full-band arrangement of „Dress Rehearsal Rag“ that sounds quite different from the version on the original.
On the same date, Columbia/Legacy is re-releasing „Blue Alert,“ an album sung by Anjani Thomas and featuring songs she co-wrote with Cohen, who does not appear as an artist. The new version features a DVD with videos for „Thanks for the Dance“ and „The Mist.“
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003531240
--
Captain Beefheart to audience: Is everyone feeling all right? Audience: Yeahhhhh!!! awright...!!! Captain Beefheart: That's not a soulful question, that's a medical question. It's too hot in here.