They don't call me a great man
for nothing.
In fact, they charge me quite a bit!
It's four in the morning, the end of December, I couldn't let December pass without a post about Famous Blue Raincoat - and it's rainy today, so it fits. This video using a live performance of Jennifer Warnes, covering Leonard Cohen's Famous Blue Raincoat. Jennifer Warnes first came to public notice when she became a regular on the television show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967, under the name Jennifer Warren or simply Jennifer. In 1968, she was part of the original cast of the Los Angeles production of the musical Hair. After three albums flopped, Warnes signed on as a backup singer with Leonard Cohen. She finally registered in the charts in 1977 with "Right Time of the Night." In 1979, "I Know a Heartache When I See One," became a Top Ten Country and Top 40 Pop and Easy Listening hit. In July 1982, Island Records released "Up Where We Belong," the love theme from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman, a duet between Warnes and Joe Cocker. It hit number one and went platinum. In 1983 she had chart entries with "Nights Are Forever" (from Twilight Zone -- The Movie) and the title theme from All the Right Moves, a duet with Chris Thompson. An even better performance of this song is found on her 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat, an album of Leonard Cohen songs. Later in 1987 came "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," the love theme from the film Dirty Dancing, a duet between Warnes and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers. It topped the charts and went gold. One of the best singers that nobody has ever heard of. The "Famous Blue Raincoat" doesn't have a dud on it, most of them being significantly better than Cohen's own recordings. It also has the hauntingly beautiful Song of Bernadette. I don't believe Cohen recorded that one. I know it's not really kosher to buy yourself a Christmas present, but it's OK to buy this one, and tell yourself it's a gift from me. Other Bloggers On Related Topics: |
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famous blue raincoat
what a great surprise to find this site. I would graceously like to add my feelings about your comment that JW's versions are better then Cohen's. She is a wonderfully trained and emotive singer, studio posh and a production delight. The original Cohen has few of these qualities, he belongs beside cafe on a busy street in Montreal or Paris. His is a body of music, a world created, whereas jennifer is just a superb musician. Cohen still tours and sells out, sadly jennifer is all but gone.
I wasn't dissing Leonard by any means....
Of all the songs on the Famous Blue Raincoat album, Song Of Bernadette may be the most powerful. It's wonderfully evocative, and it's a song Ms. Warnes is credited with having written. Leonard Cohen appears to have sung on all the songs on her album. I got the impression that she and Cohen were "an item" as well.
A correspondent of mine once took a college class in poetry from Leonard Cohen. I'm not sure when he taught in Montreall, but she told me about it a decade or more ago. She said that he was a real hound, and most of the women in the class were happy to have him chase them. Some would find this objectionable, but it's a cold and lonely world, and when two (or more) are gathered in a sense of togetherness, I think it's a good thing. Actually, when one can gather himself together, it's not bad; I spent too many years like Don Quixote, hopping on my horse and riding off in all directions at once.
Cohen sings in Tower of Song of being born with a golden voice, but too many years of smoking have devalued the dollar; his voice is cruel and raspy now. He simply doesn't have the vocal chords to deliver the goods. Neil Sedaka has the same problem. Both are exemplary songwriters, but their covers are better than the original, perhaps with the exception of when Don Henley covered Cohen.
Cohen's probably the greatest musician alive that nobody has ever heard of. Musicians know who he is, and his influence is mentioned by many, but the only real hit Cohen ever had in his own voice was "Suzanne", which was a fairly lame song and that was forty years ago. I'm glad he's come out of seclusion on Mount Baldy, but it's his writing, not his singing, where he's had the greatest influence.