In a comment to yesterday’s post, Last Shadow Puppets Go Orchestral With Leonard Cohen’s “Memories”, sturgess66 alerted readers to the just uploaded1 version of "Memories" performed by Leonard Cohen Copenhagen in 1985.
The poor video quality notwithstanding, this recording is worth viewing for the obvious enjoyment demonstrated by the performers, including a flower- and ribbon-festooned Anjani on keyboards and vocals, as well as the performance itself.
After the completion of the song, Cohen, as a bonus, does a comic turn that features the source of this post’s titular reference, "Leonard Cohen & The Celibates,"2 the threat to introduce each member of the audience individually, and, I believe, a non-metaphorical rimshot,3 none of which, lamentably, is likely to be revived for tonight’s Chicago concert.4 It is also unlikely that tonight Leonard Cohen will announce, as he does in this video, the name of his hotel – or, for that matter, sing "Memories."5
Leonard Cohen – Memories (Copenhagen 1985)
Video from messalina79
The Heck Of A Guy Festival Of Memories
As noted in previously, I am an unabashed fan of Leonard Cohen’s “Memories,” a song originally concocted during the brief, stormy, and itself memorable collaboration-collision of Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector. Previous Heck Of A Guy posts featuring “Memories” include the following:
- Two Leonard Cohen Memories – This post contains a full discussion of the history and significance of the song
- Leonard Cohen – A Dance Down Memories Laine
- Lou Reed-Anjani Duet You’ve (Probably) Never Heard
- It’s Valentine Day – Let Me See Your Naked Body
- Blackeyed Susans And David McComb & The Red Ponies Cover Leonard Cohen’s “Memories”
- Last Shadow Puppets Go Orchestral With Leonard Cohen’s “Memories”
- This morning, the stats for this video show only 30 viewings [↩]
- One notes that the name given is not “Leonard Cohen & The Other Celibates.” [↩]
- Sadly, it proves necessary to inform the youngsters in the audience that a “rimshot” refers to striking the rim rather than the top of a cymbal with the drumstick. A rimshot preceded by taps on the snare is a sting, a sequence often called a rimshot that is used in cabaret to accentuate the punchline of a joke.
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[↩]
- It only seems as though he introduces everyone in the theater when he starts thanking folks (e.g., the sound technicians, those who take care of the hats, the guys at the deli, the trucker who delivered the ink to the distributor who sold it to the road crew to use in the printers that produced the copies of the set list for the songs we played this evening, … ) at the end of the show. [↩]
- The absence of "Memories" notwithstanding, the Chicago concert will be, I’m certain, wonderful – albeit regrettably flawed. [↩]
Thank you for alerting us to yet another way for this enjoyable song to be sung
I’m loving it, although it also makes me think LC has had too much of whatever *lol*
Memories always makes me happy, it’s great to see everyone onstage having fun, too.
Thanks Dr. Heck – but you just never know might happen in Chicago tonight. Bob Dylan starts a 3-night run in Chicago tonight. And who knows? Bob might stop in at Leonard’s show after his own. Leonard would still have about two more hours to go. Haha! Hey – it’s possible!
But – in spite of the dark video I love this Copenhagen performance of Memories.
There is some way cool guitar starting around 2:29 – and Leonard is in great voice.
I notice that “messalina79″ has also uploaded a version of “So Long Marianne” from this same 1985 Copenhagen show and it also features a great guitar contribution around 2:40.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEkWAhZDhM
They all seem to be having a great time at this show. That wonderful video from the outdoor show at Isle of Calf in Norway (uploaded by “kaarekjohnsen” recently) was also from 1985 – and Leonard seemed to be in the same state of mind/humor. “Oh – we have no where to go, no where to go.” I put a laurel wreath on stage for Leonard at the recent Philadelphia show and it was from the marvelous Norway video that I took the idea. But – in the Norway video, Leonard does take approximately one hour (love it) to leisurely introduce all those “most excellent musicians” by name in that video, including “The Pearl of the Pacific” Anjani Thomas – and asks that we please, never forget them.
So the guitar player in Copenhagen might be Mitchell Watkins?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoAZFAezXFE
Love it! Regardless of the Phil Spector debacle, I have to say that song resonates withmany of us “wallflowers.” Takes me back in a heartbeat!
Thank you so much for this. I was at this concert and looking all over for information on this exact song.
This was the first time I have been able to see him perform, and I had a fantastic time.