Leonard Cohen, Sonny Rollins, Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen, & Was (Not Was) Create Cult Classic
One of the first Leonard Cohen video gems I posted1 featured him and Sonny Rollins, assisted by Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen, and singers from Was (Not Was),2 performing “Who By Fire” on the February 13, 1989 Sunday Night Live show (better remembered by its second-season title, “Night Music”).3
Sonny Rollins
Night Music With David Sanborn, co-hosted by Jools Holland, ran on TV from 1988 to 1989, featuring guests such as Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Warren Zevon, Charlie Haden, The Residents, The Pixies, and Pere Ubu.
I lifted the title for this post from the declaration by producer Hal Wilner,
What I consider the most successful and magical of my genre-free collaborations/collisions (was) a segment of the “Night Music” television show with Leonard, Julie, Perla, & Was (Not Was) performing “Who by Fire” with his honor Sonny Rollins.4
As I wrote the first time I posted this delight: Just Outstanding
Leonard Cohen & Sonny Rollins – Who By Fire
_____________________- Leonard Cohen Song You May Have Heard But (Probably) Not This Way [↩]
- Leonard Cohen had another connection with Was (Not Was). See Elvis’s Rolls Royce – Another Leonard Cohen Song That You Have (Probably) Never Heard [↩]
- Diamonds In The Mine [↩]
- Diamonds In The Mine [↩]
Rawlins went on-and-on ad nauseum. He was SO protracted (shall I reiterate this?) that I left the TV to make some coffee and swipe a couple of stale donuts from my roomate. Sorry Leonard.
Both are talented, but they are oil and water in my never-so-humble opinion.