Old Ideas: 2000's demos & outtakes
(compiled by Tom Sakic)

 

Field Commander Cohen - Tour of 1979 (2000)

Westlake Studios (West Hollywood, CA)
"Still Life" Studio (Los Angeles, CA)

At least 4 (unknown) outtakes: "I only transferred versions of songs that I knew we would need - probably 16 in all, of which we used 12 on the album. On some songs I transferred several versions from different nights, thinking that I might come across more details when I got to work on the tracks". (Leanne Ungar, April 2001).

 

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Ten New Songs (2001)

"Still Life" Studio (Los Angeles, CA)
"Small Mercies" Studio (Hollywood, CA)

As Sharon Robinson reported, her and Cohen's Ten New Songs sessions produced much more than ten tracks. Three of them were finished for the release of Dear Heather in 2004, but, she said in November 2004, "there are a few things on the back burner that I expect we will get back to shortly". That includes the numerous additional verses of "A Thousand Kisses Deep" which will be used "for a future project".

By The Rivers Dark
Sharon Robinson reported that it "started out as a completely different song." Presumably few different demo versions were made before the final cut.

 

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Dear Heather (2004)

"Still Life" Studio (Los Angeles, CA)
"Small Mercies" Studio (Hollywood, CA)

Dear Heather tracks were chosen among 20 tracks, so there's at least 8 outtakes (we don't know if the collaborations with Sharon Robinson are included in that count). They will be probably on the next record(s).

Go No More A-Roving: various takes
According to Sharon Robinson, at least a dozen version of the arrangements, keys and tempos were tried during few months long recording sessions.

Unknown outtaked song with the melody of "On That Day"
A year ago [2003?] Leonard gave me a lyric to play around with. He really loved the arrangement but said now he'd have to pen a whole new lyric that lived up to the music. The rewrite took about six months, which is a nanosecond in Cohen writing time. Both lyrics were strong, but "On That Day" was more relevant to the times. (Anjani, Fall 2004)

I originally wrote that music to a different lyric. Leonard sat with the track for several months before deciding on a rewrite. We both agreed "On That Day" was more worthy of the arrangement, which is rather solemn. I didn’t have any problem with the lyrical content; it’s my viewpoint of the event as well. (Anjani, January 2005)

Undertow: early version with Leonard's lead vocals
The song was in Leonard's key, so I never thought I'd be doing the lead on it. The back ground session started as usual, with me singing a harmony. When we played it back Leonard loved it so much that he made it the lead vocal, and his track was used as an effect to remind you of the murmuring sea. (Anjani, Fall 2004)

Nightingale: outtaked version in Leonard's vocal range
There was some question as to whether "Nightingale" would be on the record, because it’s in the key of B, nowhere near Leonard’s usual range. But when I rerecorded it lower, it just didn’t sound as bright or right. So Leonard felt bound to use my original version, and I don’t think he’s sung that high since the eighties! I give him credit for stepping out of his vocal comfort zone and not giving up on the song. And I really applaud him for nailing two tracks an octave apart…a feat for any singer. (Anjani, January 2005)

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Supplement: Old Ideas: Notes On Dear Heather

Sources:

Leanne Ungar interview, April 2001, www.mediaandmarketing.com/Writer/Interviews/SS.Leanne_Ungar.html.

Anjani interview, Pt 1, Fall 2004, www.webheights.net/dearheather/anjani.html.

Anjani interview, Pt 2, January 2005, www.anjani-music.com/dearheather-interview.htm.

Sharon Robinson interview (2004), www.mediteran.info/~cohen/sharonrobinson2004.php.