Death of a Ladies' Man
Encyclopedia
Death of a Ladies' Man is the fifth of Leonard Cohen
's albums. Produced and co-written by the storied Phil Spector
, it was a surprise to some fans when the voice of typically minimalist Cohen was surrounded, some critics said submerged completely, by Spector's Wall of Sound
, which included multiple tracks of instrument overdubs. The album was originally released by Warner Bros.
, but was later picked up by Cohen's longtime label, Columbia Records
.
15 songs were written by the two over a course of three weeks, and Spector described it as "some great fuckin' music". Not everyone agreed with this assessment, preferring Cohen's earlier acoustic folk music to the jazz
-, rock- and even funk
-influenced arrangements. Among the seven unknown outtake
s is probably "Do I Have to Dance All Night". A live recording was released in France
as a single
in 1976. Bob Dylan
and Allen Ginsberg
sang backup vocals on the chorus of "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on".
Death of a Ladies' Man was recorded in Los Angeles
, California
. Before Cohen had completed his vocals, Spector barred him from the studio (supposedly under armed guard) and mix
ed the album by himself. For this reason some of the songs only have "guiding vocals" originally meant to be redone later. Interviewed for the 2005 documentary I'm Your Man
, Cohen expressed disappointment in the record and felt that the songs "got away" from him; he also noted that it was a favorite among "punksters
" as well as his daughter. At the time of the album's release, however, Cohen was much less generous in his public response to the album, calling Spector's production "a 'catastrophe.'"
, "reaction to the album was largely negative," citing negative reviews from Rolling Stone magazine (which titled its review "Leonard Cohen's Doo-Wop Nightmare") and The Toronto Star.
I'm Your Fan
. The songs were performed by Dead Famous People
and the duo David McComb
& Adam Peters, respectively.
Of the album's eight selections, "Memories" is the only track Cohen regularly performed in concert (on tours in 1979, 1980 and 1985). Cohen apparently liked the song enough that he included it in his 1983 experimental art film, I Am a Hotel, as the sole non-acoustic piece alongside four other songs which have generally enjoyed more positive fan response, "Suzanne," "Chelsea Hotel #2," "The Guests," and "The Gypsy's Wife." A "de-Spectorized" version of "Memories" ended up being released when Cohen's album, Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
was issued in 2001. This version eliminated much of the harmonizing and included a saxophone solo. "Memories" has also been covered at least five times by other artists, including John Darnielle
of The Mountain Goats
. "Iodine" earned three known performances in the European tour of 1979.
Early versions of "Iodine" (then called "Guerrero") and "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on" were performed in concert as early as 1975, then with music by John Lissauer.
The Last Shadow Puppets performed a version of "Memories" on their Autumn 2008 tour.
Swedish singer Svante Karlsson mentioned the album title in the song "I Nöd & Lust" (from Tro Inte Att Du Känner Mig 2010) in which the female character listens to it in her head phones during a train ride.
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's albums. Produced and co-written by the storied Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, it was a surprise to some fans when the voice of typically minimalist Cohen was surrounded, some critics said submerged completely, by Spector's Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
, which included multiple tracks of instrument overdubs. The album was originally released by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, but was later picked up by Cohen's longtime label, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
15 songs were written by the two over a course of three weeks, and Spector described it as "some great fuckin' music". Not everyone agreed with this assessment, preferring Cohen's earlier acoustic folk music to the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-, rock- and even funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-influenced arrangements. Among the seven unknown outtake
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
s is probably "Do I Have to Dance All Night". A live recording was released in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1976. Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
sang backup vocals on the chorus of "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on".
Death of a Ladies' Man was recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Before Cohen had completed his vocals, Spector barred him from the studio (supposedly under armed guard) and mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
ed the album by himself. For this reason some of the songs only have "guiding vocals" originally meant to be redone later. Interviewed for the 2005 documentary I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film by Lian Lunson about the life and career of Leonard Cohen. It is based on a January 2005 tribute show at the Sydney Opera House titled "Came So Far for Beauty", which was produced by Hal Willner...
, Cohen expressed disappointment in the record and felt that the songs "got away" from him; he also noted that it was a favorite among "punksters
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
" as well as his daughter. At the time of the album's release, however, Cohen was much less generous in his public response to the album, calling Spector's production "a 'catastrophe.'"
Public Response
According to one of Cohen's biographers, Ira NadelIra Nadel
Ira B. Nadel is Professor of English at the University of British Columbia. He received his BA & MA from Rutgers University and his PhD. from Cornell University...
, "reaction to the album was largely negative," citing negative reviews from Rolling Stone magazine (which titled its review "Leonard Cohen's Doo-Wop Nightmare") and The Toronto Star.
Side one
- "True Love Leaves No Traces" – 4:26
- "Iodine" – 5:03
- "Paper Thin Hotel" – 5:42
- "Memories" – 5:59 (Outro includes a quotation from The Shields' 1958 single "You Cheated, You Lied" and a reference to classic-era pop singer Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
.)
Side two
- "I Left a Woman Waiting" – 3:28
- "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On" – 5:36
- "Fingerprints" – 2:58
- "Death of a Ladies' Man" – 9:19
Personnel
- Art Blaine – Guitar
- Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
– Drums - Ronee BlakleyRonee BlakleyRonee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
– Background Vocals, Featured on "True Love Leaves No Traces," "Iodine," and "Memories." - Bobby Bruce – Fiddle, Violin
- Brenda Bryant – Background Vocals
- John Cabalka – Art Direction
- Conte Candoli – Trumpet
- Leonard Cohen – Composer, Vocals
- Ron Coro – Design
- Jesse Ed DavisJesse Ed DavisJesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:...
– Guitar - Billy Diez – Background Vocals
- Steve DouglasSteve Douglas (saxophonist)Steven Douglas Kreisman , better known as Steve Douglas, was an American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist. Douglas is best known as a Los Angeles session musician, a member of The Wrecking Crew, who worked with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys...
– Flute, Saxophone, Wind - Oma Drake – Background Vocals
- Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
– Background Vocals - Gene Estes – Percussion
- Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
– Background Vocals - Gerald Garrett – Background Vocals
- Terry Gibbs – Percussion, Vibraphone
- Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
– Background Vocals - Bruce Gold – Engineer, Assistant Engineer
- Barry Goldberg – Keyboards
- Tom Hensley – Keyboards
- David Isaac – Guitar
- Pete JollyPete JollyPete Jolly was an American West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist....
– Keyboards - Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
– Drums - Dan Kessel – Organ, Synthesizer, Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocals
- David Kessel – Guitar, Background Vocals
- Clydie KingClydie KingClydie Crittendon is an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist....
– Background Vocals - Sneaky Pete KleinowSneaky Pete KleinowPeter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician, songwriter, and a motion picture special effects artist...
– Guitar, Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar - Michael Lang – Keyboards
- Larry LevineLarry LevineLarry Levine was an American audio engineer, known for his cooperation with Phil Spector on the Wall of Sound recording technique....
– Engineer - Charles Loper – Trombone
- Sherlie MatthewsSherlie MatthewsSherlie Matthews is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as a backing vocalist for Pop, R&B and Rock groups from the mid 1960s to the present time.-Early life:...
– Background Vocals - Bill Mays – Keyboards
- Don MenzaDon MenzaDon Menza is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, session musician, and jazz educator noted for his many contributions to American jazz and big band music. -Early years:...
– Flute, Saxophone, Wind, Horn Arrangements - Jay Migliori – Saxophone
- Art MunsonArt MunsonArt Munson is an American recording artist, musician. He has also been involved as a songwriter and record producer. Munson began his musical career playing with Dick Dale and the Del-Tones and later began touring with the Righteous Brothers and Paul Williams....
– Guitar - Bill Naegels – Design
- Ray Neapolitan – Electric & Upright Bass
- Al PerkinsAl PerkinsAl Perkins is a Texas-born American guitarist. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player", and even began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2001 - designed and autographed by Perkins....
– Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar - Ray Pohlman – Bass, Guitar
- Emil Radocchia – Percussion
- Don RandiDon RandiDon Randi is an American keyboard player, bandleader and songwriter. He has performed on innumerable recordings, including many as a session musician and member of "The Wrecking Crew", as well as releasing his own jazz records...
– Keyboards - Jack Redman – Trombone
- Jack Redmond – Trombone
- Bob Robitaille – Synthesizer, Assistant Engineer, Synthesizer Programming
- Devra Robitaille – Synthesizer, Producer
- Stan Ross – Assistant Engineer
- Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
– Guitar, Composer, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Rhythm Arrangements - Nino Tempo – Arranger
- Bill Thedford – Background Vocals
- Julia Tillman Waters – Background Vocals
- Oren Waters – Background Vocals
- Lorna Willard – Background Vocals
- Robert Zimmitti – Percussion
Cover recordings and live performances
Death of a Ladies' Man has inspired fewer cover versions than any preceding Cohen album, but both "True Love Leaves No Traces" and "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on" were covered on the Cohen tribute albumTribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. The album features Cohen's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock acts of the time...
. The songs were performed by Dead Famous People
Dead Famous People
Dead Famous People were a New Zealand indie pop band formed in Auckland, active from the latter half of the 1980s.-History:The band formed in 1986 and comprised Donna Savage , Elizabeth Leyland , Wendy Kjestrup , Jenny Renals and Robyn Tearle...
and the duo David McComb
David McComb
David Richard McComb was an Australian rock musician. He was the singer-songwriter of the Australian band, The Triffids.-Early years in Perth:...
& Adam Peters, respectively.
Of the album's eight selections, "Memories" is the only track Cohen regularly performed in concert (on tours in 1979, 1980 and 1985). Cohen apparently liked the song enough that he included it in his 1983 experimental art film, I Am a Hotel, as the sole non-acoustic piece alongside four other songs which have generally enjoyed more positive fan response, "Suzanne," "Chelsea Hotel #2," "The Guests," and "The Gypsy's Wife." A "de-Spectorized" version of "Memories" ended up being released when Cohen's album, Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 is a live album by Leonard Cohen released in 2001. Songs were recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 4, 5, and December 6, 1979 and at the Dome Theatre, Brighton, on December 15, 1979...
was issued in 2001. This version eliminated much of the harmonizing and included a saxophone solo. "Memories" has also been covered at least five times by other artists, including John Darnielle
John Darnielle
John Darnielle is an American musician, best known as the primary member of the American band The Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, and vocalist.-Places Darnielle has lived:...
of The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
. "Iodine" earned three known performances in the European tour of 1979.
Early versions of "Iodine" (then called "Guerrero") and "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on" were performed in concert as early as 1975, then with music by John Lissauer.
The Last Shadow Puppets performed a version of "Memories" on their Autumn 2008 tour.
Swedish singer Svante Karlsson mentioned the album title in the song "I Nöd & Lust" (from Tro Inte Att Du Känner Mig 2010) in which the female character listens to it in her head phones during a train ride.
External links
- Album lyrics, from The Leonard Cohen Files