Sunday, December 21, 2008

What's it to yah?

I'm trying to compile a list of people who haven't recorded a version of Lugubrious Lenny Cohen's 'Hallelujah', but it's tough. So far I've come up with:

preposterously diminished dart-chucker Andy Fordham;

the late Kathy Staff off of Last of the Summer Wine (who did record a ska-tinged version of Cohen's 'Paper Thin Hotel' in 1979);



that brilliant bloke who threw his shoes at Dubya;

the Ood, or at least one of them;

and former union boss and transcendent erotic icon Rodney "Would lady comrades please keep their knickers on until composite 11 has been debated" Bickerstaffe.

I'm pretty sure that's it. Unless you can think of any more...

PS: Sensible overview of the my-version's-better-than-yours thing from Daniel Finkelstein in The Times.

9 comments:

Garth said...

Isn't it strange - all this fuss over what is definitely not one of his best songs?
Hopefully it will boost his depleted pension fund ;]

Unknown said...

I can only think of Jess, Postman Pat's black and white cat.

garfer said...

Yes, but Rodney was famous for his impromptu skiffle sessions at TUC national conferences.

Female trade unionist Clare Short lookalikes were known to throw their knickers at him, the lucky beggar.

Tim F said...

But PI, if the X Factor woman had sung one of his better songs, it would have sounded exactly the same.

Bureauista: But Jess sang backing vocals on the charity version that Ian Lavender and Aung San Suu Kyi did in 1998. Along with James Naughtie, Myra Hindley and the Belgian women's lacrosse team.

They were aiming at Ron Todd, Garfer.

West said...

You can add me to the list Tim -I've never covered it. Bit trcky on the Ukulele. Especially with the handcuffs on. And the lard. I see from the photo library mix up above that Stray Photon hasn't done a version either (he's always getting mistaken for Rodney Bickerstaffe. Either him or Lisa Tarbuck.)

I was tidying up the library on my hard disc recorder over the weekend. As well as an excellent BBC 4 session featuring Randy Newman and the LSO, I came across some footage of Laughing Lenny in the protest song episode of 'All you need is love'. He was being interviewed about his measurement of success (selling lots of copies, for some reason, is the yardstick he's chosen) and then they played one of his dirges over long panning shots of the Berlin Wall.

Funny isn't it? I never realised this before, but he really *is* Jewish! (Leonard Cohen, that is - no idea about Randy Newman)

xxx
Bob

groat sheckelivisation: musne

We've all had it...

Tim F said...

Startlingly, RN isn't technically of the tribe: think he explained this on Desert island Discs. He's the second most Jewish-looking goy in the world, after my friend Essi.

Fat Roland said...

I'm pretty sure Kathy Staff broke into my house once and whispered a husky, rather sensual version of Hallelujah into my ear as I slept.

Tim F said...

Crikey, Roland. Did she proceed to choke you with her stockings and shove her rollers somewhere unmentionable?

I am not Kek-w said...

I'm pretty sure I've got a version of it by The Ood somewhere. I think they put it out on Ralph Records.