popularity and impact of, xvii–xviii, xxi–xxii, xxvi–xxvii, xxx, 97–98, 114, 123, 137, 144–45, 149, 154–55, 157–59, 162–63, 165, 175, 177, 199, 214–15, 220, 223–31
as representation of sadness for new generation, 114
royalties from, 35, 96, 119
sexuality/sensuality in, xxiii, xxiv, 22–23, 26, 38, 39, 40, 46, 47, 66, 68, 128, 131, 149, 158, 175, 181, 206
as song of joy and celebration, 24–25, 187
as song of survival and triumph, 215
as spiritual/religious song, xvii, xix, xxiii, xxiv, 18–25, 46, 68, 71–72, 110, 111, 126, 128–29, 131, 133–34, 150, 158, 161, 175, 178–88, 206, 217–18, 222, 223, 226, 231
as “standard,” xxvii–xxix
structure of, 129, 223
transformation of, 93–94, 226
uniqueness of, 217–31
See also specific artist(s) or topic
Hammond, John, 1, 7, 12
Hansard, Glen, 53–55, 67, 76, 90, 223–24
Heap, Imogen, 120–21
Hilburn, Robert, 84–85
Holden, Stephen, 51–52, 70
Holm, Askil, 155, 156
Holy Trinity Church (Channel Islands), 184
House (TV show), xxi, 116, 215
“Hum Hallelujah” (Fall Out Boy band), 72, 153, 154
Idol (TV show), 157, 163, 188
See also American Idol
Il Divo, 27, 163–64
I’m Your Fan (various artists album), 42, 44, 49, 57, 59, 80
I’m Your Man (documentary), 135, 143
“Imagine” (Lennon song), xxii, xxviii, 107, 133–34
“Isis,” Dylan dedication to Cohen of, 2
Isle of Wight Festival (1970), Cohen at, 8–9, 174
iTunes, 159, 196, 199
Jackson, Michael, 31, 33
Jackson, Randy, 158
Jaffe, Ryan, 229, 230
Jay-Z, 167, 196
Jerusalem: City of David water tunnels in, “Hallelujah” sung at, 185
Jewish Heritage Festival (2005), Spektor at, 125–26
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, PEN awards and, xiii–xvi
Johnson, Matt, 62, 230
Jones, Norah, 71, 75, 227
Kagan, Ruth Gan, xxiv, 181–83
Kahne, David, 204, 205
Kennedy, Myles, 73–74
Kol Nidre service, “Hallelujah” and, xxxi, 182
The L Word (TV show), 116
lang, k. d., xx, 127–30, 151, 178, 200–201, 202, 203, 215, 217, 230
Layton, Jack, funeral of, 213–14
Lennon, John:
“Imagine” of, xxii, xxviii, 107, 133–34
Spector and, 13
Lewitinn, Sarah, 108–9
Lind, Expen, 154–55, 156
Lissauer, John:
as band leader, 12
Cohen synthesizers and, 16, 41
Cohen tours and, 12
Cohen’s abandoned album with, 14
Cohen’s collaboration with, 12–13, 16–19
Cohen’s disappearance and, 12–13
Cohen’s relationship with, 15, 35
modifications of “Hallelujah” and, 37
royalties for, 35
Spector-Cohen project and, 13
Various Positions and, 16–19, 28–29, 31, 32, 34–35
views about “Hallelujah” of, 17–18, 26, 28–29, 31, 35
Lucas, Gary, 53, 56, 62
Lynch, Kelley, 85, 138–42
Machat, Marty, 13, 34–35, 139
Madonna, 33
Martin, Mary, 6, 7
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (film), 11
McCartney, Paul, 70
McCormack, Shawn, 192–94
McDonald, Michael, 145, 146–48, 225
McLachlan, Sarah, 179, 200
Miami Vice (TV show), Cohen as actor in, 40–41
Miller, David, 27–28, 164, 224–25
Mitchell, Joni, 7, 11, 32, 127
Mojo magazine, 4, 83, 136
Moon, Tom, 8, 61
Morrison, Van, 55, 56, 146
Mt. Baldy Zen Center, Cohen at, 78–79, 84–85, 138, 142, 184
MTV, 33, 75, 81, 106–7, 158–59, 196–97, 199, 212
Mystery White Boy (film), 92, 229
Natural Born Killers (film), 79–80
Nava Tehila synagogue (Jerusalem), xxiv, 181–83
Nelson, Willie, xvii, 145–46, 227, 230
New York magazine:
backlash against “Hallelujah” and, xxi
comments about Timberlake in, 199
New York Times:
Buckley review by, 70
Cohen interview with, 138, 144
Pareles comments about Fleming in, 205
New Yorker magazine, Wieseltier comments about Cohen and “Hallelujah” in, 9, 25
Nichols, Janine, 57, 68
Night Music (NBC TV), 41, 50
Nilsen, Kurt, 155, 156
Nirvana, 62, 80
North Star Camp for Boys (Hayward, Wisconsin), 177–78
O2 Arena (London, 2008), Cohen at, 168
The O.C. (TV show), xxi, 115–16, 120–21, 215
O’Connor, Sinéad, 55
O’Hara, Mary Margaret, 135–36
Olympics (Vancouver, 2010), xviii, xx, 199–201, 202, 215
One Tree Hill (TV show), 121–22, 123, 215
Palmer, Amanda, xxv, 47, 74, 171, 185–86
Paramore (band), 151–52
Paris, France, Dylan-Cohen meeting in, 2–3
Patsavas, Alexandra, 116, 120, 121
PEN awards, xiii-xvi
Pixies (band), 42, 43
Proclaimers (band), 99
Pump Up the Volume (film), 42, 75
Q magazine, xvii, 42–43, 91, 136, 145
Quadsonic Sound studios (New York City), 16
Rage Against the Machine (band), 62, 107, 162
Reed, Lou, xxvi, 48–49, 50, 51, 166
religious ceremonies:
“Hallelujah” performances at, 178–88
See also funerals; weddings; Yom Kippur
R.E.M. (band), 42, 43, 62, 219
Renaldo and Clara (film), 2
Reznor, Trent, 79–80, 92
Richards, Keith, xiv–xv
River Street (film), 95
Robinson, Smokey, xiv
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cohen induction into, xxvi, 81, 165, 166
Rogers, Ray, 52–53
Rolling Stone magazine:
Cohen interview in, 77–78
Cohen’s comments about his favorite “Hallelujah” covers and, 150–51
Death of a Ladies’ Man review in, 14
Greatest Songs of All Time list of, xvii, 136
and Green singing of “Imagine,” 133
list of Cohen favorites in, 216
reviews of Buckley’s Grace in, 70
Various Positions review in, 34
Rosenbaum, Steven, 107, 113
Roshi, Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, 78–79
Rushdie, Salman, xiv, xv–xvi, xvii, 25
Salon.com, xxi, 219–20
Saturday Night Live (TV show), 50, 98, 208, 221
Schafer, Ben, 59–60
Scott, R.M.A. “Sandy,” 21–22, 179–80
Scrubs (TV show), 115, 188
September 11, 2001, xviii, 106–11, 112, 215, 218
Sessions at West 54th (TV show), 95
Shimabukuro, Jake, 26–27, 66, 202–3, 227–28
Shrek (film), 98–102, 104, 105–6, 113, 144, 152, 186
Siam Sunset (film), 95
Simmons, Sylvie, 4, 5
Simon, John, 7
Simon, Paul, xiv, xxii, xxix, 11, 32
Simone, Nina, 56, 59, 69, 75
singing competitions, TV, 132, 157–63, 164, 210–11, 214
Slater, Christian, 41–42
Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 115, 119, 176
Soul Speak (various artists album), 146, 147
soundtracks, TV a
nd film
of “Hallelujah”, xxi, 93–95, 115–18, 119, 120–21, 165, 175
See also specific film
Spector, Phil, 13–14, 15, 141
Spektor, Regina, xxiv, xxx, 125–27, 223
Spin magazine, 141
Spin.com, 170, 171
Springsteen, Bruce, xxviii, 7, 31–32, 33, 173, 196, 219
St. Ann’s Church (Brooklyn Heights):
art series at, 56–57
Buckley (Jeff) film at, 92
Buckley (Tim) commemoration concert at, 50–53, 70
St. Francis of Assisi, basilica of, Bolton “Hallelujah” at, 209
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), 21–22, 179–80
“standards”, songs as, xxvii–xxviii
Sting, 80, 219
Stump, Patrick, 72, 152–54, 225–26
synthesizers, Cohen’s use of, 16, 28, 29, 34, 41, 112
Talerico, Hallelujah, 193–95
Talerico, James, 188–96
Taylor, James, 11, 32
Taylor, Tim, 87–88
Tel Aviv, Israel, Cohen performance in, 182
television:
Cohen’s early performances on, 41, 50
“Hallelujah” as historic song and, 218, 219
singing competitions on, 132, 157–63, 164, 210–11, 214
See also soundtracks, TV and film; specific show
Thomas, Anjani, 16–17, 130, 143
Tibetan Freedom concert (New York City, 1997), 90
Tighe, Michael, 62, 63
Timberlake, Justin, xvii, xxiv, 197–99, 201, 203, 223
tours, Cohen’s
in 1970s and 1980s, 8, 12, 15, 37, 41, 174
in 1990s, 78
of 2008–2010, xxvi, 37, 165, 166–74, 175, 176, 229
of 2012, xxvi, 229
Tower of Song (various artists), 80–81, 82, 84
tribute albums/concerts, xvi, 10, 42–49, 79–81, 82, 84, 135–36, 146–47. See also specific album or concert
Tyrangiel, Josh, 117
U2, xvii, 55, 83, 90, 135, 213–14
See also Bono
UCLA, Cohen tribute concert at, 146–47
Ungar, Leanne, 18, 29, 32, 37, 217
Urban, Tim, 210, 211
van Emden, Mirjam, 186–87
Various Positions (Cohen-Lissauer album):
Buckley and, 75
Cale’s unfamiliarity with, 44
Cohen-Thomas relationship and, 143
Cohen’s reputation and, 41
Columbia Records rejection of, xx, 31–35
“Hallelujah” for, xvi, xx, 17–19, 24–25, 28–35, 36–37, 40, 45, 78, 82, 146, 161
recording of, 16–19, 24–25, 28–31
release of, xx, 31–35
reviews of, 34–35
Velvet Underground, 49, 51, 94
See also Cale, John
Verlaine, Tom, 85–86, 87
VH1, xviii, 107, 108, 109, 110–11, 113
Voegele, Kate, 121–23, 131–32
The Voice (TV show), 210
Wainwright, Rufus:
Cohen favorites of, 216
Cohen’s Live in London “Hallelujah” and, 168
Cohen’s relationship with, 216
“Hallelujah” of, xviii, 90, 102–3, 104–5, 116, 135
and “Hallelujah” as a standard, xxix–xxx
Out of the Game album of, 103
versatility of “Hallelujah” and, 132–33, 223
Want Two album of, 104
Waits, Tom, 100, 189
Wallace, Andy, 61–63, 64, 87
Warhol, Andy, 5, 51, 60, 94
Warnes, Jennifer, 16, 41, 42–43, 216
Watchmen (film), 175
weddings, “Hallelujah” performances at, xxv, 178, 180–82, 185–87
Wentz, Pete, 152–53
The West Wing (TV show), xxi, 115, 117, 188
Wieseltier, Leon, 9, 25
Williams, Hayley, 151, 152
Willner, Hal, 10, 50–51, 52, 56, 57–58, 135–36, 221, 235
Winfrey, Oprah, 199
Without a Trace (TV show), 117
X Factor (TV show), xxiv, 159, 161, 162, 163, 164, 210, 214, 226
Yetnikoff, Walter, 31–32, 41
Yom Kippur, “Hallelujah” and, xxiv, xxx–xxxi, 183, 215
Young, Neil, xxviii, 11, 127
YouTube, xviii, 105–6, 121, 123, 125, 155, 199, 221, 227
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Copyright © 2012 by Alan Light
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ATRIA BOOKS First Atria Books hardcover edition December 2012 and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“Hallelujah” lyrics excerpted from Stranger Music by Leonard Cohen. Copyright © 1993 Leonard Cohen.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Light, Alan.
The holy or the broken : Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the unlikely ascent of “Hallelujah” / by Alan Light.—1st Atria Books hardcover ed.
p. cm.
1. Cohen, Leonard, 1934–Halleluja. 2. Buckley, Jeff, 1966–1997. I. Title. ML410.C734L55 2012
782.42164—dc23
2012036744
ISBN 978-1-4516-5784-5
ISBN 978-1-4516-5786-9 (ebook)