These days it would seem anyone who has been in the music industry for more than five minutes has a lost or hidden gem somewhere up their sleeve that they are ready to cash in and show the world when the time is right. Whether it be tracks they were too spaced out to remember recording in the first place or in this instance a film which has been lost for the better part of forty years.
Its Leonard Cohen’s turn to take a backward glance at his own career next month as ‘Bird On The Wire’ a biopic of Cohen’s 1972 European tour gets an airing at the Green Man festival in Wales. Directed by Tony Palmer who worked with many musical forces of the 1960’s (Cream, Hendrix, Zappa and The Beatles). The original reels were unearthed and painstakingly pieced together to make this film and it will be shown at a converted ‘Far Out’ tent at the festival which will be turned into a 2000 capacity cinema.
The film will be followed by a Q & A session with the director and editor Tony Palmer, and Steven Machat whose produced the film with his late father Marty.
Next up I’m going to do something rare and actually rave about something. Namely the opening gambit from Rumer which will be out on August 23rd. Its called ‘Slow’ and trust me you cannot go wrong with this one. A nicely shot intimate video set in the recording studio is the visual framework for the track but the real sparkle in this release is the voice. I guarantee the warmth in her delivery will impress (c’mon you know what I’m usually like so there must be something of merit in this). Its a cliche to compare her performance to Karen Carpenter and others of that summery soul ilk but it is unavoidable, she just nails the song effortlessly with no need for showboating. Classy.
Best go for a lie down…
