Leonard Cohen / Aurora : Famous Blue Raincoat : Reaction

Cohen Week : Day 5
Running out of superlatives to describe the masterful song writing, the poetry and the images conjured up. Also we have an added bonus from another master songstress that is worth seeing
#leonardcohen #cohen #aurora #leonardcohenReaction #aurorareaction #FamousBlueRaincoat #Reaction #ReactionVideos #Thamesmen
Hope you guys enjoyed the video!
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[@johndennison3140]

Seriously there is no other artist who could sing this and give it the kind of justice that this song deserves.Aurora is simply a genius

[@lbd-po7cl]

So pleased you did Aurora’s cover of this song. As one would expect, she has her own unique take on it. Her fellow Nordic compatriot, the Faroese singer Eivor, also does a cover of Famous Blue Raincoat that is worth checking out. An exquisite song perfectly structured by Cohen.

[@TheThamesmen]

Will check that - Many thanks

[@Khukhri682]

I am thoroughly enjoying your Cohen week and was secretly praying that you might do Aurora’s cover of this at a later date. To see your reaction today made my little heart skip with joy😄 thank you for that. Great reactions as always, keep up the good work👍

[@BrianR.]

Thanks for watching, we enjoyed putting this week together.

[@ronaldmcrae4896]

Funny how different people's tastes are. I always thought that song was mediocre at best until I heard Aurora sing it.

[@davidplanet3919]

@@ronaldmcrae4896 The story of the “Letter” is greater than the original Cohen song. Aurora just makes it a better song with her beautiful voice.

[@TheThamesmen]

Many thanks and thanks to Brian for the curation - What's your list going to be?

[@TheThamesmen]

Hi Ron - I thought she put her soul into it, she doesn't have the pain, depression or voice to lean into.

[@markstuartwakeley]

Nice to see you back with AURORA chaps stay safe.

[@TheThamesmen]

Be well

[@papa2bdj]

I am a 75-year-old fan of Aurora's who loves pretty much everything she has done, and amazed at her treatment of covers created by other artists. I heard one particular interview, which was fairly long, and she so impressed me with her maturity, intelligence, wisdom, and her ability to make it clear how we humans should treat life, and each other. Anyhow, my point concerning this performance is that I was hearing a more mature version of Aurora, who sounded a bit different, but in a good way. I wonder what Leonard's reaction would have been were he to have been able to hear her sing his song?

[@lillm6874]

Nice reaction 👍 This is my favourite Cohen song, and Aurora really did a great job😍 She sings like it’s her own words, beautiful performance. She’s a huge fan of Cohen💕

[@TheThamesmen]

We all are :)

[@lillm6874]

@@TheThamesmen True😊

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

Utterly beautiful, gents……a beautiful song….I adored Aurora’s interpretation….exquisite.

[@TheThamesmen]

My fav of his.

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

@@TheThamesmen I think mine too…of his songs I’ve heard….which is not a whole lot. Beautiful lyricist.

[@elisifuentes6551]

I grew up listening to Cohen from being about 10 and he became a prominent soundtrack of my life. He came out of the radio back in the late 60’s. And Famous Blue Raincoat has always been one of my favourite songs among so many. So grateful i got to see him perform live several times. He gave me the love of good lyrics. Poetry that never seize to give.

[@lencooke944]

This is a great day! I never got to listen to yesterday's Cohen song until just now, and now I see today's Cohen song has just come into my KZbin Feed. So I can go straight from here to that one. Perfect. It seems I have heard more Cohen than I remembered, I have heard this song before. Only once or twice though. I have to say that it sounds fantastic, and now that I know the context and story behind the song just takes it to a completely new level. Cohen's lyrics, voice and even his pared back guitar sound create an atmospheric aura around the song. It is simply beautiful. As for Aurora ... I have been introduced to a completely new artist to me. She has stunning story-telling abilities, from a wiggle of her fingers to a gentle caress of her hair, she commands your complete attention. Aurora looks so in control of her performance it is mesmerizing. I will have to track more of her music down.

[@TheThamesmen]

Len. Your mind is open to new music. That’s rare. Look after that.

[@jamesstubbs2228]

Thank you The Thamesmen and Brian. This week has been staggeringly beautiful. As a huge fan of both Leonard Cohen and Aurora todays offering was quite special. Another Cohen week would be a real gift to us all. I have my thoughts on what the final track might be, but will keep that to myself for now.

[@TheThamesmen]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks Brian!!

[@TheVirtualWatcher]

My research says:- - Aurora is apparently a big fan, and knows many of his songs. So I called her manager, and a quarter of an hour later I got a "yes", says project manager Christer Falck. Leonard Cohen died in November, aged 82. In an interview with NPR Music, Aurora said the following about the legend. - His voice entered my life very early. I think I was in my mum's womb the first time I heard his music. Just listening to his voice calms me and it reminds me of my mother, said the 20-year-old, who will sing "Famous Blue Raincoat."

[@SotonCueMan]

There was an entire CD in the early 90s called 'I'm Your Fan' [a play on 'I'm Your Man' from 1988] that were other artists covering his songs. Artists including U2 and REM. Awesome album - REM's version of First We Take Manhattan was amazing!. Leonard Cohen is/was inspirational......

[@TheThamesmen]

I'd like to hear that

[@SotonCueMan]

@@TheThamesmen kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWqzo3qHdqprg9E

[@SotonCueMan]

@@TheThamesmen kzbin.info/aero/PLzzb08bmX0c7EYEVyt9FZ8zkir0_osQOH

[@SotonCueMan]

@@TheThamesmen Better playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLRaNBebyU6kwCyL17SPRXxoIoaO4oP-ST

[@mals4125]

What a tremendous week boys. I've loved Cohen from the first time I heard him many years ago, but your respect and explanation of his songs made me fall in love with them all over again. A life well lived indeed ....... A wonderfully curated week - looking forward to the 'Godfathers' next week ??? and obviously OZ week 42 or what ever we're up to.

[@TheThamesmen]

HA HA :) Week 868 Ozzie

[@thehonestcritic6577]

Aurora's father was a Cohen fan and so she heard lots of his stuff growing up . She grew up in a home without a TV and so she was not influenced so much by the media etc and i think this is why she is a little different in a good way.

[@Rackelhane]

Jennifer Warnes album "Famous blue raincoat" is an album with amazing covers of Cohen songs. It's brilliant.

[@TheThamesmen]

need to check thanks

[@sicmuvva11]

Songs of Love and Hate was my first Leonard Cohen and I loved it I was about 14/15 at the time.

[@TheThamesmen]

I can imagine how that can hit you at that age

[@mikeschenk4730]

What great lyrics to that song! The part about the "trouble in her eyes" that he never tried to help with, but the guy she cheated with. That is the kind of thing that would haunt a person after it was over. I think with Cohen he needed a "less is more" arrangement because his voice would not have supported a loud backing track. The Aurora version was absolutely haunting!

[@TheThamesmen]

Exactly. This week was magic for us

[@kippys1]

AURORA just sang with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra (this past Saturday) at Royal Albert Hall, to introduce the upcoming BBC series Frozen Planet II, which features music by Hans Zimmer and Aurora's vocals, and is narrated by David Attenborough -- performance is posted on KZbin! Please react to this!

[@TheThamesmen]

Oh so cool!!!! She looks like ice.

[@leonardoglesby1730]

If you had to listen to a cover of "Famous Blue Raincoat" my recommendation would be the Jennifer Warnes 1987 rendition from her album of the same name, and is made up entirely of Leonard Cohen covers. She is one of the best interpreters of Cohen's work as she worked with him on several of his albums from 1971 through to 2012.

[@TheThamesmen]

Cool - will check this - Thanks

[@Rackelhane]

Agree 100%

[@Beerded69]

100% agree!

[@PhilTheProf]

I agree wholeheartedly. Lenny and Jenny...the ultimate combination. Listen to that album several times a week, still!

[@RunarNyrud]

This is from the tribute concert in Oslo Spektrum, 25 april 2017 (Cohen died 07 november 2016). There was a lot of artist making their tribute. It is not her band. It was "The Salmon Smokers" that was doing the concert, with guest vocalists like Aurora. 23 songs was preformed... The band rehearsed all the songs long time before, and had 30-45 minutes with every artist rehearsing so the artist could "make" the artists version of it... Not possible to go VERY far from the original then.... Why do I know this? Because the drummer Eivind and I come from the same town, and I sent him a message about it because I was curies about how they did it :-) "Aurora gives EVERYTHING both in the rehearsal and at the concert" he also said... When Cohen died, Aurora was in the USA. When she heard about it she change her concert in Chicago to include "So Long Marianne", and I think her face say it all in that performance. It was done 11 november, only 4 days after his death. (Link below). Marianne actually was Norwegian, so you have a Norwegian lady singing Cohen's song about a Norwegian lady :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2WmmKyMgq-ce80

[@TheThamesmen]

Wow great contribution. Thank you

[@jimmcintyre7754]

Thanks for introducing me to this great song. I liked each version equally. I can see why Puddles the sad Clown covers Chandelier. You should do a reaction on him singing with Post Modern Juke box doing Chandelier.

[@slavaukraini404]

The genius of AURORA and Cohen of course. Any songwriter would be honored to have AURORA do their song. This is actually very difficult to sing convincingly, unless you are AURORA.

[@sagebooker]

Oh thanks again ! Maybe a second Leonard week some day ? There are so many other beautiful songs to discover ;-)

[@TheThamesmen]

Possibly!

[@davidplanet3919]

Aurora used to listen to Leonard Cohen and read his poetry when she was younger. You can find some of his influences in her own penmanship. Her version is so respectful and beautiful in its own way. I think that the “L Cohen” who signs the letter at the end isn’t actually Leonard Cohen. But thank you guys.

[@TheThamesmen]

Really? Who else would sign the letter - what are your thoughts

[@davidplanet3919]

@@TheThamesmen in an interview with BBC radio 1 Cohen said he wasn’t sure whether he was one of the people in the triangle or if it was someone else.

[@TheThamesmen]

@@davidplanet3919 OMG.... That cleared things up :)

[@greaper1976]

I sat through this whole reaction and I still don't know who shot JR. False advertising! I always loved Cohen but never got into the stories behind the music. This week was a blast! Thank you so much!

[@TheThamesmen]

Be well and thanks for being here

[@margretoddny]

I love both Aurora and Cohen. Always when I listen to Aurora’s “It happened quiet” at Current I think of Cohen. His influence on her is very clear in that performans. Even though part of Auroa’s performance is angelic other parts are closer to almost being spoken (then Silja take over beeing the angelic one).And of course Aurora text are always storytelling like Cohen - deep thoughts.

[@TheThamesmen]

Beautiful performances both

[@kenhewitt7357]

FBR what a song that is

[@nerve60]

Awesome!

[@davidedghill6682]

A few suggestions for “Cohen Week 2”: Everybody Knows Democracy A Thousand Kisses Deep The Last Waltz Tower of Song Alexandra Leaving etc., etc., etc., as the playlist is as deep as his lyrics…

[@TheThamesmen]

All great suggestions!

[@marilucearaujo-cox5438]

Fantastic!!!

[@TheThamesmen]

Was amazing for sure

[@vincentroberts8292]

great artist. like the famous blue coat my Songs of Love and Hate album was stolen in the 1970's! Hope they enjoyed it too.

[@TheThamesmen]

No..... Go buy a new one with a raincoat at the same time

[@Honorsprenn]

I would love to see you do this with her cover of scarborough fair as well as Simon and Garfunkels original

[@TheThamesmen]

Ohh

[@panchiolarranaga1616]

Absolutely beautiful no comparisons mates no need for that great reaction River Brits!

[@TheThamesmen]

River Brit’s :)

[@panchiolarranaga1616]

River Thames the kinda rivah And the Thames Men the kind of......gresat reax guys!

[@atomicnoogie]

Just came about your Aurora vids, you guys should try more of her original songs. Her covers are great but her original songs will show you who Aurora really is. Covers will always be covers, even if the artist doing the cover make it their own, 99% of the time the original version will always be a step above. You guys have scratched but the surface of Aurora's massive discography, so take the plunge and give it a chance. I am mostly a metal and hard rock listener, grew up with Sabbath and Led Zep, but Aurora is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, who would have thought that someone like me would listen to indie electro synth folk pop?

[@TheThamesmen]

Good point. Time we did more. Originals would be great for sure

[@sylvieyfilion7400]

The guitar you are talking about belonged to Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and BTO. Yes another Canadian.

[@TheThamesmen]

Ahhhhh yes. Thanks.

[@alwaysfourfun1671]

Aurora is a woman "with a golden voice", but after listening to Leonard for over half a century, ..... well any way.

[@jimmcintyre7754]

Nice reaction and you’re funny too. I think it was raining and a stoner borrowed it and kept it. It’s probably in a thrift store in Colorado

[@TheThamesmen]

Could be

[@TomTomson81]

Some more information for you about the song. You probably know the song "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZbdg4WqbJ14j7M This song became a world hit and caused a legal dispute, because the melody in the chorus was stolen from "Famous Blue Raincoat". Cohen won this lawsuit. Cohen was Aurora's great role model and she was very sad that day. His songs were always played in her parents' house.

[@TheThamesmen]

No way - He lost that? Wow

[@TomTomson81]

@@TheThamesmen I wrote that Cohen won.

[@TheThamesmen]

@@TomTomson81 That's what I mean........ Leo lost that? I can't hear too much. What do you think?

[@TomTomson81]

@@TheThamesmen Yes, if Leo steals from Cohen, then he should also lose in court.

[@Einyen]

Aurora also covered "So Long Marianne" which you already did. When Cohen died on Nov 7th 2016 Aurora was on a US tour, and then on Nov 11th Aurora sang this at her concert in Chicago in memory of him: youtu . be / i4CgyVMJiEk Unfortunately it is not a professional recording but from one in the audience, but it is very good quality considering. She also covered Cohen's "The Partisan" live in Montreal, Canada in 2017. Unfortunately there is no video only live audio, and someone made a lyric video with the audio: youtu . be / HJ7FOHC2ZAc

[@TheThamesmen]

I watched that. It was beautiful. Thanks 🙏

[@stevenwetherbee7573]

I demand a second Cohen week

[@TheThamesmen]

HA HA.... We knew the number would be low, but that's OK as its such an interesting subject. In time maybe, I flipping adored this week

[@sean---the-other-one]

Impressive writing. I liked both versions, I probably liked Aurora’s delivery and vocal tone better, but her hand movements I found distracting. That’s just me, I suppose. Thanks to Brian and The Thamesmen again!

[@BrianR.]

Thanks for watching and for your great comments, cheers Sean !

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@BrianR. No worries. I’ve enjoyed the journey. It seems there’s a lot of others in the same boat, from the comments. Nicely done!

[@BrianR.]

@@sean---the-other-one Thanks for your support Sean, who knows, maybe there will be a Cohen week 2 somewhere down the road, but for now it's time to leave the opportunity to others.

[@erlsuni2337]

I knew Aurora would show up this week. I don't care for her, her hand and eye schtick. but then that's just me and I'm a bad guy.

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@erlsuni2337 It’s my first time seeing her, and I got flashbacks of Mariah Carey

[@melissakhalar1842]

❤️

[@nana65dowd]

You have so much more to do. I have followed him for about 50 years. Has anyone told you the story of the famous Blue Raincoat. It is about his brother who had an affair with his wife. Please do the Future album.

[@TheThamesmen]

Thanks for the support

[@urologydoctor]

How do you know this - I have been doing a deep dive and have never seen or read that

[@Paul_C]

Not to dish Aurora, it isn't my favourite, it's me, not her. Some singers grab you instantly, others don't. She did ok, just not my favourite of the myriad of covers out there. And yes, I actually can see why she wanted to sing it. Can't tell you why some artists grab you by the throat immediately while others don't. It is the same with painters, writers or any of the artistic inclined, it is the way they make Me feel, not them.

[@BrianR.]

Music is subjective, not everybody will love everything the same way and there's nothing wrong with that. Thanks for your comment !

[@TheThamesmen]

Well said.

[@arrow5599]

i love auera , sounds like first aid kit a wee bit

[@jonsher7682]

If it's any consolation, Cohen was never clear about this song, saying that it was unfinished but too beautiful a melody not to include to feed the demand for records, and that story was not about something specific but rather a kaleidoscope (my word, not his) of relationships and love triangles that he has been part of at various times in his life. When he sees confusion, critics see brilliance, but such is the dissonance between poets and literary (or music) critics.

[@erlsuni2337]

I don't know if Cohen was depressed or not but he was clearly6 not a happy fellow. May I suggest 3 French poets, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaid, Paul Verlaine. Cohen week was good and needed now it's time to move onto something else, Hallelujah.

[@TheThamesmen]

he suffered from depression and went into a monastery

[@danicampbell402]

The sign of a great songwriter is that so many musicians can interpret to make it their own. Like Dylan, Cohen does not necessarily have the greatest voice, but amazing poetry and music.

[@TheThamesmen]

Very true words

[@shellykp33]

Aurora is lovely but I still prefer Tori Amos' cover of this song.

[@arrow5599]

sorry fd up spelling

[@opiedopie]

i honestly prefer her version

[@TheThamesmen]

Neither is bad!

[@prestonpresley6885]

There will never be the likes of Cohen again. Cohen may not have the answer for every situation you have been, in but with his lyrics you feel like you have a friend that understands.