The Laptop Sessions Cover Songs & Original Music Video Blog » Leonard Cohen Songs

“Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley cover) – The Guest Sessions [Ep 4, Fall 2011]

Chris Moore — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:00:39 +0000

By Maurice Davis:

Maurice Davis singing Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah,” a song originally composed by Leonard Cohen.

[Editors Note: Recorded with a professional studio, Maurice's sound quality on this acoustic cover song music video is top notch. His voice and finger-picking skills clearly make this song a perfect fit for him, and we hope you enjoy these six minutes of peaceful, if somber, music.]

“No Way to Say Goodbye” [Leonard Cohen Acoustic Rock Cover Song] – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:00:44 +0000

Originally posted 2008-11-30 23:36:23.

By Chris Moore:

Hello and welcome to the final Laptop Session of November! Today, I bring you an all-new cover (that’s right, ALL new) from a new songwriter to the blog, Leonard Cohen. In fact, I had so much fun learning this song today that I’ll be posting another Cohen song — perhaps his most well-known song — “Suzanne.”

You may be wondering, why bring in a Leonard Cohen song now, after all this time? Well, there are a couple of answers to that question.

First, I have recently been listening to The Essential Leonard Cohen, after my friend from work, Larry, suggested that Cohen and Bob Dylan are on the same level as songwriters. Now, for those of you who don’t know me, this was quite a compelling assertion indeed. Thus, I picked up the CD when I saw the special 3-disc edition on sale at Wal-Mart, and I’ve been listening to the first disc for the past week and a half. This song, “No Way to Say Goodbye,” is on that disc and has quickly become one of those songs that I find repeatedly stuck in my head during the day.

Then, I was reminded of Cohen yesterday when Alberto picked a cover of his “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley to play on our WCJM “Tenth Anniversary Show.” This was interesting for me, as it got me wondering if Cohen is one of those artists whose songs are more well-known when done by other performers. That’s the only song I know of, but I’ll have to do some research to find out…

Speaking of the WCJM show, we had a blast yesterday as we met to record a new installment of Moore Hits in the Morning in the… believe it or not… morning! The music was as diverse as ever, coming on the heels of Jim’s idea for each of the seven cast members to contribute two of their favorite songs. This inspired such disparate responses as Jim’s new music choices — BnL’s “Wind it Up” from ’06 and Brian Wilson’s “Live Let Live” from this year — to Dave’s classic music choices — WCJM favorites “All the Things” by the Byrds and “A Simple Game” by the Moody Blues. I chose one of each — the classic Moody Blues song “Question” and the contemporary “Living Well is the Best Revenge” by R.E.M.

Aside from the music, we had skits, skits, skits! We had an impeccably delivered segment of Matt’s standup. We had new skits by classic characters — Ronco, the Food Critic, Dr. Keck, Stuffy D. Bear, and more. We had brand-new skits, including my Scam Wow parody.

In short, it was fun!

And it was really great to see all the guys in one place one more time. We had a touch of nostalgia unlike any other on the previous shows, and for good reason — it was our tenth anniversary, for crying out loud! Seriously though, I was proud to sit there for almost three hours and share in this crazy, creative experience we call WCJM! Stay tuned to WCJM.com, as the show will be posted soon…

Well, that’s enough for me for one post. Thanks for stopping by for your daily fix of acoustic rock cover songs; I hope you enjoy my music video. I’ll be back on Original Wednesday, but until then, don’t miss Jeff’s Monday post and Jim’s Tuesday video.

See you next session!

“Suzanne” (Leonard Cohen Acoustic Cover Song) – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:31:55 +0000

By Chris Moore:

Hi all! I’m coming to you tonight on time for once, well before the midnight mark on my day to record an acoustic cover song music video. Yes, it’s just after 5:00pm. Now, you may be wondering, what act of God has caused Chris to post on time for once?

Well, the answer is quite simple.

I’m on my way out with Jim and Becky to follow up on an invitation from his cousin Sarah to have a holiday get-together. I don’t know what that exactly entails, but I DO know that we will be watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. That’s just what I need to jump-start this Christmas. It’s been kind of difficult to get into the spirit of the season for a couple reasons. Even our perfectly symmetrical (with only a little work from Jim with his hacksaw) Christmas tree hasn’t brought the Christmas spirit into my soul.

So, what better way to fix that problem than to watch one of my favorite yuletide films?

Also, I keep forgetting to grab my Christmas CDs from the shelf, so I haven’t been listening to holiday music. I can’t wait to break out the Moody Blues, Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Barenaked Ladies, and America albums. And, I didn’t mean to at first, but I pretty much listed them in order from my absolute favorites to my favorites.

Okay, I’m rushing this post because we really have to go. I’m — big surprise — the only thing making us late right now, so it’s time to end this cheesy un-proofread post with a simple final paragraph…

This is my cover song version of Leonard Cohen’s classic sixties acoustic song “Suzanne.” I’ve been listening to the 30 song PLUS “essential” Leonard Cohen songs the past two weeks, and this is certainly one of my favorites. This song and the one I recorded a couple sessions ago, “No Way to Say Goodbye,” are so different from his later sound, but there’s plenty more Laptop Sessions left… I’ll probably cover “Ain’t No Cure for Love” among others in the future.

For now, though, enjoy this early Leonard Cohen song and I’ll see you next session!