When the two folk figureheads Leonard Cohen and Judy Collins first met in 1966, it was the start of a beautiful musical friendship.
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According to Collins, who was an already established artist at the time of their meeting, she helped launch the then-aspiring songwriter’s career. “When he came to see me, he sang a few songs to me and of course, I started recording him right away,” she told CBC Music.
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“But there was something about the writing,” she added, saying their friendship sparked something within her as well. “About a year and a half after I first recorded Leonard, he said to me, ‘Why haven’t you ever written any of your own songs?’ There was something about the way he wrote that felt like he gave me permission to write.”
Many great recordings were born from their longtime friendship. Collins, a great admirer of Cohen’s songcraft, recorded many of his works before he did and championed his budding career. He, in turn, inspired her to broaden her catalog from covers to self-penned songs.
Below are 6 Leonard Cohen classics first recorded by Judy Collins.
1. “Suzanne”
The classic “Suzanne” began as a poem by Cohen. Collins would record it as a song in 1966 for her album In My Life, and Cohen would release it on his 1967 debut, Songs of Leonard Cohen. There is a brightness to Collins’ reimagining, but Cohen’s heart and soul can be heard so clearly in his recording.
2. “Priests”
Collins’ 1967 album, Wildflowers, features two Cohen-penned works, “Priests” and “Sisters of Mercy.” Cohen would never release “Priests” himself, but his recording of “Sisters of Mercy” would drop shortly after Collins’.
3. “Dress Rehearsal Rag”
Collins’ 1966 album In My Life featured another Cohen-crafted track, the deep-cut “Dress Rehearsal Rag.” Cohen released his own version in 1971 on his album Songs of Love and Hate, but admitted to not being fond of the tune.
“There are songs like ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’ that I recorded once and I will never sing,” he was once quoted as saying. “Judy Collins did a very beautiful version of it, better than mine. I would never do that song in concert; I can’t get behind it.”
4. “Bird on a Wire”
Collins released the iconic “Bird on a Wire” on her 1968 album, Who Knows Where the Time Goes. Cohen would release his own version a few months later with his 1969 album, Songs from a Room. Collins’ airy vocals add a lightness to the tune when compared to Cohen’s dark baritone.
5. “Story of Isaac”
“Story of Isaac” was another Cohen-penned song first released by Collins for her album Who Knows Where the Time Goes. The song would also appear on Cohen’s Songs from a Room the following year. Both versions are effective interpretations of the tune as Collins’ twinkles along and Cohen’s hammers on.
6. “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye”
“Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” first appeared on Collins’ 1967 album, Wildflowers. Cohen’s version would be released a month later on his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen.
Watch them perform the delicately trilling “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” together below.
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriter’s Hall of Fame
