Rarities unearthed for Leonard Cohen reissues

01/12/2007 7:44 PM, Reuters
Paul Majendie

Several previously unreleased Leonard Cohen tracks will see the light of day on April 24, when the singer/songwriter's first three albums are reissued by Legacy Recordings, the archival arm of Columbia Records.

"Songs of Leonard Cohen" sports two incomplete tracks from recording sessions in the summer of 1967, "Store Room" and "Blessed Is the Memory."

The 1968 follow-up, "Songs From a Room" features "Like a Bird," an early version of "Bird on a Wire." Also included is an early take on "You Know Who I Am," dubbed "Nothing to One" with harmony vocals by David Crosby.

"Songs of Love and Hate," released in 1971, boasts a full-band arrangement of "Dress Rehearsal Rag."

On the same date, Columbia/Legacy is re-releasing "Blue Alert," an album sung by Anjani Thomas and featuring songs she co-wrote with Cohen, who does not appear as an artist. The new version features a DVD with videos for "Thanks for the Dance" and "The Mist."

Reuters/Billboard