First We Take Manhattan
Encyclopedia
"First We Take Manhattan" is a song written by Leonard Cohen
. It was originally recorded by Jennifer Warnes
on her 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat
, which consisted entirely of songs written or co-written by Cohen.
. Producer Roscoe Beck
was from Austin, Texas
and friends with Vaughan. In late February 1986, at the annual Grammy Awards
in Los Angeles
, Beck asked Vaughan to record the guitar for the song. In a 2007 interview, Beck recalls that Vaughan did not have his guitar or amp with him, and used one of Beck's old Strats
instead. After working on a few technical issues, the finished recording was achieved after 2 or 3 takes. According to Jennifer Warnes' official site, Vaughan finished recording his takes at 4 AM.
Gwynne Dyer
suspects the song refers to the "naivety and narcissism" of the West German Red Army Faction
, "...designer terrorism by celebrity terrorists, as much about radical chic
as about real politics." (The German-language speech at the beginning and end of Warnes' recording is from a news broadcast about an attack by the Red Army Faction on the German Arab society of West Berlin in 1986.)
. Filmed in New York City
, the video features Stevie Ray Vaughan
playing his weathered "Number One" guitar (with its distinctive "SRV" logo) on the Brooklyn Bridge
. Cohen also appears with Warnes in the video.
The album version of the song is 3:47 in length, whereas the single is 3:32 long. A promotional 12" single version entitled "Jennifer Warnes — First We Take Manhattan, Radio Remix — featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan", contained extended and edited versions.
version of "First We Take Manhattan" (with additional verses) was released in 1988 as the first track on his album I'm Your Man. Cohen's then girlfriend, Dominique Isserman, shot a black and white promotional video for Cohen's version of the track.
On his 1988 tour, instead of the original, Euro-disco-influenced arrangement of both his and Warnes' studio versions, Cohen introduced the new, funk-influenced arrangement, suggested by his backing singers Perla Batalla
and Julie Christensen
. He continued to perform the song this way in 1993, 2008 and 2009 tours.
Cohen's studio recording plays over the closing credits of the 2009 film Watchmen
.
contributed a cover for the Cohen tribute album
I'm Your Fan
. Their presence on the compilation led to a re-arranging of the I'm Your Fan tracklist. In the US
release of the tribute, R.E.M.'s cover appeared as the first track, which was the House of Love
's "Who by Fire" everywhere else. The song also appeared as a B-side on some versions of "Drive
".
Joe Cocker
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on his 1999 album No Ordinary World
.
The Swedish
synthpop
band Tyskarna från Lund
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on their 2003 album Metamorphobia.
Electro artist and multimedia performer Maxx Klaxon
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on his 2005 EP Paranoid Style.
Norwegian
gothic metal
band Sirenia
also covered the song on their mini-album Sirenian Shores
.
Spanish flamenco singer Enrique Morente
made a new version of this song, titled "Manhattan", with new musical arrangements for Spanish and electric guitars and a rhythmic base with palms and drums. The lyrics were also translated into Spanish. It was included on his 1996 album Omega, performed with Lagartija Nick
and other musicians.
Warren Zevon
, citing Cohen as one of his favorite songwriters, performed the song on tour in support of the Mr. Bad Example album accompanied by Odds
.
Belgian singer Yasmine
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on her album Vandaag — Het Morgen van Gisteren, released in 2004.
Singer-songwriter Boris Grebenshchikov
covered the song in 2005 as part of his Red Room Demos compilation.
The Boston band, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, covered "First We Take Manhattan" on their 2010 EP, The New Number 2.
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
. It was originally recorded by Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
on her 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat
Famous Blue Raincoat (album)
Famous Blue Raincoat is the sixth album by Jennifer Warnes. It debuted on the Billboard 200 on February 14, 1987 and peaked at No. 72. Originally released by Cypress Records, it was reissued by Private Music after Cypress went out of business....
, which consisted entirely of songs written or co-written by Cohen.
Background and writing
The original recording is notable for the distinctive driving lead guitar played by Stevie Ray VaughanStevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
. Producer Roscoe Beck
Roscoe Beck
Roscoe Beck is a multi-Grammy Award winning record producer and bassist. He has recorded and played with Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Leonard Cohen, The Dixie Chicks. He also has his own signature electric bass: the Fender Roscoe Beck Bass, used by many other players.After earning a reputation from...
was from Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and friends with Vaughan. In late February 1986, at the annual Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1986
The 28th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1986. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year, 1985.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Quincy Jones for "We Are the World" performed by USA for Africa...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Beck asked Vaughan to record the guitar for the song. In a 2007 interview, Beck recalls that Vaughan did not have his guitar or amp with him, and used one of Beck's old Strats
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
instead. After working on a few technical issues, the finished recording was achieved after 2 or 3 takes. According to Jennifer Warnes' official site, Vaughan finished recording his takes at 4 AM.
Gwynne Dyer
Gwynne Dyer
Gwynne Dyer, OC is a London-based independent Canadian journalist, syndicated columnist and military historian.Dyer was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve at the age of sixteen...
suspects the song refers to the "naivety and narcissism" of the West German Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
, "...designer terrorism by celebrity terrorists, as much about radical chic
Radical chic
Radical chic is a term coined by journalist Tom Wolfe in his 1970 essay "Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's," to describe the adoption and promotion of radical political causes by celebrities, socialites, and high society...
as about real politics." (The German-language speech at the beginning and end of Warnes' recording is from a news broadcast about an attack by the Red Army Faction on the German Arab society of West Berlin in 1986.)
Music video
The music video for Warnes' version of "First We Take Manhattan" was directed by Paula WalkerPaula Walker
Paula Walker is a British bobsledder who has competed since 2007. Her best World Cup finish was ninth in the two-woman event at Park City, Utah in February 2009....
. Filmed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the video features Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
playing his weathered "Number One" guitar (with its distinctive "SRV" logo) on the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Cohen also appears with Warnes in the video.
The album version of the song is 3:47 in length, whereas the single is 3:32 long. A promotional 12" single version entitled "Jennifer Warnes — First We Take Manhattan, Radio Remix — featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan", contained extended and edited versions.
Personnel (Warnes version)
- Lead guitar – Stevie Ray VaughanStevie Ray VaughanStephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
- Guitar – Robben FordRobben FordRobben Ford is an American blues, jazz and rock guitarist.-Biography:Ford was born in Woodlake, California, United States, but raised in Ukiah, California, and began playing the saxophone at age 10, picking up the guitar at age 13...
- Bass guitar – Roscoe BeckRoscoe BeckRoscoe Beck is a multi-Grammy Award winning record producer and bassist. He has recorded and played with Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Leonard Cohen, The Dixie Chicks. He also has his own signature electric bass: the Fender Roscoe Beck Bass, used by many other players.After earning a reputation from...
- Drums – Vinnie ColaiutaVinnie ColaiutaVincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
- Percussion – Lenny CastroLenny CastroLenny Castro is an American freelancing percussionist in the studio recording industry in the Los Angeles area.-Early life:Castro is a percussionist of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in New York City. His father, Hector Castro, played the keyboard in a Latin style and gave his son...
- Synthesizer – Russell FerranteRussell FerranteRussell Keith Ferrante is a jazz pianist from San Jose, California who is a founding member of the group Yellowjackets. During his early career, Ferrante performed with American blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon and guitarist Robben Ford. He also toured with Joni Mitchell. The group Yellowjackets...
- Synthesizer programmed by – Gary Chang
Cohen version
Leonard Cohen's own quasi-synthpopSynthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
version of "First We Take Manhattan" (with additional verses) was released in 1988 as the first track on his album I'm Your Man. Cohen's then girlfriend, Dominique Isserman, shot a black and white promotional video for Cohen's version of the track.
On his 1988 tour, instead of the original, Euro-disco-influenced arrangement of both his and Warnes' studio versions, Cohen introduced the new, funk-influenced arrangement, suggested by his backing singers Perla Batalla
Perla Batalla
Perla Batalla is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter.Grammy nominated vocalist, composer, and arranger Perla Batalla was born in Los Angeles, CA. Her father was a musician and record store owner. She first gained international attention as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen who later encouraged...
and Julie Christensen
Julie Christensen
Julie Christensen is an American singer, born in Iowa and resident of Ojai, California. She has worked with musicians including Leonard Cohen, Todd Rundgren, Robben Ford, Iggy Pop, Public Image Limited, Van Dyke Parks, John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Steve Wynn and k.d. lang.From 1983 to 1987...
. He continued to perform the song this way in 1993, 2008 and 2009 tours.
Cohen's studio recording plays over the closing credits of the 2009 film Watchmen
Watchmen (film)
Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
.
Personnel (Cohen version)
- Jeff FisherJeff FisherJeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
– arranger and performer - Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
– vocals and production - AnjaniAnjaniAnjani Thomas is an American singer-songwriter and pianist, best known for her work with singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, as well as Carl Anderson, Frank Gambale, and Stanley Clarke. She became a solo artist in 2000.-Life:...
– vocals
Other cover versions
R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
contributed a cover for the Cohen tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. The album features Cohen's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock acts of the time...
. Their presence on the compilation led to a re-arranging of the I'm Your Fan tracklist. In the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
release of the tribute, R.E.M.'s cover appeared as the first track, which was the House of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
's "Who by Fire" everywhere else. The song also appeared as a B-side on some versions of "Drive
Drive (R.E.M. song)
"Drive" was the lead single and first track from R.E.M.'s eighth studio album Automatic for the People in 1992. Although it was not as successful as previous lead singles "Losing My Religion," "Stand," or "The One I Love" in the United States, it became R.E.M.'s then second biggest hit on the UK...
".
Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on his 1999 album No Ordinary World
No Ordinary World
No Ordinary World is the seventeenth studio album by Joe Cocker, released in 1999 .-Track listing:#"First We Take Manhattan" - 3:44 #"Different Roads" - 4:58...
.
The Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band Tyskarna från Lund
Tyskarna från Lund
Tyskarna från Lund is a Swedish synthpop group, consisting of members from the comedy group Varanteatern. The name translates to The Germans from Lund in English ....
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on their 2003 album Metamorphobia.
Electro artist and multimedia performer Maxx Klaxon
Maxx Klaxon
Maxx Klaxon is an electropop artist from New York City. He has recorded cover versions of Iron Maiden's "Die With Your Boots On," Leonard Cohen's First We Take Manhattan, and "The Internationale." His 2005 debut EP Paranoid Style also features his original track "Italian Ice" and "Here For One...
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on his 2005 EP Paranoid Style.
Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band Sirenia
Sirenia (band)
Sirenia is a gothic metal band from Stavanger, Norway which incorporates a mixture of gothic metal and symphonic metal, as well as extreme metal and death metal elements...
also covered the song on their mini-album Sirenian Shores
Sirenian Shores
Sirenian Shores is an EP by the Norwegian gothic metal band Sirenia. It includes two new songs, "Sirenian Shores" and "Obire Mortem", a remix of "Save Me from Myself", an acoustic version of "Meridian" and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan"...
.
Spanish flamenco singer Enrique Morente
Enrique Morente
Enrique Morente Cotelo, known as Enrique Morente, was a flamenco singer and a controversial figure within the world of contemporary flamenco...
made a new version of this song, titled "Manhattan", with new musical arrangements for Spanish and electric guitars and a rhythmic base with palms and drums. The lyrics were also translated into Spanish. It was included on his 1996 album Omega, performed with Lagartija Nick
Lagartija Nick
"Lagartija Nick" is the ninth single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released in 7" and 12" format on the Beggars Banquet Records label and reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart.-Track listings:7"#"Lagartija Nick"...
and other musicians.
Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
, citing Cohen as one of his favorite songwriters, performed the song on tour in support of the Mr. Bad Example album accompanied by Odds
Odds (band)
Odds are a Canadian alternative rock band. The band's power pop style has been frequently compared to that of contemporaries such as Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Weezer, Tom Petty, Sloan, The Clash, XTC, Franz Ferdinand, and The Tubes.-Odds :...
.
Belgian singer Yasmine
Yasmine (singer)
Hilde Rens , better known by her stage name Yasmine, was a Belgian singer, presenter and television personality.-Music:Rens became known as a singer during the 1980s...
covered "First We Take Manhattan" on her album Vandaag — Het Morgen van Gisteren, released in 2004.
Singer-songwriter Boris Grebenshchikov
Boris Grebenshchikov
Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov also known as Boris Purushottama Grebenshikov, is one of the most prominent members of the generation which is widely considered the "founding fathers" of Russian rock music...
covered the song in 2005 as part of his Red Room Demos compilation.
The Boston band, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, covered "First We Take Manhattan" on their 2010 EP, The New Number 2.
Jennifer Warnes version
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
43 |
| Canadian Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
29 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
74 |
R.E.M. version
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 11 |