The Original

Episode 5: Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


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The story around Hallelujah is an odyssey that Homer would be proud of: a parade of mystical figures – not quite of this earth. Written by Leonard Cohen and rejected by his record label in 1984, it's release was a non-event. Hallelujah became famous via cover versions. Converted to a solo performance by John Cale, Jeff Buckley picked up on this cover version and recorded Hallelujah for his debut album. None of these versions was a hit at the time. But since Jeff Buckleys untimely death, we have had Shrek and Rufus Wainwright, K.D. Lang and the Winter Olympics, Alexandra Burke and The X Factor. Combined with the late in life career resurgence of Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah is now an omnipresent musical icon.

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This podcast is assembled and produced by musician, composer, engineer/producer: Chris Lastelle.


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The OriginalBy Christopher Lastelle