When Phil Collins turned down Leonard Cohen
If you’ve ever given a rendition of a Leonard Cohen song, be it in a packed karaoke bar or the safety of your own car, it’s safe to say that you’re in good company. Ever since the poet shifted his focus to music in the mid-1960s, his lyrical laments have been subject to countless covers from fellow artists and admirers. It seems that almost everyone, from Nina Simone to Elton John, has been moved to pay homage to the Canadian lyricist.
His songs have stood the test of time, earning popularisation by the likes of Jeff Buckley and John Cale and spawning ongoing all-star tribute albums in his name. Yet, despite the swathes of acclaimed musicians who have given their own renditions of Cohen classics, there is one singer who did not wish to join the ranks and actively declined the poet’s requests.
During the curation of a 1995 tribute album to the poet, titled Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Genesis singer and soloist Phil Collins rejected Cohen’s offer to appear on the record.
Noting that he was a fan of the drummer, Cohen once explained the rejection during a conversation with MTV. “I asked him, and he declined,” he surmised. But Cohen was persistent and followed up after Collins’ rejection in an attempt to convince him. As is to be expected with Cohen, his pleading was suitably poetic, comparing the pair to two classical greats.
“And I wrote him saying, ‘Would Beethoven decline Mozart’s invitation?’” Cohen recalled. Collins granted him a reply and even continued Cohen’s metaphor, but he still wasn’t convinced to take part in the project. “He wrote back a lovely fax, saying, ‘Beethoven must decline because Beethoven is going on tour with so-and-so…’” the poet explained.
Despite the disappointment caused by Collins’ rejection, Cohen maintained that it was a “very charming fax” and “completely legitimate”. It seems shocking that Collins wouldn’t wish to be in the company of those who did contribute to the record – the finalised tribute album included Cohen covers by the likes of Bono, Billy Joel, and even Collins’ Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel, who provided a rendition of the beloved ‘Suzanne’.
Much to the disappointment of those rare fans of both Cohen and Collins and to the disappointment of the poet at the time, we can only imagine what the drummer’s contribution to the album might have sounded like.
