"Hallelujah"

Bobby Andonov

In a post from 2008 I mentioned the song "Hallelujah" written by Leonard Cohen, and as evocatively performed by the unfortunately early deceased Jeff Buckley.

I just listened on YouTube to another version by an Australian lad Bobby Andonov. He performed it on Australia's Got Talent 2010 -- he was 15 at the time and ended up as one of four finalists.



Bobby is likely to pursue a career in the mainstream music genre, so I doubt I will follow his career that closely, but with his good looks and great vocal interpretations I'm sure he'll be quite successful, not only in Australia, but globally.

Also from a reality show comes the following rendition of "Hallelujah" by Alexandra Burke.



She performed it on The X Factor in 2008. There's no doubt about Alexandra's success; she has already been nominated for numerous awards and won a couple, including the 2011 BRIT Award for Best British Single -- "All Night Long". Her career in the mainstream music industry also causes me not to really follow her career; it is just not the type of music I usually listen to. Nonetheless, her version of "Hallelujah" convinced me of her talent.

There is little fault to by found in Bon Jovi's cover:



I can comfortably mention k. d. lang's cover which she sang at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. According to one YouTube commentator she even had some Brits and Russians in tears with this song.


I've mentioned k. d. lang on this blog before, when I shared cover's of the song "Don't Smoke in Bed".

Velvet Underground veteran John Cale, who is probably the first person to have covered Leonard Cohen's song, has a beautiful rendition with classical instrument accompaniment. In its overall feel, Cale's version is very close to the original, I think.


I think it is worth mentioning Karise Eden's version as well because of the uniqueness she brings to the song -- a strange jazzy Janis Joplin gone Goth-opera!



I just adore the sensitivity with which Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge / Creed approaches the song. Unquestionably one of my favourites, right up there with Jeff Buckley's and young Bobby Andonov's.



Finally, I have to also include this one by Pain of Salvation: