CBC Radio 2's 49 Tracks included "Hallelujah", but it's the cover by K.D. Lang. I'm sure the cover by Gord Downie was ineligible in that it's the best kept secret in all the land.
Back in August, when I got the tip about the release of Gord Downie's "Hallelujah", I also learned about One Week, a new film by the people behind Saint Ralph. It sounds really good and it's got a great trailer.
Watch this trailer for One Week and spot the Gord Downie cameo.
I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do you?
Sure you do. And many of you, like myself, love Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". In fact, I'm willing to bet a bunch of you are only here because of my hunt for Gord Downie's cover of "Hallelujah" that plays during the climatic scene of Saint Ralph, a charming as all hell Canadian flick from back in 2004.
I just got some very good news about the non-existent soundtrack for Saint Ralph. My source tells me there's a soundtrack deal in place and a proper release of the soundtrack, including Gord Downie's "Hallelujah", is imminent.
By the way, my source for this good news gave me a tip on another Michael McGowan film debuting at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
The same film-maker who wrote and directed Saint Ralph, has written and directed a new film called "One Week" and while Gord doesn't sing on this soundtrack, he does have a cameo in the film, and is a mighty fine actor I must say! It's premiering at the Toronto Film Festival and if you liked Saint Ralph, you'll love this film too. It's a bit of a more mature version of an "up with life and humanity" film, but incredibly moving....and fellow Canadian Joshua Jackson turns in a stellar performance and firmly announces himself as a serious actor post "Dawson's Creek" days.
It's a really great thought provoking film and will no doubt be a big hit either as an independent film, or as a Juno type small film that finds a mainstream audience. Hopefully and deservingly the latter. Check it out if you can.
The Curious Cultural Journey of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - Earlier this week, a contestant on American Idol sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". The dude did a pretty good job (yes, I saw it, but this isn't about that) and Simon mentioned it was one of his favourite tunes. I get the idea that's true of a great number of people with whom this song resonates.
Although Jeff Buckley's cover has the most fans, I've written extensively about the Gord Downie cover of "Hallelujah" that appears in the movie Saint Ralph. Rarely a day goes by that I don't hear from someone who has come across an entry on that page and wants me to share the MP3.
With this AI exposure, the curious cultural journey of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" continues, and I'm just happy to play a small role in the whole fantastic percolation. This link is to a source that does a thorough job of analyzing the whole thing, complete with graphs and charts. It's great reading for any "Hallelujah" fan, but when you're done, don't forget to check out my Gord Downie's "Hallelujah" collection.
If you're a fan of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" or a fan of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, I implore you to read the entries in my Gord Downie's Hallelujah page. Not only is it a great story about an elusive song and successful search, but it's also the reason I'm running 10k tonight.
A little birdie in the know about such things wrote me an email today. In Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein fashion, my very own Deep Throat has revealed that the Saint Ralph Soundtrack will likely get released in the near future. Here's the top secret correspondence I received with one paragraph removed for reasons that will soon become obvious.
What I'm about to tell you I ask that you keep to yourself and not divulge, not even say it's from an anonymous source.
*** content removed ***
Now here's what you can divulge from an anonymous source, it is likely that the soundtrack will get a release or at least a download release in the near future.
If all goes smoothly, you'll be the first to know.
This answers a question I get quite often. When I know more, I'll share it here.
Gord Downie covered Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for the film "Saint Ralph". I recently wrote about this tune and I've been searching / begging / praying for an MP3 of it ever since.
If anyone out there can help a brother out, I'd appreciate it and return the favour. My email address is posted on the contact page. I love the song, I love Downie and I've heard great things. Yet, it's nowhere to be found!
Much appreciated.
By that point I had only been hunting for Gord Downie's "Hallelujah" for a few weeks and I was falsely optimistic someone on the Hip community would throw this dog a bone. It wasn't until February of this year I scored the non-existent soundtrack. I had my "Hallelujah", and I knew it was time for my own personal hallelujah, so I started running.
I hadn't run since the 4x100m relay in primary school but I knew I had to run a marathon. I signed up for five Running Room clinics, beginning with the Learn to Run and concluding with the Marathon Clinic, and I'm currently in the 10k Clinic. Yesterday I ran 8k and this morning 6k and I'm loving it.
Wednesday's update will show I've been running for 24 weeks, but it all started two years ago.
I have a copy of the unreleased soundtrack for the movie Saint Ralph. If you shrugged your shoulders and muttered "so what" under your breath, I encourage you to read the entries on this page.
Now that you're up to speed, you know I've been in love with Gord Downie's cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah since I first saw the film Saint Ralph. You're also aware that this song isn't available anywhere. You can't buy a copy of the Saint Ralph soundtrack, you can't purchase the song online and it has never been released as a single. It simply doesn't exist anywhere other than in the movie, and a version ripped from the DVD is all I've had for the past year.
After years of hunting, I now have the unreleased soundtrack. A wonderful person who shall remain anonymous became aware of my plight and blessed me with not one, but two studio versions of The Tragically Hip's Gord Downie singing Hallelujah. This is truly a rare beast as only a few copies were pressed when they were trying to get it released as a soundtrack back in 2004.
So you don't think I've lost my mind, here are pics of the CD. Before you ask me to share with you this official copy of the Hallelujah audio I'm afraid I can't. Part of my deal with this anonymous donor is that I can't share it. I will, however, continue to share the version ripped from the DVD. For now, the polished Hallelujah is for my ears only, unless you want to drop by for a listen.
When people first discover Saint Ralph, there are typically two reactions. For starters, they're surprised by how charmed they were by this little Canadian flick. The acting is good, the story sweet and the conclusion fulfilling. Then, they seek a copy of the Hallelujah cover that plays at the conclusion of the big race. Many of those people end up on this page.
The singer of this cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip. If you're new to this site, I have an entire section devoted to the song. I've heard two different people tell me of the magic in the room when Gord recorded it. Here's one account.
I attended a show with the film's director, and he said that Downie was watching the film as he recorded his cover of Hallelujah. If you listen carefully, you can hear his voice hitch when Ralph is running the marathon. Apparently he had tears streaming down his face as he sang.
Andrew Lockington told me something similar. Here's what he wrote me recently.
The vocal take used in the film was truly magical. We were all so moved while Gord was singing this take (including Gord). I think it really shows through.
I've written about this song that plays during Ralph's miracle marathon so many times, but I've never shown it. It's time you see for yourself. I must warn you, if you plan on seeing Saint Ralph, and you really should, viewing this clip will spoil things for you.
I received a fantastic email last night from Andrew Lockington. He stumbled upon my "A Homemade Hallelujah" entry in which I spread my love for Gord Downie's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" that appeared in the movie "Saint Ralph". Here's his email.
Hey man,
I was the composer on Saint Ralph and am amazed that the orchestral version of Hallelujah I arranged for Gord has such a following. Thanks for finding a way to get it to all these people.
Best,
Andrew
I then asked Andrew the million dollar question, the question many of us have been wondering about. I asked him why this exceptional song was never released as part of a soundtrack or as a single. Here's what he told me.
There was a soundtrack deal all lined up for the film which included the source music and the two versions of Hallelujah (the orchestral and the acoustic) and a combined version which starts out acoustically and the big orchestra joins in part way through. Someone dropped the ball and didn't get the material to the record label on time. They concluded they couldn't have the CD pressed in time for the film's release, and thus it wasn't worth putting it out. It was a real shame because there'd been a few companies willing and interested in putting out the soundtrack.
It was sure interesting to find your website. The song has been either praised or bashed by a lot of people all over the world. Everyone seems to have an opinion on it. The vocal take used in the film was truly magical. We were all so moved while Gord was singing this take (including Gord). I think it really shows through.
Best,
A
I've been seeking that kind of awesome detail for years and I'm sure others have as well. In fact, I know others have, because my "A Homemade Hallelujah" entry currently has 141 comments.
Back in June I wrote about Sophie's response to my Hallelujah hunt. I finally had an MP3 of this elusive Gord Downie cover of Leonard Cohen's classic that was heard during the sweet Canadian flick "Saint Ralph". I had the MP3 and I wanted to share it with other Hallelujah hunters.
My offer was simple. Leave a comment requesting the MP3 and I'll email it to you. As of this moment, 108 people have taken me up on that offer and many others defied my orders and wrote me directly requesting the file. Replying to these requests has become a daily ritual of mine.
At 108 comments, that's my second most commented on entry next to "Humble Howard, Are You Okay?" which currently tips the scales at 393 comments. Had I not set Humble up with his own blog that figure could have easily doubled by now.
Reading the comments on the Homemade Hallelujah page reassures me that I wasn't alone in being haunted by that song. There are many on a hunt similar to mine. Paul wrote a comment that shed a little light on why we're all so frustrated by this.
My story is similar to yours looking for a copy of the song (not as exhaustive), a friend of mine works for Alliance Atlantis and I asked him about a soundtrack. He said (last summer) that they were trying to put it together but were having licensing issues and then interest kind of died out.
When was the last time a movie was released with great tunes but no soundtrack. Only in Canada...
A well placed piece of music in a film can alter the meaning of that song for all eternity. Try and listen to Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" without envisioning Rocky Balboa's run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Some will think of Gord Martineau, but most will think of Rocky. Here are my favourite film songs from a life time of movie watching.
The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" from Fight Club - Shortly after that memorable scene when the building collapses, Fight Club bursts into "Where Is My Mind?" and the combination is perfectly haunting.
The Crystals' "Then he Kissed Me" from Goodfellas - One of my favourite scences in cinema is that one when Henry enters the restaurant from the kitchen and the entire scene is done in one take. This is the song that plays during this fantastic scene.
The Geto Boyz' "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster" from Office Space - This song juxtaposed with the white collar life of a cubicle warrior made my day when I first saw it. It's become the feel-good anthem of Dilberts everywhere.
-M-'s "Belleville Rendez-Vous" from Les Triplettes de Belleville - This is a great animated flick with an opening sequence set to this tune. It's catchy, jazzy fun that you'll be singing for weeks.
Gord Downie's "Hallelujah" from Saint Ralph - I've probably said enough about this one already.
Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" from Trainspotting - I could have gone with Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" or Underworld's "Born Slippy", but "Lust For Life" almost seemed to have been written for this flick. Hearing it always reminds me of what a great movie Trainspotting is.
Pearl Jam's "State Of Love And Trust" from Singles - This is another movie with several notable songs on the soundtrack, but this was a song from one of my favourite bands that seemed way too good not to appear on a studio album. How much better would Vs. have been with this sucker on it?
Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" from Almost Famous - I had never heard this song until I saw Almost Famous, an almost perfect little movie. Now, whenever I hear "Tiny Dancer", I'm back on that bus singing right along.
Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" from Do The Right Thing - This song and movie made a statement, and it's difficult to imagine one without the other. Always do the right thing.
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" from Wayne's World - Aurora, Illinois was a thinly veiled Toronto, right? The sing-a-long in Wayne's shitty hatchback to this classic is classic in its own right. Let me go!
Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" from Grosse Pointe Blank - This cool flick also had a number of great tunes on the soundtrack, but none suited it better than "Blister in the Sun".
Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" from Apocalypse Now - I don't really need to explain this one, do I?
Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter" from Closer - I liked the movie, but when it was over I kept hearing this song in my head. It's chilling and perfect for one of the closing scenes of "Closer".
Michael Andrews' "Mad World" from Donnie Darko - Sometimes a cover of a song is more enjoyable than the original. That's the case for me and this Tears For Fears song. Donnie Darko was a dark gem of a movie and "Mad World" sums it all up perfectly.
The Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A." from Teen Wolf - Okay, this is a guilty pleasure from my youth. We had Teen Wolf on tape and practically wore it out playing that last basketball game over and over again. "Surfin' U.S.A." plays while Scott as a werewolf surfs on the van and I always thought that was a pretty cool stunt to pull.
Stealers Wheels' "Stuck In The Middle" from Reservoir Dogs - This is a seriously sadistic scene that seems all the more sadistic when contrasted with this silly little Dylan-esque ditty. Try imagining this song without this scene and vice versa.
Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" from Kill Bill Vol. 1 - Sure, this list is a little heavy on the Tarantino, but for my money there is no better director. Kill Bill Vol. 1 opens with this song and Kill Bill Vol. 2 wraps up shorty after The Bride's baby guns her down. Bang bang.
Eddie Vedder's "Man Of The Hour" from Big Fish - I promised myself I wouldn't cry. This song about that man... damn, I can't do this.
Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" from Pump Up The Volume - For a fifteen year old kid, Pump Up The Volume seemed pretty cool. The guy ran a pirate radio station and said cool stuff like "All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks" and "eat your cereal with a fork and do your homework in the dark". After seeing this movie at the Humber Odeon, I felt like a changed man and Cohen's "Everybody Knows" was my theme song. Of course, all the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.
The Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" from O Brother, Where Are Thou? - I don't think this movie would have been as effective without a tune you'd believe was a hit. I believe in "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" and it made a great movie greater.
Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man" from Pulp Fiction - We'll finish things off with a song used brilliantly in my favourite movie of all time. It's one of my ten tracks and I first heard it in this flick. I'm going to spin it right now.
CBC Radio 2's 49 Tracks included "Hallelujah", but it's the cover by K.D. Lang. I'm sure the cover by Gord Downie was ineligible in that it's the best kept secret in all the land.
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If you're a fan of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" or a fan of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, I implore you to read the entries in 
Two years ago today, I asked you to help a brother out. Here's 
Gord Downie covered Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for the film "Saint Ralph". I recently 
When people first discover Saint Ralph, there are typically two reactions. For starters, they're surprised by how charmed they were by this little Canadian flick. The acting is good, the story sweet and the conclusion fulfilling. Then, they seek a copy of the Hallelujah cover that plays at the conclusion of the big race. Many of those people end up on 
I received a fantastic email last night from 
A well placed piece of music in a film can alter the meaning of that song for all eternity. Try and listen to Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" without envisioning Rocky Balboa's run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Some will think of Gord Martineau, but most will think of Rocky. Here are my favourite film songs from a life time of movie watching.