Built around a sequenced foundation and layered performances, the track reflects both the emerging digital production workflows of the mid-1980s and a deliberate effort to retain the feel of live performance within a controlled studio environment.
Work on Famous Blue Raincoat began in 1986, initially at Hollywood Sound before quickly relocating to The Complex in Los Angeles after engineer Bill Youdelman rejected the original room and its microphones. Early sessions at Hollywood Sound captured Bird on a Wire and Coming Back to You with live vocals, but for First We Take Manhattan, the production approach shifted toward a more constructed, track-by-track method. From the outset, producers Jennifer Warnes and Roscoe Beck committed to recording the album on a digital multitrack system, centred around the Sony PCM-3324 24-track digital recorder, which was supplied by Cypress Records and formed the backbone of the project’s all-digital workflow .
The track began not with a live band performance, but with a programmed foundation. Beck created a click track and a sequenced bass part ahead of the first recording session, forming the rigid, metronomic backbone that defines the track’s character. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta was then brought in to perform against this programmed structure, recording his drum part in a single take after rehearsals, locking tightly to the sequencer and establishing the groove that would carry the track.
Vocals were initially recorded during these early sessions, with Warnes tracking guide vocals while the rhythm section was established. For final takes, Warnes re-recorded her lead vocal using an AKG C12 valve condenser microphone, a model specifically favoured by Youdelman, as well as a Brüel & Kjær measurement microphone mounted in the ceiling of The Complex, which was repurposed as a vocal microphone late in the sessions. This unusual choice of microphone contributed to the precise and controlled capture of her performance.
The track’s most distinctive instrumental addition came from Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was tracked at the Record Plant in Los Angeles with engineer Tim Boyle. Vaughan, borrowing one of Beck’s Fender Stratocaster guitars, recorded multiple takes of his blues-influenced lead guitar part during a late-night session, adding a contrasting organic feel against the rigid sequenced rhythm.
Additional overdubs were layered at The Complex and other studios, including The Enterprise and Salty Dog. Synthesiser parts were added by Gary Chang, while Beck refined the bass performance. Guitarist Robben Ford contributed additional guitar textures, and percussion elements were introduced to enhance the arrangement. The production process involved multiple engineers across sessions, including Larry Brown, Charlie Paakkari, Paul Dieter, Paul Brown, Steven Strassman and Csaba Petocz, reflecting the extended and collaborative nature of the recording.
The recording environment at The Complex played a critical role in shaping the sound of the track. Designed by George Massenburg, the facility featured custom-built consoles equipped with Massenburg’s own EQs, preamps and advanced automation systems. These consoles, combined with the controlled acoustics of the rooms, provided a highly transparent signal path that complemented the precision of the Sony PCM-3324 digital recording system. The production team aimed to capture as much of the performance as possible with minimal signal degradation, aligning with the philosophy of maintaining a short and clean signal path.
Mixing for First We Take Manhattan took place primarily at Amigo Studios in North Hollywood, where Frank Wolf and Roscoe Beck worked on an SSL console in Studio B. Additional mixing contributions came from George Massenburg, Larry Brown and Henry Lewy. Lewy also introduced the spoken German passages at the beginning and end of the track, adding a distinctive and unexpected sonic element designed to capture listener attention.
Released in late 1986, First We Take Manhattan became one of the standout tracks on Famous Blue Raincoat, alongside Bird on a Wire and Ain’t No Cure for Love. The album’s digital clarity, achieved through the combination of the Sony PCM-3324 recorder, Massenburg’s custom console designs, and carefully selected microphones such as the AKG C12 and Brüel & Kjær measurement mic, contributed to its reputation among audiophiles for its depth and precision. The project helped reintroduce Leonard Cohen’s songwriting to a wider audience in the United States while establishing Jennifer Warnes as a serious recording artist within high-end studio production circles.