Post by erik on Mar 11, 2012 12:33:41 GMT -5
The fact that the first attempt to record pop standards, with the legendary Jerry Wexler, was an abject failure in her mind still didn't stop Linda from wanting to do it some other way. Her love of rock had been unfortunately dampened by having to play in big sports arena venues that were totally unsuitable for any kind of music whatsoever, and she was looking for a way to expand. She somehow managed to coax the legendary Nelson Riddle, the man behind much of Frank Sinatra's classic 1950s albums, out of retirement to do this. At first, she had thought of including one such arrangement on Get Closer, but Riddle insisted on doing a full-out album, to which Linda agreed. The end result was What's New, released at the end of the summer of 1983.
It wouldn't be unfair to say that the folks at Asylum, even her own manager and producer Peter Asher, were, to say the least, very uneasy at the notion of Linda going back to the pre-rock era like this. Everyone involved was keenly aware that the track record of rock performers doing such a thing was less than stellar. Carly Simon's recent album in this vein, Torch, was literally torched by the critics and the fans; Harry Nilsson's 1973 effort A Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night was a bust; and Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey, which he released right on the heals of the Beatles' breakup in April 1970, was also a critical and commercial clinker. There was no solid ground to stand on, especially since Linda was coming off the controversy of Sun City that turned many rock critics against her permanently. Whispers abounded that if What's New tanked, so too would Linda's career.
As we all know, the album didn't tank, reaching #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, kept out of the penthouse only by Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down, and, of course, Michael Jackson's Thriller. But Riddle did acknowledge the risk involved in doing it, as Linda herself later would. The title track was actually released as a single; and even though it was only a very minor hit, the fact that it was seemingly totally out of step with the MTV flash that was beginning to inundate the music business (this was also the year everyone first heard of Madonna) made even this modest chart placing astounding.
WHAT'S NEW
10/29/83--#84 (her 30th Hot 100 entry)
11/05/83--#80
11/12/83--#73
11/19/84--#66
11/26/83--#61
12/03/83--#59
12/10/83--#58
12/17/83--#53
12/24/83--#53
12/31/83--#53
01/07/84--#56
01/14/84--#69
01/21/84--#81
01/28/84--#95
"What's New" set a record of sorts as a single; it was the longest time (14 weeks) that any of Linda's singles had spent in the Hot 100 without ever going above the magical #40, although it did peak at #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. The album itself, which sold in excess of three million copies despite getting mixed reviews, gave Linda a Best Pop Female Vocal Grammy nod, one that she lost, much to the everlasting chagrin of her fans, to Irene Cara (for "Flashdance [What A Feeling]"). Even if Linda had won that night, however (and her performance of the title song with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra was a highpoint of that year's Grammys), it's likely that it would have been overshadowed by the clean sweep that Thriller got. Riddle, however, picked up a Grammy for Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.
The success of What's New would lead to two more albums with Riddle. Lush Life, released in the fall of 1984, would peak at #13 early in 1985 and hit the Platinum mark, also giving Linda a Pop Female Vocal nod at the Grammy's in early 1986 (she lost to Whitney Houston), and earning Riddle, posthumously, another Instrumental Arrangement award (Kosh and Ron Larson also won for Best Album Packaging). For Sentimental Reasons, released in September 1986, was also a Platinum hit, although it could only get to #46 on the chart. The latter album, originally intended to have Cuban and Latin jazz standards included before Riddle's passing in October 1985 nixed the idea, had some of its songs completed by Riddle's assistant Terry Woodson (Linda would come back to the Afro-Cuban idea in 1992 with Frenesi).
Following For Sentimental Reasons, Linda said that the Great American Standards phase of her career ended with Riddle's death. It hadn't, of course, but she wouldn't do another such album for eighteen years, and when she did, with Hummin’ To Myself, it would be in the small-ensemble format she had tried with Jerry Wexler in 1980. In the meantime, as the 1980s kept moving on, so too did Linda. During 1987 and 1988, her next three major projects returned her to the public eye. Those will be looked at in the next segment.
It wouldn't be unfair to say that the folks at Asylum, even her own manager and producer Peter Asher, were, to say the least, very uneasy at the notion of Linda going back to the pre-rock era like this. Everyone involved was keenly aware that the track record of rock performers doing such a thing was less than stellar. Carly Simon's recent album in this vein, Torch, was literally torched by the critics and the fans; Harry Nilsson's 1973 effort A Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night was a bust; and Ringo Starr's Sentimental Journey, which he released right on the heals of the Beatles' breakup in April 1970, was also a critical and commercial clinker. There was no solid ground to stand on, especially since Linda was coming off the controversy of Sun City that turned many rock critics against her permanently. Whispers abounded that if What's New tanked, so too would Linda's career.
As we all know, the album didn't tank, reaching #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, kept out of the penthouse only by Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down, and, of course, Michael Jackson's Thriller. But Riddle did acknowledge the risk involved in doing it, as Linda herself later would. The title track was actually released as a single; and even though it was only a very minor hit, the fact that it was seemingly totally out of step with the MTV flash that was beginning to inundate the music business (this was also the year everyone first heard of Madonna) made even this modest chart placing astounding.
WHAT'S NEW
10/29/83--#84 (her 30th Hot 100 entry)
11/05/83--#80
11/12/83--#73
11/19/84--#66
11/26/83--#61
12/03/83--#59
12/10/83--#58
12/17/83--#53
12/24/83--#53
12/31/83--#53
01/07/84--#56
01/14/84--#69
01/21/84--#81
01/28/84--#95
"What's New" set a record of sorts as a single; it was the longest time (14 weeks) that any of Linda's singles had spent in the Hot 100 without ever going above the magical #40, although it did peak at #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. The album itself, which sold in excess of three million copies despite getting mixed reviews, gave Linda a Best Pop Female Vocal Grammy nod, one that she lost, much to the everlasting chagrin of her fans, to Irene Cara (for "Flashdance [What A Feeling]"). Even if Linda had won that night, however (and her performance of the title song with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra was a highpoint of that year's Grammys), it's likely that it would have been overshadowed by the clean sweep that Thriller got. Riddle, however, picked up a Grammy for Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.
The success of What's New would lead to two more albums with Riddle. Lush Life, released in the fall of 1984, would peak at #13 early in 1985 and hit the Platinum mark, also giving Linda a Pop Female Vocal nod at the Grammy's in early 1986 (she lost to Whitney Houston), and earning Riddle, posthumously, another Instrumental Arrangement award (Kosh and Ron Larson also won for Best Album Packaging). For Sentimental Reasons, released in September 1986, was also a Platinum hit, although it could only get to #46 on the chart. The latter album, originally intended to have Cuban and Latin jazz standards included before Riddle's passing in October 1985 nixed the idea, had some of its songs completed by Riddle's assistant Terry Woodson (Linda would come back to the Afro-Cuban idea in 1992 with Frenesi).
Following For Sentimental Reasons, Linda said that the Great American Standards phase of her career ended with Riddle's death. It hadn't, of course, but she wouldn't do another such album for eighteen years, and when she did, with Hummin’ To Myself, it would be in the small-ensemble format she had tried with Jerry Wexler in 1980. In the meantime, as the 1980s kept moving on, so too did Linda. During 1987 and 1988, her next three major projects returned her to the public eye. Those will be looked at in the next segment.
