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Post by vikingfan on Feb 25, 2012 11:16:32 GMT -5
For some reason the James Taylor song Bartender Blues popped into my head yesterday and it got me thinking about how much I love to hear Linda doing duets or backup vocals on other performers albums. So what are your favorites?
Off the top of my head I love "Empty Handed Heart" with Warren Zevon, her work on Neil Young's Harvest Moon album, "Bartender Blues" and "Song of Bernadette" with Aaron Neville.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2012 12:28:31 GMT -5
I also love the Harvest Moon ones, though my favorites with Neil are definitely from his Freedom album (hanging on a limb and the ways of love).. and this great live cut :
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Post by erik on Feb 25, 2012 12:34:52 GMT -5
One of mine is her backup vocals on the Dirt Band's 1980 hit "An American Dream". It's amazing to note that, when she showed up for the recording of that song, it was late at night and, supposedly, she showed up in a nightgown. Now friends, if that isn't showing dedication to your art and your fellow performers, I don't know what is.
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Post by sliderocker on Feb 25, 2012 13:03:45 GMT -5
I like the two duets she did with Hoyt Axton, "When the Morning Comes" and "Lion In Winter." I always knew about "When the Morning Comes" but never "Lion In Winter." It was never played on the radio at all back in the day, which was strange as with Linda being as hot as she was and almost a guarantee of radio airplay even if the song tanked, the song should've gotten some airplay. Another fave of mine in which Linda provides backing vocals but is almost not noticeable is on Andrew Gold's first big hit, "Lonely Boy." But, as for Linda's backing vocal or duet guest spot on songs by other artists, I thought I'd read somewhere that there are more than 200 recordings that she made. That adds up to a sizable chunk of change for those who'd want to have all those recordings as although one can probably find many of them on CD, there's still probably a few that remain on vinyl and have never seen the light of day on cd or as a download.
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Post by erik on Feb 25, 2012 18:18:58 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker:
I wouldn't be surprised that it's 200+, since Linda was in high demand as a backing vocalist throughout her career. I might be mistaken in this, but that high a total would give her perhaps the greatest number of backing vocal appearances of any major female singer in the rock era.
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Post by jeffmeister on Feb 25, 2012 19:52:44 GMT -5
Isn't she a background vocalist on The Eagles' "Take It Easy"?
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Post by sliderocker on Feb 26, 2012 0:43:20 GMT -5
Isn't she a background vocalist on The Eagles' "Take It Easy"? Recording wise, not that I'm aware of but in the 70s, she appeared on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert with the Eagles and Jackson Browne and all of them performed "Take It Easy," with Linda and Jackson on backing vocals and acoustic guitars. Naturally, a few people have posted videos of that performance on youtube, so it's an easy find. |
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Post by kgreen on Feb 26, 2012 11:30:05 GMT -5
I wonder if Linda is the all time back-up singer for someone who acheived at least a gold record? If this was 1990 I would have said she was by far! At this point it might be Emmylou, who has continued to record with everyone. What do you think? Is there any way to find out how many Emmy has done to compare to Linda's total, her website or fan forum?
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Post by erik on Feb 26, 2012 14:07:18 GMT -5
I don't know whether Emmylou's fans keep track of stuff like that (if not, they should at least consider doing so), but it's possible.
If you put both Linda's and Emmy's backing vocal credits together, not counting the Trio albums, Western Wall, or the times they've appeared on one another's solo albums, my bet is that they'd have more credits than any other pair of female singers in history.
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Post by Partridge on Feb 26, 2012 23:43:32 GMT -5
The Emmylou Harris website emmylou.net has an extensive, probably all-inclusive, list of albums Emmylou has done harmony or duet vocals on.
A far greater total than Linda's extensive list, but then Emmylou is more available, reachable, approachable.
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Post by Partridge on Feb 26, 2012 23:45:37 GMT -5
As for favorite duets, I would choose When the Morning Comes and An American Dream.
But honorable mention would be Funny How Time Slips Away, with Homer Simpson. I see this as a song that would be great for some hobbyist to remove the Homer Simpson vocals (there are programs widely available for that) and make the track a karaoke sing-with. Then anyone could create their own personal duet with Linda.
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Post by 70smusicfan on Feb 27, 2012 22:17:55 GMT -5
There is a PDF file on the regular fansite of a posting someone found on the internet www.ronstadt-linda.com/GuestAppearances.pdf. The songlist is 95% or so correct. I think the DC connection material - Seldom Scene, Chesapeake, and Mike Auldridge stuff -- is incredible. |
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Post by linda2006nicci on Feb 28, 2012 11:14:01 GMT -5
There is a PDF file on the regular fansite of a posting someone found on the internet www.ronstadt-linda.com/GuestAppearances.pdf. The songlist is 95% or so correct. If I remember right, it's our friend in Australia who made the list. |
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Post by erik on Feb 28, 2012 13:39:24 GMT -5
Not to be outdone are the vocals that Linda and Jennifer Warnes supplied for Warren Zevon on the title track of his classic 1978 album Excitable Boy, though, admittedly, that is easily one of the most grotesque songs of the entire rock era in terms of subject matter.
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lance
A Number and a Name
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Post by lance on Mar 19, 2012 17:27:17 GMT -5
Unknown Legend with Neil and Gringo In Mexico with Maria are two favorites!
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Post by rick on Mar 19, 2012 17:32:02 GMT -5
There is a PDF file on the regular fansite of a posting someone found on the internet www.ronstadt-linda.com/GuestAppearances.pdf. The songlist is 95% or so correct. If I remember right, it's our friend in Australia who made the list. Every time I go to click on that link, it says Error 404, Forbidden, etc. It does not allow me to access said list. Is it a dead link now? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2012 17:37:37 GMT -5
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Post by vikingfan on Mar 20, 2012 17:19:07 GMT -5
I'm only starting to peruse the link but Linda Ronstad as Abraham Lincoln on an Albert Brooks record? I need to hear that!!!
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Post by GUEST on Mar 27, 2012 21:35:19 GMT -5
Linda's duet with David Sanborn is just about my most favorite although I will say Bed of Roses with Chesapeake is also quite wonderful.
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Post by 70smusicfan on Apr 5, 2012 17:25:37 GMT -5
To flame things up a bit, I would suggest (probably not true) that LR's backup and duet performances on other person's recordings MAY be better than her own recordings. LR is amazing as both low and high harmony. Ignoring recordings like Concert Behind Prison Walls, there are SO MANY solos and duets on other person's albums that are as good as it gets (remember, she guested on Neil Young's songs for all time). I listen to a "Guest Appearance" playlist as often as LR albums. Some of my favorite duets in the A-C category (I'm listening again tonight while trying figure out my smartphone) are:
Hoyt Axton - When the Morning Coms, Lion in Winter
Blades - Silencio
Chesapeake - Bed or oses
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Post by 70smusicfan on Apr 5, 2012 20:32:20 GMT -5
The entire Albert Brooks album is available on various youtube downloads. I've put together an entire CD from youtube. By the way, LR is Al Jolsen (perhaps more anazing than Abe Lincoln). I think she is also on the "party from outer space" clip. Again, the cross-over in the 70s was amazing.
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Post by mysteryguest on Apr 5, 2012 21:20:10 GMT -5
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duncan
A Number and a Name
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Post by duncan on Apr 6, 2012 11:26:48 GMT -5
I think the duet she did with Tracy Nelson -- "Rock, Salt and Nails" -- on Earl Scruggs' "I Saw the Light" album is right up there at the top of my list, although there are so many many great ones...
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Post by Richard W on Apr 6, 2012 14:07:20 GMT -5
I think the duet she did with Tracy Nelson -- "Rock, Salt and Nails" -- on Earl Scruggs' "I Saw the Light" album is right up there at the top of my list, although there are so many many great ones... I agree 100%, Duncan. "Rock, Salt and Nails" is simply one of the best duets ever -- by anyone. |
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Post by erik on Apr 6, 2012 17:26:46 GMT -5
Quote by richwar:
Tracy herself said at that time that she was floored by Linda's ability to hit a note on the song that (words to this effect) she herself couldn't hit if she were goosed. Now that's saying a lot (IMHO).
By that same token, Linda really didn't do much bluegrass like that in her career, at least on albums (the Trio albums barely even touched on it, though "Love Is A Rose" comes close), which is kind of a shame, since Linda proved she could do this stuff very convincingly without having to put on a mock Southern twang (IMHO).
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Post by 70smusicfan on Apr 6, 2012 18:52:45 GMT -5
(last post)..."By that same token, Linda really didn't do much bluegrass like that in her career, at least on albums."
I think the stuff she did on the Chesapeake and Seldom Scene albums come close to bluegrass (Bluegrass I believe was actually invented by Bill Monroe with the banjo picking style later invented by (RIP) Earl Scruggs - so not as "traditional" as might be expected).
I have most of the "Guest Appearances.pdf" performances tracked down and loaded into Media Player and, again, I think her duets and background vocals are as good as her own albums, with even more diversity in music styles than her own albums, if that's possible. The stuff with Carla Bley, Dennis James, and Philip Glass borders on (if not actually) modern Classical; Toto and Kortchmar are hard rock; Gilbert & Sullivan as light Opera...do any recordings of La Boheme exist out there as examples of Opera? You could go on and on regarding her guest appearances.
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Post by mysteryguest on Apr 8, 2012 1:02:12 GMT -5
Linda's appearances at McCabe's and possibly some of her appearances with Emmy may be as close to Bluegrass as she has gotten. As an astute musician Linda has understood that to sound Bluegrass one must project that "high lonesome sound" in their voice. Linda comes by it naturally which is why she sounds so damn good singing that genre of music. It is quite unfortunate she has never done a strictly Bluegrass album.
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Post by rick on Apr 8, 2012 1:43:22 GMT -5
Linda's appearances at McCabe's and possibly some of her appearances with Emmy may be as close to Bluegrass as she has gotten. As an astute musician Linda has understood that to sound Bluegrass one must project that "high lonesome sound" in their voice. Linda comes by it naturally which is why she sounds so damn good singing that genre of music. It is quite unfortunate she has never done a strictly Bluegrass album. Linda appeared with Sam Bush in Telluride, Colorado, a few years back now. The concert was broadcast on local radio and an MP3 of it was avaiable. I seem to recall that around that time it was rumored that Linda was considering working with Sam Bush on a bluegrass album, but it didn't come to pass. |
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Post by mysteryguest on Apr 8, 2012 1:59:54 GMT -5
It did, kinda sorta.... (probably the best we will get)  |
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Post by rick on Apr 8, 2012 3:28:20 GMT -5
It did, kinda sorta.... (probably the best we will get) Yes, MysteryGuest, that "CD cover" artwork you are showing and the track listing is from the MP3 files that were circulated from the radio broadcast of the live concert Linda performed with Sam Bush and his band in Telluride, Colorado. Of course, as we all know, Linda recorded studio versions of all of those songs on various albums. But, yes, it was nice to hear Linda with Sam Bush. |
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