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Post by the Scribe on Dec 24, 2018 8:10:25 GMT -5
A thread to reveal stories behind the songs Linda Ronstadt has recorded. This may include song history, how Linda came to the song or why a song came into existence.
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 24, 2018 8:16:12 GMT -5
RIVERHow a ‘thoroughly depressing’ Joni Mitchell song became a blue Christmas classicLinda Ronstadt said “River” was an obvious choice when she recorded her own holiday album, “A Merry Little Christmas,” in 2000. “I’d wanted to record it for years, and I just couldn’t figure out where to put it,” she told The Post in 2006. “I’d never heard it in the context of other Christmas songs, but I always wondered why that was.”
Ronstadt said at the time that she’d never discussed the meaning of the song with her old friend, Mitchell.
But she had some ideas about what might have inspired it — possibly including Mitchell’s daughter, who was born in the 1960s, when the singer was 21 and about to move from Saskatoon to Toronto.
Mitchell gave the child up for adoption and didn’t have any contact with her until 1997.
“I think that’s what a lot of her singing is about, because it has this very sad tinge,” Ronstadt speculated. “But who really knows if that’s what ‘River’ is about? The answer is: I don’t know, and I bet Joni doesn’t, either.” For her part, Mitchell told NPR in 2014 that the song is about “taking personal responsibility for the failure of a relationship.”
“And my generation — you know, the ‘Me Generation’ — is known to be a Peter Pan, narcissistic generation, right?” she said. “So it’s really, you know — it’s really that aspect of our inability — you know, ‘I’m selfish and I’m sad.’ Right?
“You know, people think that’s confessional, but I’d say, you know, in my generation, you think that that’s a unique personal statement? You know what I mean? It’s like, no wonder there’s so many covers of it!”
Taylor, who performed “River” in front of Mitchell last month at a tribute concert to celebrate her 75th birthday, said the song is most likely autobiographical, given that “it starts with a girl from Canada watching them try to make Christmas on La Brea in Los Angeles.”
But he told The Post in 2006 that he’d never actually discussed the meaning with Mitchell, with whom he was romantically involved in the early 1970s.
“Do I want to know who she made cry, who she made say goodbye? Well, I haven’t asked her that question,” Taylor said. “That’s the only mystery in it: Who was it whose heart she broke?”
With a laugh, he added: “There were a lot of us.”
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_(Joni_Mitchell_song)
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 24, 2018 8:41:54 GMT -5
LOVE IS A ROSEThis song was written by Neil Young, who recorded it for an album called Homegrown that was never released. He offered it to Ronstadt, who recorded a faster version with a hoedown feel. Young's rendition appeared on his 1977 compilation, Decade.
Roses have long been used as metaphors for love, to the point where it's somewhat cliché. Neil Young's angle is that once the rose is picked from the vine, it starts to die and you'll be left with a handful of thorns. Much of his work around this time dealt with his split from the actress Carrie Snodgress, with whom he had his first child, Zeke, in 1972.
Neil Young performed "Love Is A Rose" with different lyrics in 1971 when the song was known as "Dance Dance Dance." This version, which was not released until the 2007 compilation Live at Massey Hall 1971, had a more optimistic tone:
Never thought love had a rainbow on it See the girl dance
Ronstadt's version came together quickly, requiring about an hour of studio time. Her producer, Peter Asher, brought in David Lindley to play the fiddle and Herb Pedersen for the banjo. Kenny Edwards, who played with Ronstadt in her group The Stone Poneys, was on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, and Andrew Gold on acoustic guitar. The harmony vocals were done by Jim Connor, who wrote the John Denver song "Grandma's Feather Bed."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Is_a_RoseLinda Ronstadt original artist.live:LINDA RONSTADT WHEN WILL I BE LOVED IS A ROSE LINDA RONSTADT LIVE 1976.wmv
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 24, 2018 9:01:07 GMT -5
DREAMS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN
Linda Ronstadt recorded a song called “Dreams Of The San Joaquin,” that is definitely a story song about my family that all came out to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl.
"This is definitely a story song about my family that all came out to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl," explains songwriter Randy Sharp. "A biography of the Sharp family. It’s two generations ago, but there’s remnants of that mentality, and there’s a lot of Sharps still in California that are descendants of those people. And my parents still talk about it, they were children during a lot of that. But the desperate times… we tried to tell a story of both how desperate it was, and how these people lost everything, and tried to get to California because there was supposed to be work here. And they got here and discovered that there were already thousands of families needing work. And at the same time they were drawn out here by the attraction of the place, how beautiful it was, the snow capped Sierra Nevadas, and the big lush San Joaquin Valley, which is the central valley in California, and all of the green and the alfalfa and the citrus farmland. It was kind of a paradise. It’s slipped a lot since then.
So Jack Routh and I spent a long time trying to tell both those stories of the paradise, and the fact that it was just an incredibly difficult life once they got here. We were just trying to paint a picture of these two things; the beauty of the place coupled with the difficulty of the work."
These are stories that have been passed down from generation to generation? I know the stories, because I've heard it from family. But also the John Steinbeck Grapes Of Wrath, writing that same story. It's a known story in Americana. But we were just trying to paint a picture of these two things; the beauty of the place coupled with the difficulty of the work.
"Dreams Of The San Joaquin"
I'm sending you some money I wish it could be more But it's harder than I thought To find the work I came here for
This place is just as pretty As I pictured it to be But a man in need of work's An all too common sight to see
Each morning as the trucks roll in A lucky few climb on And the rest of us are left to wonder Where the dream has gone Where the dream has gone
They say the Sierra melts with the rain To race through the valley like blood through the vein Turning the lowland from golden to green To harvest forever the dreams of the San Joaquin
Every day I struggle With the distance and the fear That I will not return Or find a way to bring you here
My emptiness grows deeper I feel my spirit fall As night comes like a blanket It brings no sleep at all
I only hope that time will find A way to work things out We will be together In the life we dream about Life we dream about
They say the Sierra melts with the rain To race through the valley like blood through the vein Turning the lowland from golden to green To harvest forever the dreams of the San Joaquin We'll harvest forever the dreams of the San Joaquin
Linda Ronstadt original artist.
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 24, 2018 9:12:10 GMT -5
GET CLOSERIn this song, Ronstadt is giving a guy some helpful advice: If he wants love, he'll have to open up his heart and get closer. Like many of her hits, it was written by a guy, in this case Jon Carroll, who was a member of The Starland Vocal Band ("Afternoon Delight").
Soon after the group broke up in 1980, Carroll wrote the song and recorded a demo - it works for either a guy or a girl to sing, improving its chances of getting recorded. Starland leader Bill Danoff was Jon's manager, and one night he found himself enjoying some time with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. When Harris asked what he was up to post-Starland, Danoff pulled out a cassette tape with three demos, including Carroll's rendition of "Get Closer." He played it, and when "Get Closer" came on, Ronstadt asked if she could have it. She brought it to her producer, Peter Asher, who agreed that it was a great song. The made it the title track of her 1982 album and the lead single.
The song has an unusual piano riff in a 7/4 time signature. That riff is similar to the one heard in "Fire," the 1978 Pointer Sisters hit written by Bruce Springsteen, but with the last quarter note of the second measure chopped off.
In a Songfacts interview with Jon Carroll, he told the story behind this song. It started with the riff, which he came up with during a session at Bias Recording in Washington, DC. "There's all these different types of songs that come to you, but sometimes the nugget of them just comes from somewhere," he said. "In my head, I was hearing a kind of Leiber and Stoller shout, a call-and-response type of thing. I'm sure other songwriters do this as well, especially in R&B, but when you're grooving on something and you know where you want the vocal to be, you just start chiming and hollering phonetical things that aren't words. I was hollering and I started recording it the next day on a hand-held.
'You want love,' that was the dog-bark of the tune, and then 'Get Closer' was just because it felt good phonetically. It started from there."
He added: "The riff was something I didn't want to depart from because it felt so good, so I figured I'd depart by just changing the key and having the verses in a different melodic rhythm but have the bass stay the same rhythm. It brings it down to another key - it goes to the key of C from F, so that way it brings the melody out from that upper wheelhouse into more of a narrative.
It's got that thing that good party records have, which is starting with a chorus and then departing to the verse - the second act kind of starts with the first verse when you start with the chorus like that."
Jim Carroll's original has a horn break, and also these lines, which Ronstadt excised:
Why you laying on all that macho stuff? Don't you think she's already had enough?
His version is posted at his website.
This was Linda Ronstadt's first single released in the MTV era. A video was made for the song, which did well on the network, but she was not destined to be a video star. Ronstadt certainly had the looks, but she had little interest in the form. The "Get Closer" video is based on the album art, with Ronstadt in the same dress, making literal gestures to match the lyrics.
Instrumentation on this track is:
Guitar - Andrew Gold, Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel Bass – Bob Glaub Drums – Russ Kunkel Wurlitzer Piano – Bill Payne Backing Vocals – Patti Austin, Rosemary Butler
Kunkel is the cousin of Margot Chapman, who was part of the Starland Vocal Band with the song's writer, Jon Carroll, and paired with him romantically. While the song was being recorded, Carroll tried to get updates from Kunkel on the progress, hoping it would make the album. He was thrilled to learn that the song was not only going to be on the album, but would be the title track and first single. It was also gratifying for Carroll when they kept his 7/4 time signature.
Ronstadt changed direction after the Get Closer album, releasing three orchestral albums of standards, followed by an album of Mariachi music. It wasn't until 1989 that she released another traditional pop album: Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind.
www.songfacts.com/facts/linda-ronstadt/get-closer
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Closer_(Linda_Ronstadt_album) Linda Ronstadt original artist.
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Post by moe on Dec 24, 2018 15:23:09 GMT -5
I just made a lengthy (for me) comment on "Dreams of San Joaquin" basically what I thought of as a wonderfully moving song about Mexican migration turns out to be about the dust bowl of the '30's. My Kindle (which I fear has a Trumpian bent) summarily deleted it. When I get to a real keyboard I'll finish.
By the way- question for all you stylistic gurus out there- What is the correct way of presenting a title of a work of art. I use quotes but I have a feeling that isn't correct.
Merry Christmas to those who buy that and Happy Holidays to everyone else.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Dec 24, 2018 16:05:34 GMT -5
I guess you mean "Happy Holiday" (New Year's) as all the rest I can think of Hanukkah Christmas and Kwanzaa are faith culture based where gift giving is done!!!! If you replaced Christmas with the other 2 aforementioned holidays (one at a time) how would that be received IMO it is the variety of holidays by different religions and culture that I find awesome during this time of year and also peace and hope for the upcoming year
eddiejinnj
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Post by eddiejinnj on Dec 24, 2018 16:30:14 GMT -5
Patti Austin sang on "Get Closer" Patti and James Ingram did a duet. Not mentioned much that she worked with Linda on this song. Linda has worked with some of the best artists. eddiejinnj
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Post by germancanadian on Dec 24, 2018 16:32:56 GMT -5
Great story for Get Closer. That's one of my favorite Linda songs since I grew up listening to 80s style rock. Somewhat underrated album even though it went gold.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Dec 24, 2018 17:31:51 GMT -5
I would say it has to be platinum Quotes say it has sold over 900k On the album pkg (cd) it stated that it is a million seller I am not sure if that was on the initial pressing or subsequent packaging eddiejinnj
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 25, 2018 2:53:42 GMT -5
Here is Jon Carroll performing his song Get Closer:
And here he is as a member of Starland Vocal Band (I just love this video):
Here is Jon when he was wet behind the ears and clearly enamored by his future wife Margot Chapman. This video brings back so many memories and good times. Makes me smile like few others.
Fellow band member Bill Danoff changed his name and went on to become a great radio talk show host (jk). Taffy changed her name to Dawn and went on to marry my old roommate Bob. lol
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 25, 2018 4:05:46 GMT -5
HOW DO I MAKE YOUThis was the first hit song Billy Steinberg wrote. He went on to write 5 US #1 hits, including "Eternal Flame," "Like A Virgin" and "True Colors." He explains how Rondstadt came to record the song: "The band I had at that time was called Billy Thermal. And Billy, of course, is my name, and Thermal is a little town in the Coachella Valley where my dad had a vineyard. So I worked on that farm of his at that time. So I decided to call my band Billy Thermal. And that was the band that was signed to Planet Records with Richard Perry. The guitar player in the band was a guy from Florida who was living in L.A., his name was Craig Hull. And Craig's girlfriend at that time was a pretty well-known songwriter named Wendy Waldman. And Wendy would sometimes tour with Linda Ronstadt as a background vocalist. So without asking my permission or anything, Wendy and Craig played the Billy Thermal demos for Linda Ronstadt, and Linda liked the song 'How Do I Make You.'" Steinberg: "I remember, the song 'My Sharona' came out by The Knack, and I thought it was just like ear candy. It was just really exciting. So I think my song, 'How Do I Make You' was a little bit influenced by 'My Sharona.'"
www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/billy-steinberg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Do_I_Make_You Linda Ronstadt original artist.
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 25, 2018 4:17:11 GMT -5
WINTER LIGHTThis pastoral track was a rare co-write from Linda Ronstadt. She recalled to Uncut: "A friend of mine, Fred Fuchs - who was working on a movie called The Secret Garden directed by Agnieszka Holland, who I love, called me up. He said they hadn't been able to find a title song that everybody liked, and I said, Send me the soundtrack and the movie and let me hear what it sounds like.'
I liked the soundtrack, so I got my friend Eric Kaz and we put two pieces from it together and made a verse and a chorus and a bridge. Then I wrote some lyrics and Eric wrote some lyrics and we put it all together. And the composer really liked it, and Agnieszka Holland really liked it."
The tune was used as The Secret Garden's end credit song, but was not included on the movie's original soundtrack release.
Three years later the song featured on Dedicated To The One I Love, Ronstadt's collection of Rock classics reinterpreted as children's lullabies. She said: "I put that on my baby record so that I could get my children to go to sleep, and it worked like a charm."
The song was covered by Sarah Brightman on her 2001 album, Classics.
www.songfacts.com/facts/linda-ronstadt/winter-light
Linda Ronstadt original artist.
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Post by the Scribe on Dec 25, 2018 6:20:42 GMT -5
DON'T KNOW MUCH The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote this with Tom Snow, who is known for his work on music for movies - he wrote the score for Footloose and also the music for the song "Let's Hear It For The Boy," which was used in the movie. The song first appeared on Mann's self-titled album in 1980. Bill Medley recorded it in 1981, and Bette Midler released a version called "All I Need To Know" in 1983.
Ronstadt's version is a duet with Aaron Neville. They met at the 1984 World's Fair when both were performing there and realized their mutual admiration. When they decided to work together, they picked this song, which was brought to their attention by producer Steve Tyrell.
Peter Asher, who was Ronstadt's manager, produced this track. He had a hit called "A World Without Love" as part of the duo Peter & Gordon in 1964. His sister Jane was Paul McCartney's girlfriend.
This won a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance by a Pop Group or Duo. Ronstadt and Neville would team up for another Grammy-winning song, "All My Life," which earned the same prize in 1990. >>
Barry Mann recorded a new version for his 2000 album Soul & Inspiration.
Neville and Ronstadt portray in the song's music video a couple still in love in their middle age. Neville told Mojo magazine February 2013 that despite the rumors, he and Ronstadt were no more than friends. He said: "The guy who directed called us in a room and said, 'Look - if y'all ain't gonna make this thing believable, there ain't no sense in doin' it.' Linda's a pretty woman - it wasn't hard to portray that. But they had all kinda stupid rumors out. None of 'em were true 'cos we're friends. We respected each other. But I look at the video and it looks kinda suspect (laughs)."
Linda Ronstadt told The Guardian that she's always loved Aaron Neville's singing. "He has a certain singing style related to French baroque opera, which got imported into the American South in the 18th century," she explained. "His falsetto is very evocative of that, and that – the Creole tradition – was interesting to me."
www.songfacts.com/facts/linda-ronstadt/dont-know-much
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Know_Much
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Post by germancanadian on Dec 25, 2018 15:12:51 GMT -5
Don't know much was a great song, it got tons of airplay on the radio and Muchmusic. Only three other groups have won the Grammy for pop vocal performance by a duo or group two years in a row, The Carpenters, The Bee Gees and No Doubt.
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 5, 2019 7:49:40 GMT -5
WALK AWAY RENEERIP MICHAEL BROWNNew York City baroque pop band the Left Banke charted only two Top 40 hits during its brief and stormy life — "Walk Away Renee" in 1966 and "Pretty Ballerina" a year later — but the impact of those records and others that were largely written, arranged and produced by the group's keyboardist Michael Brown have continued to resonate.
Linda Ronstadt, who early on delved into baroque pop on her first hit, "Different Drum," while she was a member of the Stone Poneys, included her version of "Walk Away Renee" on a recent duets compilation album for which she hand-selected the songs.
"That's a real special song for me in the whole pop music canon," Ronstadt told The Times last year. "When it first came on the radio, I didn't have any idea what the words were. It just sounded like, 'La la la.' I didn't know any of the words, I couldn't understand them, and yet, in a second, it became just one of those haunting songs you can't forget. I don't know what it is. There's the feeling when you give up on somebody, and you just let it go. That song nailed that arc of emotion and the arc of how it works. I love that song."
www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-rip-michael-brown-left-banke-appreciation-ronstadt-20150320-story.html Former forum member hot4daria (Harold W) did a mashup of Linda's version and that of the Four Tops and catman916 turned it into a video:"Walk Away Renée" Linda Ronstadt, Ann Savoy, The Four Topscatman916 Published on Jan 12, 2010 This is a fun upload. I do not know who created this remix of "Walk Away Renée," the old Left Banke classic, combining the Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy version (from the 2006 album Adieu False Heart) with the great version by the Four Tops from 1967, but I think that it worked out quite well. If anyone knows, please tell. The song can be found in a 5 CD set, Linda Ronstadt Collaborations and Rarities, a collection of rare and hard to find duets and tracks compiled by Naughty Dog.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Jan 5, 2019 8:22:13 GMT -5
Did we talk about this supposed 5 CD set mentioned above I have seen catman vids but don't exactly recall his mentioning a 5 cd set!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 5, 2019 8:49:36 GMT -5
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Post by eddiejinnj on Jan 5, 2019 9:55:35 GMT -5
Thanks buddy This wasn't an official release was it? Can we obtain a copy? eddiejinnj
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Post by eddiejinnj on Jan 5, 2019 10:22:12 GMT -5
"She's a Very Lovely Woman" is baroque pop? eddiejinnj
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 6, 2019 1:30:39 GMT -5
Thanks buddy This wasn't an official release was it? Can we obtain a copy? eddiejinnj "She's a Very Lovely Woman" is baroque pop? eddiejinnj
Not official. Go to the site or do a search to see if it is available. I doubt it.
Lovely Woman was more in the "psychedelic" realm.(as described by rock critics) I've read Linda didn't like that song (what else is new lol) but I thought it was great.
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 6, 2019 2:13:34 GMT -5
SISTERSLISTEN: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwg5MtyOq2oN1m-0B-N8PUoSzuKppUoEGCal Vid Published on Aug 7, 2017 Linda Ronstadt and Bette Midler sing duet of Sisters from Linda Ronstadt 2014 Duets compilation album and Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook in 2003. "Sisters" was written by Irving Berlin in 1954, best known from the movie White Christmas that same year.Linda Ronstadt On Singing With Bette MidlerPosted Apr 7, 2014 9:04 am by Mister D
MR: Let’s talk about a couple of the duets, “Sisters,” first of all, with Bette Midler.
LR: I loved doing that. We had so much fun. I love Bette Midler, I’m a huge Bette Midler fan. I think she is just an incredibly brilliant, wonderful, intelligent talent and she’s so creative and she’s such a wonderful writer and she just does it all herself, you know? It’s hard to find a talent like that where she’s just making it all up herself. She knows when to delegate and add stuff, she invents all of these characters, I love her.
MR: Yeah, and you not only sound like sisters, you sound like twins on that one.
LR: [laughs] Oh, we’re both chameleons, so we’re both kind of reflecting each other. But she has a little delighted, delicious… It’s her sense of humor that comes out in the middle of that song; it’s the little gleam in her eyes, that wicked little sense of humor. She’s just absolutely naughty. When she sings, she has that undercurrent of a stripper’s “buh-boom, buh-boom, buh-boom” kind of thing. [laughs] The two sisters in business selling it out there, it’s so great. It’s such a conspiratorial little thing she was sharing with me.
bootlegbetty.com/2014/04/07/linda-ronstadt-on-singing-with-bette-midler/I thought it was interesting that Rosemary Clooney starred in the movie White Christmas (named after a song from the film Holiday Inn); Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt recorded the Clooney song Sisters from the same movie AND Linda included the song White Christmas featuring Rosemary Clooney on her Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Christmas album. And on a personal note one of my sisters was named after Clooney's sister (co-star in the movie) Vera Ellen. So many coincidences in this small world. If you haven't heard Bette's album of Rosie's songs you need to. Excellent album that I believe she said was recorded in just a few days. Memories Of You is compelling and her Barry Manilow duet is fun. Sisters (song)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Sisters" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1954, best known from the 1954 movie White Christmas.
Recordings White Christmas Both parts were sung by Rosemary Clooney (who served as Vera-Ellen's singing vocal dub for this song, while Trudy Stevens dubbed Vera-Ellen's other songs in the film).
The movie White Christmas also starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. It was not possible to issue an "original soundtrack album" of the film, because Decca Records controlled the soundtrack rights, but Clooney was under exclusive contract with Columbia Records. Consequently, each one issued a separate "soundtrack recording": Decca issuing Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas, while Columbia issued Irving Berlin's White Christmas. On the former, the song "Sisters" (as well as all of Clooney's vocal parts) was recorded by Peggy Lee, while on the latter, the song was sung by Rosemary Clooney and her own sister, Betty. The Clooney sisters' version, which was also released as a single, was the most popular recording of the song, charting in 1954.
Cover versions The song was also made famous in the United Kingdom by sister act the Beverley Sisters.
A 2004 album of songs made famous by Rosemary Clooney, done by Bette Midler, included a version of the song done by Linda Ronstadt and Midler.
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Post by Dianna on Jan 6, 2019 14:46:00 GMT -5
And here he is as a member of Starland Vocal Band (I just love this video): Is the woman in that video^ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, during her rebellious college years?
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 6, 2019 17:36:23 GMT -5
Thanks buddy This wasn't an official release was it? Can we obtain a copy? eddiejinnj "She's a Very Lovely Woman" is baroque pop? eddiejinnj Not official. Go to the site or do a search to see if it is available. I doubt it.
Lovely Woman was more in the "psychedelic" realm.(as described by rock critics) I've read Linda didn't like that song (what else is new lol) but I thought it was great.It wasn't really a psychedelic song. Maybe the original version was but Linda's could've been described as baroque pop or baroque rock. Another curio I find interesting is referring to (She's A) Very Lovely Woman as the B-side or a rare B-side, when it was the A-side, with Kenny's song, The Long Way Around being the B-side. Which wouldn't have made sense as Kenny's song was from Hand Sown, Home Grown, which in 1971 would've made it a two year old song at the minimum being promoted as an A-side. Very Lovely Woman was getting radio airplay but maybe there was some confusion as to what was supposed to be the plug side and which side was just along for the ride? Or maybe Capitol and maybe Linda didn't realize the potential Kenny's song had to be a hit and both songs canceled each other out on the charts?
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 6, 2019 17:56:49 GMT -5
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Post by eddiejinnj on Jan 7, 2019 15:58:20 GMT -5
I would think it is a combination of baroque and psychedelic rock It has some orchestration in it if I'm correct and a bombastic sound (some kind of non-rock drums) in the baroque style and a dark psychedelic feel also eddiejinnj
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 7, 2019 22:04:41 GMT -5
I found some of these rarities on youtube. Until I saw that list, I never knew she had tackled "Ring of Fire" with Earl Scruggs and his sons. I always thought that would've been a good song for her to have done but it didn't seem like she was catching the groove with Earl Scruggs. When singing the verses, she sounded very disinterested. She showed a little life on the song's chorus but had to wonder if she ever thought about re-recording her own version independent of Earl and his sons? Another curio listed as a duet - with Homer Simpson (!), "Funny How Time Slips Away," had me wondering if it was an unreleased song Linda given to the show for use in the show, with the voice actor overdubbing his parts? Linda just seemed to stun in the places where she was singing but the grating Homer Simpson voice just ruined what sounded like to be a true hidden gem. Maybe someday a Homer-less version of Linda singing the song will turn up?
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Post by the Scribe on Jan 8, 2019 2:38:04 GMT -5
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Post by erik on Jan 8, 2019 9:34:28 GMT -5
Quote by eddieinnj re. "She's A Very Lovely Woman":
I think that's a fair statement, and I would also add that this was probably Linda's most straightforward pop-rock recording up to that particular time. One can only speculate what might have come from these efforts at Muscle Shoals if they had somehow been assembled into a full, complete album.
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Post by sliderocker on Jan 22, 2019 22:45:35 GMT -5
Quote by eddieinnj re. "She's A Very Lovely Woman": I think that's a fair statement, and I would also add that this was probably Linda's most straightforward pop-rock recording up to that particular time. One can only speculate what might have come from these efforts at Muscle Shoals if they had somehow been assembled into a full, complete album. Had it been a big hit for her, I wonder if her dislike of the song would've been as strong? With her claim that she chose every song she recorded, it's somewhat odd she would choose a song she didn't like. And perhaps in this case, she didn't choose the song but bowed to pressure from Capitol or from John or from someone who thought it was a good song for her. With regards to Linda's Muscle Shoals recordings, it would be interesting to hear everything that was tried, though it also might be something of a disappointment as well. Mike Nesmith recorded about ten songs in Nashville in the late 60s for a proposed Monkees album, of which only three were initially released. Many thought the other songs were unreleased gems but when the songs were released in the 80s and 90s by Rhino, the production and arrangements on the songs were a little less stellar than originally thought. Sometimes, there is a reason why songs are not released. By the way, last year, my sister and I, on our way to visit our cousins passed through Muscle Shoals and saw the recording studio Linda recorded in. Still standing, just a small building which looked smaller than I thought it would look. I don't know how many times we passed that building in the early 70s or if we passed it when Linda was recording there. I think back now and wished I had known and wished we had stopped there, especially if Linda had been there.
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