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Post by JasonKlose on Sept 26, 2015 14:09:35 GMT -5
Here's an interesting tidbit that I found on YouTube regarding Linda and the Cub Scout uniform she wore for concerts during her "Simple Dreams" tour in 1977. This is from Casey Kasem's American Top 40 from October 22, 1977. Linda's "Blue Bayou" was #32 that week.
In her memoir, Linda said that she bought the uniform at a surplus store in Greenwich Village in New York, while shopping with her friend Nicolette Larson. They were looking for clothes they could wear onstage. In fact they both bought Cub Scout uniforms, among many other things.
But Casey tells the story of how Linda got the Cub Scout uniform, which came from Bob Hilburn, pop music critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times. According to him, Linda bought the uniform in a Cleveland department store. But she had to con a salesman to get it, because ordinarily you have to show a Cub Scout membership card to buy any part of the uniform. She convinced the salesman to sell it to her by telling him that she was buying the uniform for her son back in California. So Linda was wearing the uniform without authorization, which is strictly against regulations.
I don't know if the story is actually true. I had never heard of this until now. There were a lot exaggerations and lies told about her by the press back then. Not that this is anything bad.......I just thought it was interesting and kind of cool to hear this. Whether it's true or not......doesn't matter to me. Personally, I would believe Linda before I would believe anyone else.
The story about Linda begins at 6:03
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Post by moe on Sept 26, 2015 14:58:43 GMT -5
I'm going to guess that this story is apocryphal, I doubt that there was a store clerk in Cleveland or any where else in 1977 who didn't know who Linda was and that, at that point, had no children. However it is still a wonderful story, especially the part about feeling guilty about impersonating a Cub Scout, that does sound totally Linda. As John Steinbeck said "Just because a thing didn't happen doesn't mean it isn't true" Also Linda and Nicky buying at a second hand store as opposed to "off the rack" sort of jives with Linda's tendency to be parsimonious.
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Post by Goldie on Sept 26, 2015 15:30:48 GMT -5
I don't think there is any live footage of Linda wearing the uniform in question. Just photographs that could have been doctored if they take her to court.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Sept 26, 2015 16:20:18 GMT -5
I would think there has to be some "live" footage of her singing in it. I first saw her as a youngin in 1980 so I missed those years concert-wise but knew the uniform well as I couldn't get enough mags, pics, etc about her from dec 1976 on to this day. eddiejinnj
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 26, 2015 17:21:02 GMT -5
But Casey tells the story of how Linda got the Cub Scout uniform, which came from Bob Hilburn, pop music critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times. According to him, Linda bought the uniform in a Cleveland department store. But she had to con a salesman to get it, because ordinarily you have to show a Cub Scout membership card to buy any part of the uniform. She convinced the salesman to sell it to her by telling him that she was buying the uniform for her son back in California. So Linda was wearing the uniform without authorization, which is strictly against regulations. I don't know if the story is actually true. I had never heard of this until now. There were a lot exaggerations and lies told about her by the press back then. Not that this is anything bad.......I just thought it was interesting and kind of cool to hear this. Whether it's true or not......doesn't matter to me. Personally, I would believe Linda before I would believe anyone else. I don't know where Casey ever got all of his little "musical facts." Casey made many mentions on his Billboard charts radio show that Elvis and the Beatles were tied as the Billboard number one champs, with each having 18 number one hits. The Beatles somehow managed to acquire two additional number one hits despite that after "The Long and Winding Road," they never had another number one, at least in the history of the 45. I was never sure who was accurate and who was BS-ing on the tally, Casey or Billboard until the following happened: In the mid-80s, I bought a Top Ten records book published in Britain that listed various top ten lists of recording artists or musical achievements. But, on an entry for the Beatles, it noted that the highest chart position for "Something" was number three. And which Billboard now credits as a number one record. Either way, it was suspicious as when "Something" b/w "Come Together" came out in 1969, Billboard claimed to have stopped the practice of charting both sides of the 45 with a separate listing, notating the flip being played with the letter F. "Something" was the A-side, George Harrison's first and only Beatles A-side, long deserved - with John's "Come Together" on the B-side. And "Come Together" is a Beatles number one, according to Billboard. But, the problem here is if the A-side only made it to number, the B-side couldn't have made it to number one, given Billboard's then-new practice. So, you take away those two and you eighteen number ones, which ties in with what Casey claimed for so many years. Billboard has had a thing for all things Beatle for years, which I think has been to the detriment of other artists, especially when it comes to breaking any of their records. But, back to the cub scout uniform, I'm not sure about a person needing to have a cub scout membership card to get a uniform. I never was in the scouts but my brother was for a short time. I was with my mom when she bought his uniform and I don't remember her presenting any store salesman with a membership card to get it. Also, I don't remember any claim of it being illegal to wear if you were not in the scouts in some way. The scouts were not a military organization or some police or firemen organization. Back in the 60s, even gas station attendants and ambulance attendants wore uniforms and caps. Once scout clothing was bought, it was the property of the purchaser and/or wearer. The scouting organization couldn't demand it back because they didn't provide it to the scout. So, on that, I think Casey was given a load of rubbish by Hillburn and he bought it hook, line and sinker.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Sept 26, 2015 19:37:05 GMT -5
all I remember is that Sears was an official Scout uniform store and we got mine there. not sure if I showed id lol!!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2015 19:37:22 GMT -5
I was in both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and never had to 'prove' my membership to get a uniform. Seems like a lot of hokum to me...
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Post by Goldie on Sept 26, 2015 20:23:46 GMT -5
I heard the author of a Beatles book interviewed on the radio one night, who knew the Beatles well, say that they preferred to release 45s with two A sides. They didn't like including B sides if they could help it so that may explain something. Just the diverse sound of each song they wrote is amazing to me. Other writers seem to have a "sameness" but not the Beatles. And then to sing them to perfection. How lucky we are to have had that Beatles experience as it was happening.
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Post by JasonKlose on Sept 27, 2015 11:54:41 GMT -5
I didn't think that this was really true. Linda wouldn't lie about where and how she bought the uniform. I don't know why Hilburn reported it that way. But like I said.....a lot of things about Linda were exaggerated back then, and in this case, lied about. Plus, growing up as a kid and listening to Casey Kasem and his American Top 40, I always believed everything he said. He was so interesting to listen to and he made it sound so convincing. I do agree with Casey on one thing though......Linda did look great in that Cub Scout uniform. She totally rocked that outfit!
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Post by philly on Sept 27, 2015 12:28:44 GMT -5
This started me wondering, has any singer of recent vintage tried the cub scout look? Not saying anyone could fill Linda's shorts but as an homage or just a cute stunt perhaps. Madonna wore one (not as well IMO) for her speech at a glaad awards ceremony a couple years ago.
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Post by erik on Sept 27, 2015 12:57:24 GMT -5
Two words for Madonna wearing that Cub Scout uniform of hers: SIGHT GAG.
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 27, 2015 13:00:17 GMT -5
I heard the author of a Beatles book interviewed on the radio one night, who knew the Beatles well, say that they preferred to release 45s with two A sides. They didn't like including B sides if they could help it so that may explain something. Just the diverse sound of each song they wrote is amazing to me. Other writers seem to have a "sameness" but not the Beatles. And then to sing them to perfection. How lucky we are to have had that Beatles experience as it was happening. The double A-sides by the Beatles owed as much to the huge egos of John and Paul, as neither wanted their songs to be a B-side. That's why George could never get an A-side or a B-side until 1968, when his song "The Inner Light" was the B-side of "Lady Madonna." George should've had an A-side long before "Something" but as Lennon himself admitted, George was a victim of the Lennon-McCartney carve up, on both albums and singles. McCartney took the view that Harrison's songs were not up to par as compared to his and John's songs, but when you take into consideration there were three major songwriters in that group with the third major songwriter limited to one or two songs per album, it's easy to see how McCartney might have thought Harrison's songs were not up to par. Even George Martin said they'd spend more time working on John's and Paul's songs than they did on George's songs and that was detrimental to George. But, as all that relates to Billboard, the double A-strategy didn't always work as the second A-side (or a B-side by any other name) didn't always chart, and as Billboard's stopping the practice of giving the B-side a separate chart position stopped in 1969 and just noting the flip side was accounting for some of the sales with the F designation, only the side that was considered the A-side was listed. The flip side wasn't mentioned. Given that the only artists who were charting their B-sides as well as their A-sides on a regular basis were Elvis and the Beatles, the practice may have been stopped simply to stop their dominance of the charts, although Billboard continued to unashamedly fawn over all things Beatle. And they still do. I suspect Billboard intentionally lowered most of Elvis's chart positions as both sides of his 45s were played with some regularity on the radio right up to his death. "Burning Love" should've been a number one, had more sales than Chuck Berry's "My Ding A Ling" but Billboard gave the nod to Berry because of allegedly more radio airplay, even though his sales were considerably less. And then there is the matter of "Way Down," which had stalled on the charts and might have dropped out altogether. But, then Elvis died and every copy of the single - some two million copies - sold out in the stores, but the record did no better in the Top 40 than 18? Gimme a break! It did make number one on the country chart along with its B-side. Billboard's flip side rule apparently only applied to the pop charts. But, over the years, I've learned not to place too much trust into the Billboard charts because the charts can be manipulated and Billboard has some questionable practices. For instance, they didn't count albums sold only in Walmart because that was not a store that used their precious Soundscan reporting system. But, they made an exception for the sales of the Eagles album "Long Road Out of Eden," saying it was a number one album despite the Eagles signing an exclusive agreement to only sell their albums in Walmart. But, another thing I've learned over the years is not to place too much trust in some of the tales told by the disc jockeys. They can get wrong information just like the rest of us, like in Casey Kasem's case, the matter of Linda's cub scout uniform. DJs like to think they are closer to the artists than the fans, which they are to a minute degree, but they are no closer than the average fan is. And I've known some artists who had interaction with their fans on a regular basis. Casey was different than most DJs as he worked in Hollywood and had interactions with the artists on a regular basis. And apparently, the critics, who are a jealous lot because they do know the artists in many circumstances and seem to resent anyone else having access. But, I guess Casey didn't have access to Linda (who did not counting musicians and boyfriends?) and didn't have a way to fact check Hillburn's story as a result. But, DJs are responsible for most of the urban myths about the artists, some of which still gets reported as fact even a story has long since been proven false.
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Post by Belle on Sept 27, 2015 14:07:44 GMT -5
Linda set the record straight about many falsehoods in her book. Evidently this is another one!
Oh but Casey was so smooth, in his delivery, and especially his intros to songs. Timed perfectly.
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Post by moe on Sept 27, 2015 17:49:52 GMT -5
Two words for Madonna wearing that Cub Scout uniform of hers: SIGHT GAG. Agree! But make it one word and get rid of SIGHT!
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Post by suzannes on Sept 27, 2015 18:27:37 GMT -5
I always wondered why there isn't any footage of her in the scout uniform. There is everything else out there of her career except that. Would love to see it.
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Post by Richard W on Sept 27, 2015 19:31:10 GMT -5
She wore it the first time I saw her in concert. 1977, University of Iowa. Awesome.
Linda wears that uniform, while the uniform wears Madonna. Linda made it look sexy. Madonna just looks awkward in it.
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Post by Goldie on Sept 27, 2015 19:35:42 GMT -5
What is that black circle around Madonna's head?
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Post by erik on Sept 27, 2015 19:36:48 GMT -5
Quote by Richard W:
Yes, she looks very stiff in it, especially with absolutely gawky smile on her face. The term Rigor Mortis comes to mind.
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Post by Richard W on Sept 27, 2015 19:59:28 GMT -5
What is that black circle around Madonna's head? A zipper.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Sept 28, 2015 6:43:58 GMT -5
You guys mean the scout hat. She just has it back on her head. eddiejinnj
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Post by JasonKlose on Sept 29, 2015 11:36:35 GMT -5
She wore it the first time I saw her in concert. 1977, University of Iowa. Awesome. Linda wears that uniform, while the uniform wears Madonna. Linda made it look sexy. Madonna just looks awkward in it. I totally agree! Linda did look both cute and sexy in that uniform. She had that look down perfectly. I don't think anyone else could have pulled it off but Linda. That was her own unique look. Anyone else trying it today would just be copying her and look silly and awkward like you said.
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Post by Dianna on Sept 29, 2015 12:19:36 GMT -5
ha ha.. well in all fairness Madonna is in her late 50's.. That's a pretty recent photo. Linda wore it back in her early 30's and yes the suit becomes her. On the flip side. I don't think Linda could ever pull off this look either. lol
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Post by erik on Sept 29, 2015 14:33:17 GMT -5
Quote by Dianna:
Well, besides Linda not being able to pull that off (because it's not her), I sincerely doubt she'd want to.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Sept 29, 2015 15:15:37 GMT -5
Exactly what I was going to say, Erik. eddiejinnj
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Post by Dianna on Sept 29, 2015 17:01:08 GMT -5
No I don't think Linda would be caught dead in Madge's iconic jean paul gaultier "cone bra" look..lol which incidentally I understand sold at auction for 52K...Love her or hate her Madonna is a great stylist- avant garde.. her costumes are very creative. I for one appreciate her artistry.. I didn't care for that cub scout uniform Madonna wore at the GLAAD Awards. IMO to get away with wearing those types of "cutsey" get ups you have to be young and attractive. otherwise it looks really silly. Not to mention the shorts Madonna has on look more like bermuda shorts.. ugly...and that hat looks awful, like a black halo around her head. My point is you can't compare an almost 60 yr old woman to a 30-31 yr old. You guys wouldn't do that if it were reversed!
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Post by PoP80 on Sept 29, 2015 17:54:42 GMT -5
This article sums it up perfectly:
Iconic Moment: Linda Ronstadt Wears A Cub Scout Uniform Onstage
By Randi Reed It’s been buried under her many other musical accomplishments, but in the mid-1970’s, Linda Ronstadt was a rock and roll pioneer. Post-Janis Joplin, and before Pat Benatar, Linda Ronstadt shattered the thick glass ceiling and walls that ensconced the music business at that time by becoming the first female solo rock star to sell out arenas. (Ronstadt was also one of the first--if not the first—mainstream female crossover artists, receiving airplay on rock and country radio simultaneously. But that’s another post for another blog.) Indeed, Linda Ronstadt was the first female rock star to even be considered viable as a large venue headliner. She proved herself thoroughly, becoming one of the top-grossing rock artists of the 1970’s. In honor of Linda Ronstadt’s well-deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we take a look at one of her most talked about onstage looks at the time: a Cub Scout uniform.
Unlike today, in the 1970’s, musicians weren’t courted by top designers. Even if they had been, the formality of designer clothing at that time wasn't what most rock stars would have wanted to wear. A few stars had friends who designed one-of-a-kind items for them, but for the most part, rock artists, particularly women, had to figure it out on their own. Thrift store shopping was where most female artists got their stage clothes, and Linda Ronstadt was no exception. One of those thrift store outings yielded an outfit that caused a sensation: the Cub Scout uniform she wore onstage in 1977 during her Simple Dreams tour.
At five-feet-two inches tall, Linda Ronstadt’s proportions were right for boys’ clothes. She wore the Cub Scout uniform with strappy flesh tone wedgie sandals and her usual hair and makeup, which took any androgyny out of the outfit. This made it completely non-threatening at a time when, as a woman in a business full of men who weren’t used to working with women, some people might have felt...unsettled, let's say. The outfit was a smashing success: guys thought it was sexy, and girls wanted to be like her, or to be her best friend.
In later radio interviews, Ronstadt would say she just bought the Cub Scout uniform because she thought it might look cute. She couldn’t have picked a better time:
Whether Linda Ronstadt realized it or not, during the height of the feminist movement of the 1970’s, in the boys’ club atmosphere that was prevalent in the music business at that time, wearing boys’ clothes onstage made quite a statement. It was also an acknowledgment of the sentiment expressed by most of the male musicians who knew her: she was one of them. It may have been subconscious on her part, but that’s the message that was sent and received.
And everybody who saw it thought she looked damn cute.
Even now, decades later, looking at the photos, it still works. There has been no shortage of female performers paying homage: not long ago, Madonna sported a Cub Scout uniform on a red carpet. It’s also reminiscent of something Katy Perry might have done earlier in her career.
But remember, Ronstadt wore it first.
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Post by Goldie on Sept 29, 2015 18:00:10 GMT -5
Madonna is in phenomenal shape for any age. I like some of her music too although I may like more if I actually listened to music. She didn't look cute in her cub scout uniform like Linda did but Madonna has never really been that cute although she has a certain mystique that can be considered attractive. But then who am I as I haven't won any beauty contests either. I think she is one hell of a businesswoman. I do think people need to dress for their age, including hairstyle. When you are wealthy you can basically do what you want, similar to being retired like my uncle Harry who was balding, wore Buddy Holly black glasses, Hawaiian shirt, plaid Bermuda shorts, white socks and black shoes....oh, and he usually had a cigar in his mouth. Loved that guy. rip
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Post by erik on Sept 29, 2015 18:01:31 GMT -5
Quote by Dianna:
Nope. It wouldn't be as fun.
I would say, though, that Linda, for someone who is a long way from being an upscale clothes horse, has had more eclectic styles of wardrobe and accoutrements than almost any other female singer I can think of: the hoop earrings in her early years; the red dress during her Prisoner In Disguise tour; the Cub Scout outfit; and many others too numerous too mention. And yet through it all she still looks and is authentically herself.
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Post by Goldie on Sept 29, 2015 18:25:45 GMT -5
Don't forget the Mexican era, Trio Western era, Hippie 60's era, Mad Love short haired Punk era, Rock era look, Big Band era, and I am probably missing something. She usually immersed herself in the styles she sang in.
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Post by Dianna on Sept 29, 2015 18:35:32 GMT -5
Nope. It wouldn't be as fun. I would say, though, that Linda, for someone who is a long way from being an upscale clothes horse, has had more eclectic styles of wardrobe and accoutrements than almost any other female singer I can think of: the hoop earrings in her early years; the red dress during her Prisoner In Disguise tour; the Cub Scout outfit; and many others too numerous too mention. And yet through it all she still looks and is authentically herself. It wouldn't be as fun? Sounding a little "mean girls" there. lol Well for me it was never totally about the fashion with Linda. true in her day she was always a little quirky.Not sure about the red dress on PID.. but the cub scout uniform is a stand out. so are some of the things she wore during Mad Love Rolling Stone layout "Many looks of Linda Ronstadt".. the pink feet pajamas..long skirt with the neon blue cowboy boots, where she is on the toilet seat lol Jeans and candies shoes... ect. Her best look IMO.. she was very well put together.. and as you said. authentic..
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