Linda with George Jones

[Deleted]

Some nice words from George too...

[Dianna]

Thank you. I used to have this on my ipod. My God, this only proves, this woman has one of the most beautiful natural voices on earth. OMG!
Notice he let her do most of the singing. he probably just wanted to sit back and listen.

[Deleted]

I have a feeling that if Linda has stayed in the country genre, she would be in the Country Hall of Fame..

[erik]

Quote by robertaxel:

I have a feeling that if Linda has stayed in the country genre, she would be in the Country Hall of Fame..

Maybe. But somehow I don't know that she really likes either the town (Nashville) or the industry machinery all that much.

[sliderocker]

Linda's country, I think, was in the days before it became known as paint by the numbers country, although I think it always was that way to a large degree.

[erik]

Quote by sliderocker:

Linda's country, I think, was in the days before it became known as paint by the numbers country, although I think it always was that way to a large degree.

There's also the fact that, as she once said to the effect, she isn't good at doing what she's told, which would have put a craw in most Nashville record label big shots.

And she also mentioned the gap between country music as it's done in Nashville and country music as it's done in California, which is sizable. The Opry bigwigs would have had a hard time handling that inconvenient fact if Linda had pointed it out to them to their faces, which I believe she likely would have.

[the Scribe]

Great find! If we only had it on video.

[Partridge]

Oct 6, 2012 9:08:54 GMT -5 @robertaxel said:

I have a feeling that if Linda has stayed in the country genre, she would be in the Country Hall of Fame..

And based on what she did do in country music in her career, Linda should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was an influential pioneer in country music before Emmylou Harris, who is in the Country Hall of Fame. I would think Emmylou would have some influence and could push to get the conversation going about Linda Ronstadt. At one point, it was reported that more female country artists citied Linda Ronstadt as an influence than anyone else other than Patsy Cline (and let's face it, Patsy Cline is the politically correct influence to cite).

Linda Ronstadt's records changed the sound of an entire generation of female country music artists.

Eh?

[erik]

Quote by Partridge:

Linda Ronstadt's records changed the sound of an entire generation of female country music artists.

Eh?

At the very least, Linda showed that there was more than one way of going about doing it than Nashville let on (IMHO).

[sliderocker]

Oct 7, 2012 11:46:50 GMT -5 Partridge said:

And based on what she did do in country music in her career, Linda should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was an influential pioneer in country music before Emmylou Harris, who is in the Country Hall of Fame. I would think Emmylou would have some influence and could push to get the conversation going about Linda Ronstadt. At one point, it was reported that more female country artists citied Linda Ronstadt as an influence than anyone else other than Patsy Cline (and let's face it, Patsy Cline is the politically correct influence to cite).

Linda Ronstadt's records changed the sound of an entire generation of female country music artists.

Eh?

I've sort of wondered if there are any alternate country music hall of fames elsewhere in the US or around the world where Linda could be inducted or has been inducted? I know of two states that have their own country music hall of fames - Oklahoma and Alabama, but I don't think Linda is in either of them. As much country music as has originated from the western states of the US, there should be a country music hall of fame just to honor those country artists who made it outside of the Nashville system. No doubt Nashville would get itself in a huff over that if it were to happen but there are many artists who will never be recognized by Nashville because they didn't live or record there on a regular basis, so why not go for it?

[Partridge]

I got an email earlier this year from an org called the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. They wanted to induct Linda, but would not do so unless she approved. That probably got dropped. I think they would have expected her to show up. And perform.

[erik]

Since Linda isn't from either Oklahoma or Alabama (though Emmy is from the latter), it's only logical that she isn't in either state's Country Music Hall of Fame. I don't think we here in California have one of our own, but we probably should develop one if we don't, considering the history and the music that came out of it, whether it is the Bakersfield Sound, the L.A. country-rock movement, or the various bluegrass outfits that sprung from the early 60s folk music revival here. Linda would surely be deserving of such accolades (IMHO).

[Dianna]

There isn't much Linda can't sing. the only type of music she's done, which IMO doesn't have pure authenticity is gospel.. Down so Low.. she sang great but when I hear the song, I hear a voice like Jennifer Hudson's .. taking me to church.. so to speak.

[sliderocker]

Oct 7, 2012 23:07:00 GMT -5 Partridge said:

I got an email earlier this year from an org called the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. They wanted to induct Linda, but would not do so unless she approved. That probably got dropped. I think they would have expected her to show up. And perform.

With most music hall of fames (which includes the R&RHoF), the induction is usually contingent on the artist appearing and performing. The R&RHoF honors their artists but then they make the family members of the artists pay to see their loved ones inducted. And it costs a big bundle for one ticket. A few years ago, it was something like $3000. The artist didn't have to pay but if he or she wanted their family members there, they had to pony up bucks they may not have had. I forget who it was but one artist had like six or seven members of his family to see him inducted, and the R&RHoF didn't tell the artist his family members had to pay to see him get the "honor." Had i been me, I would've told them to take their "honor" and shove it up where the sun never shined.

[sliderocker]

Oct 8, 2012 9:21:11 GMT -5 erik said:

Since Linda isn't from either Oklahoma or Alabama (though Emmy is from the latter), it's only logical that she isn't in either state's Country Music Hall of Fame. I don't think we here in California have one of our own, but we probably should develop one if we don't, considering the history and the music that came out of it, whether it is the Bakersfield Sound, the L.A. country-rock movement, or the various bluegrass outfits that sprung from the early 60s folk music revival here. Linda would surely be deserving of such accolades (IMHO).

I'm not so sure on the elegibility for admission in either state, whether it's limited solely to performers who were from either state or worked there. The Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame voted singer Susan Jacks from Canada, "Most Promising Newcomer of 1984," despite the fact Jacks wasn't exactly new to the business and not from Oklahoma and had only been in Oklahoma one time prior to the award. That was in 1972, when she and her ex-husband Terry were still working as the Poppy Family. I think Buck Owens is in the Oklahoma hall, although his 1960s syndicated country music tv-show was produced in Oklahoma City. I think the criteria may be the performer simply had to be a country performer, preferably from the state but that preference wasn't an absolute set in stone requirement.

I'm less sure about Alabama's hall as it hasn't been in business as long as the one in Oklahoma has. They may be more restrictive to country or "country-oriented"performers who are from Alabama. "Country-oriented" meaning performers who aren't necessarily country singers but who were perceived as being country. There are more country performers from Alabama than there are from Oklahoma although I think both halls are mostly museums with not much to recommend paying the admission to see who's in them.

[sliderocker]

Oct 8, 2012 10:04:41 GMT -5 Dianna said:

There isn't much Linda can't sing. the only type of music she's done, which IMO doesn't have pure authenticity is gospel.. Down so Low.. she sang great but when I hear the song, I hear a voice like Jennifer Hudson's .. taking me to church.. so to speak.

Linda and gospel doesn't seem like a natural mix although there is very little by Linda on that genre. I'm sure had Linda been assigned to Capitol's Nashville division bck in the day, they would've pressured her to have recorded a gospel album or two. Gospel came with the country territory regardless of whether the performer liked the music or wasn't of the religious brand of Christianity that embraced that music. Mst country performers did an album or two because their fan base did embrace it. I've never regarded Linda's version of "Down So Low" as being gospel, more like an attempt at blues, but with the backing vocals, I guess it does have a gospel-like feel to it. Curiously, there's a video on youtube of Linda performing the song solo, no backing vocals and she does just fine without the. I think the studio version would've been better without them, more a case of putting more on a song tha needed to be there.

[the Scribe]

If showing up and performing is required to get an award I doubt Linda will be getting the award. I don't think she is too big on awards otherwise Tony wouldn't have one sitting on his fireplace.

[erik]

Quote by dianna:

There isn't much Linda can't sing. the only type of music she's done, which IMO doesn't have pure authenticity is gospel.. Down so Low.. she sang great but when I hear the song, I hear a voice like Jennifer Hudson's .. taking me to church.. so to speak.

You could also count the two little bits of hillbilly gospel from her early solo albums ("We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus" [though I think hers is a blackly comic sendup of the Religious Right]; and "Life Is Like A Mountain Railway"). In many ways, I think she's much easier with gospel music listening to it rather than doing it.

Then again, she reportedly did Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" in concert a couple of times back in 1969 and maybe even recorded a version of it (but didn't release it), and that always struck me as something of a gospel song.

"Down So Low" is definitely a cross between the blues and Gospel, and I think her friendship with Tracy Nelson (who wrote and recorded it first in 1968) probably inspired her to try her hand. I thought she pulled it off well.

[sliderocker]

You could also count the two little bits of hillbilly gospel from her early solo albums ("We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus" [though I think hers is a blackly comic sendup of the Religious Right]; and "Life Is Like A Mountain Railway"). In many ways, I think she's much easier with gospel music listening to it rather than doing it.

I've always thought that when she was younger, Linda may have been more of a religious person. When she recorded WNALMOJ, the religious right wasn't what it is now. It was almost nonexistent in those days, with only pockets of right winged preachers using their pulpits to preach a certain version of politics rather than the teachings of Jesus. Very few of them had access to radio or tv airwaves and even when they did, their market was so small, they could only afford the lowest of low-powered stations.

I also think she may have leaned towards wanting to include gospel when it came to her country make-up, and which could've accounted for weird excursions like "Life Is Like a Railway to Heaven." I'm not sure though whether it was her own idea or someone from Capitol's country marketing division in Nashville telling her she had to record gospel to reach the country audiences. But, I think the reason she rejected Nashville was that their formula method of making music was too limiting, too restrictive and having to sing certain songs or certain type of songs may not have agreed with her own ideas, which were almost always right on the money.

When it comes to gospel, I think she would rather listen than sing although here again, she's sung it on a few occasions and when she has, it's startling given her seeming dislike of Christianity. But, that may be only the extreme right-winged version of Christianity. There are plenty of other people who wear the Christian brand who don't believe or use their religious beliefs to try and beat others into submission in having things their way. As with all troublemakers of the world, right-winged Christians tar all the other Christians who don't agree with what the right-winged does.

Then again, she reportedly did Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" in concert a couple of times back in 1969 and maybe even recorded a version of it (but didn't release it), and that always struck me as something of a gospel song.

Elvis sang a snippet of the song in the recording studio that was released, and it's been speculated he also recorded a full-blown version of the song in the studio that's yet to be found or released. I really wish Capitol and Asylum would get around to releasing at least an album's worth of Linda's unreleased material. There appears to be enough unreleased material during the Capitol era for at least a couple of albums, but the question may be how many songs she recorded at Capitol that are unreleased were in a finished state and just needing to be mixed and mastered? The list that exists listed quite a few unreleased songs but had to wonder what could've been missed? There was a list on Elvis of song he reportedly recorded and the majority of them have never been found, much less released. But, the Elvis list missed several songs which no one even knew about before they were released. I've got a feeling the list on Linda probably missed a few songs as well.

[Richard W]

I guess it all depends on one's definition of "gospel." There's the currently dominant definition of it as the music of the black church, in the Mahalia Jackson vein, and then there's the psalm-singing variety of the white church which often sounds Appalachian.

The latter variety, which Trio touched upon ("Farther Along") and upon which Emmylou Harris has recorded a number of, would be a natural draw for any singer fond of melody and harmony, regardless of their religious inclinations or lack thereof. I, myself, am an atheist yet love many of these songs ("How Great Thou Art" for example) simply for their melodies.

[erik]

Quote by sliderocker:

When it comes to gospel, I think she would rather listen than sing although here again, she's sung it on a few occasions and when she has, it's startling given her seeming dislike of Christianity. But, that may be only the extreme right-winged version of Christianity.

I think that's true. I think her problem with Christianity is not Christianity in and of itself, but the way right-wing evangelicals here in America pervert it, which is what kind of got lost in her post-Vegas quote about having conflicted feelings if she knew such people were in the audience at her concerts.


Quote by richwar:

and then there's the psalm-singing variety of the white church which often sounds Appalachian.

The latter variety, which Trio touched upon ("Farther Along") and upon which Emmylou Harris has recorded a number of, would be a natural draw for any singer fond of melody and harmony, regardless of their religious inclinations or lack thereof. I, myself, am an atheist yet love many of these songs ("How Great Thou Art" for example) simply for their melodies.

Given Linda's C&W background, that white gospel style is more her thing, certainly much more for the spiritual side than merely "gittin' religion" (sic). And one should remember her love for medieval Latin church hymnals too.

In regards to "How Great Thou Art", well, I think that one requires an almost out-of-body performance to be credible. Linda could probably pull it off. But I think one singular artist cornered the market when it comes to that song, and that would be the King himself, Elvis (IMHO).

[sliderocker]

I think that's true. I think her problem with Christianity is not Christianity in and of itself, but the way right-wing evangelicals here in America pervert it, which is what kind of got lost in her post-Vegas quote about having conflicted feelings if she knew such people were in the audience at her concerts.

The right winged evangelicals have definitely perverted the Christian religion, mixing the religion and politics. They want so badly to impose their skewered religious beliefs on others yet what is supremely ironic with this group of people is that they will condemn other superfanatical religious groups like the Taliban. They think they are far different than the Taliban because they preach "kindness" and "love" for their fellow human beings, so long as those fellow human beings are predominantly white and ultra conservative and think like they do. Of course, if you don't share their beliefs or your skin color is all wrong or a person's skin color doesn't matter to you, you're against them and because you're against them, you're against God. So, it's perfectly alright to hate not only your sins but to hate you. That's about as far as they go although there are many extremists within that group who would like to notch it up to the Taliban level by killing you in the name of their religion.

Given Linda's C&W background, that white gospel style is more her thing, certainly much more for the spiritual side than merely "gittin' religion" (sic). And one should remember her love for medieval Latin church hymnals too.

I've sort of wondered if Linda in her autobiography will address whatever religious/spiritualist views she holds or if she has any at all these days? I tend to think that she's a spiritual person but I don't think she's an in your face kind of person about it.

In regards to "How Great Thou Art", well, I think that one requires an almost out-of-body performance to be credible. Linda could probably pull it off. But I think one singular artist cornered the market when it comes to that song, and that would be the King himself, Elvis (IMHO).

Elvis definitely owned the song. According to one story, when Elvis first recorded the song circa 1966-67, the studio engineers openly wept because of his moving performance. There was an ache of incredible longing and sadness in his version which no one since that time has matched. I'm convinced Linda could've come extremely close if she had done the song. Maybe Emmylou - if she hasn't done it already.

[the Scribe]

My guess is Linda leans towards neopagan humanist realizing how much damage these man-made religions have done throughout history and are doing as we speak.

[sliderocker]

Oct 11, 2012 17:39:21 GMT -5 the Scribe said:

My guess is Linda leans towards neopagan humanist realizing how much damage these man-made religions have done throughout history and are doing as we speak.

I've sometimes wondered about Linda's spiritual beliefs, given she did at one time express a belief in reincarnation. Maybe the issue will be addressed in her autobiography. I can't see her being a neopagan or a humanist but neither can I see her being a devout Christian. Maybe she's more like neutral on religion: believes in something but doesn't belong to any church because some of the church members practice the opposite of what they claim to believe