Deep Tracks: Linda Ronstadt
One of the biggest selling female artists of the 1970s, Linda Ronstadt’s extraordinary career has to be one of the most varied in the history of pop music, taking in everything from folk and country, to rock and pop, to R&B and new wave, to jazz and traditional Mexican music to her most recent and final album of songs inspired by Cajun Music.
Blessed with a powerful, pure voice that always sounds effortless, in an era where the singer-songwriter was king, Ronstadt fought against the tide to show her immense skills as a brilliant interpreter of song (although she did write a track or two herself along the way), transforming every song she tried her hand at, imbuing each one with passion and emotion yet never over-performing, always bringing both taste and restraint where necessary.
She brought back older hits, giving her own unique spin and treating them to that incredible voice of hers, but also helped bring a number of unknown or under the radar contemporary singer-songwriters to wider audiences such as Andrew Gold, Warren Zevon, the McGarrigle Sisters and J.D. Souther, to name but a few. And of course shehelped to assemble what would become the mega-selling Eagles when she brought them together to play in her backing band in the early ’70s.
Despite selling millions of albums in the ’70s and ’80s, for a while Ronstadt fell out of favor but in recent years thanks to her way overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Fame of Fame, an excellent memoir (Simple Dreams) and a new wave of young singers citing her as a huge inspiration, Ronstadt finally seems to be getting the respect she so rightly deserves.
Although Parkinson’s disease has tragically robbed Ronstadt of her incomparable voice, after over 30 albums recorded over five decades, her music is a treasure trove filled with gem after gem that go far beyond her many hits. Because it would be impossible to include every single forgotten pearl or long lost diamond, this list focuses on her years as a pop/rock and country rock pioneer (Heart Like A Wheel, Simple Dreams and Living In The USA are missing simply to their popularity and abundance of hit singles) but we encourage everyone to seek out her wonderful jazz albums (her three American Songbook recordings with Nelson Riddle and her more recent offering, Hummin’ To Myself) and her beautiful tributes to her Mexican heritage, Canciones de Mi Padre, Mas Canciones and Frenesi.
So, to celebrate Ms. Ronstadt’s 72nd birthday today, we delve into her wonderful and extraordinary catalogue, for some of her greatest lesser known songs…
1) “Just A Little Bit Of Rain,” The Stone Poneys (1967)
Although The Stone Poneys are now best remembered for their wonderful cover of Michael Nesmith’s “Different Drum” featuring Ronstadt’s beautiful, plaintive vocals, the first Stone Poneys album was a more folky, harmony-driven affair with Ronstadt sharing the limelight with her bandmates Bobby Kimmel and Kenny Edwards and only singing lead on a few tracks. Of the three, her cover of Fred Neil’s moving “Just A Little Bit Of Rain” is definitely the highlight with Ronstadt beginning to find her voice that helps transform the track. It’s no surprise that the next two Stone Poneys albums saw her emerge as the star of the band.
2) “I’ve Got To Know,” Evergreen, Vol. 2 (1967)
The album Evergreen, Vol. 2 gave Linda Ronstadt her first ever hit single: “Different Drum,” written of course by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees. The single went all the way to #12 on the Billboard charts and remains one of Ronstadt’s most beloved songs. It’s a highlight of an uneven album, which finally put Ronstadt and her incredible voice front and center of the band, and with Edwards and Kimmel contributing less songs (the album did just come mere months after their debut), it allowed Ronstadt instead to showcase a number of up and coming songwriters.
One of these was Pamela Polland of the band The Gentle Soul. “Linda used to come over to my house and ask me to sing for her,” Polland writes on her website. “Jackson Browne and Glen Frey lived right next door so she pretty much had a treasure trove of material to choose from just from my block alone.” The song she chose though was Polland’s “I’ve Got To Know” and features an absolutely exquisite vocal by Ronstadt. The song made a perfect B-side to the “Different Drum” single.
3) “Hobo,” Stone Poneys And Friends III (1968)
If you look closely at the back cover of Stone Poneys And Friends III you’ll spot cult legend (and father of the equally legendary Jeff) Tim Buckley in the crowd of Linda Ronstadt and her pals. It’s no random appearance, Buckley, who was a neighbor of Ronstadt’s at the time, penned no less than three tracks on the last album Ronstadt made with her old band, which to be fair is more a Ronstadt record than a Stone Poneys album. “Hobo,” which appeared the year previously on Buckley’s own album, Goodbye And Hello, as “Morning Glory” is quite faithful to Buckley’s original, if a little more upbeat and hopeful sounding, and complemented by a gorgeous crystal clear vocal from Ms Ronstadt at her folky best.
4) “Carnival Bear,” B-Side to “Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water” (1968)
This rare non-album track B-side to the single “Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water” is a strings-laden ballad featuring a beautifully vulnerable empathetic vocal by Ronstadt, who tells a sad tale about a poor chained bear forced to perform at a carnival. This lost track has never appeared on CD or digitally so far. Hopefully someone out there is compiling a Stone Poneys box set that will include this forgotten gem.
5) “Break My Mind,” Hand Sown… Home Grown (1969)
There’s no doubt that when Ronstadt belts out a ballad it’s always something special but given a more upbeat track she could just be just as impressive, as heard on her version of John D. Loudermilk’s pedal-steel filled country rocker, “Break My Mind,” which brings out a wonderful gutsy edge to her voice. Ronstadt’s first two solo albums are probably her most country and demonstrate that Ronstadt could have comfortably moved into a pure country sound – something she explored later with her friends Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton on the Trio albums. The live version of “Break My Mind,” recorded on the 1969 TV show Hee Haw, and featuring a bare-footed Ronstadt in a fabulous silk mini dress, is certain to make you fall in love with her.
6) “He Darked The Sun,” Silk Purse (197o)
Silk Purse is Ronstadt’s only album recorded in Nashville and is one of her most country, featuring covers of songs by Hank Williams, Mel Tillis, Mickey Newbury and even taking on the traditional song “Life Is Like A Mountain Railway.” One of the highlights though is her cover of the Dillard & Clark tune “He Darked The Sun.” The album version is a gentle acoustic affair with the drums only coming in on the chorus, which is wonderful but there are actually a couple of superior performances of this Gene Clark/Doug Dillard song that are even more essential.
The first is called the “Nashville Version” and you’ll find it on The Best Of Linda Ronstadt – The Capitol Years as a bonus track. This version is a beautifully twangy fiddle-filled traditional country take on the song. Even better is the more upbeat and energetic version found on the 1969 Music From Free Creek album, which is posted above (you’ll also find this version on the Linda Ronstadt/Heart Like A Wheel Raven compilation CD), which is easily the most passionate and fun version of this fantastic song.
7) “(She’s A) Very Lovely Woman,” Single (1971)
Ronstadt started performing this Emitt Rhodes-penned tune, recorded by his then band the Merry-Go-Round, in 1969, popping up on the Johnny Cash Show and Hee Haw to give a more Jefferson Airplane-style rock performance of the track, a big departure from her sound at that time. It finally turned up on vinyl in 1971 as a single paired with “The Long Way Around.” It’s clear why it wasn’t included on her first two albums since it didn’t fit the country style of those records, but it’s a fantastic version of the song that deserves to be rediscovered.
8) “I Won’t Be Hanging Around,” Linda Ronstadt (1972)
Some of Ronstadt’s biggest hits were covers of older songs that had inspired her but, while never a songwriter herself (she did write a few songs throughout her career but not many), she has always had a huge talent for finding upcoming songwriters and then showcasing their best work with her magnificent voice. “I Won’t Be Hanging Around” is such a song. Written by Eric Kaz, who was once a member of the Blues Magoos and went on to write songs for big names such as Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Michael Bolton and even Don Johnson, it’s a beautiful, bluesy vehicle for Ronstadt’s amazing voice and, although never a single, a highlight of her self-titled 1972 album. This record is also notable for featuring the four founding members of the Eagles, who officially got together as a band, with Ronstadt’s approval, after the album was released.
9) “Silver Wings,” Earl Scruggs – I Saw The Light With A Little Help From My Friends (1972)
Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs gathered up old friends, family and more contemporary artists such as Arlo Guthrie, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and, of course, Linda Ronstadt, for one of his first albums after splitting with longtime collaborator Lester Flatt. Ronstadt sings lead on two beautiful tracks, the Utah Phillips song “Rock, Salt And Nails” (sung as a duet with Tracy Nelson) and this stunning version of Merle Haggard’s country classic “Silver Wings.”
10) “I Believe In You,” Don’t Cry Now (1973)
Ronstadt has done some beautiful Neil Young covers throughout her career but “I Believe In You” on 1973’s Don’t Cry Now was her first and her version is a beauty is certain to have made Young proud. Ronstadt’s first big tour was actually supporting Young on his 1973 Time Fades Away tour and while Young didn’t play “I Believe In You” on any of those shows, Ronstadt was probably already familiar with it from his hugely successful After The Gold Rush album released in 1970.
Ronstadt went on to cover other Young tracks such as “Love Is A Rose,” “Look Out For My Love” and “After The Gold Rush” and she also sang on many of Young’s albums including Harvest, American Stars ‘n’ Bars, Freedom, Harvest Moon, and Silver & Gold, so they have long been something of a mutual appreciation society. Young even dedicated a few pages of his memoir Waging Heavy Peace on why Ronstadt should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (two years later she finally made it and who knows, Young’s protest may have been the key why!)
11) “You Tell Me That I’m Falling Down,” Prisoner In Disguise (1975)
Linda Ronstadt has always been hugely supportive of female songwriters throughout her career, championing the likes of Pamela Polland, Wendy Waldman, Karla Bonoff, Tracy Nelson and Anna McGarrigle of the folk duo the McGarrigle Sisters. Ronstadt later admitted that one of the reasons she knew she had to work with producer Peter Asher, was because no one else wanted her to record the song “Heart Like A Wheel,” which became the title track of her breakthrough album, but he “got” the McGarrigles.
She would go on to record several of their songs and later appeared with the sisters on their 1998 album The McGarrigle Hour. This gorgeous track, from 1975’s Prisoner In Disguise, was written by Anna McGarrigle and features some gorgeous harmonies from Maria Muldaur. There’s also this lovely performance of the song with Muldaur and the McGarrigle Sisters from 1984.
12) “Try Me Again,” Hasten Down The Wind (1976)
There are times Ronstadt may not have been given the respect she has always deserved simply because she was primarily an interpreter of song rather than a songwriter (despite the fact that many of the greatest singers from Sinatra to Whitney Houston, did not write their own material). But Ronstadt actually did write a few of her own songs including this magnificent soulful ballad – co-written with Andrew Gold, at that time a member of her band – said to be about her on and off again relationship with J.D. Souther.
The song also contains one of Ronstadt’s greatest and most powerful vocals, maybe due to the personal nature of the lyrics. Because of this Ronstadt never performed the song live, sadly. The album Hasten Down The Wind also features another Ronstadt co-write, the gorgeous “Lo Siento Mi Vida,” partly written in Spanish, a forerunner to her later hugely successful albums of tradition Mexican Mariachi music.
13) “I’ve Turned You To Stone,” George Jones – My Very Special Guests (1979)
George Jones was always one of the kings of country music with a voice that could bring a tear to even the coldest of hearts. It’s no wonder that even outside the world of pure country he was revered by younger artists including of course, Linda Ronstadt. It turns out that the feeling was mutual so she was an obvious choice when Jones set about recording an album of duets with some old country music friends and newer artists from the pop world.
The album was masterminded by Epic record executive Rick Blackburn and Jones admitted later he had no clue who artists such as James Taylor and Elvis Costello were before he made the record but, maybe through his friendship with Emmylou Harris (she even wrote a piece about her love of Jones for the back of his 1976 album The Battle) he was a big fan of Ronstadt’s (no mean feat considering Jones once turned down meeting Neil Young backstage at one his concerts because he had no clue who he was – apparently Young stormed off in a huff!) Not surprisingly Jones and Ronstadt have huge chemistry on this sweet country ballad, one of the highlights of the record.
Ronstadt later sang with Jones in concert during a surprise appearance at the Bottom Line in 1980, singing this tune and Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You.”
14) “Justine,” Mad Love (1980)
Ronstadt got many snarky reviews when Mad Love was released for jumping on the New Wave bandwagon. Later she defended herself by saying that she was just recording the songwriters that were producing the best songs at the time. Listening to Mad Love now it’s clearly unfair that Ronstadt got so much flack because the album follows her usual formula of mixing golden oldies with contemporary songs. There’s three Elvis Costello songs (who she had covered before on her previous album, Living In The USA) and also old favorite Neil Young with the song “Look Out For My Love,” and of course, her upbeat cover of “I Can’t Let Go” most famously recorded by the Hollies but also a hit for Evie Sands.
Two of the best tracks though are by, a new band at that time, the power pop band The Cretones: “Cost Of Love,” which was a single and this standout song, “Justine,” featuring a stunning performance by Ronstadt, proving that she could give an attitude infused vocal as well as she could sing an emotional ballad or playful country tune. In retrospect, Mad Love fits in nicely with Ronstadt’s varied discography and even has a little bit of a Blondie vibe to it, which actually is a thrilling combination of styles.
15) “Rambler Gambler,” B-side to “How Do I Make You” (1980)
Ronstadt didn’t often put non-album tracks on the B-sides of her singles but “How Do I Make You” is a rare exception. It features a gentle country take on the old folk standard “Rambler Gambler” which has been recorded by many folk artists over the years including Ian & Sylvia, Odetta, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Ronstadt’s simple but effective version is pure country though, complete with some tasteful pedal steel, and most likely was a leftover track from the Simple Dreams sessions.
16) “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” The Muppet Show (1980)
Linda Ronstadt singing about her love for Kermit the Frog? Yes, it’s as good as it sounds with Ronstadt belting out the Betty Everett tune years before Cher had a UK #1 with it (and we suspect Cher’s version may well have been influenced by this fantastic clip!) It’s so good it’s a shame a studio recording of this track never made it onto any Ronstadt’s albums.
Her visit to The Muppet Show also gave us some more great performances including “I’ve Got A Crush On You” sung tenderly to Kermit (she would later revisit this old standard on her album What’s New), a rather moving “When I Grow To Old To Dream” and, of course, “Blue Bayou” performed with a chorus of croaking frogs in a colorful swamp! The Ronstadt/Kermit romance would later be revisited on the 1994 album Kermit Unpigged, where the pair duet on the Everly Brothers favorite, “All I Have To Do Is Dream.”
17) “Sometimes You Just Can’t Win,” Get Closer (1982)
After recording the rockier Mad Love in 1980, Ronstadt took a left turn and moved as far away from rock music as she could by making her Broadway debut in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates Of Penzance (she later reprised her role as Mabel in the 1983 film version.) It was the first sign that Ronstadt was getting tired of pop music but, before she explored the worlds of jazz standards with Nelson Riddle, the traditional Mexican music she grew up with and country harmonies with old friends Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton as Trio (all hugely successful projects), she returned to a more familiar sound with 1982’s Get Closer.
Ronstadt’s interest in pop may have been waning at this point but the album did offer up some great tracks particularly her versions of the Jimmy Webb songs “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” and “Easy For You To Say,” which became a surprise hit single. One of the best tracks though was actually recorded in 1977 for the album Simple Dreams, a gorgeous cover of the George Jones track “Sometimes You Just Can’t Win” sung as a duet with then boyfriend J.D. Souther.
18) “Are You Tired Of Me?,” Trio Outtake (1986), later The Complete Trio Collection (2016)
After attempting to record together since the ’70s but each time prevented due to conflicting schedules and different record labels, when Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt did finally come together to record the Trio album it proved an instant success despite it’s stripped down, folky charm going against the ’80s trend of polished country sheen at that time. This charming outtake from that first record features Ronstadt singing the lead on an old Carter Family song and was finally released on the box set The Complete Trio Collection in 2016.
The Trio would come together again for one last time in 1999 but not before some conflict surrounding a non-committal Parton, with an angry Ronstadt instead using some of the tracks the three had recorded together sans Parton for her 1995 album Feels Like Home. Parton wrote the ladies a letter of apology and thankfully Trio II was finally released a few years later and all three remain good friends.
19) “Back In The USA,” Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll Soundtrack (1987)
Ronstadt opened her 1978 album Living In The USA with a cover of Chuck Berry’s classic “Back In The USA” but the studio version pales in comparison to this glorious live performance played with Keith Richards and Berry himself and included in the 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll – chronicling Berry’s 60th birthday concerts – and its accompanying soundtrack.
20) “Adios,” Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind (1989)
Of the many albums Ronstadt has recorded with producer Peter Asher, she revealed in her memoir, Simple Dreams, that Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind is her favorite. And after years of recording jazz standards, country harmonies and old Spanish folk tunes in the ’80s, her return to pop music (and this time it was pure pop) was nothing short of a triumph. The album itself sold more than three million copies in the US alone and produced a number of big hits, but one of the standout tracks was never a single: the Jimmy Webb-penned Adios featuring some spectacular backing vocals from none other than Brian Wilson.
Describing working with Wilson, Ronstadt wrote: “Brian was making up the harmonies as he went along, but sometimes, when he was having difficulty figuring out a complicated section, he would scold himself and say that he needed to work for a time at the piano. However, when he sat down at the piano, he never played any part of “Adios,” but instead would play a boogie-woogie song, very loud in a different key. After a few minutes of this he would go back to the microphone and sing the parts perfectly, without a trace of hesitation.” The results, of course, are wonderful, with Ronstadt’s emotive vocals supported by Wilson’s lush, choral harmonies.
21) “Heartbeats Accelerating,” Winter Light (1993)
Anna McGarrigle, of the McGarrigle Sisters, of course wrote the title track to Ronstadt’s big breakthrough album, Heart Like A Wheel. She also provided, “Heartbreaks Accelerating,” the opening track for Ronstadt’s lovely 1993 album, Winter Light. The album has many beautiful moments including a dreamy version of the Beach Boys’ “(Don’t Talk) Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” a soaring vocal on the Dionne Warwick/Cilla Black classic “Anyone Who Had A Heart” and a rare Ronstadt-penned track: the ethereal title track (which was also used in the movie The Secret Garden). But it’s “Heartbeats Accelerating” that is the lost treasure here, with its romantic, Enya-like production giving Ronstadt’s voice yet another interesting setting.
22) “The Waiting,” Feels Like Home (1995)
In some ways it seems crazy that it took until 1995 for Ronstadt to try her hand at a Tom Petty tune but the wait was well worth it (or should that be “the waiting was the hardest part”?) Ronstadt gives the song a fresh bluegrass feel with some lovely mandolin accompaniment and strong, belting vocals from the lady herself. The whole album is easily one of her most under-appreciated and a must-have for anyone who loves her ’70s country rock recordings.
23) “Icy Blue Heart,” We Ran (1998)
The 1998 record We Ran has proved to be Ronstadt’s last rock album and although not a huge commercial success at the time, it certainly deserved to be. After featuring a Petty cover for the first time on her previous album, this time she goes a step further and brings in his band, the Heartbreakers, to play with her. It’s also completely thrilling to hear Ronstadt take on the Boss for the first time, with the track “If I Should Fall Behind.” But it’s on the John Hiatt song “Icy Blue Heart” where Ronstadt’s voice soars and we defy you not to get chills when she hits those high notes.
24) “Across The Border,” Western Wall: The Tuscon Sessions (1999)
“If I Should Fall Behind” wasn’t the only time that Ronstadt tackled a Springsteen tune. Teaming up with her old friend Emmylou Harris, fresh off the success of the second Trio album, the pair moved away from the pure country of the Trio records covering the likes of Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen, Sinéad O’Connor, Patti Scialfa (who just happens to be Mrs Springsteen) and some beautiful Emmylou Harris originals for their only duet album together.
Ronstadt admits that Harris chose all the material for Western Wall, one of the only times she has done this, but says she connected with Harris’ superb selections immediately and couldn’t bear to lose even one for a song choice of her own. Good thing too or else we may have never heard Ronstadt tenderly sing Springsteen’s “Across The Border” from his Ghost Of Tom Joad album, featuring a subject close to Ronstadt’s heart, which is particularly relevant in recent years: immigration to America. The track is also notable for featuring Neil Young on harmony vocals: so good that’s it’s a shame we never got a Harris, Ronstadt and Young trio record!
25) “Walk Away Renée,” Adieu False Heart (2006)
Ronstadt’s beautiful collaboration with Cajun singer Ann Savoy, Adieu False Heart, is now confirmed as her last ever album due to her tragic diagnoses with Parkinson disease. But what a wonderful final record it is, a beautifully intimate set of songs that feature minimum instrumentation and focus on Ronstadt’s and Savoy’s gorgeous voices and harmonies.
It’s a Cajun-flavored album rather than an all-out Cajun country record, although it does have its moments of fiddle and foot-tapping joy (it’s also a thrill to hear Ronstadt sing in French), but it also features songs by the likes of country singer Julie Miller and British folk-rock legend Richard Thompson. One of the loveliest moments though comes with their gentle and heartfelt take on the Left Banke’s baroque pop classic “Walk Away Renée,” turning it into a touching ballad in a way that no one but Ronstadt can. We will miss her beautiful, unique voice so much.
Did we miss your favorite deep track from Linda Ronstadt? Let us know in the comments!
