walking upstream…
Linda Ronstadt
photo: rob bogaerts / anefo · cc0 ↗Linda Ronstadt
sourcesWikipedia
Linda Ronstadt grew up in Tucson, Arizona, immersed in a mix of country, Mexican, and pop music before breaking through in the late 1960s with the Stone Poneys and then a long, wide-ranging solo career. One of the most successful American singers of the 1970s, she was celebrated as an interpreter who could move between country rock, rock and roll, the American songbook, and Mexican canciones, with hits like 'You're No Good' and albums such as 'Heart Like a Wheel.' Her early-1970s band became the nucleus of the Eagles, and her example helped define the era's Southern California sound.
the sound in question
1974
You're No GoodLinda Ronstadt
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Hank Williams1940s-50s · Country / Honky-tonk
Ronstadt drew steadily on classic country, and Hank Williams was a touchstone she returned to directly, recording his 'I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)' on her breakthrough album 'Heart Like a Wheel.' His plainspoken honky-tonk heartbreak was part of the country foundation under her rock records.
listen: upstream & here
1951
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)Hank Williams
1974
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)Linda Ronstadt
listen forPlay Williams' original 'I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)' and then Ronstadt's version — hear how she keeps the aching country melody intact while wrapping it in a fuller, warmer early-1970s arrangement.
Buddy Holly1950s · Rock and roll / Rockabilly / Pop
Ronstadt drew on 1950s rock and roll and recorded Buddy Holly songs, taking his 'That'll Be the Day' into the charts and later cutting 'It's So Easy' as well. Holly's bright, hook-driven rockabilly gave her a bouncy, uptempo counterweight to her ballads.
listen: upstream & here
1957
That'll Be the DayBuddy Holly
1976
That'll Be the DayLinda Ronstadt
listen forPlay Holly's 'That'll Be the Day' and then Ronstadt's remake — the chugging rockabilly rhythm and singalong hook carry straight over, now sung with a bigger, brasher 1970s rock band behind it.
Smokey Robinson1960s · R&B / Soul
Alongside her country material, Ronstadt reached for Motown and R&B, recording songs associated with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and scoring a hit with a tender remake of 'Ooh Baby Baby.' Robinson's smooth, melodic soul balladry gave her a template for slow, romantic phrasing.
listen: upstream & here
1965
The Tracks of My TearsSmokey Robinson
1978
Ooh Baby BabyLinda Ronstadt
listen forSet Robinson's 'The Tracks of My Tears' next to Ronstadt's 'Ooh Baby Baby' and listen for the same falsetto-tinged, gliding soul-ballad melody and the unhurried, pleading vocal delivery.