had I ever met her and looked into those beautiful brown eyes, I don't think I could have even strung two syllables together successfully, much less spoken a complete sentence. She is definitely what the song title describes and among the finest female voices ever recorded.
Emmitt Rhodes-he was popular in the 70's. Often called Beatlesque & compared to McCartney. He played all the instruments, wrote all the songs and produced his solo works. A collection of his solo work can be found at Hip-o select. His first band was called The Merry Go Round. Their big hit was called Live and covered by the Bangles.
My favorite Ronstadt song. Played it at WTSL back in '72&73. I knew I should have taken it with me when I left the station. Not on any album. First time in 50 years I have heard this song
Always wanted to hear this song! It was a double A-side with The Long Way Around and charted at #70. I remember reading about this song in 1995 when Rolling Stone released their biographies book and stated that it was the A-side of the Long Way Around single. Wish it was on the Capital collection too! And Living Like a Fool.
What what an amazing singer sings with such feeling and don't miss a note she's fantastic amazing singer of our time those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end we thought they'd last forever and a day but now time has passed us by who's going to feel her shoes I don't think they can be filled God bless her
A good cover....didn't know Linda had recorded.....faithful to the original... One of the songs that made me realise Emitt had the song writing skills to be a major success..... Probe blew it by mishandling Emitt...
And Linda covering Warren Zevon's songs helped with his career. He had been around since the 60s, getting very little notice from anyone. Jackie DeShannon recorded one of his songs, "500 Miles from Yesterday" in 1967-8 but then the record company never released it. The song remained unreleased until a compilation CD was issued on Jackie in the 90s. It was a little different to what he would write later but still showed the tremendous talent that too many record companies ignored.
PERFECT song, PERFECT voice. It can be found on the Australian CD "Linda Ronstadt Hand Sown...Home Grown/Silk Purse" as a bonus track on the Raven label (#RVCD-308).
Also, regarding VLW, that song was available on an Australian 2-CD release from about three or four years ago. I don't recall if it was Silk Purse combined with Linda Ronstadt or Hand Sown, Home Grown, but the combo was the only known CD release of VLW as well as "Living Like a Fool." I don't know if the CD is still in print but copies can usually be found on ebay or through Amazon.
@Zacomonta Thanks for the info! I know many of her b-sides charted on other charts but in this case, Billboard and Rolling Stone clearly state they were released as a double a-side when they charted. Which is why I came to see this song. I was excited because after years of seeing it in my book I could finally hear it. I see that Raven Records just reviewed her Australian re-issue with She's a Very Lovely Woman listed as her 2nd hit. I'm ordering it now!
Linda definitely had several good songs which should've been singles. I always thought her own composition "Try Me Again" should've been an A-side. She actually wrote the song mostly by herself with Andrew Gold contributing to the song's bridge. It would've been nice if Linda could've written more of her own songs. Even though she dismissed herself as a songwriter, I would still like to have seen her with two or three writing credits per album. She was better than she gave herself credit for.
I know Linda Ronstadt is a "mere mortal," but given the magnitude of her musical aptitude and knowledge, she needed several more lifetimes to express it all to her standard level of excellence. "Try Me Again" is a standout song; I think she would've been a brilliant songwriter had she the inclination to pursue that avenue. All said, I'm immensely satisfied with everything she did do! Just read an article on the Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama and learned that she recorded this song in this location.
@Zacomonta @Zacomonta Edwards' "The Long Way Around," was the B-side to a single-only release of "(She's A) Very Lovely Woman." Ronstadt's version has never been subsequently included on an album or released on CD. The double-sided single peaked at #70 in 1971. Both songs also made the Cash Box singles chart as well. This is from her wikipedia. Also, Rolling Stone and Billboard lists "(She's a) Very Lovely Woman" as the A-side. You can see the actual the actual Billboard chart listing it too.
@Zacomonta Definately! I wish so many of her songs were released as singles. I still think Carmelita was the best! Her covers of Warren Zevon songs actually made me discover his music. Which I am very thankful for.
I sure wonder why this is not on my 2 CD set of her 4 solo Capitol albums. There was room for it as a bonus track. Maybe there was some legal problem? I read its composer Emitt Rhodes may not have written it but bought it from a Vietnam vet who wrote it. Or maybe the compilers simply overlooked it?
VLW is on the 2-fer HSHG/SP while Living Like a Fool" is on the 2-fer LR/HLAW, both out of Australia, and still available from Amazon. As for TLWA, I was 16 when VLW was released as a single and I remember VLW getting radio airplay but remember none for TLWA. I wonder if it was being promoted on some other chart and Cashbox just listed both? Cashbox rarely credited the B-sides while Billboard stopped crediting Bs on their own and designating them with an F to show the flip was being played.
hello tunes ,as I said when this came out in 71 she was doing it on a number of tv showspluging i t ,I went to several stores and could not find it, even at record shows or the sheet music .I have the single it was available,I bought it at a record shop that had overstock in 89,is your promo copy the 45 with the a side on the front and back,or the a & b side like mine,it said stereo on the standard 45,but its in mono,I wrote capitol afirm letter,never heard from them,what do you expect .
@Zacomonta I agree it should have been a hit! The wikipedia page is mislabelled. The reference used states that it charted in 1971. Although it may have been released in 1969 and they forgot to reference the single differently. But Very Lovely Woman is listed under the b-sides, rather awkwardly as Tumbling Dice and Somebody to Lay Down Beside Me are listed as b-sides as well (and Crazy and I Never Will Marry as the A-sides). I guess the contributors argue over which was the true a-side as well.
You're welcome for the info. I just looked at wikipedia and Cashbox. The #70 Billboard pop chart entry (#17 AC) for TLWA occurred in 1969, not 1971. It was an A-side then. VLW's highest chart showing in Cashbox was #94 - no mention of TLWA recharting in '71. VLW had a three week run in Cashbox, don't know about Billboard. But, the listing for Linda's single on wikipedia omit VLW altogether while TLWA is shown as 1969. TLWA likely could've been a bigger hit had Capitol got behind it.
My guess would be the person compiling Linda's discography probably thought VLW was the original flip side in 1969, although the song was recorded in 1970. I'd also guess that someone with a strong country preference tinkered with the discography and flipped the country-oriented material to the A-sides and the rock-oriented material to the B-sides. The A-sides were whichever songs the record company was promoting, tho Linda's torchy version of Crazy was good enough to have been an A-side.
The Long Way Around was never an A-side, double or otherwise. By the time it was released as the B-side to Lovely Woman, the recording was almost two years old (commercial release). Only LW was ever promoted on the radio. I never heard TLWA played on any radio station circa 1970-71. LW could've been a big hit but Capitol wasn't big on the song and didn't give it a lot of push. They also tried to pick what songs Linda would record and that didn't go over with her.
I don't recall seeing TWLA listed on the Cashbox charts and don't know about Billboard. Wikipedia is subject to errors as people can go in and add or detract information. My own belief as to whether TWLA was an A-side is that Capitol was feuding with Linda on what songs she would record and as VLW was her pick, Capitol may have intentionally spiked the song's chances for success by promoting the B-side. They wanted her to record some other songs that she nixed and that didn't help matters.
