Goofball

Check out best coast "California nights"

merziac

Well I'm glad you think you've got it all figured out for me. However her record sales and fans don't seem to care which head you're thinking with. She has been credited many times over for being one of the absolute best at what she does regardless of what you think of it.

texaspandj

What I don't like in any singer is when they attempt to sound like someone they're not. Linda was Not one of those. She sang true to her self and whether I like it or not (I do) I respect that. Evidence is her influences which she sounds nothing like. I get it when as an artist you're influenced by other artist, I mean how can you not be when there is so much talent out there, but Be Yourself. Here's an singer who sings with soul otherwise known as Heart.. Good or bad but being herself. I don't know who wrote the song but she owns it...very inspiring.
As a follow up, our family band covered it. My son on guitar, my other son on drums and me on bass. In my defense (at the time) I had never heard the song before. My son said this song is from a band out of Cali it goes like this and showed me part of the bass line and my drummer son needed no instruction.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GRTv-5sLYb8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bn9BeH3SiRs

BigChief 

Most of the best performers in the world aren't song writers. I don't think it's fair to call what they do "covers". That term comes from the days when bands were playing exact copies of hit recordings in night clubs and "tribute" bands. Linda recorded a Bobby Darin tune "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". Buddy Holly recorded it too, pretty much with the same feel as the original. In my opinion, a pretty goofy pop song. Linda turned it into a beautiful song. Her arrangement and performance of this song is brilliant. Call it a cover or not, but it is the only version worth listening to.

texaspandj

Doh, here's the videos. ​​​​​​​

T-Mar

Actually, the term "cover" comes from the days when multiple versions of songs were in simultaneous release. Songwriters and publishing companies would try to get recording companies and artists to release their songs. A good song would be picked up and recorded by several artists. If one release of a song was getting radio exposure and hitting the charts, another company would often "cover" it with their own release, hoping to cash in on the success of the original and perhaps even surpass it. They were not necessarily exact copies, often having substantially different arrangements.

A classic example is Ain't That A Shame written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Fats released his version for Imperial on April 14 1955. Dot records covered Fats version with a Pat Boone release on May 26, 1955, after seeing movement on the R&B charts. While Fat's version reached number #1 on the R&B charts, it stalled at #10 on the pop charts, being outsold by Boone's version, which achieved #1 . Boone would also cover Little Richard, with his version of Tutti Frutti outselling Richard's. Of course, these days Boone's versions are rarely acknowledged but they drew attention to the original artists, allowed them to crossover to the more lucrative pop charts and often dragged the originals up the charts in the wake of the cover's success.

The meaning of cover has been distorted over the years and is now applied to any version of a song other than the original version.

seypat

I knew she would eventually get mentioned. She did work with Robbie Robertson some. There is always a connection.

BigChief 

<<The meaning of cover has been distorted over the years and is now applied to any version of a song other than the original version. >>
Not only that, but it has become somewhat derogatory which doesn't make sense unless you consider Ella Fitzgerald to be a cover singer. To suggest Linda was somehow a lesser artist because she didn't compose her material is folly IMO. She was a wonderful performer. I say was because I understand she doesn't sing anymore. A physical condition of some sort. A shame because she is so talented that she wouldn't depend on being young and pretty.

seypat

I clicked on the first video thinking that was your band. I'm watching it thinking Tex looks a lot younger than I imagined!

It sounds like Pride and Joy can bring it. I'm sending you a PM.

Deal4Fuji

Another California song. I like Best Coast + any group with a girl singer has a leg up with most of us it seems.

Here's a new challenge for music discussion - name a California song not already mentioned on these posts

1) https://www.bikeforums.net/20709309-post1278.html
2) https://www.bikeforums.net/20709497-post1279.html
3) https://www.bikeforums.net/18184393-post366.html
4) https://www.bikeforums.net/18184412-post367.html

texaspandj

This one for you old foggies who've lost faith. Be warned Not C&V content and it helps if you remember about your first dating with a significant other or if you're dating now.. But the talent keeps going.
My wife is a uh bit younger than me and I have a 4 year old daughter that loves music so I can't just listen to the oldies anymore. But songs like this make listening to their music Worth it. A very young singer and relatively new song. I just like the Cool Vibe of it all.
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RobbieTunes

I'm not sure anyone here claimed she was a big-time songwriter, or technically, artistically, or objectively better than anyone.

Music is about tripping psychological triggers. She tripped a lot of triggers, and all that plays a part.
I liked listening to her a lot more than a lot of the names brought out here.
So did the artists who obviously chose her to sing with them.

She was part of a system at the time, and she apparently had what it took to stand out. She stood out, and so did many others, apparently.

No one will ever know who the best are; just the best we've heard, the best we've seen, and the ones that triggered our brains to like them above others.

If we use the market as a measuring device, well, we'd be just as divided as we are now. If we use the critics, same.
Somewhere out there, there's always someone "better," who may not have chosen that profession.

Tastes are different. I can't stand James Taylor, but his brother Livingston, I'd pull for.
I'm not into blondes, in general, or Nissan interiors. I will never own a celeste Bianchi.

That's what makes it so cool. Appreciate Linda Ronstadt or not, this is a darn good thread.

merziac

^^^ Exactly this, well said @RobbieTunes, Tx! ^^^

RobbieTunes

That was pretty cool. And Creative SoundBlaster, and Napster. Where else could you be in NC, chat with a guy in Portland who was downloading your Mother's Finest library, and ask him how he ever heard of them?

Thousands of LP's, hundreds of CD's. Just now coming back. I sold most of my LP's and gave my CD's to my son, who is mid-20's and has about 1000. That's my boy.

I walk into a Mexican restaurant this week, and the guy in the next booth is playing songs from his phone over the sound system, and he's taking requests. His girlfriend got up and walked out when he told her "not playing any more chick music." Then he started playing a Spanish version of Unchained Melody. Whoa, it was good.

I'm sitting here with 45,000 songs on a hard drive, and 8,000 on my phone. I try to stay away from paying for music these days, when I am sure I paid my dues back when that was done, daily. I had to admit, though, sometimes Spotify is better at my music mood than I am. I'm such a sellout.

Chombi1 

People just get to serious and "cranial" about their music and artist preference. Reality is, great performers that are also great music writers are very very rare in the business. People that are "just" great performers or "just" great writers are also very rare. So just appreciate them for what they do really good. Listen and enjoy the great music coming out of these people, but don't make it a pissing match based on "stats" like from a baseball card....
Anyway, who are we to judge, who's better than who, unless we might have had the talent, experience and guts to share the stage with these people??

Goofball

Mother's finest ! Oh man, they were great, one of Atlanta's many wonderful bands

clubman 

I've always considered the Rheostatics the unofficial band of Canada. California Dreamline coins the phrase 'Californication'. They were miffed when the Chili Peppers cashed it in 7 years later.It's on Youtube

Here's the lead singer, Martin Tiele singing Joni Mitchell's River, live, the first act, the first night, on a new national variety show staged by CBC. An astounding interpretation of a classic song. It's interesting that Martin withdrew from performing as he developed severe stage fright. You wouldn't know it looking at him. Yes California is in the lyrics as well.

Deal4Fuji

Interesting thanks, and what's with that electric violin ? Is it the sticker'ed up Trigger of violins or is it made that way of various wood laminates?

Here's a song with the same title and also about California...specifically LA from Good Charlotte and 2 members of Avenged Sevenfold

Good Charlotte performing alongside the concrete L.A. river bank that runs through the city, contrasted with classic images of the beauty and history of Los Angeles. The video clip shows the two sides of L.A., the excitement and glamour of L.A. that the band witnessed early on in their career and then the deeper/darker hidden side of L.A. that people and the band saw after living there for years

crank_addict

The mentioning of Pat Boone reminded me of his album

I'm in a Metal Mood: No more Mr. Nice Guy

Who would've thought? I listened to a live radio interview of Boone and how this album came to be. Something along the lines of being neighbors with Richy Blakmore or Dio (of Deep Purple). Quite funny.

SurferRosa

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Wileyone 

That was great. Thanks for posting.

T-Mar

When I think of an unofficial band for Canada, my main criteria is a home grown band with widespread public appeal. Consequently, depending on the era, I think of bands like The Guess Who, BTO, Rush, Loverboy, Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Nickelback or Bare Naked Ladies. They may not all be my cup of Tetley's but they did appeal to a large section of Canadians, which is something that I wouldn't say about the Rheostats. That is not to to say that the Rheostats music is without merit or influence. They are certainly a critical lauded group. However, they don't have the singles sales, album sales, concert ticket sales or radio airplay that could justify bestowing them the title of Canada's band.

clubman 

Agree with all points. What they did do was constantly laud this strange country with their songs, from coast to coast. They were/are nationalists, in the good sense of the word. I grew up with them, they literally went to a neighbouring high school and one of them stole my cassette deck from my 69 Mustang. I got it back, no harm no foul.

Belg-Ital Steel 

Lots of great female singers noted here. One voice I've enjoyed over the years that may have or may not been mentioned in this long thread is Ricky Lee Jones, especially when she sang with Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks-check out "Driftin".

SurferRosa

Chan Marshall (dancy version)

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Chan Marshall (melancholic version)

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