Linda Ronstadt, because… SHE’S LINDA RONSTADT !

Didja know that It was on this day, Feb. 15th 1975, when Linda Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘You’re No Good’, believe it or not, it was her only solo chart topper out of 12 other top 40 hits. Also on this date  Ronstadt went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Heart Like A Wheel.’

Most importantly Last Week, “The Queen Of Everything” released her first ever LIVE record! And that’s all the incentive we need to share a few thoughts about the greatest “Chick Singer” in the world!

Linda Ronstadt’s extraordinary genre-hopping career encompassed more than two dozen studio LPs and several greatest-hits compilations but one format that had been missing from her discography until now was a live album. On February 1st, Rhino issued Live in Hollywood, featuring 12 performances handpicked by Linda from a 1980 concert originally filmed for HBO.

Recorded at Hollywood’s Television Center Studios on April 24th, 1980, to coincide with the release of Ronstadt’s underappreciated Mad Love LP, Live in Hollywood includes a mix of rock, pop and country tunes the singer both charted with and included on her albums up to that point, closing with her version of the Eagles’ “Desperado,” although it was written by Frey and Henley and included on their second album, titled “Desperado”  it’s Linda’s version we all remember best! The set also includes “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” a Warren Zevon cover that was a minor country hit for Ronstadt and has become a Country / Rock standard ! Of the 12 cuts, only “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and the Buddy Holly cover “It’s So Easy” have been previously available.

To be candidly honest, we’ve been in “Mad Love” and have had a crazy, slightly unreasonable crush on “The Chick Singer” ( her words, not ours ) who could sing Anything! Since her 1967 debut “Different Drum” written by then unknown and soon to be Monkee Michael Nesmith.

There is no debate, Linda Ronstadt could sing Anything! But it was Linda’s incredible ability to choose just the right songs to cover, that may have impressed us even more! There were times it felt like Linda was looking at our own personal playlist and taking a few into the studio! Her takes on “Just One Look” and “You’re No Good” are only two of many great examples. To underscore our point, here is a perfect example of a song that EVERYBODY loves, performed by the girl NOBODY can resist!

Lastly, it was her incredible humble, honest and self deprecating personality that was the frosting on this perfect cake! In a recent interview inquiring about how she’s dealing with her crippling health issues, Linda simply said “ In my life, I’ve had more than my fair share of time at The trough”! WOW!

And, as usual we want to know if you share our passion for the greatest “Chick Singer” ever and any or all your favorites?