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Mike Auldridge / Linda Ronstadt Connection
...or a more accurate title might be "The Linda
Ronstadt / Emmylou Harris /
Seldom Scene / George Massenburg / Fran Tate
/ Little Feat Connection"
....but that's just way too long!
One thing leads to another. In the Spring of 1974 Linda was touring,
planning all the pre-production for her next LP, and hanging out with
some DC musicians. There were so many connections made that it's
hard to find a starting place...but Emmylou Harris is probably the
common denominator. By this time she and Linda were working together
whenever possible. Emmy had introduced Linda to some of her DC
friends, like The Seldom Scene. Linda was very impressed with
their musical abilities, and spent some time in their living rooms
as she
explains in this interview.
(Audio clip # 7)
Linda also was at Track Recorders in Washington, as a guest vocalist
on
Old Train (Rebel Records...SLP 1536) by The Seldom Scene,
and
Blues And BlueGrass (Takoma Records...D 1041) by Mike
Auldridge.
Both of these LPs were recorded in March, 1974 at the same studio.
The engineer on both of these albums was George Massenburg, who had
been working in the Baltimore-Washington area since about 1965. His
second engineer was Fran Tate. At this time it was still unusual for
a female
to be employed in this field. More about the Fran connection later...
At the Mike Auldridge sessions, Linda's long time friend, Lowell George
made an appearance. He also wrote a song for the album, "Everybody
Slides."
OK, Mike Auldridge and David Bromberg share the writing credit with
him,
but Lowell got the publishing on it (Naked Snake Music), so I'll call
it his song.
Lowell was in the area because his band, Little Feat, was recording
an album
at Blue Seas Recording Studio, about an hour away. That album became
Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Warner Bros. BS 2784). Blue
Seas was built
by George Massenburg, but at this time it was owned by other people.
Those other people shut the place down, and all the equipment was moved
to a barge in the Baltimore Harbor which soon sunk...but that's another
story.
These historic sessions mark the beginning of several long term connections.
Not only was it the start of Linda's work with George Massenburg, on
these
bluegrass albums, but because Linda got sick, and had to stay in DC
longer
than expected...she decided to let George do the recording of the Paul
Craft song,
"Keep Me From Blowing Away" at Track Recorders...marking the first
of many
songs he would eventually record for Linda. This song landed on Heart
Like A Wheel.
This was also the beginning of Massenburg's involvement with Little
Feat, which
continued through many albums to come. Yes, George engineered the 1974
Little Feat album...but he's credited as "Sneed Urn". WC Fields fans
will get it.
Plus Linda would work with her D.C. bluegrass friends on many more
occasions
over the following decades.
But back to our common denominator, Emmylou...She and her friend, Fran
Tate
were going to meet up with George Massenburg at the Little Feat session.
While
there Emmy, Fran, and Bonnie Raitt added background vocals to the record.
This marked the beginning of a long relationship between Fran and Little
Feat.
Not to mention that she also became Mrs. Billy Payne, and mother to
their
son, Evan. Fran passed away in 1997, about three weeks before Nicolette
Larson. (The two of them had sung together on Little Feat's song, "Gringo"
along with The Doobie Brothers' Bobby LaKind, who died in 1992.)
There are more connections from the DC sessions.....Ricky Scaggs played
on
both the Auldridge and Seldom Scene LPs. Although he is credited on
both
albums as Rick Scaggs. This was before Emmy picked him for her
Hot Band,
and way before he became a household name on his own.
All in all, this was an important time for forming musical collaborations.
Today
people call this networking, but no matter what you call it...it just
points out
how one thing leads to another.
Later in 1974, Mike Auldridge released Blues and BlueGrass;
The Seldom
Scene released Old Train; Little Feat released Feats
Don't Fail Me Now;
and Linda released Heart Like A Wheel.
MP3s:
Click
here to listen to Linda, Lowell, Fayssoux, Paul and others on WHFS
19 March 1974
Bethesda, MD. They sing "Willin'" and "Heartache"
and chat about a variety of subjects.
"Bottom Dollar" from Mike Auldridge's Blues and BlueGrass....(with Linda Ronstadt)
"Bottom Of The Glass" from The Seldom Scene's Old Train....(with Linda Ronstadt)
"Old Cross Roads" from The Seldom Scene's Old Train....(with Linda Ronstadt)
Click
here for more MP3s with Linda just added to the site.
Linda from Blues and BlueGrass
Lowell from Blues and BlueGrass
Linda from Old Train
Mike Auldridge from Old Train
A young "Rick" Scaggs from Old Train
Fran Tate
George Massenburg