WOMEN IN ROCK. Week Five: Women Singer-Songwriters. Recommended Listening:

WOMEN IN ROCK Week Five: Women Singer-Songwriters Recommended Listening: Judy Collins, Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Elektra, 1968). By far Collins s most rock-oriented album, though this was more laidback than you might expect, given a supporting cast that included Stephen Stills, Van Dyke Parks, James Burton, and Jim Gordon. The title track cover of Sandy Denny s song was its shining moment, while the interpretations of Ian Tyson s Someday Soon, Leonard Cohen s Story of Isaac, and Robin Williamson s First Boy I Loved (originally First Girl I Loved ) were all notable, as was Collins s own composition My Father. Judy Collins, Wildflowers (Elektra, 1967). The commercial pinnacle of the baroque-folk mini-genre was highlighted by Collins s hit cover of Joni Mitchell s Both Sides Now. Gorgeous orchestral arrangements graced the rest of the album as well, standouts being another Mitchell cover ( Michael from Mountains ) and no less than three Leonard Cohen songs. Sandy Denny, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens (1971, Hip-O). Denny s solo recordings were so erratic that they d be better served by a one- or two-cd compilation though they re so stylistically disparate that it would be difficult to get even general agreement on what should be selected. Her debut had some of her better solo outings, such as the title cut, Late November, Blackwaterside, and John the Gun. But she floundered when she tried to rock out a bit, as she did on Brenda Lee s Let s Jump the Broomstick and Bob Dylan s Basement Tape number Down in the Flood. The two-cd 2011 deluxe edition fattened it up with appealingly sparse demos and 1971-72 BBC sessions, though a duet with Richard Thompson on Ernest Tubb s country standard Walking Through the Floor did neither of them proud. Sandy Denny, Sandy (1972, Universal). Her second LP wasn t too different from her first effort in approach, though country-rock was a stronger spice here and there, and she really poured on the orchestration for The Lady and The Music Weaver. The imaginative rendering of Richard Fariña s The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood (which she d recorded with Fairport Convention in the late 60s) and her own wistful It ll Take a Long Time (which almost sounded like a tune from George Harrison s All Things Must Pass) were highlights, but she sounded more like Linda Ronstadt on a cover of another obscure Bob Dylan composition, Tomorrow Is a Long Time. The 2012 two-cd deluxe edition added a lot of demos and live 1973 recordings, as well as a few alternate versions. Confusingly, the deluxe edition does not have some of the five bonus tracks on the single-disc 2005 expanded version; among the omissions were a couple superbly spooky contributions to the obscure 1972 short film Pass of Arms. Jackie DeShannon, What the World Needs Now...The Definitive Collection (EMI, 1994). DeShannon only periodically did folk-rock, or more properly proto-folk-rock, in

1963-65. This 28-track best-of compilation, though, has her important efforts in that style, like Needles and Pins, When You Walk in the Room, and Don t Turn Your Back on Me. Jackie DeShannon, 1965 Metric Music Demo (Metric Music Co., 1965). Probably the most fiendishly rare item referred to in this discography, this album of publisher demos was only circulated within the music industry. With a solitary acoustic guitar serving as accompaniment, it features strong, movingly sung, and from the sounds of things Bob Dylan-influenced personal songs that approximate the approach frequently tapped by early folk-rock composers. Among them is a version of Don t Doubt Yourself, Babe, which the Byrds covered on their first album. Fleetwood Mac, The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (Reprise, 2002). Like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac (despite their British roots) had similarities with the singer-songwriter movement as standard-bearers of the slickly produced Los Angeles soft rock sound. They also had three members Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie who could have carved our careers as solo singer-songwriters in their own right had things gone differently. This two-cd compilation has their mid-to-late 1970s radio favorites like Go Your Own Way, Say You Love Me, Rhiannon, etc., though you wouldn t lose much by just getting their two biggest albums, 1975 s Fleetwood Mac and 1977 s megasmash Rumours. The Gentle Soul, The Gentle Soul (Sundazed, 1968). Like a mellower, rootsier Stone Poneys, this band s sole album was one of the better exponents of laidback late- 60s Los Angeles folk-rock, with fine harmonies, wistful songs, and some dreamy orchestration. The band was usually a core male-female duo, Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley. The CD reissue on Sundazed adds nine bonus tracks from non-lp singles and outtakes. Bobbie Gentry, Chickasaw County Child: The Artistry of Bobbie Gentry (Shout! Factory, 2004). Usually not considered part of the singer-songwriter in its classic sense, and usually not even considered part of rock music, Gentry s fusions of country, pop, soul, and a strong sense of narrative nonetheless mark her as a standout performer in the style. Her 1967 #1 hit Ode to Billie Joe is her only track that had a major impact on the pop world, but she had lots of other fine material, as this best-of demonstrates. Although he s even more removed from rock and thus not included in this list, another artist worth checking out in the eclectic country-pop vein that had some influence on the pop-rock world is John Hartford, of Gentle on My Mind fame (though not on his more folk/bluegrass-oriented recordings). Janis Ian, Society s Child: The Verve Recordings (Polydor, 1995). While hearing all of her first four albums at once might seem excessive if you re not a devoted fan, actually the price of this two-cd set which has everything from those records isn t that much more than a single-disc 1960s best-of would entail. These albums were better than some critics have made them out to be, too, with more shades of soul and blues than some have admitted.

Carole King, A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection (Columbia, 1994). Straightforward two-cd collection of material from King s prime, including the hits that established her as a mainstream pop star: I Feel the Earth Move, It s Too Late, You ve Got a Friend. Her major album statement remains, of course, 1971 s Tapestry, which is still one of the biggest selling records of all time. Carole King, The Legendary Demos (Hear Music, 2012). As a measure of how far King traveled from her days as a Brill Building songwriter to solo stardom, this collection is historically invaluable, including her demos of songs she wrote or co-wrote for others (like the Everly Brothers Crying in the Rain and the Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday ) to demo versions of big hits she had on her own ( It s Too Late, You ve Got a Friend ). More importantly, this is also fine music on its own terms, including some fine songs that aren t too well known, especially So Goes Love. Melanie, The Best of Melanie (Rhino, 1990). Though derided by some critics as a hippydippy lightweight, Melanie had more serious songs (and a better voice) than many of her detractors acknowledged. While this has some sunny anthems like Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) and the kid-friendly Brand New Key, it s balanced by the surprisingly dark epic Leftover Wine. Melanie, Melanie (Castle, 1969). Her best individual album, worth risking glares from hipper-than-thou record clerks for the fairly strong combination of folk-rock singersongwriting with earthy white soul, pop, and darkly comic, theatrical inclinations. For a more rounded view of her output, there s the Rhino compilation The Best of Melanie, with her Woodstock-inspired hit Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) and the highly underrated, anguished epic ballad Leftover Wine. Joni Mitchell, Hits (Reprise, 1996). Though a very album-oriented artist, Mitchell did have some hits, especially Help Me. Whether singles or not, though, numerous songs from this compilation are standards, like Chelsea Morning, Both Sides Now, Woodstock, and Big Yellow Taxi. All of her albums from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s were major statements in their own right, from her nearly unadorned 1968 self-titled debut to ones which saw her going into Los Angeles soft rock, and ultimately jazz. Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell (Reprise, 1968). Delicate to the point where its very fragility creates a tension of its own, this is not usually as highly regarded among critics as is her work of the 1970s. Yet it was a beautiful, entrancing, and haunting album, packed with good-to-great songs, including Michael from Mountains, Night in the City, Marcie, and Nathan La Freneer. Joni Mitchell, Clouds (Reprise, 1969). Mitchell s voice and production headed more toward the singer-songwriting mainstream on her second album, though still without standard rock accompaniment. Some of her best songs were here, like Chelsea Morning, Both Sides Now, and I Don t Know Where I Stand.

Joni Mitchell, Ladies of the Canyon (Reprise, 1970). Though still only gradually expanding arrangements and moving toward rock, Ladies of the Canyon had a fuller sound than her previous two albums. Such was her prolific catalogue that she was still releasing songs she d started to sing in concert two or three years before. But the record didn t suffer for this, including some of her more celebrated compositions in Woodstock, Big Yellow Taxi, and The Circle Game. Joni Mitchell, Blue (Reprise, 1971). The album on which Mitchell completed her evolution from folk to rock was also her first to make the Top Twenty, and was a keystone of the so-called confessional songwriting genre with songs like The Last Time I Saw Richard, California, and A Case of You. Nico, Chelsea Girl (Verve, 1967). One of the most obscure albums on this list, on which the ex-velvet Underground singer covered little known or unreleased songs by emerging singer-songwriters, somewhat like a gothic Judy Collins. It didn t work commercially, in part because Nico s voice was way weirder than Collins s. But this is a cool place to hear unheralded quality songs by Lou Reed, John Cale, Tim Hardin, and a then-teenaged Jackson Browne, sometimes given an interesting baroque-folk orchestrated treatment. Nico, The Frozen Borderline 1968-1970 (Elektra/Reprise/Rhino, 2007). Before her second album, Nico had written very little of her own material, whether on the first Velvet Underground LP (where she sang a few Lou Reed songs) or her 1967 debut LP Chelsea Girl. With her second album, she entirely reinvented herself by writing her own material in a somber, proto-gothic style emphasizing harmonium accompaniment. This isn t for everyone, or even half of everyone, with the dark lyrical themes and her low, melodramatic German-accented vocals. But it s like no other work by singer-songwriters of the era. This double-cd combines her second (1968 s The Marble Index) and third (1970 s Desertshore) album, along with a lot of demos and outtakes. Laura Nyro, Time and Love: The Essential Masters (Columbia/Legacy, 2000). One of the most passionate, exuberant, and soul-influenced early singer-songwriters, in contrast to the stereotype of the genre as belong to laidback sensitive types. Nyro s songs are far more familiar in the hit covers by other artists, but her originals are all here: Sweet Blindness, When I Die, Wedding Bell Blues, Stoney End, Blowin Away, Stoned Soul Picnic, Eli s Comin, and more. Linda Perhacs, Parallelograms (The Wild Places, 1970). One of the most obscure releases listed in this discography, and certainly one of the hardest to describe with any convenient reference points, other than to peg Perhacs as kind of an acid folk Joni Mitchell. Although perhaps too lyrically fanciful in a hippie sort of way for some hardnosed listeners, it was an inventive record, particularly in its harmonics, with a lovely if subdued strangeness. Bonnie Raitt, The Bonnie Raitt Collection (Warner Brothers, 1990). Compilation of recordings from the decade or so Raitt spent on Warner Brothers at the beginning of her

career, from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, before she broke out as a superstar on a different label in the late 1980s. Linda Ronstadt, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Asylum, 1976). Though not a singer-songwriter herself, Ronstadt was on the edge of the genre as a frequent interpreter of contemporary songs by others, and a prime exponent of the mellow 1970s Los Angeles studio rock sound. This has her big early hits, though it s a little unrepresentative of her repertoire as a whole, since it has a bunch of oldies covers that became chart singles, though it also has versions of songs by the Eagles, Neil Young, and Mike Nesmith. Carly Simon, The Best of Carly Simon (Elektra, 1975). Simon s career stretched way beyond the mid-1970s, but this concise collection of her most famous songs from the first half of the decade has by far her best and most important work. Though she was perhaps the mildest of the major singer-songwriters, she did rock pretty hard for her landmark #1 hit You re So Vain, which of course is on this anthology. Recommended Books: Girls Like Us, by Sheila Weller (Washington Square Press, 2009). Excellent, ambitiously constructed book interweaving the stories of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon. It not only details their music and personal lives, but also how their rise was both affected by and influenced feminism and the self-perception of women during the 1960s and 1970s. Joni Mitchell: Shadows and Light: The Definitive Biography, by Karen O Brien (Virgin, 2001). There hasn t been a really good Mitchell biography, but this outlines her career in more depth than any other book. More Room in a Broken Heart: The True Adventures of Carly Simon, by Steven Davis (Gotham, 2012). Recent detailed bio of Simon s life and times, slammed by Amazon reviewers for some sloppy factual errors (which tend to be on the minor side) and inconsistencies. A Natural Woman: A Memoir, by Carole King (Grand Central Publishing, 2012). One gets the feeling that King is holding back some of the more intensely and painfully personal detail, but this 500-page book naturally has much material of interest relating to her songs and transition from behind-the-scenes composer to solo superstar artist. Never Break the Chain: Fleetwood Mac and the Making of Rumours, by Cath Carroll (Chicago Review Press, 2004). In-depth study of the genesis and completion of one of the highest-selling albums of all time. For an entertaining career overview stretching back to the late- 60s Peter Green days and emphasizing critical reviews of all of their record releases, look for Steve Clarke and Roy Carr s Fleetwood Mac: Rumours n Fax. Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon, by Richard Witts (Virgin, 1995). Very in-depth, though often grim, biography of the nearly unbelievably up-and-down life of the one-

time Velvet Underground singer, who did dovetail with the singer-songwriter scene for her 1967 debut album Chelsea Girl. Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir, by Linda Ronstadt (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Like the title says, this is a memoir that sticks to the essentials of Ronstadt s musical career, with relatively little about her personal life. She intelligently and frankly recounts her journey from folk clubs to 1970s rock stardom, and beyond the 1970s to her work in theater, Mexican music, popular standards, and country. Society s Child: My Autobiography, by Janis Ian (Tarcher, 2008). Ian s autobiography covers much more than the 1960s, and much of her personal life as well as her musical life. There s a good amount of attention paid to her early years, however, including the controversy over her hit Society s Child. Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro, by Michele Kort (St. Martin s Griffin, 2003). The only Nyro biography isn t as substantial as might have been hoped, but might be the only one to appear. Recommended DVDs: Joan Baez, How Sweet the Sound (Razor & Tie, 2009). Though Baez did not write much of her own material for much of her early career, she was prominent as an interpreter of other singer-songwriters, particularly Bob Dylan. First aired on PBS as part of the American Masters series, this is a well done documentary, though it could have been longer. Joni Mitchell, Woman of Heart and Mind (Eagle Vision, 2003). Originally broadcast on the PBS American Masters series, this documentary has interviews with Mitchell herself, and close collaborators/intimates like David Crosby, Graham Nash, James Taylor, and David Geffen. Nico, Nico Icon (Fox Lorber, 1995). Terrific documentary of the one-of-a-kind singer/model/actress, including interviews with members of the Velvet Underground, one-time teenaged boyfriend Jackson Browne, and Andy Warhol associates. Various Artists, Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter (Hear Music, 2011). Although this is ostensibly a documentary on the early- 70s singer-songwriter movement focusing on the Los Angeles club the Troubadour (which frequently showcased singersongwriters), it especially concentrates on the interwoven rise to stardom of Carole King and James Taylor, who performed on each other s records during the period.

Notable Figures (Excluding Star Musicians): Lou Adler: Already a prominent music industry figure as a record executive and producer who was key to the career of the Mamas & the Papas and the organization of the Monterey Pop Festival, he was also important to the early 1970s singer-songwriter movement as producer for Carole King, who recorded for his Ode Records label. Peter Asher: Formerly half of the British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon (and brother of Paul McCartney s one-time fiancée Jane Asher), and manager/producer for both James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt during their 1970s prime. David Geffen: Manager who became co-founder of Asylum Records, home to artists like Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and (briefly) Bob Dylan that were crucial to defining the singer-songwriter/slickly produced Los Angeles wing of 1970s rock. Continued to be one of the most powerful men in the record business as head of Geffen Records in the 1980s. Elliot Roberts: Manager of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and others, as well as co-founder of Asylum Records with David Geffen. Paul Samwell-Smith: Formerly bassist in the Yardbirds in the mid-1960s, and then a major player in the singer-songwriter sound as producer for Cat Stevens and Carly Simon. Peter Schekeryk: Husband and producer of Melanie. The Section: Group of top Los Angeles session men who played on records by James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and others, helping to define the 1970s laidback Los Angeles rock/singer-songwriter sound. Some members were guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Leland Sklar, and keyboardist Craig Doerge. Notable Places: The Dom: Club in St. Marks Place in Greenwich Village, New York where Nico performed for about a couple of months in early 1967, her accompanists (and sometimes opening acts) including a teenaged Jackson Browne (also briefly her boyfriend), Tim Hardin, and Tim Buckley. Laurel Canyon: Well-to-do Los Angeles neighborhood above Sunset Strip in which numerous members of the LA rock community lived, including but not limited to prominent singer-songwriters. Referred to in the title of Joni Mitchell s 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon. Second Fret: Philadelphia folk club, one of many to also move into rock by the end of the 1960s. The Second Fret was especially important to building the following of Joni Mitchell.

The Troubadour: Hollywood club that often served as a showcase for emerging singersongwriters before or as they broke through to stardom. Important Record Labels: Columbia Records: Though it issued all sorts of music, home to major singersongwriters Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Laura Nyro. Ode Records: Founded by noted producer Lou Adler, and home to Carole King for her most popular records. Verve: Home of numerous early folk-rock singer-songwriters and groups, like Tim Hardin, Janis Ian, Richie Havens, Nico, and Jim & Jean. Distributed by MGM. Warner Brothers: With its subsidiary labels Reprise, Asylum, and Elektra, home to many of the most prominent singer-songwriters. Audiovisual Clips: Janis Ian: Society's Child (DVD) Jackie DeShannon: When You Walk in the Room (DVD) Jackie DeShannon: Splendor in the Grass (CD) Laura Nyro: Wedding Bell Blues (CD) Fifth Dimension: Wedding Bell Blues (DVD) Laura Nyro: Poverty Train (DVD) Laura Nyro: Save the Country (DVD) Laura Nyro: Eli s Coming (CD) Three Dog Night: Eli s Coming (DVD) Bobbie Gentry: Ode to Billie Joe (DVD) Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now (DVD) Judy Collins: Both Sides Now (CD) Joni Mitchell: The Dawn Treader (DVD) Joni Mitchell: Marcie (DVD) Joni Mitchell: Chelsea Morning (DVD) Carole King: It Might As Well Rain Until December (CD) Carole King: So Goes Love (CD) Aretha Franklin: A Natural Woman (DVD) Carole King: A Natural Woman (DVD) Carole King: I Feel the Earth Move (DVD) Carole King: It s Too Late (CD) Melanie: Beautiful People (DVD) Melanie: Beautiful People (CD) Melanie: Candles in the Rain (DVD) Carly Simon: That s the Way I Always Heard It Should Be (DVD) Carly Simon: Anticipation (DVD)

Carly Simon: You're So Vain (CD) Linda Ronstadt: Long Long Time (DVD) Linda Ronstadt: Desperado (DVD) Linda Ronstadt: Heart Like a Wheel (DVD) Buffy Sainte-Marie: My Country Tis of Thy People You re Doing (DVD) Buffy Sainte-Marie: He s a Keeper of the Fire (DVD) Linda Perhacs: Chimacum Rain (CD) Nico: Chelsea Girls (CD) Nico: Janitor of Lunacy (DVD) Sandy Denny: The North Star Grassman and the Ravens (DVD) Joni Mitchell: Help Me (DVD) Janis Ian: At Seventeen (DVD) National Lampoon: You Put Me Through Hell (CD) Phoebe Snow: Poetry Man (DVD) Kate Bush: Wuthering Heights (DVD) Bonnie Raitt: Love Me Like a Man (DVD)