We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
The story’s been well-told. She was the muse of many of the early 70’s rockers. Stephen Stills & Graham Nash had a falling out over her that probably caused CSNY to splinter. She had been with Leon Russell, drummer Jim Gordon and others before marrying Kris Kristofferson. But what about the music?
Rita Coolidge was a talented lady. Not only as a singer but a writer as well. She penned the classic “Superstar” and also the piano coda for “Layla”, although she didn’t get credit for that.
Until her pop breakthrough in the late 70’s her albums, for me, all had a sameness about them. She had a pretty voice but it could get montonous when only singing slower tunes like on this 1972 LP “The Lady’s Not For Sale”.
As you might expect, the playing is solid as she is able to surround herself with the cream of the LA crop on this one. Marc Benno, who writes a couple of the tunes including the standout “Inside of Me”plays guitar as does Eagle Bernie Leadon. Al Perkins and Sneaky Pete Kleinow contribute their great pedal steel work. Mike Utley, later of the Coral Reefer Band plays piano. The rhythm section is ably manned by the likes of Carl Radle, Lee Sklar, Jim Keltner and Russ Kunkel. John Sebastian show up with his harmonica and producer Booker T. Jones (Rita’s brother in law) even plays flute.
She delivers on some covers like Leonard Cohen’s ‘Bird On A Wire” and changes the gender on Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight. And a sultry version of the old classic “Fever”.
I also like her take on Spooner Oldham’s “A Woman Left Lonely” . And the title track was written by her husband…(about her?)
One of the popular terms in the 70’s was ‘laid back”…this is a pretty good definition of that philosophy.
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