It was a hit-singles machine and deserved to be. Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 Prisoner in Disguise was the sixth entry across a career that included 24 studio albums. Produced by Peter Asher for Asylum Records, the album went Platinum with hits such as “Heat Wave,” “Love is a Rose,” and “Tracks of My Tears.”
Prisoner was recorded at LA’s Sound Factory in the first half of 1975. The Sound Factory had a long-standing, productive relationship with Ronstadt and, together, they pulled in the best of that next generation of LA studio musicians that came along slightly after Wrecking Crew members such as Hal Blaine, Carole Kaye, Glen Campbell, and Leon Russell. Folks like Russ Kunkel (drums), Danny Kortchmar (guitar), and David Lindley (fiddle) worked regularly with Ronstadt and are all featured on the album.
I fell in love with the LA folk-rock sound of the late 1960s and ‘70s a long time ago. I saw many of these studio musicians on tour with Ronstadt, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Jackson Brown, and others over the years. Combine Ronstadt’s voice with that supporting cast, Peter Asher’s producing chops, and songs written by Neil Young, Dolly Parton, JD Souther, Anna McGarrigle, Jimmy Cliff, Smokey Robinson, Lowell George and, well, you have a recipe for both artistic and financial success.
The Neil Young-tune “Love is a Rose” kicks off Side One. It’s a distinct, countrified version featuring plucky Herb Pederson banjo licks coupled with David Lindley’s fiddle and Jim Conner’s harmonica all framing Ronstadt’s extraordinary pipes. So sad that she was forced to retire in recent years due to a disease that has robbed her of her singing voice.
JD Souther joins her on the album for two of his songs, the title track “Prisoner in Disguise” as well as “Silver Blue.” The harmonies between these two longtime collaborators are gorgeous. You might remember Souther from the Souther Hillman Furay Band as well as Longbranch Pennywhistle with Glenn Frey in the '70s. Speaking of Frey, Souther wrote some of The Eagles’ top hits such as “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town."
Ronstadt’s voice harmonizes exquisitely with another longtime friend, Emmy Lou Harris on “The Sweetest Gift” as it does with Maria Muldaur on the Anna McGarrigle song, “You Tell Me That I’m Falling Down.” And that’s one of the keys to this album; a beautiful voice and 11-time Grammy winner making songs even better through straightforward harmonies with equally gorgeous voices. Not everyone would or could do that.
Of course, “Heat Wave” is a tour de force, having been made famous in 1963 by Motown’s Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. It’s been reported that the band kept trying to get Ronstadt to perform “Heat Wave” on tour, but she was reluctant. That’s mystifying since the tune is a crowd-favorite barn burner. Andrew Gold, who played everything on this album, tells the story that after six encores one night at a Long Island club, they had nothing left to play. He suggested “Heat Wave” on the spot and the song entered the set list thereafter.
The strings are luscious throughout Prisoner, owing to composer David Campbell who continues to work these days with superstars such as Billie Eilish, Adele, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift.
The photography for Prisoner in Disguise belongs to Ethan Russell. He’s the only photographer ever to shoot covers for The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and The Who. You may have seen him shooting the 1970 Let It Be recording sessions on the recent Peter Jackson Get Back documentary on Disney+.
Next up on this 10-part Vinyl Variations series? It’ll be Gene McDaniels’ 1962 album, Hit After Hit. After that and a Gary Burton-Chick Corea entry, it’ll be time to look to current artists recording on vinyl to close out the series.
