Living in the USA

Living In The USA
Studio album by Linda Ronstadt
Released	September 19, 1978[1]
Recorded	The Sound Factory, Los Angeles, California from May 5 to July 3, 1978
Genre	Rock, Pop, R&B
Length	35:06
Label	Asylum
Producer	Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt chronology
Simple Dreams (1977) Living In The USA (1978) Mad Love (1980)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Circus Magazine	link
Robert Christgau	(B) link
Crawdaddy!	link
Rolling Stone	(mixed) link

Living In The USA is a 1978 album by American singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt. The album was Ronstadt's third No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and was the first album in history to ship Double Platinum. As a measure of her impact on popular culture in this time period, the front cover photograph of a roller skating Linda in a satin exercise outfit was noted to increase the popularity of skating in the United States at the time.

It was Ronstadt's record sixth consecutive million-selling Platinum album. It was certified by the RIAA for 2 million copies sold in the US alone and has estimated real sales of 3 million US units sold.^[2]

In 2011 this album was deleted after 33 years in print.^{[citation needed]}

Release data

The album was originally released by Asylum in the LP format in September, 1978 (catalogue number 155 or 6E-155). Subsequently, in 1990, Asylum released the album in the Cassette format (TCS-155) and in the CD format (2-155).

In addition to the standard 1978 release, collector's-item editions of the LP were made in the same time period of the album in red vinyl (catalogue number K53085) and also of a picture disc (catalogue number DP 401) featuring a photograph of Linda's lacing up the roller skating boots that she is wearing on the front cover (this photograph is also included on the record sleeve in the standard release).

Single releases and radio play

The album's first single release was a revved up remake of Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA" which peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The disc's biggest success was Ronstadt's version of Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby Baby" (featuring alto-sax work from David Sanborn) that hit #7 Pop and #2 Easy Listening as well as the Country and even the Soul chart. "Just One Look" and "Alison" later became hit singles for Linda as well, while "All That You Dream" and the late Warren Zevon's "Mohammad's Radio" were popular tracks on AOR (Album-Oriented Radio) stations.

Although not released as a single, Linda's version of "Love Me Tender" was edited together with the original version of the song by Elvis Presley, creating a duet between the two famous singers that was played by many radio stations at the time. Elvis did the first verse alone, straight from his original recording, as Ronstadt didn't sing this verse on her version for some reason.

Track listing

Side 1

1. "Back in the U.S.A." (Chuck Berry) - 3:02
2. "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg) - 3:52
3. "Just One Look" (Gregory Carroll, Doris Payne) - 3:20
4. "Alison" (Elvis Costello) - 3:20
5. "White Rhythm & Blues" (J.D. Souther) - 4:17

Side 2

1. "All That You Dream" (Paul Barrere, Bill Payne) - 3:43
2. "Ooh Baby Baby" (William "Smokey" Robinson, Warren Moore) - 3:18
3. "Mohammed's Radio" (Warren Zevon) - 4:20
4. "Blowing Away" (Eric Kaz) - 3:15
5. "Love Me Tender" (Elvis Presley, Vera Matson) - 2:39

Personnel

• Linda Ronstadt - vocals
• Dan Dugmore - electric & pedal steel guitars
• Waddy Wachtel - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals
• David Sanborn - alto saxophone
• Doug Bartenfeld - Guitar
• Don Grolnick - piano
• Mike Mainieri - vibraphone
• Kenny Edwards - bass, background vocals
• Russell Kunkel - drums
• Peter Asher - cowbell, tambourine, background vocals
• Andrew Gold, Pat Henderson, Sherlie Matthews, David Lasley, Arnold McCuller - background vocals
• Jan Michael Alejandro - tech
• Harold Jones - tech

References