Simple Dreams is one of the most successful of Linda Ronstadt's studio albums to date, spending five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in late 1977. It also knocked Elvis Presley out of No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart.
Simple Dreams was Ronstadt's fifth consecutive million-selling Platinum album and sold over 3½ million copies in less than a year in the United States alone – a record for a female artist. It elevated Ronstadt to mega-superstar status and the highest paid female singer in the world.
Originally, the front cover would have had Linda dressed in a provocative mini-slip seated in front of multiple mirrors; instead, she put on a robe, and the photograph was made artificially grainy. An outtake photo from the original photo sessions was belatedly included on the sleeve for her second Greatest Hits, Volume 2 album in 1980.
Release data
The album was originally released by Asylum in the LP format in September, 1977 (catalogue number 104 or 6E-104). Subsequently, in 1986, Asylum released the album in the Cassette format (TCS-104) and in the CD format (2-104).
Single releases
The album was such a success that Ronstadt became the first female artist ever – and the first act overall since The Beatles – to have two singles in the Top Five at the same time: the Platinum-certified "Blue Bayou" (peaked at #2 Pop as well as #3 Adult Contemporary and #2 Country) and "It's So Easy" (peaked at #5 Pop).
"Blue Bayou" was nominated for the Record Of The Year Grammy award in early 1978. It also earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female, alongside Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon and Debby Boone.
The album includes songs by Warren Zevon, Eric Kaz and J.D. Souther, as well as The Rolling Stones' "Tumbling Dice". Ronstadt was joined by Dolly Parton on the traditional ballad "I Never Will Marry". (Ronstadt, Parton and Emmylou Harris were also working on an ill-fated collaborative project around this same time, but 10 years would pass before the release of the first of two Trio albums from their efforts).
Track listing
Side 1
- "It's So Easy (To Fall In Love)" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) - 2:27
- "Carmelita" (Warren Zevon) - 3:07
- "Simple Man, Simple Dream" (J.D. Souther) - 3:12
- "Sorrow Lives Here" (Eric Kaz) - 2:57
- "I Never Will Marry" (Traditional) - 3:12
Side 2
- "Blue Bayou" (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) - 3:57
- "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (Warren Zevon) - 3:42
- "Maybe I'm Right" (Waddy Wachtel) - 3:05
- "Tumbling Dice" (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) - 3:05
- "Old Paint" (Traditional) - 3:05
Chart positions
Personnel
- Linda Ronstadt - acoustic guitar, vocals and arranger
- Waddy Wachtel - guitar
- Ed Black - guitar, steel guitar
- Kenny Edwards - guitar, bass
- Danny Kortchmar, Richard Bowden, Pete Wade, Al Viola - guitar
- David Lindley - fiddle
- Jim Fadden - harmonica
- Jim Gordon, Nino Tempo - saxophone
- Mac Johnson, Darrel Leonard - trumpet
- Spooner Oldham - piano
- John Boylen - electric piano
- Kenny Anderson, Mike Bowden - bass
- Micky McGee, Dennis St. John, Andrew Gold, David Kemper - drums
- Andrew Gold, John David Souther, Chris Ethridge, Waddy Wachtel, Bernie Leadon, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Russ Kunkel, Clydie King, Herb Pedersen - background vocals
- Dolly Parton - harmony vocals on "I Never Will Marry"
References
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Linda Ronstadt |
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| Stone Poneys albums |
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| Studio albums |
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