For this week’s theme, Jim has chosen the Nashville Sound, as you can see in his post, Country Music Capital of the World. I had to look this up to be sure, and learned that it began in the mid 1950s as a way of taking the more traditional elements out of country music, such as fiddles, and replacing them with more pop chart-oriented arrangements, including string accompaniments for example. Prime acts in this were the likes of Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline, two that I was familiar with from an early age as my Mum loved them both. Somehow, though, I couldn’t see myself playing Distant Drums! The music moved on into a style that became known as “Countrypolitan,” which was aimed directly at a mainstream market and included the likes of Tammy Wynette, Glen Campbell, Lynn Anderson, Charlie Rich and Charley Pride. That still wasn’t much help, but as I scrolled further down the list I found my saving grace for today! I’m playing two of her songs, and here she is with the first one – the video is a little out of sync in places but the audio quality is the best of those that I found from back in the day:

And before I tell you a little more, here are the lyrics:

I don’t want your lonely mansion
With a tear in every room
All I want’s the love you promised
Beneath the haloed moon
But you think I should be happy
With your money and your name
And hide myself in sorrow
While you play your cheating game

Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine
And I dare not drown my sorrow
In the warm glow of your wine
You can’t buy my love with money
Cause I never was that kind
Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine

Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine
And I dare not drown my sorrow
In the warm glow of your wine
You can’t buy my love with money
Cause I never was that kind
Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine

Silver threads and golden needles
Cannot mend this heart of mine

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jack Rhodes / Dick Reynolds

Silver Threads and Golden Needles lyrics © Campbell Connelly And Co.ltd., Beechwood Music Corporation

Linda Ronstadt released her fourth solo album, Don’t Cry Now, in October 1973, and it included this song, Silver Threads And Golden Needles. The album continued her steady progression, reaching what were at that point highs for her of #45 in the main albums chart and #5 in the Country listings. Amongst other tracks it includes her fabulous covers of Desperado, by The Eagles (who formed out of her backing band), and I Believe In You, by Neil Young. This track was released as a single in January 1974, peaking at #67 on the main Billboard chart and at #20 in their Country rankings. It was the second time she had recorded it: her first go was more ‘country’ while this one was much more ‘countrypolitan,’ aimed very much at the crossover into mainstream pop. The first ever recording of the song was by Wanda Jackson, in 1956, and it had also been covered by The Springfields – the British trio where Dusty Springfield began her career. They got to #20 with it in the US in 1962, thereby becoming the first British group to make the US top twenty. I’ve been a huge fan of Linda since those early days: her voice was amazing and she was nice to watch, too.

Linda’s next album, Heart Like A Wheel, was released in November 1974, and this was the one where things took off for her in a big way. It reached #1 in both Billboard’s Main and Country album charts, and gave her two massive hit singles in the pop charts: You’re No Good made #1 and When Will I Be Loved reached #2. But I’m not playing either of those. The album’s title track was written by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, American folk music stalwarts, and this live performance with Linda accompanied by Andrew Gold on piano and harmony vocals is heartbreakingly beautiful:

That one wasn’t released as a single, but it is still a lovely way to close an album. Linda went on to make many other great records, and enjoyed some very productive collaborations, particularly with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, but also with Warren Zevon and Neil Young, among many others. She has sold more than 100m records, making her one of the most successful artists ever. Sadly she has had to retire from music: in August 2013, she announced that she had been diagnosed eight months previously with Parkinson’s disease, leaving her unable to sing due to loss of muscular control, which is common to Parkinson’s patients. In late 2019, it was reported her doctors had revised their diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease commonly mistaken for Parkinson’s, due to the similarity of the symptoms. It is such a shame for her, but luckily we still have her beautiful legacy of music to enjoy. She was recognised for this by being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 and as a Kennedy Centre honoree in 2019: both very well merited, in my view.

That’s all for today. I’m now wondering what others will be playing for this – and no doubt many will have adhered more closely to the brief than I did! But I didn’t want to go down the ‘Mum’s music’ route, sorry!

See you again for Tuesday Tunes. Now, if only I could think of a theme…