Linda Ronstadt/Keeping Out of Mischief

In the early 1980s, Linda Ronstadt was on the verge of making the jump from a California rock singer to a great standards singer. The phantom studio album produced at her turning point has been decided to be released. This work is Linda’s unreleased studio work “KEEPING OUT OF MISCHIEF.” This is a studio album officially produced in New York in 1981. At that time, she was trying out Broadway musicals and opera, and was looking for a wide range of opportunities beyond rock music. This ambition extended to making an album, and they invited producer Jerry Wexler to take on the challenge of creating covers of famous jazz standards. The album was completed and the record number was decided, but Linda was not confident in its outcome and decided to cancel its release. We will once again announce the rock “GET CLOSER”. This is the unreleased studio work. As you can imagine from the fact that it was released right up until the moment of release, this is not a demo or rehearsal album, but a completely completed album. The contents can be said to be an early version of “WHAT’S NEW”. Seven of the nine songs on this blockbuster hit have already been recorded, with the exception of the title song and “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”, and “Falling in”, which will be re-recorded on “LUSH LIFE”, has already been recorded. “Love Again” and “Never Will I Marry” featured in “HUMMIN’ TO MYSELF” are also included in the early versions. “Keeping Out of Mischief Now,” which he sang several times on stage in the 80s, was also recorded in the studio. Of course, even though the songs are the same, the taste is completely different. Jerry Wexler was in charge of the arrangement, and unlike “WHAT’S NEW” which boldly introduced an orchestra, the band style is much simpler. But it’s really authentic. After all, the backing members are famous jazzmen who were active from the 50’s to the 70’s. Tommy Flanagan (piano) and George Mraz (bass), known for accompanying Ella Fitzgerald, Tal Farlow (guitar), who was active as a soloist and in the RED NORVO TRIO in the 1950s, and Paul’s “Meddling with That Girl” Gorgeous musicians such as Tom Scott (saxophonist), who is known to rock fans, are all gathered together. And Linda’s singing voice accompanied by such a jazz band is also wonderful. She was 35 years old at the time, and her singing voice oozes maturity, yet overflows with a fresh passion for taking on new challenges. Her ability to rock with all her might is appealing, but it also gives off a sense of great potential that cannot be contained within her narrow world. The masterpiece “WHAT’S NEW” was born because Linda herself was not satisfied with this work, which led to her later breakthrough. In that sense, it’s a studio work that should have disappeared, but it wasn’t because it was poorly made, it was probably a problem with the direction. The masterful ensemble of world-famous jazzmen is exquisite, and Linda’s singing voice, sometimes moist and sometimes powerful, is truly wonderful over a simple sound. It’s not a prototype of “WHAT’S NEW”, but a fantastic masterpiece that I would like to proudly call a sister work. Recorded in New York, 1981 STEREO SBD Recorded by Jerry Wexler over four days in New York sometime in 1981, Linda Ronstadt decided she was not ready to be a torch singer and abandoned this album to record Get Closer, her final rock album… (34:39) 1. Falling in Love Again 2. Crazy He Calls Me 3. Keeping Out of Mischief Now 4. Lover Man 5. Never Will I Marry 6. I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You 7. Someone to Watch Over Me 8. I’ve Got a Crush On You 9. What’ll I Do 10. Goodbye