what Frank is listening to #50 – DENNIS LINDE – Self Titled – (Elektra) – 1973
This record I listened to about 20 years ago and then I put it into the "maybe keep" pile. I played it often … well one track I had cause to play from time to time. There was nothing wrong with the rest of the album but that one track is "Burning Love".
To you uninitiated heathens "Burning Love" was a big hit for Elvis in 1972 (#2US, #7UK) and it's a track I love.
Linde was a country singer-songwriter, but like his contemporaries John Hartford, Mickey Newbury, Billy Swan and Terry Allen, a lot of his music doesn't sound particularly country, in that he doesn't mind mixing up the genre, turning it on its head and bringing in other styles that he likes (Oddly, or perhaps not, Elvis covered most of these guys). Linde, like many country singer-songwriters, started off as a songwriter working for a label (country is probably still the only music where a person can have a career as a non-jingle writing songwriter) and wrote hundreds of songs, though his own recorded output is quite small (six or so albums I think)
Notoriously reclusive and a bit nutty (like John Hartford I believe, or Jerry Jeff Walker) Linde is a magical songwriter – his songs cover all the familiar country themes (women, alcohol, infidelity) but not in familiar ways. He also tackles (like some of his contemporaries) subjects not normally covered in traditional country music – modern living, freaky individuals, alienated outsiders, and the state of the world generally. His songs rarely fail to interest and he as a singer isn't too bad either. This was his second album and released after Elvis had the hit with "Burning Love" – to cash in on some of the songs success. That's not to say the album was rushed though I suspect some of the songs had been sitting around for some time waiting to be recorded by Linde. Also, the songs on this LP aren't particularly country though they have a country feel – perhaps "alt country"?
As an aside, without going too far off track, the affect Elvis had on little known songwriters / performers when he covered their songs is underestimated. Even a album track on a Elvis LP, let alone a single, was worth millions to a struggling songwriter. It is often mentioned that on some occasions (certainly not always or commonly) the songwriter had to give up part of the publishing rights to have Elvis record his song, but I hasten to add Elvis wasn't involved in that. If Elvis heard a song that he wanted to cover he just passed the request down the line. If the song was brought to Elvis then I assume the publisher thought it was justified in a percentage of the rights as they plugged the song to Elvis and he otherwise wouldn't have heard it. Steve Earle tells the tale (true or not) of one of his songs which was up for recording at an Elvis date in late 77 – he was young, probably on his third wife and needed cash. The date for recording though was August 16, 1977 unfortunately … Elvis' death date. Earle had to wait another 6 years before he could scrounge enough money to record. Whether the practice of giving up partial song rights is "moral" or not is one question but the reality is if you don't want to give up any of the publishing rights more power to you, but 100% of nothing is …. nothing.
Listening to this album after all these years I think I "get" the rest of the album…. and it is a minor classic. This album has many strengths: great well written songs (again like a lot of country songwriters of this era the songs are "honest" – brutally at times), stellar musicians, and it's on the Elektra label (anything on Elektra in the 60s and 70s is worth a listen I reckon: David Ackles ,Tim Buckley, The Butterfield Blues Band, The Dillards ,The Doors, Jimmie Dale Gilmore , Love , MC5 , Phil Ochs , Roy Orbison ,L eon Redbone , Charlie Rich, Mark Spoelstra ,The Stooges ,Tom Waits to name a few)
Best tracks:
- Hello I am Your Heart – A bouncy ditty like Jimmy Buffet on pot and alcohol (well, more pot and alcohol) (Covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
- Ridin High – a excellent love song (covered by The Everly Brothers)
- I Had a Dream – a sad song, extremely well written (I know this song must have been covered but I cant put my finger on by who – though it sounds a little like a Ralph McTell tune)
- The Longer You're Gone – a jokey country lament.
- DR-31 – amazing imagery in a song that is about a spaceship, or something?
- Some Songs – a great pop song with a "Love the One You're With" groove.
- Burning Love – of course.
- Just a Song – another honest love song … quite haunting.
I'm a keepin' this.
Trivia:
- Elvis loved Linde's quirkiness and did three Linde songs (that they know of). Dennis Linde also did some overdub work on some Elvis stuff in the 70s and also demoed for him on an aborted 1977 session.
Sounds:
Burning Love
attached
DR-31
attached
Elvis's version of Burning Love
Bio:
Obituary:
(originally posted: 21/06/2009)
