Don't Cry Now

Don't Cry Now is the fourth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt and the first of her studio releases for Asylum Records, following six albums recorded for and released on Capitol Records including three she recorded as a member of The Stone Poneys.

Don't Cry Now
Studio album by
Linda Ronstadt
ReleasedOctober 1, 1973
GenreRock, country rock
Length35:34
LabelAsylum, Rhino, Flashback
ProducerJohn David Souther, John Boylan, Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt chronology
Linda Ronstadt
(1971)		 Don't Cry Now
(1973)		 Heart Like a Wheel
(1974)
Singles from Don't Cry Now
  1. "Love Has No Pride"
    Released: October 15, 1973
  2. "Silver Threads and Golden Needles"
    Released: February 4, 1974
  3. "Colorado"
    Released: June 17, 1974

It was reissued on Rhino's Flashback Records in 2009.

Background

The tracks on Don't Cry Now were produced individually, some by John Boylan, who produced Ronstadt's preceding eponymous album; some by singer/songwriter J. D. Souther; and, for the first time in what would ultimately be a long and highly successful professional relationship, by British musician Peter Asher, former member of the '60s rock duo Peter & Gordon. Asher was the head of A&R for Apple Records prior to his move to the United States.

This album contains three songs composed by Souther (Souther and Linda would become romantically involved and he would write several songs for her) one by Randy Newman, a cover of a Neil Young ballad, one originally from the Flying Burrito Brothers, and a version of the Eagles' "Desperado," which the band had released earlier that year.

Although Don't Cry Now marked the start of Ronstadt's long association with Asylum, due to contractual obligations her next recorded album, Heart Like a Wheel, would be released on her previous label, Capitol.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[3]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Released in the fall of 1973, Don't Cry Now debuted on the Billboard album chart in late October and peaked at #45, the highest in her career at that point. The album had staying power, spending more than a year on the chart.[6] In addition to "Desperado," Asylum released two other singles. The first, "Love Has No Pride," originally recorded by Bonnie Raitt, peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100[7] and became a Top 10 Easy Listening hit in Canada.[8] The song has endured over the years becoming one of Ronstadt's signature songs, included in her 7x platinum Greatest Hits. The other, "Silver Threads And Golden Needles," was the second recording of that song by Ronstadt, a previous version having appeared on her 1969 solo debut, Hand Sown ... Home Grown. A re-make of a 1962 hit by the Springfields, "Silver Threads..." peaked at #67 on the Hot 100[7] and became the first of more than 20 hits to reach the Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at #20 in the spring of 1974.[9]

Don't Cry Now became Ronstadt's second Gold-certified album and was followed by the blockbuster success of Heart Like a Wheel.

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can Almost See It"J. D. Souther3:50
2."Love Has No Pride"Eric Kaz, Libby Titus4:10
3."Silver Threads and Golden Needles"Dick Reynolds, Jack Rhodes2:28
4."Desperado"Don Henley, Glenn Frey3:30
5."Don't Cry Now"J. D. Souther4:28
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sail Away"Randy Newman3:05
2."Colorado"Rick Roberts4:18
3."The Fast One" (featuring Glenn Frey on harmony vocals)J. D. Souther3:40
4."Everybody Loves a Winner"Bill Williams, Booker T. Jones, William Bell3:15
5."I Believe in You"Neil Young2:50
Total length:35:34

Charts
Chart (1973) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 46
United States (Billboard 200) 45

Personnel

Adapted from album's liner notes.[11]

  • Linda Ronstadt – lead vocals, tambourine (3), backing vocals (5, 8, 9)
  • Spooner Oldham – acoustic piano (1, 4, 5)
  • John Boylan – electric piano (2)
  • Craig Doerge – acoustic piano (6, 10)
  • J. D. Souther – acoustic guitar (1, 8), bass (1), electric guitar (4), backing vocals (8)
  • Jerry McGee – electric guitar (1)
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – steel guitar (1, 2, 6, 7)
  • Richard Bowden – electric guitar (2, 3, 7, 9, 10)
  • Andy Johnson – electric guitar (2)
  • Herb Pedersen – acoustic guitar (3), backing vocals (3, 9)
  • Ed Black – steel guitar (3, 8, 10), electric guitar (7)
  • Larry Carlton – electric guitar (5, 6)
  • Buddy Emmons – pedal steel guitar (5)
  • Rick Roberts – acoustic guitar (7)
  • Glenn Frey – electric guitar (8), steel guitar (9)
  • Mike Bowden – bass guitar (2, 3, 7, 9)
  • Chris Ethridge – bass guitar (4, 5, 8)
  • Leland Sklar – bass guitar (6, 10)
  • Dennis St. John – drums (1, 4, 5, 8)
  • Mickey McGee – drums (2, 3, 7, 9)
  • Russ Kunkel – drums (6, 10)
  • Jimmie Fadden – harmonica (1)
  • Gib Guilbeau – fiddle (3)
  • Jim Gordon – saxophone (4, 9)
  • Nino Tempo – saxophone (4, 9)
  • Gail Martin – trombone (4, 9)
  • McKinley Johnson – trumpet (4, 9)
  • Darrell Leonard – trumpet (4, 9)
  • Jim Ed Norman – horn arrangements (4, 9), string arrangements (4)
  • Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements (2, 7, 10)
  • Sid Sharp – concertmaster (2, 4, 7, 10)
  • Ginger Holladay – backing vocals (1, 2, 7)
  • Mary Holliday – backing vocals (1, 2, 7)
  • Clydie King – backing vocals (4, 6, 10)
  • Sherlie Matthews – backing vocals (4, 6, 10)
  • Marti McCall – backing vocals (4, 6, 10)
  • Wendy Waldman – backing vocals (5)


Production

  • J. D. Souther – producer, remixing
  • John Boylan – co-producer (2, 3, 7, 9)
  • Peter Asher – co-producer (6, 10)
  • Peter Granet – engineer
  • John Haeny – engineer
  • Ric Tarantini – engineer
  • Al Schmitt – remixing
  • Terry Dunavan – mastering at Elektra Sound Recorders (Los Angeles, California).
  • Shawn R. Britton – half-speed mastering
  • Edmund Meitner – technical support
  • Tim de Paravicini – technical support
  • Glenn Ross – cover design
  • Cathy Seeter – cover design
  • Ed Caraeff – cover photo
  • Terry Wright – sleeve photography

References
  1. Moore, Mary Ellen (1978). The Linda Ronstadt Scrapbook: An Illustrated Biography. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. p. 61. ISBN 0-441-48411-5.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. "Don't Cry Now".
  5. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 701. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. "Linda Ronstadt Top Pop Albums". Ronstadt-linda.com. 1946-07-15. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  7. "Linda Ronstadt in den Charts / Linda Ronstadt in the charts". Lindaronstadt.de. 2011-08-13. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  8. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-03-23. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  9. "Linda Ronstadt Top Country Singles". Ronstadt-linda.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 258. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. Don't Cry Now (booklet). Asylum. 1973.
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