Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys |
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The Stone Poneys were a Los Angeles, California folk-rock trio consisting of Bob Kimmel (rhythm guitar), Ken Edwards (lead guitar), and Linda Ronstadt (vocals). The band's misspelled name came from Charlie Patton's "The Stone Pony Blues."[1] In July of 2008, The Stone Poneys Featuring Linda Ronstadt, and Evergreen-Vol. 2 were released together on a single CD for the first time.
While a student at Arizona State University, Linda Ronstadt decided to move to Los Angeles with guitarist Bob Kimmel, to form a band. [2] In 1964, the pair met guitarist-songwriter Kenny Edwards. Kimmel and Edwards, co-wrote several folk-rock songs.
Discovered by a couple of music executives, while rehearsing at a nearby soul food restaurant called Olivia's which was located in Ocean Park , a community between Venice Beach and Santa Monica, and which was famous for its food and clientle, including the The Doors, and The Poneys. [3] They eventually recorded "So Fine" for Curb Records. However, the record company wanted them to change the group's name to "The Signets" and sing surf music, which the trio chose not to do. The group remained the Stone Poneys and worked clubs like The Insomniac in Hermosa Beach, The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, and The Troubadour in Hollywood. At The Troubadour they were eventually signed by Nick Venet. They were opening for talent such as Oscar Brown Jr. [4] Consequently, the Stone Poneys became an opening act for The Doors on tour. ".[5]
Their three albums were produced by Nik Venet, and most of the songs were written by Kimmel and Edwards (Ronstadt co-wrote "Wild About My Lovin'"). Under Nik Venet and Capitol Records, the group recorded their first album in the fall of 1966, The Stone Poneys, which was released in January 1967. The album is notable for its strong-voiced harmony vocals. Eight years after the release of the album, it was reissued (in March of 1975) by Capitol Records, as a result of the huge success Ronstadt had as a solo artist with the multi-platinum Heart Like A Wheel.
The Stone Poneys are best known for the second 45 (following "One For One") released off of their second album, Evergreen, Volume 2 (released in June of 1967) that they did not write: Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum." Their version is similar to John Herald's vocal with the Greenbriar Boys. It hit the Billboard Magazine pop chart on November 11, 1967 and stayed on the Hot 100 for 17 weeks, peaking at #13. Ronstadt was dissatified with the arrangements, since she wanted to record the tune in a more acoustic atmosphere, and Capitol Records decided to put it in more an an orchestration setting.
Their third album was titled Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III (released April 1968), and only her picture was on the cover. The album's only single release was "Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water" which stalled at #93 on the Hot 100. It also included another Nesmith song, "Some Of Shelly's Blues," and ended with the Laura Nyro song, "Stoney End," which turned out to have been aptly named (although the song was not written for the Stone Poneys). By then, Linda Ronstadt was becoming increasingly well-known following the success of "Different Drum", and in 1969 she officially went solo with her album Hand Sown...Home Grown.
The legendary nightclub that helped launch the careers of Southside Johnny, Jon Bon Jovi, and others – The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey – was named for this band and was founded in 1974, shortly before Linda Ronstadt's breakthrough album Heart Like A Wheel was released.
References
- ^ "Cleveland Scene". Gypsy Eyes, Interview 1968. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
- ^ "Country Music Magazine, October 1978". Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ "Rolling Stone". Linda Ronstadt, Heartbreak on Wheels, by Ben Fong-Torres, March 27, 1975. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ "Id". Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ "M O J O, the Rock'n'Roll Magazine". Homecoming Queen, April 1995. Retrieved 2007-05-07.