🎵 AotW AOTW: Rita Coolidge FALL INTO SPRING (SP 3627)

[LPJim]

Rita Coolidge
FALL INTO SPRING
A&M SP-3627

www.ritacoolidge.com/Album.asp?albumid=21

(Click on the above link for track list & credits)


FALL INTO SPRING entered the Billboard Top 200 on May 25, 1974 and charted for 15 weeks, reaching a peak position of Number 55, according to Whitburn's "Top Pop Albums."

CD Resissue: Unknown

JB

 

[Dave]

Love Has No Pride (Eric Kaz, Libby Titus) -- Is there a song that gets as many questionably myriad versions as "Easy Evil" (written by Alan O'Day, and suprisingly done by a lot of people) that is on the level as "I Will Always Love You"? (written by Dolly Parton, and Whitney Houston is one person who should never have "ressurrected" it, after Linda Ronstadt made it something NOBODY should've ever touched again!) Saw Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary perform for a benefit and he and his daughter actually sang this... A version of it by ...?, hits me on the radio at odd times... Eric Kaz's old group American Flyer, where this originated, should'a known "remakes" would be a'comin'; listen to its co-writer, Libby Titus's version, a few years later...!! And Linda Ronstadt did this, too!

That's What Friends Are For (Paul Williams) -- Eh, some attonement after Paul, himself, recorded this on his Here Comes Inspiration, and after Jack Jones did a fairly credible version of this, we really wish it had just stayed with B.J. Thomas... Nick DeCaro sits in on accordian...

Cowboys And Indians (Bobby Charles) -- "...They had to move (move), they had to move (move), they had to move away..." Sort of an analogy of Old West Relations, between Native Americans and the Great American Cowpoke and the song ends in a metaphor of a broken relationship: "...You had to move (move), you had to move (move), you had to move away..." Think Charles was also responsible for other songs like this (that like this one, were probably never hits) Similarily titled to a couple other songs by Herb Alpert & TjB (on Ninth) and Shango (on Shango); and it seems to carry a good Monkees/Boyce & Hart beat, too!

Hold An Old Friends Hand (Donna Weiss) -- Booker T. Jones' organ (he married Rita's sister, Priscilla and was collaborative in a lot of Rita's efforts) omnipresently augments this ballad (featuring Booker T on suppotring vocals, too) written by Ms. Weiss, who supplied a lot of material for fellow-female artists, such as Jackie DeShannon...

We Had It All (Troy Seals, Donnie Fritts) -- So many versions of this had come out (John Davidson, Truett Pratt & Jerry McClain--who recorded at Contemporary Christian Rock album on Dunhill/ABC, before giving us a Teen Rock extravaganza on Reprise, kicking off with the theme from HAPPY DAYS) so you wonder if the ones which have followed-up were meant to "breathe some life into this, after Rita must'a sucked a lott'a life outta what didn't seem to have much life left, after Troy, himself, recorded it..." Well, there's Tom Jans... OK, I'll give you "room to breathe..."!

Mama Lou (Larry Murray) -- Should'a broke down and paid $40 (...Or was it $45?) to Jerry Bouquard at CALIFORNIA ALBUMS (or perhaps made it a Craig Moerer purchase for $60) when I saw Murray made an ALBUM, Sweet Country Suite on Verve, (--That's why I wanted it!) featuring some of L.A.'s best backing his California-politan Country Rock... Which Rita, along with now- ex-hubby, Kris thought highly of to have recorded his "Hard To Be Friends"; this somehow lapses into a bit of schtick, that the original probably avoided...

Heaven's Dream (Marc Benno) -- And what album did Mark record this on? After doing "Donut Man", "Second-Story Window", and her best version of his best song, "Nice Feeling", I think it was time for Rita to give the Benno Catalog a rest...

Desperados Waiting for the Train (Guy Clark) -- Geoff Levin plays his guitar strings with the E-Bow (a device, which "bows" your guitar's strings with your hand, though having had one, myself, I sure couldn't get iot to work well, or sound good) and achieves some good "train effects"... I prefer Tom Rush's version (chock-full of New York Superstar, Elliot Randall loading it, as well as some of the other proceedings on Rush's Ladies Love Outlaws and I had the Guy Clark album at one time, too!

Nickel For The Fiddler (Guy Clark) -- Clark did this one, and Rita, of course, seems to have made this of "lesser quality"; 'the first time' was enough... Think Guy made an A&M single, "Beechwood Blues", B/W "Two Lovers"... (I only had a Double-Sided W/L Promo of the former) Byron Berline on his "Hot Fiddle"!!

The Burden of Freedom (Kris Kristofferson) -- Ray Price sung this, too! --A lot BETTER!! Too much of a "wanna-be" anthem--chorus and all; could'a been just relegated to Kris's version, done back in Nashville on Monument, but... "I told you soooo...!!"

Now Your Baby Is A Lady (Donna Weiss, Jackie DeShannon) -- Jackie did a version of this, a year later, and it really works as "MY Baby Is A Lady", covered by former Looking Glass singer, Elliot Lurie (Did I tell you HIS version is a real "tear-jerker", too...?! ) A good Bass workout by Lee Sklar with the late-Sammy Creason on drums kicks in... Very ODD Next-To-Last song...!

I Feel Like Going Home (Charlie Rich) -- Somehow a good "Album-Closer", and there go all those Background Vocals that "Take It Home"...! Charlie Rich, 'The Silver Fox', had an intersting "Saloon Version', complete with a Tack Piano...


This is a very QUIET -sounding album! Rita was "expctant" with daughter, Casey during the making of ...Spring; hence the photo of her lying down... Managed to find this, as well as the follow-up, It's Only Love, for a Buck, each, and both in good-playing condition...!! Nothing "uptempo", whatsoever, and it really could stand something "boisterous" just to liven the pace...


Dave

 

[chpoof]

Well, "boisterous" has never really been Rita's style, even from the get-go. I like this album a lot. I just wish it and her subsequent A&M albums would finally be reissued on CD, or at least in digital format via iTunes or Rhapsody. I guess I can keep dreaming....

 

[Dave]

Well, not really "boisterous", but something "Up-Tempo"; like "Southern Lady", "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and "Your Love Has Lifted Me (Higher & Higher)" from Anytime, Anywhere or "Late Again" from It's Only Love... I really meant that there is such a "Quietude" on Fall Into Spring, that you can hear a Pin Drop...! :|


Dave

 

[chpoof]

Well, that's true. "Nickel for the Fiddler" is the only uptempo song on the whole album (with "Mama Lou" running a close second). I guess it is one of those records that are really meant to mellow you out...or put you to sleep, depending on your perspective. :|