The Stone Poneys (album)
Encyclopedia
The Stone Poneys is the debut studio album
by the Stone Poneys
; other than an early single of "So Fine" that was produced by Mike Curb
in 1965, this album marks the first official recordings by Linda Ronstadt
. Whether intended or not, the front cover photo appears to show the band as a more modern version of Peter, Paul and Mary
with several of the songs sung in the same three-part harmony.
in January 1967 in both monaural
and stereophonic editions (catalogue numbers T 2666 and ST 2666, respectively).
In March 1975, Capitol reissued the album under the name The Stone Poneys Featuring Linda Ronstadt (catalogue number ST-11383), following the multi-platinum success Linda Ronstadt had in 1974-75 with her #1 album Heart Like A Wheel
. Though the original release did not chart, this reissue reached #172 on the Billboard
album chart. As a result, this heretofore virtually unknown first album by the Stone Poneys was more widely available in the 1970s and 1980s than the subsequent albums that featured the band's more familiar songs.
The front cover was essentially the same except for a circular area in the upper right hand corner titled "Early Linda!" that had the appearance of a sticker (and apparently was an adhesive sticker
in some cases); while new liner notes on a redesigned back cover mentioned that this was Linda Ronstadt's "first album ever". The song listing in the reissue highlighted Ronstadt's three solo performances on "Just a Little Bit of Rain", "Orion" and "2:10 Train"; she also sang solo on one verse of "Train and the River" that was not so identified.
As with the other two Stone Poneys albums, Capitol reissued this album on CD in 1995. In 2008 – more than 40 years after this album was released – Raven
issued a 27-track "two-fer" CD simply called The Stone Poneys, featuring all tracks from this album and also the second Stone Poneys album, Evergreen, Volume 2
, plus four tracks from their third album, Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys were a folk-rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Bobby Kimmel , Kenny Edwards , and Linda Ronstadt . Their recordings include Linda Ronstadt's first hit song, a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum"...
; other than an early single of "So Fine" that was produced by Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
in 1965, this album marks the first official recordings by Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
. Whether intended or not, the front cover photo appears to show the band as a more modern version of Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
with several of the songs sung in the same three-part harmony.
Release data
The album was released in the LP format on CapitolCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in January 1967 in both monaural
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
and stereophonic editions (catalogue numbers T 2666 and ST 2666, respectively).
Heart Like a Wheel
Heart Like a Wheel is Linda Ronstadt's fifth solo album release and the last-ever of her studio projects for Capitol Records, released in late 1974. It is universally considered to be Ronstadt's all-time high watermark masterpiece recording and a pioneering blueprint of Country Rock...
. Though the original release did not chart, this reissue reached #172 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
album chart. As a result, this heretofore virtually unknown first album by the Stone Poneys was more widely available in the 1970s and 1980s than the subsequent albums that featured the band's more familiar songs.
The front cover was essentially the same except for a circular area in the upper right hand corner titled "Early Linda!" that had the appearance of a sticker (and apparently was an adhesive sticker
Label
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
in some cases); while new liner notes on a redesigned back cover mentioned that this was Linda Ronstadt's "first album ever". The song listing in the reissue highlighted Ronstadt's three solo performances on "Just a Little Bit of Rain", "Orion" and "2:10 Train"; she also sang solo on one verse of "Train and the River" that was not so identified.
As with the other two Stone Poneys albums, Capitol reissued this album on CD in 1995. In 2008 – more than 40 years after this album was released – Raven
Raven Records
Raven Records is an Australian record label that specializes in retrospectives and reissues or recordings by American, British and Australian artists.Raven Records was established in 1979 by Glenn A. Baker, Kevin Mueller and Peter Shillito....
issued a 27-track "two-fer" CD simply called The Stone Poneys, featuring all tracks from this album and also the second Stone Poneys album, Evergreen, Volume 2
Evergreen, Volume 2
Evergreen, Volume 2 is the second album from the Stone Poneys that was released five months after The Stone Poneys. The volume number is a reference to this being the band's second album.-Release Data:...
, plus four tracks from their third album, Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III
Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III
Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III is the third and final album by The Stone Poneys. Linda Ronstadt would release her first solo album the following year. The volume number is a reference to this being the third album by the band, though with a Roman numeral rather than the Arabic...
.
Personnel
- Bob Kimmel – vocals, guitar
- Kenny EdwardsKenny EdwardsKenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
– vocals, guitar - Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
– vocals, finger cymbals - James E. Bond – bass, guitar
- Pete Childs – guitar
- Cyrus FaryarCyrus FaryarCyrus Faryar is an American folk musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was active in musical, theatrical, and performance events in high school. After graduating from high school and attending college, he became involved in the entertainment industry, opening the first coffee house in...
– bouzouki, guitar - John T. Forsha – guitar
- Billy MundiBilly MundiBilly Mundi is an American drummer, who has played a multitude of sessions and been a member of countless bands, most notably The Mothers of Invention and Rhinoceros. He sometimes used the name Tony Schnasse.A former Hells Angel, his career dates back to the late 1950s, when he majored in music at...
– drums
Side 1
- "Sweet Summer Blue and Gold" (Bobby KimmelBobby KimmelBobby Kimmel lives in Tucson, Arizona and is a musician and songwriter who currently performs with the acoustic folk group, BK Special. He has been recording and performing in concert for over 40 years and was a founding member of the Stone Poneys, along with Linda Ronstadt and Kenny Edwards.Bobby...
, Ken EdwardsKenny EdwardsKenny Edwards was an American singer/songwriter. He was a founding member of The Stone Poneys and a long-time collaborator with both Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff.-Biography:...
) – 2:18 - "If I Were You" (Kimmel, Edwards) – 1:58
- "Just a Little Bit of Rain" (Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
) – 2:20 - "Bicycle Song" (Kimmel, Edwards) – 1;53
- "Orion" (Tom Campbell) – 3:20
Side 2
- "Wild about My Lovin'" (Traditional – Adapted by Kimmel, Ronstadt and Edwards) – 3:50
- "Back Home" (Edwards) – 2:00
- "Meredith (On My Mind)" (Kimmel, Edwards) – 2:10
- "Train and the River" (Kimmel, Edwards) – 2:20
- "All the Beautiful Things" (Kimmel, Edwards) – 1:55
- "2:10 Train" (Tom Campbell, Linda Albertano) – 3:20