The vocal group Linda Ronstadt stood in awe of: “I’ve never seen anything like it”
There are many outstanding vocalists who have stunned the world with their ability to enchant audiences with the power of their voice, and while Linda Ronstadt doesn’t get cited frequently enough in some circles, there’s no doubt she’s supremely gifted at her craft.
The fact that she managed to rise to the top and establish a chokehold over the charts only goes to demonstrate just how much she was impressing people, especially from the middle of the 1970s and onwards. She would continue in this rich vein of form for several years, and a large part of her success was down to the incredible power of her voice more than anything, given how a large part of her discography was dedicated to performing covers.
Later on in her career, towards the end of the 1980s, she would find herself working as a member of a supergroup alongside Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris that produced the album, Trio – this also demonstrated how well her voice worked alongside others who were just as powerful and popular at the time, reinforcing just how good she can sound and also reigniting her career at a pivotal moment.
However, despite her being a great example of a solo voice and one that can work in close harmony with others, what’s rarely ever discussed in popular music is the use of more than just a small ensemble of voices. Choral music tends to be reserved for discussion in classical or non-mainstream circles, and despite it having had a significant impact on many pop vocalists, it doesn’t ever get given the same treatment.
During a 1998 interview with journalist Debbie Kruger, Ronstadt was asked about her time living in San Francisco, which brought the topic of conversation towards the vocal group Chanticleer, popular in the area at the time for their wide-ranging repertoire performed by an ensemble of between eight and twelve vocalists.
“Of course, I saw them play,” Ronstadt proclaimed upon the mention of their name. “They’re fabulous.” However, while Kruger then asked why she had never worked with them, and informed her that they had expressed interest in collaborating with her, Ronstadt’s face lit up.
“God, I’d love to do stuff with them,” she said, seemingly instantly relishing the prospect of hearing her voice accompanied by the dozen male choristers.
“They blew me away. I saw them at the Mission Dolores, I loved it so much.”
Linda Ronstadt
But what exactly was it about their performance that impressed her so much? “When I saw them, they did only Gregorian chant,” she explained. “It was two hours, it killed me. Everybody that was there was transfixed, I’ve never seen anything like it, and they did such a good job. I grew up Catholic, so Gregorian chants are right up my alley.”
Given Ronstadt’s upbringing, of course, she would jump at the chance of being able to work with such a formidable ensemble, but despite seeming like the perfect pairing, it would sadly never come to fruition before Ronstadt was forced into retirement in 2011 due to a neurological condition that prevented her from singing.
