So far this week we’ve looked at two dude singer-songwriters, so maybe today it’s time we take a feminine turn and chat about a private press record from a female-fronted troupe. The stylistically hard to pin down band known as Linda Lou And The Three For All shift between soft rock and pop and rockabilly somewhat seamlessly on this, their only record (that I know of, at least). In fact, not much exists about this one, at least on the all-knowing and all-powerful Internet. Just an empty Rate Your Music page and one blog entry from a site called The Third Eye Lounge. That author wrote of Linda Lou:
you can imagine my eyes lighting up last week in texas when i ran across this one. somehow i knew this little lady would rock the house and although this ain’t no lounge killer, she came through in spades. in a countrified oklahoma rockabilly style no less on tunes like “unchain my heart”, “bobby mcgee” and “kansas city”. you’ll hear the softer side of little linda on “what are you doing the rest of your life”, “until it’s time for you to go” (she sings 7 songs total). one of the funnest vanity LP cover art portraits i’ve laid eyes on and i’ve never, EVER seen or heard of this album. [WL]
Other than that, nothing. Don Rohr from Clue Magazine is quoted on the back cover as saying, “A few years back, Linda Lou, that tiny Miss with the great big voice, joined forces with Lyle Thurman, an organ major from the University of Oklahoma; and they began performing as a duo – mostly in night clubs in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. Linda already had a professional career going as she had worked in revues on the east coast and had toured the country as a single for three years. Lyle, on the other hand, had been teaching for some time; but this was his first really professional introduction to that fascinating world under the amber-glow. As a team they gained instant popularity, and wherever they appeared they were followed by an evergrowing entourage of loyal fans.” The rest of the liner notes read more like a press release than a magazine article.
The front cover photo was taken by Doyle Watson, the car (a 1927 Marmon) was “furnished by” Raymond Hammond. The 12 songs here were recorded live between the dates of February 17th and 22nd, 1972 by Derrick Recording Studios. And the album was manufactured by Queen City Album, INC. in Cincinnati, Ohio. The record carries the Derrick logo and carries the catalog number DS 1469. Some Internet sleuthing led me to another record made at Derrick Recording Studios by a group called Smoke House. “Knights In White Satin” which might be the name of a song or an album, although according to that page the recording is a 36-minute LP so it’s most likely more than one song. A Billboard Magazine article from 1972 highlights the increase in recorded music activity in Oklahoma with a blurb about Derrick Recording Studios, too. Described as the largest walk-in facility in Tulsa, it was owned by Granada Enterprises and operated by Dale Watts and Bill Davis. By that point it had been in operation for seven years but the bulk of the sessions were to cut demos and religious albums. The article also names a bunch of house musicians but none of them are any of the artists who appear on the Linda Lou album. So…a little bit of background history about the studio in Tulsa where it was recorded…but not much else about the record itself or its creator.
And that’s pretty much all I have for you today. Check out the lead track and let me know what you think.
Linda Lou
Linda Lou And The Three For All
(Derrick – DS 1469, 1972)
A1. Unchain My Heart [MP3]
A2. Scratch My Back
A3. Help Me Make It Through The Night / For The Good Times – Medley
A4. Where Did Our Love Go
A5. Iv’e Been To Town
A6. Bobby McGee
B1. Kansas City
B2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
B3. Run Red Run
B4. Until It’s Time For You To Go
B5. Proud Mary
B6. My Way
