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The U.K.-based Music Club Deluxe label continues to raid the Warner Music Group archives with two new collections following similar sets for Dionne Warwick and Chicago.  Linda Ronstadt: The Collection and George Benson: The Collection are both due next Monday, September 5, and these 2-CD sets celebrate the long careers of two music legends.

Ronstadt’s fans will be glad to know that Music Club Deluxe has licensed tracks from Capitol Records to create a fairly comprehensive overview of the artist’s career.  At 46 tracks, it’s quite generous, eclipsing the 2-CD edition of The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt issued by Time-Life in 2003 (Warner Special Products/Time Life R162-26) which itself expanded the 21-track collection of the same title (Rhino R2 76109, 2002).  (This set bears the same striking cover portrait as those releases.)  Despite having placed 38 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including ten that went Top Ten, and 36 entries on the album chart, including ten that reached the Top Ten there too (her magic number!) and three that hit pole position, Ronstadt is often overlooked by the rock cognoscenti.  The Collection is a reminder of her mastery of many genres, as it goes so far to include not only her most beloved Southern California country-rock hit singles, but also a couple of tracks performed in Spanish and one standard (“What’s New”) recorded with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra.  It’s her definitive interpretations of songs by other artists, though, that dominate: Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, Mike Nesmith, Warren Zevon, Don Henley and Glenn Frey all saw their royalties accumulate substantially thanks to Ronstadt’s catalogue. 

Gazing at the track list, it’s clear that this California rock legend’s taste in songwriters has always been top-notch; she was an early champion of the works of Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff, Randy Newman, Lowell George, Neil Young, Jimmy Webb and so many others.  The Collection includes a number of lesser-known album tracks alongside the familiar classics, although the non-chronological sequencing might drive a person crazy!  The compilation’s two discs span from 1967’s Stone Poneys LP Evergreen, Volume 2 (“Different Drum”) through 1996’s Dedicated to the One I Love (the title track and “Be My Baby”).

Hit the jump for the full track listing of both titles and pre-order links, plus more on George Benson’s Collection!

When he first arrived on the music scene, George Benson was the closest thing to an heir apparent to the legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery.  He was one of the brightest lights of jazz as a young man, coming up through the ranks with organist Jack McDuff, releasing his first album as a leader at the age of 21 on the Prestige label.  A brief stint at Columbia followed, and Benson contributed guitar to Miles Davis’ Miles in the Sky.  Benson then headed to Verve and A&M/CTI, following Montgomery’s path.  At the latter label he found a sympathetic ear in producer Creed Taylor, whom he followed to Taylor’s now-independent CTI imprint.  Despite such artistic triumphs as Beyond the Blue Horizon and White Rabbit, Benson was ready to show the world that there was more to his talent than just “boss guitar.”  1976’s Breezin’, his Warner Bros. Records debut, started Benson off on a phenomenally commercial career as both vocalist and guitarist, yielding the Grammy-winning Record of the Year for his rendition of Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade.”  The hits just kept on coming from that point on: “Give Me the Night,” “Turn Your Love Around,” “Lady Love Me (One More Time),” “On Broadway” and more.  It’s this period in Benson’s career that is anthologized on The Collection; no tracks have been selected from his instrumental-only days as a premier jazz guitarist.  Still, its 32 tracks best 2003’s 19-track The Greatest Hits of All, which draws on the same Warner Bros. period, and covers substantially different territory than Columbia’s 2006 The Essential George Benson which includes some of the Warner-era hits but focuses on his work at Columbia and CTI.  A handful of non-album cuts and 12-inch single versions are included, and the resulting Essential Collection (or Essential Selection, as the cover art indicates) makes for a unique entry in Benson’s compilation catalogue.

Both titles arrive from Music Club Deluxe on September 5 and can be pre-ordered at the links below!

Linda Ronstadt, The Collection (Music Club Deluxe MCDLX525, 2011)

CD 1

1. You’re No Good
2. Don’t Know Much – With Aaron Neville
3. When Will I Be Loved
4. Tracks Of My Tears
5. It’s So Easy
6. Different Drum – With The Stone Poneys
7. That’ll Be The Day
8. Carmelita
9. Just One Look
10. It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
11. Poor Poor Pitiful Me
12. Hey Mister, That’s Me Up On The Juke Box
13. Back In The USA
14. Hurt So Bad
15. Ooh Baby Baby
16. The Blue Train
17. I Will Always Love You
18. How Do I Make You
19. Love Is A Rose
20. Tumbling Dice
21. Desperado
22. Silver Threads & Golden Needles
23. Roll Um Easy
24. Alison

CD 2

1. Heat Wave
2. Blue Bayou
3. All My Life – With Aaron Neville
4. Love Has No Pride
5. I Can’t Let Go
6. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
7. Someone To Lay Down Beside Me
8. Hasten Down The Wind
9. Por Un Amor (For A Love)
10. The Waiting
11. I Will Never Marry – With Dolly Parton
12. Get Closer
13. Many Rivers To Cross
14. After The Gold Rush – With Emmylou Harris
15. Heart Like A Wheel
16. Frenesi
17. Dedicated To The One I Love
18. Winter Light
19. Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
20. Be My Baby
21. What’s New
22. Long Long Time

Disc 1, Tracks 1, 3, 10 & Disc 2, Track 15 from Heart Like a Wheel, Capitol SW-11358, 1974
Disc 1, Track 2 & Disc 2, Track 3 from Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, Elektra 60872, 1989
Disc 1, Tracks 4, 12, 17, 19 & 23 and Disc 2, Tracks 1 & 13 from Prisoner in Disguise, Asylum 7E-1045, 1975
Disc 1, Tracks 5, 8, 11, 20 and Disc 2, Tracks 2 & 11 from Simple Dreams, Asylum 6E-104, 1977
Disc 1, Track 6 from The Stone Poneys, Evergreen, Volume 2, Capitol ST-2763, 1967
Disc 1, Track 7 & Disc 2, Tracks 7-8 from Hasten Down the Wind, Asylum 7E-1072, 1976
Disc 1, Tracks 9, 13, 15 & 24 from Living in the U.S.A., Asylum 6E-155, 1978
Disc 1, Tracks 14 & 18 and Disc 2, Track 5 from Mad Love, Asylum 5E-510, 1980
Disc 1, Track 16 and Disc 2, Tracks 10 & 14 from Feels Like Home, Elektra 61703, 1995
Disc 1, Track 21 and Disc 2, Track 4 from Don’t Cry Now, Asylum 5064, 1973
Disc 1, Track 22 from Hand Sown…Home Grown, Capitol ST-208, 1969 or Don’t Cry Now, Asylum 5064, 1973
Disc 2, Tracks 6 & 12 from Get Closer, Asylum 60185, 1982
Disc 2, Track 9 from Canciones de Mi Padre, Asylum  60765, 1987
Disc 2, Track 16 from Frenesi, Elektra 61383, 1992
Disc 2, Tracks 17 & 20 from Dedicated to the One I Love, Elektra 61916, 1996
Disc 2, Tracks 18-19 from Winter Light, Elektra 61545, 1993
Disc 2, Track 21 from What’s New, Asylum 60260, 1983
Disc 2, Track 22 from Silk Purse, Capitol ST-407, 1970

George Benson, The Essential Collection (Music Club Deluxe MCDLX524, 2011)

1. Give Me The Night
2. Never Give Up On A Good Thing
3. Feel Like Makin’ Love
4. Lady Love Me (One More Time)
5. Turn Your Love Around
6. On Broadway
7. Breezin’
8. Gonna Love You More
9. Valdez In The Country
10. The World Is A Ghetto
11. Soulful Strut
12. Inside Love (So Personal)
13. 20/20 (Extended Remix)
14. Teaser
15. Living Inside Your Love

CD 2 

1. Love Ballad
2. Affirmation
3. In Your Eyes
4. Love X Love
5. Shiver (Extended Remix)
6. The Greatest Love Of All
7. Kisses In The Moonlight
8. Nothing’s Going To Change My Love For You
9. Nature Boy
10. This Masquerade
11. Everything Must Change
12. 6 to 4
13. Lady Blue
14. What’s On Your Mind
15. Beyond The Sea (La Mer)
16. Unchained Melody
17. You Are The Love of My Life

Disc 1, Track 1 and Disc 2, Tracks 4 & 14 from Give Me the Night, Warner Bros. HS-3453, 1980
Disc 1, Track 2 from Warner Bros. single WBS-50005, 1981
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 & 12 and Disc 2, Track 3 from In Your Eyes, Warner Bros. 23744, 1983
Disc 1, Track 5 from Warner Bros. single WBS-49846, 1981
Disc 1, Track 6 and Disc 2, Tracks 6 & 13 from Weekend in L.A., Warner Bros 66-074, 1977
Disc 1, Track 7 & Disc 2, Tracks 2, 10 & 12 from Breezin’, Warner Bros. BS-2919, 1976
Disc 1, Tracks 8-10 and Disc 2, Tracks 9 & 11 from In Flight, Warner Bros. BS-2983, 1977
Disc 1, Tracks 11 & 15 and Disc 2, Track 16 from Livin’ Inside Your Love, Warner Bros. 2BSK-3277, 1979
Disc 1, Track 13 from Warner Bros. 12-inch single PRO-A-2251, 1985
Disc 1, Track 14 and Disc 2, Track 7 from While the City Sleeps, Warner Bros. 25475, 1986
Disc 2, Track 1 from Warner Bros. single WBS-8759, 1979
Disc 2, Track 5 from Warner Bros. 12-inch single 0-20572, 1986
Disc 2, Tracks 8, 15 & 17 from 20/20, Warner Bros. 25178, 1985