The Stone Poneys (s/t)

The Stone Poneys should be much more than a footnote. Forever eclipsed by Linda Ronstadt’s latter-day success, the band has found itself set down in history as little more than an early backing group for the singer – hardly a fair assessment, especially considering the strength of the material recorded by the band, of which Ronstadt was only one contributor. In fact, Poneys Ken Edwards and Bob Kimmel were remarkable singers in their own right and actually penned all of the group’s original material.

The Poneys’ self-titled debut is perhaps their strongest statement as a band. Produced by the great west-coast folk-rock producer Nick Venet (Fred Neil, Hedge & Donna, et al.), the album typifies the slow and hazy L.A. sound that would become the man’s signature. Venet would also serve to connect the recent Tucson immigrants with several other players on the local folk scene, most notably Tim Buckley, whose songs they would soon go on to record, and the band Hearts & Flowers, who Linda would sing with on their 1968 record Now Is the Time.

Legendary multi-instrumentalist Cyrus Faryar’s bouzouki opens the album and kicks off one of its most memorable songs, Edwards and Kimmel’s Sweet Summer Blue & Gold. Starring the Poneys’ beautiful vocal blend set to a swirling, eastern folk-rock melody, this one could have easily become an underground hit. The singing also helps to immediately put into focus what the Poneys would later go on to lose: first when Linda began to take on the lion’s share of the lead vocals, and at the end, when she essentially became the sole Poney.

All this is not to say that Ronstadt doesn’t reveal her incredible talents on The Stone Poneys. Her soulful rendition of Fred Neil’s Just A Little Bit of Rain is a stunner, and she really tears the roof off Orion, a cut which foreshadows her rock and roll future while also driving home her companions songwriting abilities. On the second side of the record, Edwards and Ronstadt take a duet on the blue, drifting The Train and the River, before borrowing the Rising Sons’ arrangement of Tom Campbell and Linda Albertano’s classic 2:10 Train to bonnie effect.

Raven Records has reissued The Stone Poneys alongside the band’s second album, Evergreen, which contains their famous recording of Mike Nesmith’s Different Drum, as well as a few key tracks from the final, Linda-centric Poneys record. I’d say this is definitely a collection to look into, especially if you aren’t yet willing to hunt down all three records on vinyl.

“Sweet Summer Blue & Gold”

:D Reissue | 2008 | Raven | buy here ]
:) Original | 1967 | Capitol | search ebay ]
8-) Spotify link | listen ]


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4 Comments.

  • beastre

    I’ve got a Capitol reissue on vinyl (SN-16133). Same cover, except it adds “featuring Linda Ronstadt” under The Stone Poneys. It lacks “Train and the River” on side two. Any chance of a post or future podcast inclusion of that tune?

  • Nik

    Hey that’s a bummer, I wonder why they cut it? I’ve got you covered though – check yr email.

  • Len Liechti

    Difficult one, this. The acoustic guitar work is sublime throughout and the three-part harmonies are glorious, but the songwriting by Edwards and Kimmel is humdrum at best, and Ronstadt was even then a rock singer and her unharmonised lead vocal is too strident and soulful for folk material. The follow-up album was better, with the benefit of external songwriters and the addition of LA mafia sessioneers plus the excellent cod-baroque strings and harpsichord. All their product however lacked the urgency and jazzy, slightly dangerous edge of their nearest equivalents, the excellent Pentangle. Perhaps too much influenced by PP&M and the Kingston Trio and not enough by Dylan and Baez.

  • Oz

    Hmmmmm, don’t agree with the above comment. Linda’s vocals on ‘Orion’ really make that track stand out with a plaintive ‘folk’ feel. A nice LP.

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