Linda Hargrove (1949-2010) established herself as country songwriter and solo performer in the 1970s, known both for her rootsy musical approach and her low-key, down-home personal image. She was nicknamed the "Blue Jean Country Queen" because she preferred denim to rhinestones, and didn't doll herself up the same way as the female superstars of the era. She came to Nashville around 1970, finding work as a session musician and songwriter, and didn't release her first solo album until 1973. As a performer, Hargrove was only modestly successful on the charts, but she recorded several well-regarded albums and found considerable success as a songwriter, penning chart-toppers in both the Country and Pop charts. Here's a quick look at her work...
Linda Hargrove "Music Is Your Mistress" (Elektra Records, 1973) (LP)
Linda Hargrove "Blue Jean Country Queen" (Elektra Records, 1974) (LP)
Bluefield "Bluefield" (Mercury Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Drake & Ronnie Light)
This band featured Lang Scruggs and Joe Scruggs (cousins of Earl) along with Linda Hargrove on piano, Hoot Hester on fiddle, and Paul Franklin playing dobro & steel. The set list includes a few pop covers ("A Taste Of Honey," "I Can See Clearly Now") along with Alan Munde's "Molly Bloom," and a couple of Linda Hargrove songs -- indeed it seems like this was an under-the-radar Hargrove outing, as much as anything else...
Linda Hargrove "Love, You're The Teacher" (Capitol Records, 1975) (LP)
Linda Hargrove "Just Like You" (Capitol Records, 1976) (LP)
Giving a hint of her later interest in Christian pop, Hargrove included a stunning gospel tune, "The Only Man-Made Thing In Heaven Are The Scars On Jesus' Hands..."
Linda Hargrove "Impressions" (Capitol, 1977) (LP)
Linda Bartholomew "A New Song" (Fig Tree, 1981) (LP)
Linda Bartholomew "Greater Works" (Threefold Productions, 1989)
Linda Hargrove "One Woman's Life" (Panacea Records, 2005)
After All "After All" (Athena Records, 1969) (LP)
This Florida-based rock group had kind of proggy leanings, and grand visions for their art. Hargrove was pals with the guys in the band, and they asked her to write lyrics for their music... and when they went to Nashville to record, she went with them, though when they headed back to Tallahassee, she stuck around in Music City, and built her career in the commercial country scene. This album includes seven songs with lyrics credited to Hargrove, though as far as I know, she didn't sing or play on the record.
