 Sophistication, sensuousness, unique
vocal styling. All these things are part and parcel of Chicagoan Linda Clifford. Whether
she is out on the road doing club dates or in the studio doing commercials or cutting an
album, there is a zest for life that magically raises her sound beyond that of the
numerous female vocalists on vinyl today.
Her polish comes from a career that began at the age of 7 on
television, continued through movie roles in "Rosemary's Baby and "Coogan's
Bluff," commercials for Michelob Light and Alka Seltzer, and musically encountering
Curtis Mayfield, who began capturing her magic for his Curtom label in the latter 701s.
Her debut album, "Linda," brought her loyal fans in
the dance club market and East Coast Radio with "From Now On" and "You Can
Do It. 11 Radio also picked up on her earthy rendition of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's
the Night."
Linda came fully into the national spotlight with her second
album for Curtom. The title track was a spectacular dance version of "if my Friends
Could See Me Now," from the Broadway classic Sweet Charity. The piece was a fully
orchestrated arrangement by Gil Askey, of Motown fame, who gave Linda's voice a bed of
lush strings with percolating rhythm for support.
The surprise cut on that album brought her to Rhythm &
Blues audiences. The track was a groove that developed into a woman-telling-off-her-man
story through Linda's vocal ad-libbing and rap, turning "Runaway Love" into an
R&B radio and club smash and adding a new cutting.-edge to Linda's vocal personality.
Curtom's distribution move to RSO Records brought her into an
association that led to an exciting teaming with Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford to record
one of the highlights of the Fame soundtrack. Her rendition of "Red Light," used
behind Leroy's hilarious audition sequence for the School of the Performing Arts, was a
favorite from the soudtrack album.
The RSO teaming also brought forth a gem of an album entitled
"Here's my Love," in which she successfully performed tracks created by
Philadelphia great Norman Harris (producer of The Trammps and First Choice) and Juergen
Koppers (of Giorgio Moroder's production team) The momentum continued in a move to Capitol
Records that yielded an exciting partnership with the inimitable Isaac Hayes for
"Shoot Your Best Shot" and back with Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford for an
album that yielded the rockish hit "Don't Come Cryinl to Me."
The new decade moves Linda into an exciting new association
with Ian Levine's Saturday Records, bringing together the fresh English sound with classic
Motown songwriting alumni Marilyn McLoud (Anita Baker's "Same Old Love" and
Diana Ross's "Love Hangover") and Janie Bradford (Barrett Strong's "Money
(That's What I Want)" and Marvin Gaye's "Too Busy Thinking 'Bout my
Baby")). The combination of Ian's polish on the tracking and his partner Rick
Gianatos Is vocal production on soon-to-be-rel eased 1211 single "Unchanging"
and follow-up "Love Will Make it Work" will please her dance and R&B fans
and win her a new legion of listeners. This new work captures the fire and energy that is
Linda and melds it with a slick and sophisticated vocal prowess so unique in an industry
full of computer-generated talent.
Live a little
check her out! |
