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LINDA CLIFFORD One look at the stunning album covers for Linda Clifford's If My Friends Could See Me Now (Curtom/Warner Bros., 1979) and Let Me be Your Woman (Curtom/RSO, 1980) and you know all you need to know about star presence  . At once radiating glamour, soul and the "hmm-hmm attitude" for which she's
come to be known, Linda Clifford looks you straight in the eye and says,
"I'm here." One listen to luxuriously produced hits like the glamorous "If
My Friends Could See Me Now," the irresistible "Runaway Love," the wise and
sassy "Don't Give it Up" and the glorious "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and
you know you've heard one of the great R&B singers.That was the late Seventies, this is now: nothing's changed. On November 3, 2000, West End Records released "Changin'. The single has already has earned the excitement of DJs from the Shelter's Timmy Regisford to the #1 circuit DJ, Susan Morabito, it is Linda Clifford's label debut and her first solo single in years. As if hearing "Changin'" is not enough, those who've seen her latest press photo, once again recognize that look - the one that says, "I'm still here, dear." Gypsy Lady A former Miss New York State, Brooklyn vocalist Linda Clifford began singing jazz in the Sixties -- first with the Jerico Jazz Singers and later touring the country with her own jazz trio, Linda and the Trade Winds, before switching to R&B and pop. She made a little noise on Paramount Records (an affiliation via Curtis Mayfield with the short-lived single "Long Long Winter") before ultimately settling in Chicago and signing with Mayfield's Curtom Records label. In A Cadillac Seville Clifford's first Curtom hit was her swaggering cover of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from the Broadway musical, Sweet Charity. (Ironically, years before, she'd worked as an extra in the film version with Shirley McClaine.) The single's success propelled Linda into the glittering center ring of the disco circus (and later that year, earned her a Grammy Nomination [Best Disco Single]). Her follow-up single, "Runaway Love," topped the Billboard Disco/Dance chart, reached £3 on their R&B chart, crossed over briefly onto the Hot 100 earning Linda yet another Grammy Nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. While "If My Friends Could See Me Now" remains Linda's biggest Disco hit, it is "Runaway Love" that sustains Linda's revered status on the dance underground thanks to play "back in the day" by Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage and play today by many "garage" DJs in their classic sets. The same year she again hit £14 on the Billboard R&B chart with her duet with fellow Curtom artist, Curtis Mayfield, "Between You, Baby and Me" on his Heartbeat LP. The following year Curtom would release a full album of duets, Linda Clifford & Curtis Mayfield - The Right Combination which contained the R&B hit singles "I'm So Proud" and "Ain't No Love Lost." Fame In 1980, Linda she released her I'm Yours album. The album saw Linda's return to the top of the Billboard Dance/Disco chart. One of the hottest songs on the album, "Red Light," featured on the massive soundtrack album to the movie Fame, held the £1 slot on the Billboard Disco/Dance charts for 9 weeks. (The Fame album went to £1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album Chart.) The follow-up, "Shoot Your Best Shot" became her second #1 disco hit of the year, topping the Billboard Disco/Dance chart for four weeks. 
Jinglin' BabyAt the time Linda recorded "Red Light" she was seven months pregnant with her second child -- her daughter Gina. Wanting her children to grow up to be "human beings," she knew it was time to turn her focus to her family. She continued to record-releasing three more full-length albums (see Discography) before taking her career in a new direction that would allow her to spend more time at home -- jingles. You heard her and didn't even know it on ads for (among others) Tropicana, Maybelline, McDonald's, Miller Lite, Michelob Lite, Oldsomobile, Pontiac, and the themes to The Phil Donahue Show and the cop-drama, Chicago. Linda was also on TV herself, as the host of one of the first home-shopping TV shows -- "Home Shop Chicago" ("...yes, child, we used to have psychics on and everything -- it's still on!"). Now adults, daughter Gina is a singer/dancer ("she can sing her ass off!") and son, B.J., is a bass player. Linda's husband, Nick Coconato is an accomplished drummer who's played with bands across the country. When not on the road, Linda is a stage presence coach. Among her clients (ages 4 through 32) are, for example, girls going to pageants like Miss America, etc. who come to her to learn "stage presence, lyric sensitivity and how to really perform a song on a stage for an audience." She loves this. 2000: Changin' A dream realized, Linda's West End debut, "Changin'," was nothing short of a labor of love for West End Record's owner, Mel Cheren. The original version, a sleaze  classic by Sharon Ridley (Tabu Records, 1976) had been a personal favorite of his since it was released. After he introduced the song to Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan (who remembered dancing to it at The Flamingo), it became one of Levan's favorite closing theme songs at the Garage. He'd often play the song especially for Mel -- as would other DJs around town when they wanted to "tip their hats" to him if he was in the club.The idea to have Linda Clifford cover "Changin'" originally struck Mel a couple years ago when he was thinking about re-opening West End Records. Delayed by the business of getting West End back in the game, it was over a year before he sent Linda a tape of the Sharon Ridley version. She loved it, played it for Ralphi Rosario (with whom she'd just worked on his album) and he loved it too. Mel suggested the two go ahead and record it together. They did, with Linda penning a few additional saucy lyrics and that record is why you're reading this bio. (Hello.) Out for only a couple weeks at the time of this writing, "Changin'" has been very well received. Some quotes: "...If ever a song deserved to sit atop Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, "Changin'" is it!" -- Michael Paoletta, Dance Trax, Billboard Magazine, October 28, 2000 FYI A singer as well as a songwriter, Linda was signed in 1999 to Warner-Chappell Music and has since co-written with many producers including, Justin Strauss, Tommy Farragher, Cosgrove & Clark, Jim Dyke, Ronnie Ventura, Joey Negro, The Groove Armada, Jimmy Greco and The Artful Dodger. Her most recent club hit is this years still hot cover of "Going Back to my Roots" on One Little Indian UK.
And star power, honey -- credits on Let Me Be Your Woman cover: photo by
Francesco Scavulo (the #1 fashion photographer in the business-still),
make-up by Way Bandy (the most famous make-up artist -- ever), clothes by
Norma Kamali (at her peak at in 1979.) Back Linda was actually hired as a Playboy Bunny for the Los Angeles club, but
never went in for training. "Just wanted to see if I could do it." Back AKA "Morning music." Usually played after the crown has "come down" from peak tempo music earlier in the night. Sleaze or morning music was slower,
prettier and more sensual. The Saint's [insert name of DJ here] was famous
for its sleaze sets. BackNote: all this and we never used the (yawn) word "diva.." Did we have to? Researched via Linda herself, and the websites: All Music Guide (bio by Ron Wynn) Bold Soul Sisters And We Danced (the 80s) [This is the definitive Linda Clifford bio.] |