Adventures Through The Mines Of Mellow Gold 44
Welcome back! It’s time for yet another spelunking expedition to the depths of wussitude!
Karla Bonoff – Personally (download)
As you know, it’s not often that we cover the Ladies of Mellow Gold. I think that maybe the reason for this is that it’s just easier for me to make fun of the guys, but don’t be fooled into thinking that their contributions to the Mellow Category are any less valid than the ones by the dudes (who aren’t really men, anyway): "Personally" is a fantastic mellow record, one that could only be improved upon if it featured a cameo by our above-pictured hero. But we won’t hold that against her. Shall I regale you with a bit of Karla Bonoff history? (Shut up, I’m doing it anyway.)
Karla Bonoff, spending the day at Neverland Ranch
Karla Bonoff was born in Southern California and, from a very early age, showed a clear talent for singing and songwriting. By 16, she had recorded a demo for Elektra Records. She spent many evenings at The Troubadour in L.A. and eventually fell in with three like-minded individuals: Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman, and (drum roll please) Andrew Gold. The four of them formed a band named Bryndle and although they recorded an album for A&M in 1970, it was never released. (A pox on your house, Herb Alpert!)
Bryndle disbanded, and Gold and Edwards joined the backing band for Linda Ronstadt (earlier, Edwards had been a member of Ronstadt’s first band, The Stone Poneys). When Ronstadt went looking for new material to record, the men passed her a Bonoff demo. Ronstadt wound up recording a number of Bonoff tunes – three on her 1976 album Hasten Down The Wind alone. Bonoff embarked on a solo career, and had moderate success (a few Top 100 singles, anyway) from her first two albums. It was her 1982 album, Wild Heart Of The Young, that featured her biggest hit, "Personally," which peaked at #19.
"Personally" is the only song off of Wild Heart Of The Young that’s not self-penned. It was written by Paul Kelly, probably best known for his song "Stealing In The Name Of The Lord," a #5 R&B hit in June of 1970. I’m sure the irony is not lost on Bonoff: her biggest hit (and only hit from the album) is the only one the singer-songwriter didn’t write, and the lyrics are all about her delivering something personally.
Regardless of who wrote it, I’m having a hard time knocking "Personally." It’s truly a mellow gem: Bonoff’s voice is casual, sweet and gentle, and the music behind her couldn’t be any better. Light, funky guitar, breezy keyboards, um, competent drumming, and a fantastic bassline. I can’t tell you the featured musicians on this particular song, but on the entirety of the record you’ll find all members of Bryndle , most of The Eagles (Henley, Schmit, Walsh and J.D. Souther – come on, he counts as an Eagle), Danny Kortchmar – one of the only Mellow Gold artists to be nicknamed "Kootch" other than Charlene – and guess who’s playing that terrific sax solo?
Damn you, Sanborn! You’re on everything! Ahh, that chorus is fantastic – it’s one of those earworms that never seems to get too annoying. In fact, the chorus is so perfect that Kelly kind of got lazy on the second verse. See, the first verse appropriately leads up to the chorus, explaining how our protagonist (I try to use this word as often as I can, it makes me feel smart) has been writing all these letters, but now has to do something more. Okay, that makes sense. However, verse two: "There’s nothing like the feeling I get/Oh when you touch me baby/There’s nothing like the feeling you get/When I’m there with you, oh love." While I get the point he’s making, he couldn’t come up with something better than those first two lines? I’m convinced he just took those from another mellow gold tune, somewhere.
Of course, here’s the real mystery of the song: we never actually find out what, exactly, Bonoff is bringin’ to him personally. Yes, we know she can’t send it in, can’t phone it in, can’t use semaphore, can’t send it via carrier pigeon, can’t strap it to a small barrel that’s subsequently attached to the neck of a Saint Bernard, etc. But we don’t know what "it" is. My guess is that it’s similar to the "that" that Meatloaf won’t do (although he’s made it clear he’ll do anything else for love), but I don’t know for sure. So (ahem):
1) Alimony bill
2) VD
3) Autographed copy of Bossa Nova Hotel by Michael Sembello
4) Fart
5) Midget
6) Farting midget (I feel like this would be the most difficult to send in of all)
7) Love child of David Pack from Ambrosia
8) Ambrosia (either the band or the fruit salad)
So what happened to Bonoff after "Personally?" Well, she continued to write and record her own songs. She recorded a Lost Soundtrack Classic for Footloose. She passed some hits off to other artists – Wynonna recorded her song "Tell Me Why" in ’93, and Ronstadt recorded "All My Life," a duet with Aaron Neville, which won a Grammy in 1991. She’s maintained a following in Asia, touring Japan numerous times. And hey, everybody – Bryndle got back together! In 1995, they released their debut CD – only 25 years after their first shelved recording! Andrew Gold left in ’96, and the band is sort of on hiatus, but they all still keep in touch and perform from time to time. You can keep updated on Bonoff’s career at her website. And have no fear, she’s not forgotten her Mellow Gold roots: she contributed backing vocals to McD’s Blue Obsession!
Bonoff and McD, shortly after McD ate her right arm
Until next time, my friends! Thanks for joining me on another Adventure Through The Mines Of Mellow Gold!
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:22 am
Oh, man, that "Personally" has 1982 dentist’s office written all over it. More smoooth, than mellow, baby.
Hey, is that a newer pic of McD? He’s really becoming a member of the "guys-who-look-like-Kenny-Rogers" club.
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:45 am
There is a review on Amazon that compares this song to Glenn Frey’s “Real Love.”
I have nothing to add.
(Okay, one thing: *Whatever* it is she couldn’t mail, send or phone in, when you look at the album cover, it’s clear she used it to kill the man she was sleeping with. Mellow.)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000025NR/ref=dp_image_0/102-5906455-5781726?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music
August 22nd, 2007 at 9:07 am
Nice one. As I recall, I think Frey was the one who suggested this song to KB. Just thought I’d add Harry Nillsson’s name to great writers who’s biggest hits they didn’t write. Also, you can add Hall and Oates mysterious "that" as in "I Can’t go For That."
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:35 am
Dude. In that picture, Karla Bonoff looks like she could be Amy Winehouse’s mom!
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:43 am
Oh jeez….do I have to be the one to say it?
Really?
Oh great.
(sigh)
It’s her PUSSY! She’s giving him her tight, mellow, PUSSY!
I’m glad I could clear that up.
**********
Anyways, the think I love about this song is on the first verse, you can clearly hear the guitarist playing what is probably the wimpiest, most flaccid reggae ever put on tape.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Yay, more trivia for y’all. The "dead dude" on the cover of "Wild Heart Of The Young" is Robbie Benson, then husband of Karla Bonoff. He may still be the husband of Karla Bonoff, but I’m too lazy to tag IMDB right now. Although Bonoff didn’t write "Personally", she dedicated it to Robbie (a/k/a The Beast), so let’s hope that whatever she was bringin’, he got it… Or else it was the U.S. Postal Service, Sloppy Seconds Department again.
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm
First of all, I just want to say, THANK GOD this week is not a repost. :-)
And second, I confess, I just looked up Robby Benson at wiki, cuz I couldn’t resist. It says there that he is married to Karla Devito and that they have two kids … named Lyric and Zephyr. (Which, btw, is just cruel.)
That’s the Meatloaf chick, right? I didn’t look her up, too, otherwise I’d be at this all day …
Um, up until 5 minutes ago, I really liked this song. Now I can’t get ODE TO BILLY JOE out of my head. Um, thanks. :-)
And finally, I loved “Somebody’s Eyes.” I wore out that cassette tape years ago.
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Damn. I should’ve IMDBd after all… See, this kind of misreporting is why you can’t trust ANYTHING on the internet.
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I totally read about this when I was researching this post. Karla Bonoff was never married to Robbie Benson. It’s actually covered in Karla’s FAQ!
Q. Is Karla Married to Robbie Benson?
A. No, but Robbie Benson is married to Karla DeVito, a singer who’s best known for performing with Meatloaf for many years. Other than both women are named Karla (with a "K"), there’s no connection.
Robert’s going to be so upset he wasn’t the one to make this correction.
August 22nd, 2007 at 5:48 pm
You kids cherish your corrections. BUT I’LL BE WATCHING … AND WAITING.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I swear, you have the uncanny ability to bring back the most repressed memories ever. I’m sitting shotgun in my older brother’s yellow Dodge Colt listening to 13K (1300 AM). Because we could cruise listening to AM stations back then. In a craptastic car.
You had to love singing "I have something to give you…that the mailman….can’t deliver!" I’m emailing this mp3 right now. Thanks!!!!
August 24th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
[…] Hare bravely re-enters the Mines of Mellow Gold and comes out with Amy Winehouse’s mom, then goes back to 1984 for his latest Chart […]
August 24th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
In 1982 I was on the air at a country station that played some of the more Eagle-ish adult contemporary hits during the day, so we added "Personally." The first time I played it on the air was the first time I’d ever heard it, and I liked it so much that I played it a second time right away. It was better than 90 percent of the other stuff we were playing at the time, so why not?It may also have been the first mp3 I ever posted on my blog, although why that should be I have no explanation.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I don’t think I’d ever heard this one before you posted it here. I didn’t like it when I first heard it, but you’re right about the chorus being an earworm. I was a fan by probably the third listen. Nicely done, Ms. Bonoff and Mr. Hare.
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:21 am
I remember Personally getting quite a bit of airplay before I first headed off to college in 1982, haven’t heard it much since then.
I will say that one of her tunes from Hasten Down The Wind (“Someone To Lay Down Beside Me”) is one of my fave Linda Ronstadt songs.
October 9th, 2010 at 10:47 am
…
nice advice and sharing,I’ll get this great for me .thanks!…
June 19th, 2012 at 5:51 am
Orthodontists
for a consult about straightening my teeth as a friend recommended them.
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