Today’s classic song of the day is “Different Drum” by the Stone Poneys. The song, released in 1967, went to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first big hit for the group’s young vocalist, Linda Ronstadt.
“Different Drum” was written by soon-to-be Monkee Michael Nesmith way back in 1964. It was first recorded in 1965, in a bluegrass version, by the Greenbriar Boys. Nesmith himself rushed through a version of the song in a comedy bit on the Monkees TV show, in the episode titled “Too Many Girls,” which aired in December of 1966. (He also recorded his own version, with an extra verse, in 1972.)
The Stone Poneys picked up the song, maybe from watching the TV show (and maybe not), and added it to their live act. Their original version of “Different Drum” kept the shuffle feel from Nesmith’s original version but then shifted to a straight rock beat in the chorus. It was weird and sloppy (and, in the live video below, poorly recorded) but, as you can see for yourself, 21 year-old Linda Ronstadt, in all her mini-skirted glory, was mesmerizing.
The band went into the studio to record the song, intending to use their live arrangement, but were overruled by producer Nick Venet. Mr. Venet was also justifiably unimpressed by the skill level of the group’s musicians and brought in some studio pros (including guitarists Al Viola and Bernie Leadon, bassist Jimmy Bond, and drummer Jim Gordon) to play on the track. Jimmy Bond did the arranging and Sid Sharp conducted the strings. Ms. Ronstadt, wisely, was retained as the singer. The version you hear on the radio is just the second take they did, she was that good.
Ms. Ronstadt later remembered that she had been surprised and “completely confused” by the new direction of the song. As great as her performance was, she said she heard a “fear and a lack of confidence” in her performance. Composer Michael Nesmith, on the other hand, liked what he heard and said that Mr. Ronstadt’s vocals “infused it with a new level of passion and sensuality.”
Linda Ronstadt, as you’re probably aware, went on to fame and fortune as one of the premier female singers of the 1970s and 1980s and beyond. She’s no longer singing today, unfortunately, thanks to suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy that affects her voice. She published her autobiography, Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir in 2013 and a documentary about her career, titled Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, was released in 2019. She’s currently 76 years old.
Songwriter Michael Nesmith went on to fame and fortune as a member of the Monkees, that pre-fab four that captured the hearts of TV viewers and music lovers later in the ’60s. He continued songwriting, cut a few solo albums (and the wonderful Top 40 single, “Joanne”), pretty much invented the short-form music video (and MTV), won a Grammy for his 1981 TV special Elephant Parts, produced a few movies (including 1984’s Repo Man), wrote a few books, and even reunited with his fellow Monkees for a few tours. He passed away following the final Monkees reunion (with surviving bandmate Mickey Dolenz) in 2021, aged 78.
[…] in the ’60s. Nesmith was also a successful songwriter on his own, previously penning “Different Drum,” a big hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone […]