Apr 20, 20222 min read

Heatwave/Love is a Rose - Linda Ronstadt (1975) 4/21/22

Updated: Aug 9, 2022

n 1963, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas released a "Great Song" that not only epitomized the "Motown" sound, but became the first Motown single to be nominated for a Grammy Award: Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.

"Heatwave" spent 4 weeks at #1 on Billboard's R & B Chart, and peaked at #4 on the Hot 100.

In 1975, Linda Ronstadt made it a "Great Song of the '70s" with her cover version, which reached #5 on the Hot 100.

The story behind her version is interesting. Linda and her band had just completed a club concert...and the audience loved it so much, Linda went through six encores! The crowd was still screaming for more, so out of desperation, her pianist, Andrew Gold (who incidentally wrote "Thank You For Being a Friend") suggested "Heatwave."

He quickly scribbled down the lyrics for Linda and with no time for rehearsal, they all winged it. According to Andrew, it was incredibly sloppy, but the crowd loved it!

And so, Linda decided to record it for her next album, "Prisoner in Disguise."

But wait! Her record company decided to release it as the "B" side of her cover of the Neil Young song "Love is a Rose," which actually became a "Great Country Song of 1975," reaching #5 on Billboard's Country Chart.

Then, as luck would have it, Top 40 radio Program Directors flipped it over and played "Heatwave," sending it to #5 on the Hot 100! Many Linda fans, such as myself, bought the single and got two "Great Songs" for the price of one!

One more thing: "Heatwave" has been covered by several artists, but the most off-the-wall was Whoopi Goldberg's version in the movie "Sister Act!"

"Heatwave" and "Love is a Rose" by Linda Ronstadt: TWO "Great Songs of 1975" on one "Great Record!" "Heatwave" (Linda):