FROM THE NICKEL AND DIME TO THE SIMPLY SUBLIME

Or, 'The Greatest American Singer You've Never Heard Of'



In my SDF-Sings-Jekyll post, I posted a video of the English version of the song Someone Like You as performed by Linda Eder, and decided it was time to devote a post entirely to her, since she has never gotten the recognition that an artist of her quality deserves.

Linda Eder has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years now. In that time, she has released nine studio albums and a Greatest Hits, and appeared on a number of theatrical concept albums. She has starred on Broadway, performed at most major concert venues in the country including several multi-night, sell-out bookings at Carnegie Hall, and sung with symphonies from one coast to the other. She was the first and only contestant in any incarnation of American Star Search to win her category 13 consecutive times, a record that will likely never be repeated on a musical competition show ever again. She has had television specials, shared the stage with some of the greatest singers, musicians and artists in the business…

…and unless you’re a theatre fan (or a Jewish Grandmother from Long Island who loves PBS specials), you likely don’t even know who she is.

Born in Tuscon, AZ and raised in Brainerd, MN (where the awesome Fargo movie took place), Linda’s first true national exposure came on Star Search in the 1980’s, where she attracted the attention of (at the time) up-and-coming composer Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War and Camille Claudel). Wildhorn was then casting for an early workshop version of Jekyll & Hyde and he was determined that Linda be a part of it. At the same time, he began championing the young singer's recording career and the two began a professional partnership that eventually led to marriage, and a dearth of roles and songs being written especially for her.

Linda’s first five studio albums feature numerous Wildhorn compositions in styles ranging from pop to showtunes to modern day jazz standards, and she has performed leads in development and workshop versions of four of his musicals: Jekyll & Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel, on whose concept album recordings she appears, and Camille Claudel and Havana, both of which got stuck in Development Hell and will likely never be heard about again. And, while her acting was never as praised as her vocal ability, her performance as Lucy in the Original Broadway Cast of Jekyll earned her the Theatre World Award for Best Broadway Debut as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critics’ Circle Award Nominations for Best Actress in a Musical, no small shakes for a theatrical newcomer. Especially one whose strength, like I said before, did not lie in her acting.

Citing her greatest inspirations to be Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and opera great Eileen Farrell, Linda Eder is not a ‘contemporary’ singer in terms of what we consider ‘current radio music’. Indeed, Linda defies any musical boundaries. She is equally at home singing pop, country, American standards, blues, theatre music, epic balladry, and jazz. While her music isn’t as poppy as what I'd usually post, she has the amazing ability to make everything she sings sound utterly timeless, she commands legions of gay followers, and the woman can work a key change like nobody's business.

So, to this end, today's megapost is in honor of the terrific Linda Eder. I genuinely hope everyone likes what's on offer here. If you do, please go find her CDs, or go see her live. You won't end up disappointed.

Videos --

Through The Eyes Of Love
From her Star Search days. The hair is 80's-tastic, the 'diamond' earrings are blinding, the smile is cheesy, the voice is gorgeous... I'm telling you, it's a schlager performance!


Man of La Mancha
Introduced on her It's Time album and the subsequent 'Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda' segment of her following concert tour (where she sang songs from roles she 'shoulda played, woulda played, and coulda played'), this now probably rates right behind Vienna as the biggest fan favorite. She never made any bones about the fact that it was a man's song and she didn't care. And check out the high note in the bridge!


Bring On the Men
Cut from Jekyll & Hyde sometime between the first concept recording and the Broadway opening and replaced with the far inferior Good and Evil, this is "a joyous explosion of uptempo and lyrical bawdiness" (Sorry, I just wanted to use Carola's words in reference to something ungodly) that Linda trots out at every concert so we don't forget that it was, in fact, one of the best songs from that score.


Home Again
Normally I'm not big on these fan videos, but this is another one of my favorite songs, and I felt it needed to be included here. Just ignore the little anime people and enjoy this piece, unjustly cut from The Scarlet Pimpernel before its move to the stage.


Don't Rain on My Parade
Comparisons to Barbra Streisand are inevitable here, but even the Overdone One herself has given enthusiastic thumbs up to Linda's cover.


Audio --

Someone Like You
This Act 1 closer was the first song written specifically for Linda to sing in Jekyll & Hyde. This would be the full version of the SDF song I posted earlier in the week.

Vienna
Aside from Someone Like You, this would be considered by any fan to be Linda’s signature song. This is six and a half minutes of the most amazing balladry you will ever hear! The orchestration are gorgeous, her singing is enough to give you chills, and there’s even a big ol’ key change! In fact, the last time I saw her perform live, she ended her program without singing this song and when she came back out to do her encore (which was NOT going to be this song), the audience wouldn’t let her leave the stage until she did. Make no mistake, if you like boffo-socko emotional power ballads, you need look no further for the best one around.

Something To Believe In (Fitch Brothers Radio Edit)
For my uptempo lovers, I give you this little treat. In its original form, this was one of those big orchestrated gospel choir numbers. Here, it's been given a facelift and turned into a fun, dancey track. As a useless side note, the WB used to use this for their network bumpers back in the day. They'd play it under station commercials featuring the stars of Buffy, Dawson, Gilmore Girls and the like. No reason you needed to know that, I just thought I'd point it out.

I Want More
I can't introduce this song any better than she always does, so here. This is what she says. "It's an anthem for ALL the women out there! And maybe a few *corny wink* men, too..." Dare you to listen to this and not think "Yup, this could be my anthem!"

Fernando (the ABBA one)
This is an extremely rare demo recording from her days even before Star Search. For the Swede lovers, this should make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I don't know who the guy singing with her is, but they sound wonderful together.

Discography Listing --

Linda Eder (1991)
And So Much More (1994)
It's Time (1997)
It's No Secret Anymore (1999)
Christmas Stays the Same (2000)
Gold (2002)
Storybook (2003)
Broadway, My Way (2003)
By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland (2005)
Greatest Hits (2007)
The Other Side of Me (To be released March 2008)