Help me find this long-ago post on the blue about a singer who vanished

January 25, 2024 9:08 AM

Many years ago, there was a post on the blue about a troubled young woman singer who recorded a few acoustic tracks and then (died? disappeared? left the music industry?). They were achingly sad and lonely. I remember in particular an absolutely devastating cover of the Beatles song Don't Let Me Down. There were also some originals, including, I seem to recall, one about a guy named Sam. Google and site search have failed me — does anyone remember this?

I swear I even asked this specific question on MetaTalk a while ago, under a previous username. But I can't find that question either. Please tell me this was not all a dream.

posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes to MetaFilter-Related at 9:08 AM (27 comments total)

Connie Converse?
posted by carrienation at 9:29 AM on January 25

Nope. This singer would have been recording in the 70s, and had a much rawer sound.
posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes at 10:37 AM on January 25

I don't think she ever did the Beatles, but... Karen Dalton?
posted by dobbs at 10:41 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Oh! Judee Sill maybe.
posted by dobbs at 10:42 AM on January 25

Phoebe Snow?

She did a cover of "Don't Let Me Down." She recorded a lot of songs though. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 58, or maybe 60.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:11 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Claudine Longet?
posted by chococat at 11:51 AM on January 25 [1 favorite]

No all around, though I can see a resemblance with Karen Dalton. Similarly ragged voice.

I'm pretty sure this is not someone who was releasing albums on a major label. In fact, these songs might just have been home recordings. They were definitely one small collection of songs, not part of a long career.
posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes at 12:16 PM on January 25

Do you think "many years ago" as in 2012 or as in 2001?
posted by kensington314 at 12:19 PM on January 25

Probably not 2001. But could easily be any time after 2005.
posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes at 12:21 PM on January 25

If you put a gun to my head and made me name a year, I'd say 2010.
posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes at 12:22 PM on January 25

Q Lazzarus?
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:33 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Nope
posted by Birds, snakes, and aeroplanes at 1:42 PM on January 25

Linda Bruner?
(Wow, great recordings in that link that I’d never heard.)
posted by chococat at 1:49 PM on January 25 [5 favorites]

I *think* this has to be it--Shelagh McDonald.
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:57 PM on January 25

chococat: Linda Bruner?
(Wow, great recordings in that link that I’d never heard.)

It's definitely this one - the Don't Let Me Down cover is linked (and yeah - wow).
posted by capricorn at 1:59 PM on January 25 [3 favorites]

And here's the one about a guy named Sam.
posted by capricorn at 2:04 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

Yeah, never mind, chococat is right. Here's "Sam."
posted by dlugoczaj at 2:04 PM on January 25

Shelagh McDonald's music is lovely though, dlugoczaj - I'm glad you linked it!
posted by capricorn at 2:13 PM on January 25 [1 favorite]

Eva Cassidy didn't do a lot of Beatles covers, but she's the right time frame. She recorded a lot but didn't become very well known until after her death.
posted by QuakerMel at 4:40 PM on January 25 [2 favorites]

Also, here is a list of covers of Don't Let Me Down, along with links to listen to them.
posted by QuakerMel at 4:45 PM on January 25

Yikes! I missed the Linda Bruner the first time around so I’m glad the question got asked. What an emotionally bare version of the song. Wow wow wow.
posted by ashbury at 7:59 PM on January 25

That’s a really interesting story! Somehow the Linda Bruner post passed me by at the time, though it’s very much my sort of thing. Thanks chococat! And Going To Maine, for the original post!
posted by Kattullus at 11:50 PM on January 25

While we're on the topic of Shelagh McDonald, she resurfaced to tell her story to the Guardian. She left London to recover from a bad experience with LSD at her parents' home, met and married a man her parents didn't approve of, lived in and out of poverty and homelessness but always in love, and through the rerelease of her music reconnected with old friends and family, found community to support her when her husband died, and is performing again.
posted by capricorn at 5:30 AM on January 26 [3 favorites]

Linda Bruner also appears to be alive and still associated with Pisces. Her internet presence is a lot more spotty than McDonald's but there are some recent photos on her Twitter account and Pisces' webpage.
posted by capricorn at 5:39 AM on January 26

capricorn: "Linda Bruner also appears to be alive"

Yeah, I was gonna say the Spotify account is a "Verified Artist" one, i.e., connected to the real person, and also has the same updated photo.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:28 AM on January 26

Went to the Linda Bruner link, listened to the tracks, thought "Goddamn,that's great, how did I miss this," started scrolling through the comments and yup, there it was, comment #2:

Goddamn that's great. Thanks.
posted by googly at 2:56 AM on August 4, 2013 [+] [⚑]
posted by googly at 9:29 AM on January 26 [18 favorites]

Although I do not think this was who you meant, I always have been curious as to whether we can ever know what happened to Licorice McKechnie, of the Incredible String Band, and would be grateful if anyone here can fill in any more recent info.
posted by Johnny Quaternion at 10:23 AM on February 11