How Do I Make You
| "How Do I Make You" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Rambler Gambler" |
"How Do I Make You" was a hit song composed by Billy Steinberg and recorded by Linda Ronstadt in 1980.
Writing and recording
Steinberg stated that he was "a little bit influenced" by the Knack hit "My Sharona" in writing "How Do I Make You." He originally recorded the song with his band Billy Thermal as one of several demos produced while the band was signed to Planet Records. The label ultimately did not release these songs. However, several Billy Thermal demos, including "How Do I Make You", were eventually included on a Billy Thermal EP released by Kinetic Records, a Los Angeles-based independent label.[1]
According to Steinberg, the song's later rise to fame was born from a relationship between Billy Thermal's guitarist, Craig Hull, and Wendy Waldman, a backing vocalist for Linda Ronstadt's live shows: "without asking my permission or anything, Wendy and Craig played the Billy Thermal demos for Linda Ronstadt, and Linda liked the song 'How Do I Make You.'"[1]
Release
"How Do I Make You", which ultimately featured Nicolette Larson on backing vocals,[2] was released in January 1980 as the advance single from the album Mad Love. This eschewed the country pop genre which had afforded Ronstadt her stardom in favor of new wave. Released in January 1980, "How Do I Make You" hit number 6 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached a peak of number 10.[3]
A non-album track: Ronstadt's version of the traditional "Rambler Gambler," served as the B-side of "How Do I Make You" and was serviced to C&W radio, charting on the Billboard C&W chart at number 42.
"How Do I Make You" held on in the Top 10 for several weeks during March and April 1980.[3] The track hit number 1 on many AOR (Album Oriented Rock) stations. The single also hit big in Australia (number 19) and New Zealand (number 3).
Critical reception
AllMusic critic Mike DeGagne assessed "How Do I Make You" as "a far cry from the ballads, the love songs, and the ample amount of cover versions that [Ronstadt] had charted with in the past" saying "[the track's] quick tempo and pulsating pace had Ronstadt showing some new wave spunk mixed with a desire to rock out a little."[2] However, Rolling Stone critic Stephen Holden, felt that on "How Do I Make You" Ronstadt "frankly imitates Deborah Harry," the lead vocalist of defining new wave act Blondie. He further described the song as "Buddy Holly-like" and that it roughly brackets "How Do I Make You" with earlier Ronstadt hits "That'll Be the Day" (1976) and "It's So Easy" (1977), both remakes of Buddy Holly records.[4]
Cover version
The 1980 album Chipmunk Punk by Alvin and the Chipmunks featured a cover of "How Do I Make You."[5]
References
- ^ a b "Song Facts Interview/ Billy Steinberg". SongFacts.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ a b DeGagne, M. "How Do I Make You". Allmusic. Retrieved Mey 14, 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) Cite error: The named reference "allmusic" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b "Linda Ronstadt awards". Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "Linda Ronstadt/ Mad Love Review by Stephen Holden". RollingStone.com. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ Stone, D. "Chipmunk Punk". Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
