Lady Lynda

"Lady Lynda" is a song written by vocalist/guitarist Al Jardine and touring keyboardist Ron Altbach for American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on the band's 1979 album L.A. (Light Album). Its melody is based on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J. S. Bach.

"Lady Lynda"
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album L.A. (Light Album)
B-side"Full Sail"
ReleasedJune 1979
RecordedJuly–November 1978
Genre
Length3:58
LabelBrother/Caribou/CBS
Songwriter(s)Alan Jardine
Ron Altbach
Producer(s)Bruce Johnston
The Beach Boys
James William Guercio
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Good Timin'"
(1979)		 "Lady Lynda"
(1979)		 "It's a Beautiful Day"
(1979)

The opening harpsichord is played by Sterling Smith. The lyrics to the song refer to Jardine's then-wife, Lynda Jardine. After the two divorced, the song was rewritten as "Lady Liberty", a tribute to the Statue of Liberty.

Record World said it has "a big production sound and liberal synthesizer/string textures."[2]

The song peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] It also reached No. 39 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart.[4] The song was edited for single release with the single version dropping the harpsichord introduction present on the album version.

Personnel

Credits from Craig Slowinski[5]

Lady Lynda

The Beach Boys

Additional musicians

  • Murray Adler - violin
  • Arnold Belnick - violin
  • Samuel Boghossian - viola
  • Jimmy Bond - double bass
  • Verlye Mills Brilhart - harp
  • Ed Carter - guitar, bass guitar
  • Isabelle Daskoff - violin
  • Jim Decker - French horn
  • Harold Dicterow - violin
  • Jesse Ehrlich - cello
  • Henry Ferber - violin
  • Bobby Figueroa – drums, tambourine, tubular bells
  • Richard Folsom - violin
  • James Getzoff - violin
  • Harris Goldman - violin
  • Dick Hyde - trombones and bass trombone
  • Raymond Kelley - cello
  • Jerome Kessler - cello
  • William Kurasch - violin
  • Marvin Limonick - violin
  • Charles Loper - French horn
  • Arthur Maebe - French horn
  • Jay Migliori - flutes
  • Ray Pizzi - bassoons
  • Jack Redmond - French horn
  • William Reichenbach - French horn
  • Lyle Ritz - double bass
  • Jay Rosen - violin
  • David Schwartz - viola
  • Bobby Shew - trumpets
  • Harry Shlutz - cello
  • Sterling Smith - harpsichord; possible Fender Rhodes
  • Linn Subotnick - viola
  • Herschel Wise - viola
  • Tibor Zelig - violin

Full Sail

The Beach Boys

Additional musicians

  • Murray Adler - violin
  • Arnold Belnick - violin
  • Samuel Boghossian - viola
  • Jimmy Bond - double bass
  • Verlye Mills Brilhart - harp
  • Geoffrey Cushing-Murray - backing vocals
  • Isabelle Daskoff - violin
  • Jim Decker - French horn
  • Harold Dicterow - violin
  • Jesse Ehrlich - cello
  • Henry Ferber - violin
  • Bobby Figueroa – backing vocals
  • Richard Folsom - violin
  • Steve Forman - percussion
  • James Getzoff - violin
  • Harris Goldman - violin
  • Jim Guercio - bass guitar
  • Raymond Kelley - cello
  • Jerome Kessler - cello
  • William Kurasch - violin
  • Marvin Limonick - violin
  • Charles Loper - French horn
  • Arthur Maebe - French horn
  • Gary Mallaber - drums, timpani
  • Jack Redmond - French horn
  • William Reichenbach - French horn
  • Lyle Ritz - double bass
  • Jay Rosen - violin
  • David Schwartz - viola
  • Harry Shlutz - cello
  • Linn Subotnick - viola
  • Herschel Wise - viola
  • Tibor Zelig - violin

References
  1. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  2. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. August 25, 1979. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 48. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 29.
  5. Slowinski, Craig (Spring 2015). Beard, David (ed.). "THE BEACH BOYS' - L.A. (Light Album)". Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. No. 109. Charlotte, North Carolina.
  6. "Lady Lynda: A Masterpiece". smileysmile.net.
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