Someone to Lay Down Beside Me - Karla Bonoff

[kragskov54]

A huge part of the soundtrack of my life. I love you Karla. Thank you.

[ilovemusic2much11]

I'm loving finding all this stuff from my younger days. It still sounds incredible.

[OPSUTailgaters]

I heard her in concert in 1978 or so opening for Jackson Brown. I was free security that night and heard this song during sound checks and my first thought was, "another cover band opening up". My second thought was that she put Linda Ronstadt to shame, and then learned that she had written all her music. What a wonderful and under appreciated artist!!

[ciarraibuzz]

@OPSUTailgaters She doesn't put Ronstadt to shame, but she is a professional in all ways.

[that70sgirl1]

Talented song writer...Linda had great instincts using her songs...Karla had a good voice as well. I enjoyed her talents.  Thanks You Tube for posting this!

[alys59cm]

i don't understand why radio stations don't play her music anymore

[Complexistence]

Derek Vincent Smith a.k.a. Pretty Lights, sampled the intro piano part of this song in his song "High School Art Class" on the album "Spilling Over Every Side." Check it out.

[channelonesuite]

My friend once said she sounds like a cross between Carol King and Linda Ronstadt.

[60Waterfall]

What a brilliant lady!! I love you Karla!! Near about missed you twice in Oriental, NC and my sisters were there with an empty seat! I hope to see you soon!

[prrolg]

I bought this album in '77 (I think it was). Loved playing it every day all that summer.

[74bshs]

This is one of the most evocative songs ever written. Even Linda Ronstadt didn't do it quite as well as the writer, in my opinion. What memories this song extracts from my mind, of loves lost and not quite forgotten. They don't write or perform music like this anymore. Whether it be Karla Bonoff or Linda Ronstadt; both are class musicians.

[AngelaBaldi]

5 people are clearly morons with no taste

[veverzay]

is this hole?

[STBEEN]

this is one song on a great album

[tishhead]

@STBEEN love that album. Rose In the Garden and I Can't Hold On are my favorites on there, but they're all good. Really like the 2nd album too.

[gregwsil]

Thumbs up if you got here from Blockheads "Insomniac Olympics".

[MOSKII58]

Linda Ronstadt sings this with so much more passion...

[MrJBanks12]

A memorable melody. Nice to hear it again.

[MrJBanks12]

A memorable melody. Nice to hear it again.

[MrJBanks12]

A memorable melody. Nice to hear it again.

[Newzchspy]

She sounds so much Linda Ronstadt (who she backed vocals for).................I love Karla

[janerazor]

This is one of the saddest songs ever, and one of the most beautiful.

[11xzxzxz]

I got tears flowing down my face. Not like love that I feel in my heart.

[mustloveiggys]

check out wendy waldman, she's a great one too!

[werunballs1]

styles p alone in the street

[rfoster1100]

i heard her album earlt 80s and fell in love her .

[micktheMaag]

we just saw her last nite at the midland theatre in newark Ohio. great venue and a truly incredible artist.. her lead guitarist Nina Gerber was incredible and the bass player rounded out a wonderful musical experiance... thanks to Karla and troup this is a must see if in your area...

[mickbrian1231]

Saw Karla at the Savannah music Festival  recently. She was great. She is still looking great. Why don't truly talented people like her ever get the popularity they deserve?

[micktheMaag]

very nice...

[fenderstratguy]

Like, x10

[Peoria3165]

Linda Ronstadt does a great version, but Karla sings her song so well!

[Maccamaniaca]

I saw Karla some years ago at Kent State, She was the opener for Jackso Browne. The next day I bought everything I could find with here name on it.

[Maccamaniaca]

@Maccamaniaca I was there also, and I did the exact thing, been with her music ever since.

[hrothgleas]

@Maccamaniaca Yup, me too. Nothing wrong with Jackson Browne (aside from his politics), but she stole the show.

[1softkiss]

Always loved Karla and her music. Great time in my life and wonderful memories. What happened to all the beautiful people?

[gwydiot]

decades leave cultural footprints. i like decades.

[gwydiot]

unc, decades for whatever reason do tend to leave cultural definitions of themselves behind. study history, or just live for a while and experience stuff. i'm not "hung up," but nostalgia has its place. don't be a philistine.

[RonDeanP]

The producer Kenny Edwards who loved Karla has died!



[longrockwoman]

Karla Bonoff wrote a lot of great songs that Linda Ronstadt and others turned into hits, when she has such a wonderful voice of her own. Glad her performances are on YouTube.

[Albertan1956]

Thanks for uploading this great song for fans of Karla to enjoy.Thank you also for all the wonderful pictures of Karla1.

[broadjumper1]

This is just one of those songs that can bring you to tears...such powerful emotions.

[lovelisteningtorain]

i just love her,karla bonoff is one of those brilliant artists who deserves more recognition.

[fitzhenry900]

April 2010 -- great news karla's back on the road. new tour announced.

about the song--

it's a magnificent achievement for both its portrayal of a moment in history and its timelessness.

[tbennett56]

Just as wonderful now as when I first heard it many years ago.

[rerunjas]

Awesome song and such a beautiful voice.

[johntellmewhy]

Beautiful song!

[piajoon]

Beautiful, marvelouse, I don't find the words.

[MickCorgi]

This woman and Laura Branigan are always confusing me.

[sookiestackhouse2u]

These are two very different singers and voices. Why confused?

[MickCorgi]

Musically different, I know, but they look the same, probably because of the eyebrows.

[sookiestackhouse2u]

laura branigan had blue eyes (laura passed a way a couple years ago) ...

karla bonoff has brown eyes and a totally different nose.

[mobeel2eenun]

I still have her 1st LP. I saw her open for Jackson Browne on his Running On Empty tour in Mobile in1978. She was exceptional, Jackson Browne was...well, Jackson Browne.

[hipmama42]

saw her for the first time on the same tour in '78 at the University of Toledo. Believe it or not I'd never even heard of her. Familiar with Ronstadt's version of this song and Lose Again, and I love her covers, but Karla singing her own song with such heartfelt passion gave me goosebumps. Would love to see someone post a live concert video of her from that era! This album's one of my all-time favs. Jackson Browne rocked the house too....good times.

[Seaclam67]

Like I said about "Trouble again", I'm very glad Ronstadt introduced me to Bonoff, but there's just no getting around Ronstadt's voice. I prefer her voice everytime. I think the world of Bonoff's compositions, ESPECIALLY this one, but actually I find Ronstadt's treatment to be just as heartfelt. Like Bonoff, Ronstadt can have this "crying" overtone in her voice, that feeling of being alone. Both are from a period in music, that for me, is unsurpassed in musical talent.

[laaxe]

Have you seen the movie "Crossroads", where in the Ralph Machio & Steve Vai duelled, with Vai eventually dropping his guitar in frustration...?

I almost gave up professional songwriting due to this truly heartfelt song, as my mother was about to die from lung cancer, and in the middle of divorce for being on the road too long.

This song absolutlely floored me, yet helped so much in regard to my grieving for my yet to be late mother.

Great song!

[MyaPapaya74]

Grew up in my late teens listenin' to this chick...awesome...and awesome memories...

[lisas326]

Thanks for posting this - brings back some lovely memories.

[NativeAmerican4Life]

This song is so beautiful-- original too :)

Love it.

[Latz51]

Where can I find Wendy Waldeman's - Is He Coming At All?

[mulroasted]

Yes back in the 70s in Galveston ! ! !

[mulroasted]

I agree with you jili515 all the way

[LoveMusic720]

I always preferred this version over LInda's. Sounds more raw and heartfelt. Something about a songwriter singing their own songs...no one else can do it with the same interpretation as the one who felt the feelings and penned the words.

[written12]

There are a lot of cases in which great songwriters don't have the voice to really put their songs across. But I definitely agree with you here.

Linda Ronstadt has sung many songs with great feeling, but Bonhoff's version of this gem is "more raw and heartfelt," as you say. captures it. There's a blend of fragility, resignation, and yearning in the song, and her singing captures it.

[rousse61]

Oh, wow...back in the 70's when I was around 15...I loved this song

[shardwick55]

I haven't heard this song in years. It is powerful and sad also. It reminds me of a guy I loved long ago.

[Microrator]

That keyboard riff is so haunting

[chazhaz1000]

There are not many songs crafted as well as this one was - this song expresses so well the search that we all as humans constantly look for - that one connection that sustains - be it for a moment or for a lifetime.

[written12]

You know, I first heard of Karla Bonhoff years ago-well, decades ago, to be honest- but never heard very much of her music. This song I first heard in its Linda Ronstadt version.

It is, as you say, a perfectly written, perfectly observed and moving song about loneliness and the search for connection.

[redfishradical]

I could never figure out how she never got any bigger. Not only has she always had a great voice, but always wrote music and is a talented musician as well. Nothing against vocalists, but I've always just had that extra respect for people who can write their own music & play along with it.

[Dragonfly6160]

She has a beautiful voice.

[yurmomgoes2college]

I remember seeing her in concert several times, by herself with her piano in a very small resturant in New Haven, CT, and on stage, and then at the Jazz Club in OK..everytime I saw her I never wanted her concert to end! I could listen to her forever!:)

[bushna2007]

She has talent to spare!

[stevevandien]

I LOVE Bonoff, and she's written many fine songs; but I believe this is her best -- I pray that God will LOVE and look after this wonderful woman---

[KarlaMarieX]

My Names Karla :)

[graway]

YUP....a true classic...regardless if it was written twenty-five years ago or today.

Personally, I feel if Karla could have had more range with her voice people would think of her and these tunes instead of LInda.

[jache77]

i just love this song! thanks kaela! you are very special!

[jili515]

I love this song so much...we all have the same feelings about it....haunting but can't stop listening to it.....triggers so many memories if you were a 20 something in the 70's

[yurmomgoes2college]

Emylou is in there too! She is still one of my favorites along with Karla Bonoff!

[unclebobunclebob]

Why do people get hung up on the decade the song was written in? A good song is a good song and stands the test of time. Just like this one. It still has relevance, just like most of Karla's work...and any other artist of merit.

[DrummerGrrrl]

Really! This song is such an excellent example of songcraft. I always loved Karla's voice.

[debra195942]

@unclebobunclebob YOU HAVE A CREDIBLE POINT. Did Mozart, Chopin, etc. quite being "excellent music" simply because it is "old"?

You hit the nail on the head when you clarified "artists of merit." And while musical preference/taste varies from one being to another, GOOD is still good.

[ReTrackCyre]

picked this up on vinyl this morning, great artist.

[ortho2th]

Another of the great songwriters of the 70's. The music world is richer because of her unbelievable creativity. She will be on tour soon, so catch her if you can.

[robertdegiro]

she is a great singer i love her version of the water is wide with james tailor

[KfromKansas]

In 1977 I was just beginning to discover my own sexuality. Having been raised in the 50's and 60's there was naturally a BIG element of guilt in that discovery. This song does a great job of exploring those feelings we had back then. "He said woman, sweet woman, please come with me, you're shining and willing and free...."

[bassandguitarguy]

I discovered Karla after listening to Ronstadt's versions of her songs, then got that 1st Bryndle CD - get it! The vocals are fantastic!!!

ps - Karla - happy 56th Birthday today, 12-27-08!

[TotallydudeRP350]

I saw Karla at that show at the Great Southeast Music Hall. Despite the name this is a very small intimate setting and the performers are right in front of you. I went because I knew she wrote Ronstadt's Someone To Lay Down Beside Me. Karla was very shy and seemed to hide under her long black hair while she sang but then would flash that glorious smile. Almost forty years later and I'm still in love.

[laaxe]

I was drivin back to LA in my VW at 4am after a gig up north when I threw in my sister's Karla cassette.

I found & played this song for hours, in tears.

This is one of those few songs which the lyrics of which will forever haunt me.

I'd love to write with her. Karla's special.

[VABkWrm]

@laaxe I hope you get that wish!

[w5cdt]

I saw Karla back stage at the Great Southeast Music Hall in Atlanta...late 70's. She was very humble and sweet...and of course sounded great.

[jili515]

An incredible song no matter who recorded it. Karla Bonoff sounds great. Linda Rondstadt too. It brings back so many memories....I am that old too....we love the 70's!!!!

[snook354]

style p sampled this

[redfishradical]

Right on! I had this on vinyl when I was a kid in the 70s...yep, I'm that old... I always thought she was vastly more talented than say Linda Ronstadt but apparently the radio stations & labels didn't agree. Linda was the darling for a few years, but Karla was/is the true songwriter/artist.

[Vidoculer]

I will admit up front that have been in love with Linda Ronstadt since 1968, and though Karla was the superior writer (Linda was known mainly for interpreting the work--and launching the careers of--other songwriters, Linda had the superior voice. Listen to her three albums of standards done with Nelson Riddle to hear Linda at the peak of her vocal skills.

[s0uldart]

Karla Bonoff has been my favorite singer/song writer for thirty years.

[ROSHAW1]

I had no idea she wrote this. Great, great tune. I've always felt it was Linda Ronstadt's best recording...

[stevevandien]

Ronstadt has the richer, more colorful voice.  But Bonoff's version is quite plaintive and moving --

[11xzxzxz]

Good song and I rarely like women singer/songwriters - more in Neil Young, van Morrison, early Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Marshall Crenshaw, etc. But Karla had caught a haunting heartfelt song that can bring one to tears (not me of course!).

[brewnz]

While I think it's a great song, it has a much 'lighter', pop-ish feel to it that LR's version. I think Linda brings it home for me because she has a soulful quality to her voice.

[lostdiva77]

"...the mornin' is breaking

the street lamps are off

the sun will soon share all the cost

of a world that can be sort of heartless

not like love that you feel in your heart..."

Wow ...those lyrics touch me heart...

[nikitabijoux]

This is my all time favorite song. It speaks to me on so many levels of my yearning for love or something. I would love to see her in concert!!!

[1Rose4you]

Karla is awesome!! I saw her perform live in Chicago many years ago.... she is a great performer!!

[agnesmoorhead]

absolutely brilliant

[tazneenan]

Both her and Linda both give this song such depth and soul. Agree it is a very haunting song.

[ripley450]

what a poet, the Mockingbird of songs... Bravo in all it's forms

[tiguilbe]

Absolutely haunting song. Such a gifted artist.

[fishdeschois]

I love this song. I wanted to see Karla in NJ tonight but I couldn't make it. :-(

[WIGSCOTT]

Great video, well done! Awesome powerful song by Karla, this is one of those songs I could just listen to over and over again. Thanks1

[gradmasters]

I love Karla's music. Thanks for posting.

[quicksite]

I always loved Karla's version better :) ... thanks for posting.