Linda Clifford Asks 'How Long'

All Photos: Alan Mercer Make-up: Rudy Calvo

After being a long-time fan of her music, I met LindaClifford many years ago and fell in love with her personality! We bonded againmore recently when we took these photos a couple of years ago. When I found out that Rick Gianatos was goingto release the Phyllis Hyman song 'How Long' as a follow-up to Linda's recenthit 'Baby I'm Yours' I was elated. Beingthe long-time Linda Clifford fan that I am I decided to call Linda on the phoneand ask her about this new release and her recent return to the charts!

Linda Clifford parlayed a jazz background, booming voice, and sassy manner into disco andcontemporary R&B stardom in the Seventies and Eighties. A former Miss New York State,she sang with the 'Jerico Jazz Singers' and led her own trio in the '60s beforeswitching to R&B and pop.

She signed with Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label and had her first hit in 1978 with 'Runaway Love,' a song thatpeaked at number three on the R&B charts. The highly stylized 'If MyFriends Could See Me Now' was a club favorite that same year.

Her next hit was the soulful duet with Curtis Mayfield, 'Between You Baby and Me,'in 1979. She continued recording for RSO, Capitol, and Red Label in the Eighties. The song 'He's All I Need' was originallywritten about Linda and her husband and Linda recorded it in 1982 for her 'I'llKeep On Loving You' album. WhitneyHouston had a number one hit with the song in 1992.

Since the early Nineties, Linda Clifford has recorded trackswith various producers including Rick Gianatos and Georgie Porgie.

AM: Linda, your newsong 'How Long' is so sensational! Ijust love it!!! I know you recorded it alittle bit ago didn't you?

LC: Yes when you andI did our photo session is when I recorded it. The song was released and it started to do well and then for whateverreason it didn't get the promo it needed. Everybody kept saying how good the song was, so thank goodness Rickdecided it was too good a song not to do anything with it.

AM: He was smart tothink of re-releasing it.

LC: They startedremixing and re-mastering.

AM: I have heard themand they are all sensational.

LC: I just got themand was listening and every mix sounded better than the mix before! I'm just freaked out! I love it!

AM: How did you feelabout recording a cover of a Phyllis Hyman song?

LC: I was so excitedand happy to do it because Phyllis and I worked together for quite a few years in the clubs. We were regulars at Studio 54. She and I got to be kind of close wheneverwe'd see each other on the road. Ireally liked being close to Phyllis and talking with her. When Rick approached me with this idea Ithought it would be tremendous to do an homage to Phyllis Hyman.

AM: I like the ideaof it being an homage to her.

LC: She did such agreat job on her original version and I had to try and follow in herfootsteps. I wanted to keep it real likeshe did. The funny thing is ourrecording careers started at the same time. I had her very first album and I was singing 'I Don't Want To Lose You'in my show. I just loved herarrangement.

AM: Then it is fullcircle to be singing her song now.

LC: I think about herevery time I sing it. Sometimes it's alittle hard. I just think about thehappier days and keep going.

AM: You're coming offa big hit!

LC: Isn't thatexciting?

AM: How did it feelto be back on top again?

LC: It's amazing tome! I'm so blessed to have met so manywonderful, talented and giving people in this industry, one of whom is GeorgiePorgie. He's been around the dance musicindustry for about seventeen years now with number one hit after number onehit.

AM: How did you meethim?

LC: He was doing afood pantry benefit once a year in Chicagoand someone told him to call me and askme to do the show so he did and I said, "Of course I'll do it." At that time he told me we should dosomething together one day. I thought itwas a great idea and the next thing I know BAM! I got a hit record! He wrote it for me.

AM: You are one of myfavorites singers of all time! Yourmusic is timeless. 'I'll Keep On LovingYou' is one of the best albums by anyone and it just came out on CD for thefirst time all remastered.

LC: Isn't thatawesome? I could not believe that whenthat album was originally released they didn't promote it. They just put it on the shelf. There's so many good songs on that album.

AM: It sounds verycurrent today.

LC: Absolutely itdoes. People ask me how it feels torecord a Whitney Houston song and I go, "Yo, wait a minute! That song was written for my husband and I in1980 by Michael Gore. Actually in a fewdays it will be our 34th Wedding Anniversary. Gold Legion did a wonderful job putting it on CD and I am grateful tothem for doing that!

AM: Do you have anyplans to record anything now?

LC: I'm going to layback and enjoy the holidays unless of course somebody wants to book me! I'm more than willing to fly. I do travel well. I'd love to come to LA because my daughterlives there.

AM: You do have tocome to LA again and we have to take new photos.

LC: I promise you thenext time I am in LA I will let you know. I would never pass up the opportunity to do a photo shoot with you.