Linda Ronstadt’s Live Cover of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces” Is A Masterpiece

In her self-titled 1972 album, Linda Ronstadt gifted fans with an ‘easter egg’ – a rare, live recording of her cover of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces” – which was sneaked in at the beginning of the B-side. The track was originally released by Cline two years before her tragic and untimely death, and Ronstadt’s cover was published a full decade later. And another stack of decades later, the cover resurfaces on the Internet and receives another wave of praise from fans and listeners. 

RELATED: Patsy Cline’s Great Classic Hit “I Fall to Pieces”

Linda Ronstadt has always been known for her talent and incredible range. The Tucson, Arizona native started her career in folk-rock, then shifted into alt-country and even explored rock. In fact, she earned a one-time standing as the Queen of Rock and was also awarded the title of “highest paid woman in rock.” But aside from being a singer, she is also a record producer with a reputation for being versatile and a ‘definitive interpreter of songs.’ As Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times commented in 2004, “Ronstadt is blessed with arguably the most sterling set of pipes of her generation … rarest of rarities—a chameleon who can blend into any background yet remain boldly distinctive … It’s an exceptional gift; one shared by few others.”

That is why it wasn’t surprising that Linda Ronstadt’s spin into Patsy Cline‘s “I Fall To Pieces” became a hit. It was powerful and precise yet magical, and it sounded less like a cover and more like a newly-released song. And so, if you haven’t listened to it yet, then this is the time. Catch the remastered version in the video below.