Linda Lou Kestin Songbooks - Eight Volume CD by Kenny Smith
Sometime back in 1979, Linda Lou Kestin gave to Kenny Smith an envelope that contained over twenty-five lyrics she had written over the years and that she was also going to submit them to several songwriter’s contests. Linda Lou Kestin’s first record was with the legendary LEE ROGERS, when he recorded “Love And Life” and Linda co-produced the single for CKS Productions. CKS found distribution with Claridge Records, and released it’s only single entitled “Train Of Desire” with Total Force and Demene E. Hall, then Paul McCartney’s MPL Communications took over the company and dropped the little label. Rogers “It Must Be Love” in 1980 followed with Kestin as the songwriter.
In 1986, Smith got the chance to record and produce another one of Linda’s first lyrics entitled “You Make My Life So Beautiful” performed by the group “Better Half.” The vocals were to light for the artist, and the track appeared on this group’s album with the same name. Kestin forged ahead with her writing career, as she was also busy as a single mother raising two beautiful then teenage daughters in Santa Ana. And was the vice-principal of one of the lead magnet schools, and a teacher. Her Hobby of singing and writing song lyrics was a great stress releaser from the job.
The year 1987, when Kenny Smith released his first of four albums entitled “Raw And Nasty”, definitely influenced by his moved to Las Vegas. Three Songs from that album included “Love Thang” and “Sweet Gypsy Woman” and “Heartbreaker” with lyrical support from Kestin’s work.
Again, sometime in 1988, Smith settled down in Colorado, and finally found a place to create all the music he wanted. And he did. Five Volumes of works by Linda Lou Kestin.
For some reason, he never bothered to disrupt her life. Smith remembers sending a letter to Broadcast Music, Inc., and asking them to please forward it to her and that was sometime in 1994. Smith remembers, “I just lost out keeping in touch with her, but not out of my mind she was always there writing songs.” Smith lived with Linda’s lyrics for over twenty five years. The letter came back from BMI stating that they could not forward any mail to another member.
At that point, Smith’s search was pretty much ended. “It was not like, I was not going to see her ever again. But he wanted to show her something had been done” Smith said. Over the years, the songs were lost within Smith’s personal effects and didn’t re-surface until sometime in 1993. This was the beginning of using Jamie Zikowitz as his co-writer and demo vocalist. “I Just Want To Think You” and “Never Deny Love”.
That year Smith started working on his next album. He didn’t call it complete until July 1997, when “Kenny Baby” was released. This album contained the lead track of Kestin’s Lyric in “I Got Your Love”, “Just To Be With You”, “Run To The River”, “Run To Kiss You” and “Love Thang”. In February 2004, Smith started matching his musical database of song tracks, and marrying them together. Like magic, one right after the other begins to interweave and the magic, that gives “One Time Love” the juice; just started to come out of each track.
It was to real to be true. But all along, Smith had been writing music for these lyrics in his head. Then the book disappears again. This time for almost one year. Smith have been writing these tracks, that some of his friends call, “movie music”, you know between the actions of the film. Anyway, in 2005, Linda’s songbook shows up again in Smith’s belongings, falling out of the bottom of the box, with the lyric sheets and CD masters being spread across the room. The biggest smile in the room was Smith’s…“They had been gone from my hands for almost one year.” said Smith. The first tracks to be re-imported into the 5 cd album was the release of “Roadrunners” and “What About Love” from the Rosamond High School’s 30th class reunion CD that Smith entitled 2001 RHS Reunion CD released to the members of the reunion.
These two songs were remixed and placed on two different albums; LLK Songbook Volume Four contains “Roadrunners”. While the other Kestin lyrics are released in this LLK Songbook Redeux Volume Two. “What About Love” is unique and asks the question, when you have it all, what about love?
Dropping everything, Smith started back to matching the lyrics with the music, and like magic again, the songs marry into the frames of the songs like butter on hot popcorn. Sometime in late October 2005, Smith mailed Kestin the first CD album in the series entitled THE LINDA LOU KESTIN SONGBOOK VOLUME ONE with 14 songs on this release.
Smith recalls just placing a card in the package, didn’t say or write one word. Smith was just hoping it was the right Linda, and the right address. Not wanting to know if the package arrived, Smith immediately was on the road to Memphis and had the chance to hang around Al Green and Willie Mitchell recording their first album in over 25 years using the same equipment that made the magic all those years ago. This experience that has began to wash over “Come On Honey” from the LLK Songbook Volume One CD. Platinum Sound’s THE LINDA LOU KESTIN SONGBOOK VOLUME ONE iPod Station is open at ITunes.com and Garageband.com for downloading into your iPod. These five albums of Linda’s work is by far the biggest challenge of Smith’s life and very close to that of Michelangelo’s painting of the 16th Chapel. “I just looked up and then it was twenty-five years later. “ Smith recants in joy. Kestin has won the national and international songwriters contest twice in her career as a lyric writer. - InterNetics Magazine, 2005
