Pamela Polland

Pamela Anna Polland (born August 15, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter who made three albums for Epic and Columbia Records in the 1960s and 1970s and whose songs have been recorded by a number of popular artists. In the 1980s, she re-emerged as an independent recording artist and vocal coach, later working in film and TV scoring and Hawaiian music.

Life and career Early years Polland's father was a woodwind player in the Santa Monica Symphony while her mother was a singer. She composed her first song at the age of nine and by her teens was playing folk clubs. Her recording career began a few years later, in 1966, when she and singer-songwriter Rick Stanley formed the Gentle Soul, a folk band with psychedelic influences and an emphasis on creative and elaborate vocal harmonies. They worked with a number of other musicians, most notably Riley Wildflower and Jackson Browne. She can be heard and seen in the ensuing double album and film documentary respectively.

Solo artist Her emergence as a solo artist began with the self-titled album Pamela Polland, which appeared on Columbia Records in 1972.

Melba Rounds

The events at Columbia Records which curtailed Polland's first solo career prompted a change of direction, and in the mid-1970s, she began to perform under the name Melba Rounds. During the same period she featured as the principal vocalist with The Golden Age jazz band.

Hawaii Following the release of Heart of The World, Polland's self-published third solo album, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, and threw herself into local culture and music. She took up the ukulele, studied local language, and became a hula dancer. Polland is currently band leader of Keaolani, a four-piece ‘ukulele band tutored by Hawaiian cultural experts Kahauanu Lake and Walter Kamuala‘i Kawai‘ae‘a.

Songwriter and teacher Polland's songs have been recorded by a considerable number of popular artists from the 1960s onward. These include Helen Reddy, who recorded "Music, Music" for her gold-selling album of the same name in 1976, and Linda Ronstadt, who recorded "I'd Like To Know". Among the most widely recorded of her songs is "Tulsa County", which has been interpreted by The Byrds, Bobby Bare, Anita Carter, Jesse Ed Davis, and Son Volt. More recently, singer-songwriter Alela Diane recorded Polland's "See My Love" when she guested as a vocalist for The Headless Heroes' 2008 covers album, The Silence of Love. The original version of "See My Love" appeared on The Gentle Soul.

By the 1980s, Polland had also established herself as a vocal coach, and she later released the instructional DVD Vocal Ease.

Personal life Polland is married to designer Bill Ernst with whom she has settled in Hawaii on the island of Maui. She was previously married to Greg Copeland.

Discography

Albums Gentle Soul – The Gentle Soul (Epic, BN 26374, 1968) All tracks written by Pamela Polland/Rick Stanley except where noted. Tracks "Overture" – 4:35 "Marcus" (Pamela Polland) – 2:52 "Song For Eolia" – 2:12 "Young Man Blue" (Rick Stanley) – 2:30 "Renaissance" – 3:10 "See My Love (Song For Greg)" (Pamela Polland) – 3:55 "Love Is Always Real" – 2:55 "Empty Wine" – 2:35 "Through a Dream" – 3:54 "Reelin'" (Pamela Polland) – 3:17 "Dance" (Rick Stanley/N.Wynn) – 3:23 Bonus Tracks "Tell Me Love" (mono, single A-side) (Rick Stanley) – 2:24 "Song for Three" (mono, single B-side) (Pamela Polland/G.Copeland) – 2:56 "2:10 Train" (mono) (T.Campbell/L.Albertano) – 2:52 "Flying Thing" (previously unissued) (Jackson Browne) – 3:15 "God Is Love" (previously unissued) – 2:19 "You Move Me" (single A-side) (Pamela Polland) – 2:12 "Our National Anthem" (single B-side) (Pamela Polland) – 2:28 "Tell Me Love" (alternate version, previously unissued) (Rick Stanley) – 2:22 "Love Is Always Real" (alternate version, previously unissued) – 3:02

Personnel Pamela Polland – female vocals, guitar Rick Stanley – vocals, guitar Tony Cohan – tabla Ry Cooder, Mike Deasy – guitar Van Dyke Parks – harpsichord Paul Horn – flute Ted Michel – cello Larry Knechtel – organ Bill Plummer – bass Gayle Levant – harp + Riley Wyldflower – guitar Jerry Cole – guitar Joe Osborne – bass Sandy Konikoff – drums Hal Blaine – drums Terry Melcher – producer on Tracks 1 through 11 Pamela Polland (Columbia, KC 31116, 1972) Produced by George Daly

Have You Heard The One About The Gas Station Attendant? (Columbia, 1973) Unreleased album, completed and mastered, Produced by Gus Dudgeon

Heart of the World (Ivory Moon, 6795, 1995) Produced by Gary Malkin

Hawaiianized (Off The Leash/AWAL, 2010) Produced by John McFee