Kate & Anna McGarrigle

by William RuhlmannKate (b.1946) and Anna (b.1944) McGarrigle are Canadian songwriting sisters whose work first came to international recognition in 1974 when Linda Ronstadt recorded Anna's "Heart Like a Wheel" as the title song to one of her albums. The sisters were signed to Warner Brothers and recorded Kate & Anna McGarrigle, an album of deeply felt (sometimes deeply funny) songs with a homey, eclectic folk backing and tart, striking vocals. It was widely hailed. Its two follow-ups seemed rushed, though they contained some good songs. In 1981, the sisters (having left Warner) recorded French Record for Joe Boyd's Hannibal label, and it showed considerable charm. Love Over and Over, in 1982, marked a move toward rock that cheered fans but also turned out to be their last album for almost a decade. In the meantime, they raised families and ventured out every now and then to play a few rapturously received dates, especially in the Northeast. At one of these in the late '80s, they said they'd been working on a musical with producer Roma Baran. That project never came to fruition, but in 1990 they finally returned to the record racks with Heartbeats Accelerating. The McGarrigle Hour followed in 1998, followed by the McGarrigle Christmas Hour in 2005.