Madeline Bell

Last updated

Madeline Bell
Jazz singer Madeline Bell.JPG
Bell on stage in 2008
Background information
Birth nameMadeline Bell
Born (1942-07-23) July 23, 1942 (age 81)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresSoul
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1965–present
Labels RPM, RCA, Columbia, HMV, Philips, Pye
Website madelinebell.com

Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) [1] is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from the United States in the gospel show Black Nativity in 1962, with the vocal group Bradford Singers. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

Bell was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. [1] She worked as a session singer, most notably backing Dusty Springfield and Donna Summer early in her career.[ citation needed ] Her first major solo hit was a cover version of Dee Dee Warwick's single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", [1] which performed better on the US Billboard Hot 100 than the original.

In 1968, Bell sang background and duet vocals on a number of Serge Gainsbourg songs, including "Comic Strip", "Ford Mustang" and "Bloody Jack". In 1969, she contributed backing vocals on the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and she also provided backing vocals on a number of Donovan recordings, notably his 1969 hit single "Barabajagal", recorded with The Jeff Beck Group. [3]

Bell then joined contemporary pop combo Blue Mink, with whom she had a number of Top 20 hits with Philips Records in the UK, [1] including "Melting Pot", "Our World", "Randy", "Banner Man", "Good Morning Freedom", "Sunday", "By the Devil I Was Tempted" and "Stay with Me". [4] Before joining Blue Mink in late 1969 she sang solo, and her cover version of "Picture Me Gone" is still a Northern Soul favourite today, as is "What Am I Supposed to Do", from 1968, a two-minute B-side tune co-written with future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, then working as one of London's most in-demand session bassists. (Bell also sang backup on Joe Cocker's "Bye Bye Blackbird" in 1969, which featured a guitar solo from another Led Zeppelin member, Jimmy Page.) Her version of Paul McCartney's "Step Inside Love" was a minor hit in the US in 1969.

In 1973, Bell fronted the BBC television series Colour My Soul which aired on BBC Two, which ran for nine episodes through to 1974. Guests included John Paul Jones, Jimmy Helms and Doris Troy. [5]

Jones later arranged, produced and recorded Bell's 1973 RCA album Comin' Atcha . [6] She contributed to the soundtrack of the romance film A Touch of Class (1973). She also sang backup for the Dave Clark Five's single release, "Everybody Get Together", and contributed backing vocals to Elton John's 1972 album, Honky Chateau . [7]

Bell has also provided backing vocals on a number of other artists' recordings, notably Tom Parker's neo-classical arrangements, [1] and in 1975, performed with Sunny and Sue (originally members of Brotherhood of Man) at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, providing backing vocals for the German entry "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein", performed by Joy Fleming. She worked with Kiki Dee and Lesley Duncan. In 1975, she appeared on Sunny Side of the Street for Bryn Haworth. And one year later, Bell sang backing vocals on We Can't Go on Meeting Like This, the second album by the band Hummingbird. That same year she did backing vocals on Yes drummer Alan White's only solo album Ramshackled , with other chorists Vicki Brown and Joanne Williams.

She also joined the French disco group Space, providing lead vocals on two of their albums. One of the songs she provided lead vocals on was "Save Your Love For Me" from 1978, which charted high in many countries. She also provided backing vocals for another French artist; Cerrone. Madeline also appears on Giorgio Moroder's 1979 album, E=MC² .

Bell in 1968 Madeline Bell.png
Bell in 1968

Since the 1970s, Bell has continued singing solo and also performed in a number of stage shows. She continues to live in Spain since her husband, drummer Barry Reeves (once of the Ferris Wheel) died on February 6, 2010, from pneumonia. She regularly tours Europe singing jazz and popular songs. [8] In 1982, she added background vocals to the fantasy film Alicja. She then again teamed up with John Paul Jones in 1985, contributing performances ("Take It or Leave It" and "Here I Am") to the soundtrack album Scream for Help .

Bell was the voice behind the 1980s advertising campaign for Brooke Bond D, a brand of tea bag in the UK. The music was composed by Ronnie Bond. She also provided vocals on the jingles of another 1980s advertising campaign, British Gas' Wonderfuel Gas, which began in 1982.

Solo discography

With Alan White

Discography with Space

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusty Springfield</span> British singer (1939–1999)

Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dramatic ballads, with French chanson, country, and jazz in her repertoire. During her 1960s peak, she ranked among the most successful British female performers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her image – marked by a peroxide blonde bouffant/beehive hairstyle, heavy makeup and evening gowns, as well as stylised, gestural performances – made her an icon of the Swinging Sixties.

<i>Cucumber Castle</i> 1970 studio album by the Bee Gees

Cucumber Castle is the seventh studio album by the Bee Gees, released in April 1970. It was produced by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Robert Stigwood. It consists of songs from their television special of the same name, which was named after a song on their 1967 album Bee Gees' 1st. Cucumber Castle is the only Bee Gees album not to feature any recorded contributions from Robin Gibb, as he had left the group before the album was recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cissy Houston</span> American singer (born 1933)

Emily "Cissy" Houston is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Khan, Houston embarked on a solo career, winning two Grammy Awards for her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiki Dee</span> English pop singer (born 1947)

Pauline Matthews better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records.

Rosetta Jeanette Hightower was an American singer and the lead singer of the 1960s girl group The Orlons. She was born in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Gonna Make You Love Me</span> 1968 single by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is a soul song most popularly released as a joint single performed by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations for the Motown label. This version peaked for two weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in the United States, selling 900,000 copies in its first two weeks, and at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1969.

Doreen Chanter is a British singer best known as a member of the Chanter Sisters, and for her work as a backing vocalist and session vocalist, primarily during the 1970s and 1980s.

Blue Mink were a British six-piece pop group that existed from 1969 to 1977. Over that period they had six Top 20 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart, and released five studio based albums. According to AllMusic: "they have been immortalised on a string of compilation albums, each recounting the string of effervescent hits that established them among Britain's best-loved pop groups of the early 1970s."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sweet Inspirations</span> American R&B vocal group

The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Cissy Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Cook (songwriter)</span> English singer, songwriter and record producer

Roger Frederick Cook is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, who has written many hit records for other recording artists. He has also had a successful recording career in his own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Bell</span> Scottish singer

Margaret Bell is a Scottish vocalist. She came to fame as co-lead vocalist of the blues rock group Stone the Crows, and was described as the UK's closest counterpart to American singer Janis Joplin. Bell was also prominently featured as a guest vocalist on the song "Every Picture Tells a Story" (1971) by Rod Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clydie King</span> American singer (1943–2019)

Clydie Mae King was an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist. King also recorded solo under her name. In the 1970s, she recorded as Brown Sugar, and her single "Loneliness " reached No. 44 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1973.

<i>Comin Atcha</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Madeline Bell

Comin' Atcha is the fourth studio album by Madeline Bell, released by RCA Records in December 1973. The album was produced, arranged and recorded with John Paul Jones at his home studio, Dormouse Studios. It was Madeline Bell's first solo album in two years after performing for musical theatre, television shows, studio backing sessions, film themes and pop group Blue Mink (1969–73). The project was also a major departure in musical direction for John Paul Jones, playing a mixture of funk, jazz, r&b and soul for the recording, during the year-long absence from touring Led Zeppelin undertook in late 1973 and throughout 1974. John Paul Jones had previously sessioned for Madeline Bell in 1968, before joining Led Zeppelin.

<i>Scream for Help</i> (album) 1985 soundtrack album by John Paul Jones

Scream for Help is a soundtrack album by John Paul Jones, released by Atlantic Records on 22 March 1985 to accompany the film Scream for Help. Following the Death Wish II album project, guitarist Jimmy Page was asked by his Berkshire neighbour, movie director Michael Winner, to record a soundtrack for the film Scream for Help in August 1984. Due to other commitments by Page, he instead suggested to Winner that Jones, who had just completed upgrading his 24-track digital recording studio at Devon, was best placed to write and record the soundtrack. In return, Jones asked Page to help record two tracks "Crackback" and "Spaghetti Junction".

Sue and Sunny were a British vocal duo and session singers operating in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Although sisters, their stage names were Sue Glover and Sunny Leslie. For three years (1969-1972) they were members of British pop group The Brotherhood of Man.

<i>Ramshackled</i> 1976 studio album by Alan White

Ramshackled is the only solo album by Alan White, drummer for British progressive rock band Yes. It was released in 1976 on Atlantic Records, during a period when all five Yes band members released solo albums. White only performed drums on the album and neither wrote nor sang any of the songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Armstead</span> American soul singer and songwriter (born 1944)

Josephine Armstead, also known as "Joshie" Jo Armstead, is an American soul singer and songwriter. Armstead began her career singing backing vocals for blues musician Bobby "Blue" Bland before becoming an Ikette in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the early 1960s. She also had some success as a solo singer, her biggest hit being "A Stone Good Lover" in 1968. As a songwriter, Armstead teamed up with Ashford & Simpson. The trio wrote hits for various artists, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Tina Britt, Ronnie Milsap, and Syl Johnson. In the 1970s, Armstead appeared in the Broadway musicals Don't Play Us Cheap and Seesaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melting Pot (song)</span>

"Melting Pot" is the 1969 debut single from UK pop group Blue Mink. The song was written by Blue Mink's lead singer Roger Cook and long-time songwriter partner Roger Greenaway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Morning Freedom</span> 1970 single by Blue Mink

"Good Morning Freedom" is a song by British pop group Blue Mink, released as a single in March 1970. It was released as a non-album single, but was included on the US album Real Mink. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Dave Clark & Friends</i> 1972 studio album by The Dave Clark Five, Mike Smith

Dave Clark & Friends is a British album from 1972. It is partly an album by the Dave Clark Five, and partly a solo project by singer Mike Smith and producer Dave Clark. It contains the Dave Clark Five's 1969 UK Top 50 hit "Put a Little Love in Your Heart".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Andrew Hamilton. "Madeline Bell | Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  2. Robert M Marovich, A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music, University of Illinois Press, 2015, p. 249.
  3. Leigh, Spencer (October 24, 2007). "The Singer not the Song - Record Collector Magazine". Record Collector. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  4. Larkin, Colin (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Seventies Music. Guinness. p. 85. ISBN   0-85112-727-4.
  5. "BBC Programme Index". November 28, 1973.
  6. Lewis, Dave (2003). Led Zeppelin: A Celebration. Omnibus Press. p. 185. ISBN   0-7119-9651-2.
  7. "Honky Chateau - Elton John | Credits". AllMusic. May 19, 1972. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  8. "The official web site for U.S. singer, resident in Europe. | Madeline Bell Homepage". Madelinebell.com. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  9. "Madeline Bell | Discography". AllMusic . Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  10. "Space | Discography". Discogs.com. December 1978. Retrieved March 26, 2019.