Madeline Bell

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Madeline Bell (2008)
Madeline Bell (2008)
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
I'm gonna make you love me
  US 26th 02/10/1968 (9 weeks)

Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942 as Madeline Bell Brodus in Newark, New Jersey) , New Jersey ) is an American soul singer who worked in the late 1960s as a member of the group Blue Mink ( Melting Pot ) and parallel to it also became known as a soloist with hits like I'm Gonna Make You Love Me . On later records she turned to pop and disco music .

Career

Madeline Bell grew up with her grandmother and sang gospel music in church and school as a little girl. She later went to high school and trained her voice that year on the street, at local clubs and talent shows. At 16 she became a member of the gospel group The Glovertones. Two years later she moved to the Alex Bradford Singers, who performed all over America, but also in Europe. They did so on Langston Hughes' off-Broadway show Black Nativity . Bell moved to the UK and signed her first recording deal with EMI . From 1963 she published numerous singles, which, however, remained without significant success.

During the 1960s, Bell established herself as a background singer . She has been booked by Dusty Springfield , Johnny Hallyday , Donovan and the Rolling Stones , among others . She can also be heard on famous albums such as Elton John's first world hits Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection , Joe Cockers With a Little Help from My Friends and Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story . She also sang live in the background at Joy Fleming's performance with Ein Lied kann ein Brücke ( A Song Can Be A Bridge) at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 in Stockholm.

In the mid-1960s, Bell signed a long-term contract with Philips . With the composition I'm Gonna Make You Love Me , which was very popular at the time , in the original by Dee Dee Warwick and in the version by the Supremes and Temptations, a great success, Bell had her only hit in the USA: It reached number 26 in the Pop and number 32 on the R&B charts. Bell remained a one-hit wonder in her home country .

In the fall of 1969, Bell became a member of the pop group Blue Mink, which immediately made it to number 3 in Great Britain with Melting Pot . The group remained very successful until 1973, with other top successes being Good Morning Freedom (1970, 10th place), Banner Man (1971, 3rd place) and Randy (1973, 9th place). Bell continued to release solo records during this time, but had little success. After the end of Blue Mink, Bell released the album This Is One Girl in 1976 , which oscillated between soul, pop and disco and was recorded with the former members of Blue Mink. She continued Bell's disco ambitions in the following years as a studio singer with Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone and as part of the group Space , which initially had an international hit with the instrumental Magic Fly . In the following singles Carry On, Turn Me On (1977), My Love Is Music and Save Your Love for Me (1979) Bell took over the lead voice. All three songs hit the American disco charts. My Love Is Music was also Space's only pop hit in the US at number 60. After three albums, the collaboration between Space and Bell ended.

In 1979 Bell went on a tour with James Last through Japan. She continued this collaboration until 1985. In the 1980s, Bell was also still active as a studio singer. At the beginning of 1989 she had a top 40 hit in the Dutch Dutch charts together with the New London Chorale and the song Standing By . Two years later she appeared in the stage production of The Cotton Club in the UK . A number of albums were also created for the Dutch market. Bell continues to perform here as well as in Belgium, Great Britain and Germany. In 2003 she received the Heritage Foundation Award in London for her life's work.

Private

Bell was married to musician Barry Reeves , who died of pneumonia on February 6, 2010.

Discography

Albums (selection)

  • 1967: Bell's a Poppin ' (Philips)
  • 1968: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (Philips) (Re-Issue of Bell's a Poppin ' )
  • 1968: Doin 'Things (Philips)
  • 1971: Madeline Bell (Philips)
  • 1973: Comin 'Atcha (RCA Victor)
  • 1976: This Is One Girl (Pye)
  • 1993: Have You Met Miss Bell? (with The Swingmates) (Polydor)
  • 1999: Girl Talk (with The Swingmates) (Willibrord)
  • 2000: Blessed (Challenge)
  • 2003 Soulmates (Baileo Music Productions)
  • 2007 Melting Pot (Baileo Music Productions)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Chart sources: US
  2. ↑ a b [1] Short biography, Taurus Press Verlag
  3. ↑ Blue Mink in the UK charts
  4. ↑ [2] Details on the album This Is One Girl , Discogs
  5. ^ Joel Whitburn: Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003 , 2004, page 241, ISBN 0-89820-156-X
  6. ↑ Booklet text including an interview with Madeline Bell, CD-Reiusse This Is One Girl , Sequel Records, 1999
  7. ↑ Madeline Bell in the Dutch Charts
  8. ↑ [3] Awards page on the official Bell homepage
  9. ↑ [4] Reeves' memorial page on the official Bell homepage

Web links

Commons : Madeline Bell  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Bell, Madeline
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bell Brodus, Madeline (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American soul singer
DATE OF BIRTH July 23, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Newark (New Jersey)