Madeline Bell
Madeline Bell ( born July 23, 1942 as Madeline Bell Brodus in Newark (New Jersey), New Jersey) is an American soul singer who in the late 1960s as a member of Blue Mink ( of Melting Pot ) and a parallel also as a soloist with hits such as I'm Gonna Make You Love Me was released. In later records she turned to pop and disco music.
Career
Madeline Bell grew up with her grandmother and began singing as a little girl gospel music in church and school. Later, she attended high school and trained her voice in those years on the road, in local clubs and talent shows. At 16, she was a member of the gospel group The Glovertones. Two years later she joined the Alex Bradford Singers, who appeared in all of America, but also in Europe. They did so as part of the Off- Broadway show Black Nativity by Langston Hughes. Bell moved to the UK and signed her first recording contract with EMI. She has published numerous singles from 1963, which remained, however, without appreciable success.
During the 1960s, Bell established as a background singer. She was booked, among others, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Hallyday and Donovan. They also can be heard on famous albums such as Elton John's first world successes Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection, Joe Cocker With a Little Help from My Friends and Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story. In addition, she sang live in the background at Joy Fleming's appearance with a song can be a bridge at the Euro Vision Song Contest 1975 in Stockholm.
Mid-1960s, Bell signed a long term contract with Philips. With the then very popular composition I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick, and in the version of the Supremes and Temptations a great success, Bell succeeded her only hit in the U.S.: so you reached No. 26 in the Pop and number 32 in the R & B charts. Bell remained in their homeland a One Hit Wonder.
In the fall of 1969, Bell became a member of the pop group Blue Mink, which on first attempt with a Melting Pot # 3 in the UK. The group stayed until 1973 very successfully, other top successes were Good Morning Freedom (1970, # 10 ), Banner Man (1971, 3rd place) and Randy (1973, No. 9 ). Bell continued to publish during this time solo records, but had so little success. After the end of Blue Mink Bell published 1976 album This Is One Girl, the commuted varied between soul, pop and disco and was recorded with the former members of Blue Mink. Bells Disco ambitions put them in the following years continued, among other things as a studio singer with Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone and within the group space, which had initially with the instrumental Magic Fly an international hit. The following singles Carry On, Turn Me On (1977 ), My Love Is Music And Save Your Love for Me ( 1979) took over Bell the lead vocal. All three songs achieved the American disco charts. My Love Is Music was number 60 the only pop hit of Space in the USA. After three albums, the cooperation of Space and Bell ended.
Even in 1979 Bell went on a tour with James Last by Japan. By 1985, she continued this cooperation. In the 1980s, Bell also remained active as a studio singer. In early 1989, they had in common with the New London Chorale and the song Standing By a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands. Two years later she appeared in the stage production of The Cotton Club in the UK. Besides created a whole series of albums for the Dutch market. Here as well as in Belgium, Great Britain and Germany Bell occurs as before. In 2003 she was awarded in London for her life's work with the Heritage Foundation Award.
Private
Bell was married to the musician Barry Reeves, who died on 6 February 2010 of pneumonia.