Anita Ward
Encyclopedia
Anita Ward is an American
singer and musician
. She is best known for her 1979 million selling chart-topper, "Ring My Bell
".
, Ward obtained a degree in psychology
from Rust College
in Holly Springs
, Mississippi
, and had become a schoolteacher
. While recording
her debut album
, record label
owner Frederick Knight presented her with a song
he had written
the previous year for Stacy Lattisaw
. Ward did not like the song, but Knight insisted that a dance track was needed to capitalize on the current disco
trend, and Ward relented. The song, which was originally a juvenile
-targeted tune about teens talking on the telephone
, was rewritten with more 'adult' lyrics
and the result was the single "Ring My Bell
". The single reached number one in the United States
, the United Kingdom
, and Canada
in 1979. "Ring My Bell" has been remixed and released several since its original release. After the huge success of "Ring My Bell", "Make Believe Lovers", which was the b-side on most 12" singles for "Ring My Bell", was released, but it failed to chart.
Ward released a second album that same year; it was common in the 1970s to release albums several months apart. The album, entitled Sweet Surrender, featured the minor hit "Don't Drop My Love", which peaked at #87 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart. The album, similar to Songs Of Love, was disco-infused. A third disco album was in the works due to contractual issues between Knight and Ward, but was canceled after three songs had been recorded. These songs were later included on low-budget compilations featuring Anita Ward's first album Songs Of Love. These disputes with Frederick Knight, a severe car accident Ward later was in, and the fading appeal of disco music halted Ward's career, and she came to be regarded as a one-hit wonder
.
Many years later, Ward recorded another album, 1989's Wherever There's Love. The album was recorded in the United States, but was only released internationally as it had no US distributor. The album was a departure from Ward's disco past, but still contained mostly fast-tempo '80s pop songs, in addition to two ballads. It spawned one single "Be My Baby", which was released in Australia
, but it did not chart there. After both the album and single "Be My Baby" failed to chart, Ward took another hiatus from the music industry, focusing on her family and her daughter who was born shortly after the release of Wherever There's Love.
On New Year's Eve
2002 she performed "Ring My Bell" in New York City
's Times Square
before a crowd of revelers as part of the city's official celebration. On New Year's Eve 2005, Ward performed in Memphis, Tennessee
at Beale Street
. She sang "Ring My Bell" and several other disco songs.
She has also appeared in Zagreb
, Croatia
on January 4, 2006, the night before the FIS
World Cup
slalom
race on nearby Sljeme
, with some other groups and singers from disco
era; (Nile Rodgers
and Chic
, Village People
, Thelma Houston
and Rose Royce
).
In early 2011, it was announced that Ward was back in the studio working on a brand new album titled It's My Night. The first single, also titled "It's My Night" was released to iTunes
on May 20, 2011. The single is produced by producer Gilflo
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. She is best known for her 1979 million selling chart-topper, "Ring My Bell
Ring My Bell
"Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song by Anita Ward. It was originally written for Stacy Lattisaw, but when she signed with a different label, Ward was asked to sing it instead and it became her only major hit. The song hit number one on the disco charts. "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both...
".
Career
Before signing a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
, Ward obtained a degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Rust College
Rust College
Rust College is a historically black liberal arts college located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Located approximately 35 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, it is the second-oldest private college in the state...
in Holly Springs
Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and had become a schoolteacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. While recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
owner Frederick Knight presented her with a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
he had written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
the previous year for Stacy Lattisaw
Stacy Lattisaw
Stacy Lattisaw is an American R&B, dance, and gospel singer. Since the 1990s, she has exclusively sung gospel music, as a callback to her Christian roots.-Career:...
. Ward did not like the song, but Knight insisted that a dance track was needed to capitalize on the current disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
trend, and Ward relented. The song, which was originally a juvenile
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
-targeted tune about teens talking on the telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
, was rewritten with more 'adult' lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and the result was the single "Ring My Bell
Ring My Bell
"Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song by Anita Ward. It was originally written for Stacy Lattisaw, but when she signed with a different label, Ward was asked to sing it instead and it became her only major hit. The song hit number one on the disco charts. "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both...
". The single reached number one in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1979. "Ring My Bell" has been remixed and released several since its original release. After the huge success of "Ring My Bell", "Make Believe Lovers", which was the b-side on most 12" singles for "Ring My Bell", was released, but it failed to chart.
Ward released a second album that same year; it was common in the 1970s to release albums several months apart. The album, entitled Sweet Surrender, featured the minor hit "Don't Drop My Love", which peaked at #87 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. The album, similar to Songs Of Love, was disco-infused. A third disco album was in the works due to contractual issues between Knight and Ward, but was canceled after three songs had been recorded. These songs were later included on low-budget compilations featuring Anita Ward's first album Songs Of Love. These disputes with Frederick Knight, a severe car accident Ward later was in, and the fading appeal of disco music halted Ward's career, and she came to be regarded as a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
.
Many years later, Ward recorded another album, 1989's Wherever There's Love. The album was recorded in the United States, but was only released internationally as it had no US distributor. The album was a departure from Ward's disco past, but still contained mostly fast-tempo '80s pop songs, in addition to two ballads. It spawned one single "Be My Baby", which was released in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but it did not chart there. After both the album and single "Be My Baby" failed to chart, Ward took another hiatus from the music industry, focusing on her family and her daughter who was born shortly after the release of Wherever There's Love.
On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
2002 she performed "Ring My Bell" in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
before a crowd of revelers as part of the city's official celebration. On New Year's Eve 2005, Ward performed in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
at Beale Street
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are...
. She sang "Ring My Bell" and several other disco songs.
She has also appeared in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
on January 4, 2006, the night before the FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
race on nearby Sljeme
Šljeme
Šljeme is a village in the municipality of Ilijaš, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
, with some other groups and singers from disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era; (Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
and Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
, Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
, Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
and Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
).
In early 2011, it was announced that Ward was back in the studio working on a brand new album titled It's My Night. The first single, also titled "It's My Night" was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on May 20, 2011. The single is produced by producer Gilflo
Gilflo
Gilde Flores , better known as gilflo is an American, multi-music genre, musician, record producer, audio engineer, and composer.-History:...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Songs of Love Songs of Love (Anita Ward album) Songs of Love is an album by Anita Ward released on T.K. Records. It includes the chart-topping hit single "Ring My Bell". "Make Believe Lovers" was also released as a single but failed to chart.-Track listing:#"Make Believe Lovers" – 3:23... |
8 | 2 |
| 1979 | Sweet Surrender | — | — |
| 1989 | Wherever There's Love | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||||||
| 1979 | "Ring My Bell Ring My Bell "Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song by Anita Ward. It was originally written for Stacy Lattisaw, but when she signed with a different label, Ward was asked to sing it instead and it became her only major hit. The song hit number one on the disco charts. "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both... " |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Songs of Love | |||
| "Make Believe Lovers" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Don't Drop My Love" | 87 | — | — | — | Sweet Surrender | ||||
| 1980 | "Can't Nobody Love Me Like You Do" | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1981 | "Cover Me" | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1989 | "Be My Baby" | — | — | — | — | Wherever There's Love | |||
| 2011 | "It's My Night" | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of people from Memphis, Tennessee
- List of disco artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- One-hit wonders in the UKOne-hit wonders in the UKThis is a list of artists who have achieved one #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart and no other entry whatsoever on the chart. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles uses this definition of "one-hit wonder", which is a controversial term with various other proposed definitions.-Methodology:A hit is...