Linda Lewis
Encyclopedia
Linda Lewis is an English vocalist, songwriter and Guitarist
. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers. She is best known for her cross-over music, also the singles "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" (1972) and "Sideway Shuffle" (1973) also albums such as Lark (1972), Not a Little Girl Anymore
(1975), Woman Overboard (1977) and later on had renewed success with Second Nature (1995), which became successful in countries such as Japan. Lewis also provided vocals for others such as David Bowie
, Al Kooper
, Cat Stevens
, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Rick Wakeman
, Rod Stewart
, Hummingbird
and Jamiroquai
Lewis is a self-taught guitarist and keyboard
player, influenced by Harry Nilsson
, Billie Holiday
and Smokey Robinson
, also drawing inspiration from others such as Joni Mitchell
. Her music blends folk, funk and soul
, a mix of genres making Lewis a fore runner to artists
such as Des'ree
and India.Arie
.
(1964), she also sang to the public for money. Lewis started to build her reputation as a singer by joining The Q Set, a British band who performed Ska and blue beat Jamaican style music
In 1964 she met John Lee Hooker
who was performing at a London club and sang "Dancing in the Streets" with him. Hooker introduced her to Ian Samwell
who arranged for Don Arden
to manage her and she signed to Polydor
, to record the single "You Turned My Bitter into Sweet". Now a collectable Northern Soul
record.
During 1969 she formed White Rabbit with Junior Marvin, moving onto replace Marsha Hunt
in the soul
rock
band The Ferris Wheel
in 1970 and toured Europe with them. They also recorded the singles "I Can't Break the Habit", "The Na Na Song", and "Can't Stop Now", also the album Ferris Wheel (1970), before the band broke up the same year. On September 19, 1970 Lewis appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival
, having been booked by the DJ
and concert booker
Jeff Dexter. After a chance meeting with Warner Bros. Records
executive Ian Ralfini, Lewis signed to Warner Bros. Records
imprint label Reprise
. At the same time Lewis also launched a career as a session vocalist
, which led to her appearance on albums such as Possible Projection of the Future by Al Kooper
, David Bowie
's Aladdin Sane
(1973), Cat Stevens
's Catch Bull at Four
(1972) and Hummingbird
's first album Hummingbird (1975).
Her first hit
single
"Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" reached #15 in the UK Singles Chart
in the summer of 1973
and was followed by the album Fathoms Deep, which featured former Jeff Beck group guitarist Bobby Tench
. This album established her as one of Britain's most promising young female singer-songwriter
s and was critically acclaimed, but it did not did have the expected success, probably due to the Warner Bros. Records vanity label
Raft Records, becoming insolvent at that time. However, several appearances on the BBC TV
show Top of The Pops
raised her profile and an extensive world tour with Cat Stevens
followed. On her return to the studio she recorded what would become her break through album Not A Little Girl Anymore (1975), which featured Allen Toussaint
and the Tower of Power
horn section. A covering
of the "The Shoop Shoop Song" was released as a single, under the title of "It's in his Kiss", at the same time as Not a Little Girl Anymore, reaching #6 in the UK Album Chart. Three albums followed over the next few years and on A Tear and a Smile (1983) she sang a duet
"Why Can't I Be The Other Woman", with Luther Vandross
.
During the next decade Lewis retreated into her private life and moved to Los Angeles. She returned to record Second Nature (1995) which found success in the Japanese
charts
. Its success led to live performances which were recorded and released as On The Stage - Live in Japan (1996). Three more albums followed and consolidated her ability to attract an audience. Warner Bros. Records
released "Reach For The Truth-The Best of The Reprise Years" (2002), an anthology of her work during the previous thirty years. This was followed by BMG releasing "The Best of Linda Lewis" (2003), which included her hit singles. During 2003 she also appeared on the at the Glastonbury Festival
, and was filmed by BBC Television
whilst she appeared on the Jazz and World Stage.
Her song "Old Smokey" was used by the Rap artist known as Common, on his single "Go!" (2005), which appeared on his album Be (2005). This was produced by Kanye West
and reached #1 on the United States R&B and Hip Hop
charts. She recorded Live in Old Smokey (2006), which featured new and previously released songs and toured UK the same year. On 28 October 2006 The National Portrait Gallery opened an exhibit entitled Photographs 1965-2006, this featured a portrait by Lewis's former husband Jim Cregan
and other sitters, such as Shirley Bassey
. In 2007 she toured with the Soul Britannia All Stars in the UK and on February 3, 2007 BBC Four
featured performances by Lewis, in a sixty minute recording of a Barbican
show with The Soul Britannia All Stars. In June of the same year, she collaborated with Basement Jaxx
on Close Your Eyes, which featured in the Japanese
anime film Vexille
.
. Charles Waring of Blues & Soul magazine
described her vocal range as heard on The Best of Linda Lewis (2003) as, "powerful". In her review about Lewis's album Second Nature (1995) for Allmusic Amy Hanson describes Lewis's voice as, "remarkable and dynamic" and of Lewis' ability to sing in the whistle register
Hanson comments in her review of Lark (1972), "no longer a wild weapon that can soar from childlike lilt to screaming dog whistle without a moment's notice, she channels her range to the emotions it demands.". Lewis's voice has also been compared to Mariah Carey
and reviewer Melissa Weber commented that her voice had similarities to Minnie Riperton
's and also commented that Lewis had "a wider vocal range [than Riperton], with the ability also to sing in a lower register."
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers. She is best known for her cross-over music, also the singles "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" (1972) and "Sideway Shuffle" (1973) also albums such as Lark (1972), Not a Little Girl Anymore
Not a Little Girl Anymore (Linda Lewis album)
Not a Little Girl Anymore is an album by English singer Linda Lewis, first released in 1975. Ms Lewis’ fifth album in as many years peaked at number 40 in the U.K...
(1975), Woman Overboard (1977) and later on had renewed success with Second Nature (1995), which became successful in countries such as Japan. Lewis also provided vocals for others such as David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Hummingbird
Hummingbird (band)
Hummingbird were a British rock band, formed in 1974 by Bobby Tench of The Jeff Beck Group and Streetwalkers fame. Hummingbird recorded three successful albums, released by A&M using Ian "Sammy" Samwell as their record producer...
and Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
Lewis is a self-taught guitarist and keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player, influenced by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
, Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
and Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, also drawing inspiration from others such as Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. Her music blends folk, funk and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, a mix of genres making Lewis a fore runner to artists
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....
such as Des'ree
Des'ree
Des'ree is an English pop/soul singer who was popular during the 1990s. She is well known for her hits: "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", "Life", and "Kissing You"...
and India.Arie
India.Arie
India.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
.
Biography
At the age of three Linda Lewis was sent to stage school and was regularly cast in non-speaking TV and film roles such as "A Taste Of Honey" (1961) and as a screaming fan in the first Beatles film A Hard Day's NightA Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
(1964), she also sang to the public for money. Lewis started to build her reputation as a singer by joining The Q Set, a British band who performed Ska and blue beat Jamaican style music
In 1964 she met John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
who was performing at a London club and sang "Dancing in the Streets" with him. Hooker introduced her to Ian Samwell
Ian Samwell
Ian "Sammy" Samwell was an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known as the writer of Cliff Richard's debut hit "Move It" and his association with the rock band America with whom he had his biggest commercial success with their hit single "A Horse With No Name"...
who arranged for Don Arden
Don Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
to manage her and she signed to Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, to record the single "You Turned My Bitter into Sweet". Now a collectable Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
record.
During 1969 she formed White Rabbit with Junior Marvin, moving onto replace Marsha Hunt
Marsha Hunt (singer and novelist)
Marsha Hunt is an American singer, novelist, actress and model.-Early life:Hunt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946 and lived in North Philadelphia near 23rd and Columbia then in Germantown and Mount Airy for the first 13 years of her life...
in the soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Ferris Wheel
The Ferris Wheel (band)
The Ferris Wheel were a British rock and soul band, who have been described as "one of England's great lost musical treasures of the mid- to late '60s" and as "one of the most popular club acts" of the time. They released two albums, Can't Break the Habit in 1967 and Ferris Wheel in 1970, the...
in 1970 and toured Europe with them. They also recorded the singles "I Can't Break the Habit", "The Na Na Song", and "Can't Stop Now", also the album Ferris Wheel (1970), before the band broke up the same year. On September 19, 1970 Lewis appeared at the first Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, having been booked by the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and concert booker
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
Jeff Dexter. After a chance meeting with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
executive Ian Ralfini, Lewis signed to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
imprint label Reprise
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. At the same time Lewis also launched a career as a session vocalist
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, which led to her appearance on albums such as Possible Projection of the Future by Al Kooper
Al Kooper
Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane is the sixth album by David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1973 . The follow-up to his breakthrough The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album Bowie wrote and released as a bona fide rock star...
(1973), Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
's Catch Bull at Four
Catch Bull at Four
Catch Bull at Four is an album by Cat Stevens. It was Stevens' most successful album in the United States, holding the top spot on Billboards chart for three consecutive weeks...
(1972) and Hummingbird
Hummingbird (band)
Hummingbird were a British rock band, formed in 1974 by Bobby Tench of The Jeff Beck Group and Streetwalkers fame. Hummingbird recorded three successful albums, released by A&M using Ian "Sammy" Samwell as their record producer...
's first album Hummingbird (1975).
Her first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" reached #15 in the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
in the summer of 1973
and was followed by the album Fathoms Deep, which featured former Jeff Beck group guitarist Bobby Tench
Bobby Tench
Robert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
. This album established her as one of Britain's most promising young female singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s and was critically acclaimed, but it did not did have the expected success, probably due to the Warner Bros. Records vanity label
Vanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
Raft Records, becoming insolvent at that time. However, several appearances on the BBC TV
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
show Top of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
raised her profile and an extensive world tour with Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
followed. On her return to the studio she recorded what would become her break through album Not A Little Girl Anymore (1975), which featured Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
and the Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
horn section. A covering
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the "The Shoop Shoop Song" was released as a single, under the title of "It's in his Kiss", at the same time as Not a Little Girl Anymore, reaching #6 in the UK Album Chart. Three albums followed over the next few years and on A Tear and a Smile (1983) she sang a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
"Why Can't I Be The Other Woman", with Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
.
During the next decade Lewis retreated into her private life and moved to Los Angeles. She returned to record Second Nature (1995) which found success in the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. Its success led to live performances which were recorded and released as On The Stage - Live in Japan (1996). Three more albums followed and consolidated her ability to attract an audience. Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
released "Reach For The Truth-The Best of The Reprise Years" (2002), an anthology of her work during the previous thirty years. This was followed by BMG releasing "The Best of Linda Lewis" (2003), which included her hit singles. During 2003 she also appeared on the at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, and was filmed by BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
whilst she appeared on the Jazz and World Stage.
Her song "Old Smokey" was used by the Rap artist known as Common, on his single "Go!" (2005), which appeared on his album Be (2005). This was produced by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and reached #1 on the United States R&B and Hip Hop
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,...
charts. She recorded Live in Old Smokey (2006), which featured new and previously released songs and toured UK the same year. On 28 October 2006 The National Portrait Gallery opened an exhibit entitled Photographs 1965-2006, this featured a portrait by Lewis's former husband Jim Cregan
Jim Cregan
Jim Cregan, born James Cregan, 9 March 1946, Yeovil, Somerset, England is an English rock guitarist and bassist who best known for his associations with Family, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Rod Stewart. Cregan is a former husband of the singer Linda Lewis and worked with her as a record producer...
and other sitters, such as Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
. In 2007 she toured with the Soul Britannia All Stars in the UK and on February 3, 2007 BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
featured performances by Lewis, in a sixty minute recording of a Barbican
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
show with The Soul Britannia All Stars. In June of the same year, she collaborated with Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
on Close Your Eyes, which featured in the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
anime film Vexille
Vexille
is a 2007 Japanese CGI anime film, written, directed, and edited by famed Ping Pong director Fumihiko Sori, and features the voices of Meisa Kuroki, Yasuko Matsuyuki, and Shosuke Tanihara....
.
Critical reception
Linda Lewis has a five octave vocal rangeVocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
. Charles Waring of Blues & Soul magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
described her vocal range as heard on The Best of Linda Lewis (2003) as, "powerful". In her review about Lewis's album Second Nature (1995) for Allmusic Amy Hanson describes Lewis's voice as, "remarkable and dynamic" and of Lewis' ability to sing in the whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
Hanson comments in her review of Lark (1972), "no longer a wild weapon that can soar from childlike lilt to screaming dog whistle without a moment's notice, she channels her range to the emotions it demands.". Lewis's voice has also been compared to Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and reviewer Melissa Weber commented that her voice had similarities to Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
's and also commented that Lewis had "a wider vocal range [than Riperton], with the ability also to sing in a lower register."
Albums
Chart positions from the UK Album Chart- Say No More RepriseReprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
(1971) - Lark Reprise (1972)
- Fathoms Deep Raft (1973)
- Heart Strings Reprise (1974)
- Not a Little Girl AnymoreNot a Little Girl Anymore (Linda Lewis album)Not a Little Girl Anymore is an album by English singer Linda Lewis, first released in 1975. Ms Lewis’ fifth album in as many years peaked at number 40 in the U.K...
(1975) AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
#40 UK - Woman Overboard AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
(1977) - Hacienda View AriolaAriola RecordsAriola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
(1979) - A Tear And A Smile EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
(1983) - Second Nature Sony (1995)
- Born Performer: Live in Japan Sony (1996)
- The Best Of Linda Lewis BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
(1996) - Whatever... Turpin (1997)
- Best Of Linda Lewis Camden (1997)
- Kiss Of Life Turpin (1999)
- Reach for the Truth: Best of the Reprise Years 1971-74 Rhino (2002)
- Legend BMG (2005)
- Live In Old Smokey Market Place (2006)
Singles
| CHARTING SINGLES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Month/Year | Recording info | Chart peak for UK unless otherwise indicated |
| "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo" | 06/1973 | producer: Jim Cregan Raft 18502 B-side "We Get Along" (album Heart Strings) |
15 |
| "Play Around" | 10/1973 | producer: Jim Cregan, Linda Lewis Raft 18505 B-side "On the Stage" (album Fathoms Deep) |
"Breaker" |
| "Sideway Shuffle" | 03/1974 | producer: Marc Berthoumieux, Will Nott Raft 18507 B-side "Safe and Sound" (album Heart Strings) |
"Breaker" |
| "It's in His Kiss The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) "The Shoop Shoop Song " is a song written by Rudy Clark. The song was made a hit when recorded by Betty Everett, who hit #1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B charts with it in 1964... " |
07/1975 | producer: Bert DeCouteaux, Tony Silvester Arista 17 B-side "Walk About" (album Not a Little Girl Anymore) |
6 #9 #19 |
| "Rock and Roller Coaster" | 10/1975 | producer: Bert DeCouteaux, Tony Silvester Arista 25 B-side "The Seaside Song" (album Not a Little Girl Anymore) |
"Breaker" |
| "Baby I'm Yours" | 04/1976 | producer: Bert DeCouteaux, Tony Silvester Arista 43 B-side "The Other Side" |
33 |
| "This Time I'll Be Sweeter This Time I'll Be Sweeter This Time I'll Be Sweeter is a soul ballad written by Haras Fyre and Gwen Guthrie.In her autobiography Dancing in the Street Martha Reeves states she made the first recording of the song but the first evident release was a version by Linda Lewis which appeared on the 1975 album Not a Little Girl... " |
10/1976 | producer: Bert DeCouteaux, Tony Silvester Arista 65 B-side "So Many Mysteries to Find" (album Not a Little Girl Anymore) |
51 |
| "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You" | 06/1976 | producer: Mike Batt Ariola 166 B-side "The Best Days of My Life" (album Hacienda View) |
40 |
| Midfield General featuring Linda Lewis "Reach Out" |
08/2000 | producer: Damian Harris Skint 54 B-side 1."Triangle" by Midfield General 2. "Reach Out - Hakon Remix" (album Generalisation by Midfield General) |
61 |