Madeline Bell

Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) 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.

Bell was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. She worked as a session singer, most notably backing Dusty Springfield and Donna Summer early in her career. Her first major solo hit was a cover version of Dee Dee Warwick's single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", 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.

Bell then joined contemporary pop combo Blue Mink, with whom she had a number of Top 20 hits with Philips Records in the UK, including "Melting Pot", "Our World", "Randy", "Banner Man", "Good Morning Freedom", "Sunday", "By the Devil I Was Tempted" and "Stay with Me". 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 Two television series Colour My Soul, which ran for nine episodes through to 1974. Guests included John Paul Jones, Jimmy Helms and Doris Troy.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.