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Digger talks to Madeline Bell. 

 

Madeline Bell

 

 

Madeline Bell is a renowned and respected American singer who made her home in Britain at the start of the swinging sixties and who recorded backing vocals with many of the greats, such as Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Elton John, Cliff Richard and Tom Jones.  She was also partnered with successful songwriter Roger Cook in the duo Blue Mink; they had several worldwide hits in the seventies, notably Melting Pot, Banner Man and Good Morning Freedom, all featuring Roger's upbeat and optimistic lyrics and Madeline's distinctive and powerful New Jersey voice. 

Her debut solo album Bell's A Poppin' generated a US hit and featured collaborations with Dusty as writer and even as backing singer for Madeline. 

Madeline's voice has also been heard on numerous TV adverts and she provided the soundtracks to several movies.

She has performed in most musical styles, supported acts as diverse as The Four Tops and James Last, worked with the like of John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Lionel Bart, repeatedly touring around Europe where she is more popular than ever.

We have been very fortunate that Madeline has agreed to undergo an interrogation with us here at www.retrosellers.com and to bring us up-to-date with her activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some images courtesy of and © copyright www.rexfeatures.com

 

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Digger: Can you tell us a little about your  early background and how you came to sing?

 

Madeline: My grandmother, who was a huge influence in my life, made sure that I was involved with church. Gospel music caught my ears at a very young age. I was in every choir, both in church and in school.

Digger: What were the  circumstances that led you to come to England in the early 60s and what were  your initial impressions of swinging London?

 

Madeline: I arrived in London in early July 1962 as a member of the cast of black nativity (BN). Initially, we were to record BN for Associated Rediffusion, then return to the US. We stayed fourteen months. London was “swinging”  in Soho. The Flamingo was where to find good music.

Digger: Motown and soul was being championed by a lot of white British acts such as Dusty and the Beatles. In fact, as you  know, Dusty was thrown out of South Africa for refusing to sing to segregated  audiences. I hear stories that authentic black music was still unacceptable in  the USA with covers being done by whites. Did you experience any such resistance in Britain?

 

Madeline: Yes!  There was Shirley Bassey and Danny Williams. They were the only “coloured” artistes on British TV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digger: The British black music scene has been very dominant in the last twenty years or so but that wasn't always the case. Did you have many black contemporaries in England in the  60s?

 

Madeline: No! Most black artistes in London were former us military trying to break into the UK music scene as life was bleak for them if/when they returned to the USA.

Digger: Of the many people you have worked with as a  backing singer, who stand out in your mind and which sessions are you most  proud of? What are your favourite recordings of  yours?

 

Madeline: John Lennon’s Power To The People will always stand out as a memorable session. We arrived at  Apple studios in Saville Row at 6pm to be informed that JL had decided to record at his home in Berkshire.. We (15 singers) were bussed to his home to then be told he had gone to EMI, Abbey Road. There was a big discussion in the EMI control room between JL, Phil Spector and Alan Klein. The recording started 2300h. We finished, midnight. Joe Cocker apparently waited many weeks to get us (Sunny Leslie/Rosetta Hightower and Myself) for With A Little Help From My Friends.

Digger: Your career has been very broad and diverse,  covering gospel, soul, funk, jazz, middle of the road, commercials, pop and  many other styles and you have worked with an equally mixed range of  performers. Is there anything you would like to have done musically that you  haven't yet?

 

Madeline: I always wanted to perform in London’s West End. Ronnie Scott’s club satisfied that hunger. Since 1987 I have performed there 18-19 times. The last dates were May 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Madeline

 

 

Digger: Your collaboration with roger cook was very  successful. Can you tell us about that?

 

Madeline: Roger and I were asked by the musicians of Blue Mink to join after we recorded Melting Pot. We all knew each other as we’d worked on many sessions together. RC and I did not form Blue Mink. RC wrote most of our hits. We were blessed to have a songwriter like him.

Digger: What is your relationship with the European  fans? Are they different from those in the UK? How did you end-up living in Spain?

 

Madeline: I work mainly in Holland and Germany. Fans have kept me working! They don’t let you down. We came to Spain for a short break in April 1980. Bought a small holiday home in October 1980, and that is the house we live in, now.

Digger: Who would you invite to a dinner party? - the guests can be real or fictional,  living or dead. And why?

 

Madeline: Gordon Ramsay & Nigella Lawson, as I like their cooking and would love to share  kitchen with them. Jimi Hendrix, as he loved my cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

Digger: What makes you laugh? 

 

Madeline: Whose line is it, US, as they don’t need to swear to get a laugh.

 

Digger: What makes you sad?

 

Madeline: Deprived children.

 

Digger: What  makes you angry?

 

Madeline: Child abusers.

 

Digger: What makes you hopeful?

 

Madeline: People, not politicians.

Digger:  Who are the  great songwriters and singers and groups in your view?

 

Madeline: Duke Ellington & George Gershwin are my all time favourites. Lennon & McCartney were the greatest in my day.  I wish I could spend some time with Amy Winehouse. She’s a great writer. Needs help.

 

 

 

 

 

Madeline

 

 

 

Digger: How  would you describe music today?

 

Madeline: Un...musical!

 

Digger: What would Madeline bell in 1963 have made of  iPods, downloads, the internet and modern recording techniques?

 

Madeline: Difficult question, as I am not really great on the computer, but I get by. Had to!

Digger: What is your biggest achievement and what  would you still like to accomplish?

 

Madeline: I turned 65 years young, 23 July 2007.. That’s my greatest achievement. After being told by so many friends and fans... I wish I’d written that book.

 

Digger: How would you describe the sixties and seventies?

 

Madeline: Musically, the best period in my career.

Digger: Did you ever think that the lyrics of Melting Pot  might actually one day become a reality? (which is what scientists predict if  we don't destroy ourselves first.)

 

Madeline: Coffee-coloured people are beautiful. Not just because of their colour, but because of the racial slurs they’ve had to live with. That is un-avoidable, as racism will never die.

Digger: What are you working on at the moment and  what projects do you have planned?

 

Madeline: As this is jazz festival season, I am spending a lot of time travelling to and from the festivals of Europe. Early 2009 I will tour Holland with the Dolf De Vries orchestra.

 

 

   

 

Madeline