Doin' Things [Lime Vinyl]

by Madeline Bell

Overview

Madeline Bell's final '60s album was, like her first (1967's Bell's a Poppin'), made in Britain under the production supervision of John Franz. And, like its predecessor, it unsurprisingly bore some resemblance to Dusty Springfield's late-'60s work, both because Franz also worked with Springfield, and because Bell sang backup vocals on Springfield records. To stretch the comparison even further, Bell had a style similar to Springfield's (especially in her slight vibratos at the end of phrases), as well as a similar bent for varied soul-pop material. The overall impression was something of a Springfield with a closer connection to genuine black American soul -- a connection that was honest enough, given that Bell was an African-American singer. The songs on Doin' Things, however, weren't as strong as the better material that Springfield interpreted. Still, it's a solid enough record, whether you're coming at it from a sub-Springfield angle or not, and it did contain some obscure compositions by Van McCoy, Billy Vera, Georgie Fame ("For Your Pleasure"), and John Lennon and Paul McCartney ("Step Inside Love," which the Beatles never recorded, but which Cilla Black had previously done for a British hit single). Interestingly, John Paul Jones -- who would join Led Zeppelin shortly afterward, and plays bass as a session musician on the album -- wrote one of the songs, "Hold It," as well as co-writing two others with Bell. [The 2004 CD reissue on RPM, in addition to including thorough historical liner notes, also adds six bonus tracks from 1968-1969 singles, among them the Bell-Springfield composition "Go Ahead On."] ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/13/2023
Label:	Mercury / Umr
UPC:	0602455425201

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Madeline Bell   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ian Green   Accompaniment
Derek Wadsworth   Accompaniment
Keith Mansfield   Accompaniment
Keith Roberts   Accompaniment
Arthur Greenslade   Accompaniment

Technical Credits

James Last   Composer
Teddy Randazzo   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Billy Vera   Composer
Clive Westlake   Composer
Dusty Springfield   Composer
Don Black   Composer
Ritchie Adams   Composer
Madeline Bell   Composer
Victoria Pike   Composer
John Paul Jones   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Mark London   Composer
Peter Jones   Original Liner Notes
Mark Barkan   Composer
Scott English   Composer
Van McCoy   Composer
Ralph Carmichael   Composer
Richard Ziegler   Composer
Alec Palao   Producer,Liner Notes
William P. McCord   Composer
Chip Taylor   Composer
John Franz   Producer,Production Supervisor
Jerry Ross   Composer,Composer
Arthur Greenslade   Composer
Jerry Ragavoy   Composer
Maury Laws   Composer
Paul Bevoir   Design,Artwork
Fred Anisfield   Composer
Clive Powell   Composer
Jules Bass   Composer
Bob Stanley   Producer
Christopher Jackson   Composer
Mark Stratford   Producer
Srt   Mastering
Roger Williams   Composer
Theodore Alexander Randazzo   Composer