Barbara Lewis
Pop-soul doesn't get much better than Barbara Lewis, whose seductive, emotive croon took "Hello Stranger" to number three in 1963. The Michigan native had been writing songs since the age of nine, and began recording as a teenager with producer Ollie McLaughlin, who also had a hand in the careers of Del Shannon, the Capitols, and Deon Jackson. Lewis wrote all of the songs on her debut LP (including "Hello Stranger") and confidently handled harmony soul numbers (some with backing by the Dells) and more pop-savvy tunes, some of which, like "Hello Stranger," were driven by an organ and a bossa nova-like beat. Follow-ups to "Hello Stranger" didn't sell nearly as well (although one of her singles, "Someday We're Gonna Love Again," was covered by the Searchers for a British Invasion hit). In the mid-'60s she began doing some recordings in New York City, with assistance from producers like Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler, that employed more orchestral arrangements and pop-conscious material. The approach clicked, both commercially and artistically: "Baby I'm Yours" and "Make Me Your Baby" were both big hits, and both among the best mid-'60s girl group-style productions. Lewis cut an album in the late '60s for Stax (on the Enterprise subsidiary) that, as one would expect, gave her sound a grittier approach, without compromising the smooth and poppy elements integral to the singer's appeal. It passed mostly unnoticed, though, and Lewis withdrew from the music business after a few other singles. The "beach music" scene of the Carolinas remains a bastion of appreciation for Lewis' records, which continue to enjoy popularity and airplay there decades after their original release.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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The Many Grooves Of Barbara Lewis (Remastered 2023)
R&B - Erschienen bei Craft Recordings am 11.10.2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
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The Platinum Collection
Pop - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 19.03.2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hello Stranger
R&B - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 08.02.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Many Grooves Of Barbara Lewis
Soul - Erschienen bei Stax am 01.01.1969
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Baby, I'm Yours
Pop - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 25.12.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Atlantic Singles
Pop - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 22.04.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Working On A Groovy Thing
Pop - Erschienen bei Rhino Atlantic am 08.02.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Soul Masters
Soul - Erschienen bei Classic Music International am 15.02.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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A Prairie Windstorm
R&B - Erschienen bei prairie windstorm am 03.02.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't Forget About Me: The Atlantic & Reprise Recordings
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group am 13.11.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Presenting Barbara Lewis
R&B - Erschienen bei Universal Digital Enterprises am 24.06.1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazzy Christmas
Jazz - Erschienen bei Barbara Lewis am 15.12.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Splash Of Color
R&B - Erschienen bei Sandmann & Walther am 28.08.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Just We Two
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei Just we am 25.04.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aint Love Easy
Internationaler Pop - Erschienen bei Cutting Edge Productions am 15.04.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Both Sides Now
Folk - Erschienen bei Cutting Edge Productions am 18.09.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Of
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group am 20.03.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -