Ignored Obscured Restored
Fifty years ago, British singer-songwriter Linda Lewis charted with her first hit in the UK, “Rock a Doodle Doo.”
This song is a taste of British soul at its best. It is smooth and sultry, and sung beautifully. The New York Times described her performance as showing “off her range with vocals that swung from husky lows to shimmering highs, to the point that the song could be mistaken for a duet.”
“Rock a Doodle Doo” didn’t dent the charts in the US, even after being given a promotional push through its inclusion on Appetizers (1975), one of the Loss Leaders compilation albums that Warner Brothers released through mail order.
Besides her solo work, Lewis was an “in demand” background singer. She sang on David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, Cat Stevens’ Catch Bull at Four, Rod Stewart’s Blondes Have More Fun, Al Kooper’s Possible Projection of the Future and last week’s SotW, “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. She was also an extra in The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, in the role of a screaming fan!
Lewis passed away just a few months ago in May 2023, at the age of 72.
Enjoy… until next week.
She was a great singer and a sweet lady whom I had to chance to interview on the “real” progressive WHCN in Hartford when her lp was new in 1972. Also, she was gorgeous!!! She deserved far more success especially in the US.RIP far too young.