DISCOGRAPHY 1974-2021 (20CD)
BIOGRAPHY
From a musical family, she sang from her teenage years, leaving school at
the age of fifteen, to work as a window dresser by day and singer at
night. Bell was introduced to Leslie Harvey, by his older brother Alex,
after getting up on stage to sing with the latter.
Leslie Harvey was, at that time, a guitarist with the Kinning Park Ramblers. Bell joined the group as one of the vocalists. After the band split up, Bell moved to the Mecca Band at the Sauchiehall Street Locarno, and later to the Dennistoun Palais Band.
She then rejoined Harvey, forming Power initially known as The Power of
Music and eventually The Power. Bell and The Power regularly performed at
The Easterhouse Project, run by Archie Hind and Graeme Noble. they also
toured United States Air Force bases Germany in the mid 1960s. Peter Grant,
who was managing The Yardbirds at the time, heard Power playing at one of
these bases and agreed to produce and manage them, impressed by the vocal
ability of Bell and the guitar playing of Harvey. Power was then renamed as
Stone the Crows, an expression used by Grant upon hearing this band.
Stone the Crows split up 1973, after Harvey's death from accidental
electrocution on 2 May 1972, as Harvey had been an integral part of the
band. Peter Grant remained as Bell's manager after the split, and along with
Mark London offered to help Bell record a solo album. She subsequently
recorded two further albums for Atlantic Records, one produced by Felix
Pappalardi and the other produced by Felix Cavaliere. Neither has yet been
released. Grant then oversaw her first solo album release Queen of the Night
(1973), which was recorded in New York with record producer Jerry
Wexler.
Bell signed to the then newly formed Swan Song Records in 1974, along with
Bad Company and The Pretty Things, as one of the first signings to the
label. Jimmy Page contributed to her second album Suicide Sal (1975). Bell
then tried to capture past blues rock glories by fronting Midnight Flyer, a
phenomenal live act but their sole eponymous album released in 1981 was not
a commercial success. Jimmy Page put together a tribute album to Maggie
featuring Robert Plant, John Paul Jones also John Bonham along with Mark
Hitt on guitar.
Returning to a solo career, she had her biggest hit in the UK in 1981
duetting with B.A. Robertson on a cover version of "Hold Me" which reached
#11 in the UK Singles Chart. Bell also performed at many charity gigs during
this period.
Bell sang the end credits theme for the late 1970s ITV detective drama
Hazell, with lyrics written by Judy Forrest and music by Andy Mackay. Her
song "No Mean City", written by Mike Moran, was the theme music to the TV
crime drama Taggart. She also appeared in a single episode of Taggart called
"Evil Eye" in 1990, playing a gypsy fortune teller named Effie Lambie who is
murdered early in the episode.
In 2009 she provided the singing voice of rock singer Esme Ford (played by
Joanna Lumley) in the episode "Counter Culture Blues" of the ITV series
Lewis.
After living in the Netherlands for twenty years, Bell returned to the UK
in early 2006 and joined The British Blues Quintet, sharing lead vocals with
Zoot Money. Also featuring former Stone The Crows drummer Colin Allen and
bassist Colin Hodgkinson, the band quickly became established on the UK and
European live blues circuit. Their debut album, Live in Glasgow (2007), was
recorded at one of their first gigs, on Glasgow's Renfrew Ferry in 2006. In
addition, Bell toured with Chris Farlowe in the autumn of 2006 and The
Manfreds during 2006 and 2008.
NEW!
2021-Let Us Break Bread Together @FLAC+
2021-Walk With Me Lord @FLAC