LINDA LEWIS-SAY NO MORE.

dereksmusicblog ♦ March 13, 2012 ♦ 2 Comments

LINDA LEWIS-SAY NO MORE.

When Linda Lewis released her debut album Say No More for Reprise in 1971, many people were wowed by Linda’s ability to seamlessly combine musical genres. Whether folk or funk, or rock and soul, Linda was equally comfortable and accomplished. Using her five octave vocal range, something few singers are blessed with, Linda launched her long and successful recording career. With Ian Samwell who’d previously written songs for The Small Faces, The Isley Brothers and Dusty Springfield producing Say No More, this was the next step in a career in music that started in 1964, when Linda was just fourteen. Say No More, which has just been rereleased by BBR Records, was the first of eleven studio albums Linda would release, in a career that’s spanned over forty years. Before I tell you about Linda’s debut album Say No More, I’ll tell you about her early career.

Growing up as a child, Linda Lewis taught herself to play both guitar and keyboards. Using Billie Holliday, Smokey Robinson and Joni Mitchell for inspiration,  Linda’s style evolved as a fusion of folk, funk, rock and soul. However, by this time, Linda had been steeped in both music and show-business. From the age of three, Linda attended stage school, making her film debut aged eleven in The Beatles movie A Hard Days Night. Aged fourteen, Linda attended a John Lee Hooker concert, ending up singing Dancing In the Streets with. It was John Lee Hooker that introduced Linda to her future manager, Don Arden, who’d get her signed to Polydor. Now signed to Polydor, Linda released her debut single, You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet, which is now a rare Northern Soul single. Having recorded her debut single, the next step for Linda would be to form her own band.

Linda formed White Rabbit with Junior Marvin, before joining The Ferris Wheel, where she replaced Martha Hunt. With The Ferris Wheel, Linda toured extensively and recorded a trio of singles. These were I Can’t Break the Habit, The Na Na Song and Can’t Stop Now, before releasing their only Ferris Wheel in 1970, the same year the band split-up. Now a solo artist, Linda would perform at the very first Glastonbury Festival by DJ and booker Jeff Dexter. Later that year, a fortuitous meeting with Warner Bros. Records’ executive Ian Ralfini lead to Linda being signed to Warner’s subsidiary Reprise. Linda’s would also launch a  career as a session singer, leading to her appearing on David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, as well as albums by Cat Stevens and Al Kooper. However, the recording session that would be most important would be the sessions for Linda’s debut album Say No More.

Recording for Say No More took place at Trident Studios, where so many other important albums would be recorded. With Ian Samwell producing the album, an experienced group of session musicians were chosen to accompany Linda. This included bassist Chris Spedding, flautist Ian McDonald and Ray Cooper on vibes, marimba and percussion. Twelve tracks were recorded, ten of which were written by Linda, while she cowrote one song with Ian Samwell, who wrote one song himself. With Say No More recorded, the album was set for release in 1971,

Released towards the end of 1971, Say No More allowed the world to hear the multi-talented Linda Lewis. Singer, songwriter and musician Linda’s music attracted a wide range of fans. From fans of folk, funk, rock and soul, Say No More enthralled them with its subtleties, charms and beauty. Although the album wasn’t a huge commercial success, it was well received by critics. Just one single was released from Say No More, with We Can Win chosen. However, it was the track on the B-side  Hampstead Heath, that proved to be a favorite among Linda’s fans, and can still he heard in her sets forty-one years later. It’s just one of the many great songs that can be heard on Say No More, which I’ll now tell you about.

Opening Say No More is For Mama, a short track lasting just under a minute. Although just a short track, it’s poignant and powerful, with Linda singing unaccompanied, demonstrating the quality of her voice. Her delivery is sincere and heartfelt as she sings some beautiful lyrics about her mother. It’s a beautiful and poignant song to open the album.

Quite different from the opening track is Come Along People, which has some clever lyrics, using people she met in Hampstead Way as the basis for the track. With characters like Mother Earth, there’s a real sixties feel to the lyrics. The arrangement is catchy, with a loose sound and feel. Guitars are key to the arrangement, while percussion is sprinkled throughout the track and the rhythm section drive the track along. The addition of a harmonium, played by Linda is effective, adding to the arrangement. Meanwhile we get the first chance to hear the Linda’s sweet, joyful vocal which grows in power, demonstrating her wide vocal range. Her vocal combines perfectly with the arrangement, resulting in one of the highlights of Say No More.

When The Same Song opens with just a guitar playing, it gives the track a melancholy sound. It gives way to Linda’s gentle, thoughtful vocal, accompanied by just guitars, before the rhythm section and piano enter. They play in an understated style, taking care never to overpower the beauty of Linda’s vocal, which reminds me of Minnie Riperton, who had a similar wide, vocal range. Later, Jimmy Horrowitz adds Hammond organ on a track that uses some clever wordplay, using rhyming couplets. Written by producer Ian Samwell, Linda’s vocal fuses perfectly with the understated, wistful sounding arrangement to make a song whose charms are irresistible.

After Linda’s beautiful vocal enters on Hampstead Way, it quickly grows in power and emotion, before revealing an intriguing an arrangement. From a gentle, meandering wistful introduction, featuring just gently strummed guitars and Linda’s vocal which you think will continue throughout the track, a curve ball is thrown. Like a jolt to the system, a rocky sounding riff enters briefly. This grabs your attention, given the earlier soulful nature of the song. From their we return to a more gentle, meandering sound, where the comparisons with Minnie Riperton are even more apparent, especially when her voice grows stronger. When the track ends with Linda whistling, this is just a masterstroke, on a track that’s a true timeless classic from Linda’s back-catalogue where she introduces us to life in Hampstead Way.

Peter’s Garden sounds like an enchanted world, where magical things happen, and the way Linda delivers the lyrics this seems to be the place. Written after exploring a friend’s garden, Linda introduces Indian lilies and African antirrhinums to her lyrics, giving the song and exotic, mystical and ultimately beautiful sound and feel. Sung against a backdrop of harpsichord, rhythm section, percussion and guitars, there’s a folk rock sound to the track. This demonstrates Linda’s versatility as a singer and songwriter, that she’s equally at home singing folk as she is with rock, soul or funk.

One of the most beautiful tracks on Say No More is We Can Win. Here, the arrangement has a much bigger, grander sound. Horns and strings are used for the first time on the album, enveloping Linda’s vocal on a song she cowrote with producer Ian Samwell. Opening with grand strings and harpsichord, the track has a classical sound as it meanders along. When Linda’s vocal enters it pensive, enveloped in strings and horns, while piano and harpsichord accompany her. As the arrangement grows, Linda’s vocal has delay added to it, giving it a dreamy quality. By now the arrangement has become grandiose and dramatic, very different from the preceding track. This very different, much fuller arrangement compliments Linda’s wistful vocal and features some of quintessentially English, pastoral lyrics about exploring the beauty of the countryside.

Funky Kitchen was the track that opened the second side of Say No More, and like For Mama, is just a short track, a minute long. Here, it’s just Linda accompanied by acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong and confident, with her voice reminding me slightly of Joni Mitchell, one of her musical inspirations.

Follow the Piper is another track where Linda turns to folk music for her inspiration. The lyrics seem to have their roots in history, specifically the Medieval period. Linda incorporates several traditional folk instruments including a flute during the song. There are similarities to artists like Al Stewart and John Martyn during this track. Opening with just acoustic guitar, Linda delivers the lyrics against an arrangement that features almost military drums and flute and harpsichord. Linda’s vocal soars high, almost gliding gracefully and elegantly above the arrangement, demonstrating the beauty of her voice. 

Donkey’s Years opens with just an acoustic guitar and piano accompanying Linda. When Linda delivers the lyrics, the song structure starts off A-A-A-A, with the same rhyming structure repeated. This makes you take notice, giving the track a real charm. Throughout the track the arrangement has an understated sound, which allows you to focus on Linda’s vocal and the lyrics. With backing vocalisst sweeping in, they join the guitar and piano, giving the song a wistful, melancholy sound that’s quite enthralling.

With Latin sounding percussion and a moody bass providing a contrast, I Dunno gets underway. Linda’s vocal is bright and punchy, while a flute and keyboards accompany her vocal. The vocal grows in power and passion during this paean to love. Meanwhile, stabs of keyboards drift in and out the arrangement effectively. Here, Linda gets the chance to display her wide vocal range, on a track that’s has a joyous and uplifting sound.

Magic In the Music sees another change in style. Whereas the preceding track was bright and uplifting, combining Latin and soul, here the arrangement is thoughtful sounding, matching Linda’s vocal. It’s just guitars and rhythm section that combine slowly, bringing about this thoughtful sound. Meanwhile Linda’s voice is pensive, accompanied by backing vocalists, who combine beautifully with Linda’s vocal on a track that’s blessed with a thoughtful sound, which slowly reveals its hidden charms allowing you to hear the Magic In the Music.

Closing Say No More is Hymn, which opens with church bells chiming, while marching military drums can be heard playing gently in the background. Linda’s voice is considered and almost dramatic on this folk tinged track. There’s a grandness and drama to the track, due to the blazing horns, dramatic strings and choir of backing vocalists. Add to this, the marching drums, and this is another track with a very English folk tradition, that’s stirring, grandiose and dramatic.

Listening to Say No More, which was Linda Lewis’ debut solo album, it’s a highly mature debut album, given the standard of lyrics and delivery from Linda. Her versatility is also noticeable, with Linda seeming just as comfortable with folk and funk, and rock and soul. Whatever the track, Linda delivers it with aplomb, while contributing backing vocals and playing guitar on Funky Kitchen. Granted Linda was steeped in music and show business from an early age, and had been a singer since she was fourteen, but going from a member of a band to solo artist was a big step. Many artists haven’t coped with this, but Linda Lewis did, delivering an full of quality music, which was highly accomplished, with an eclectic collection of twelve tracks. Some of these tracks have a timeless sound, and sound as good forty-one years after they were recorded. Say No More was to be the first step in Linda’s career, a career that would see her music loved my her fans and peers. Among the musicians who cherish Linda’s music are Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Noel Gallagher. So, if unlike these music greats, you’ve still to discover the magical music of Linda Lewis, then Say No More has been remastered and released by BBR Records, who’ve previously rereleased with Lark, Fathoms Deep, Not A Little Girl Anymore and Woman Overboard. This will allow you to hear some of Linda’s best music, including the album that started her career off Say No More. Standout Tracks: Come Along People, The Same Song, Hampstead Way and We Can Win. 

LINDA LEWIS-SAY NO MORE.