Artist:Anita Ward
Song:Ring My Bell
Album:Ring My Bell
Anita Ward topped the charts in 1979 with the disco classic Ring My Bell. It was her only hit and she only recorded a couple of albums. She was born Dec. 20, 1956 in Memphis. She grew up singing in church. While attending Rust College in Holly Springs, MS, she was in an a capella choir. She went into teaching but music was still nagging at her. She was put in touch with Frederick Knight who had a hit in 1972 with I've Been Lonely For So Long. Then he started his own label Juana and got into production. Knight wrote Ring My Bell for teen R&B singer Stacy Lattisaw. When that didn't work out, he gave it to Anita. She didn't like it but he told her it could be a disco hit. The song is about teens who are on the phone too much so it's not surprising Anita thought it was juvenile. Knight rewrote the song with more mature lyrics. He got the disco label TK to release it. Ring My Bell topped the charts in 1979. The album was called Songs Of Love. The sexually suggestive lyrics had a lot to do with the song's success. One notable innovation was Knight's use of the Synare electronic drum, an instrument that would be a staple of dance music. Subsequent singles and Anita's second album went nowhere. There was supposed to be a third album. But Anita and Knight disagreed about direction and it was cancelled. Then she was in a car accident. Apparently Anita wanted to be more versatile as she was concerned about being a one hit wonder. She recorded a couple of albums in Europe that were never released here. This budget CD is from Unidisc in Montreal keeping disco alive. Anita Ward is still around. She released a single in 2011 but a proposed album never surfaced. Here's Anita Ward performing Ring My Bell 1979.
Love that song. Guilty pleasure of mine, going back to the glory days of Disco. Thanks so much Frank.
ReplyDelete