Linda Lewis: The Unsung Trailblazer of British Soul
Profiling Linda’s folk/soul artistry and influential career for Black History Month 2025
I was learning English music history when I saw this black lady canoodling with these rock stars. “That looks like Linda Lewis in the room.” said one T.Rex fan at the end of UK’s Saturday Scene. From that video alone, she stood out to me as a diamond in the rough. For Black History Month, I will dig deep into Linda’s career and underrated influence as a Black British Soul artist.
Discovering Her Artistry
For those unfamiliar, Linda Lewis is a British singer-songwriter from London who reached fame in the 70s. Her five-octave vocal range blended folk with soul and later funk music. Linda was also known for her backing vocals for David Bowie, Cat Stevens, and Rod Stewart.
“This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” was the first song I heard from her that impressed me. People in America may be familiar with the Angela Bofill version, but Linda sang it before her. It was the start for me to keep her in mind. It was a catchy ballad with her sweet vocals. YouTube was my hub to find her music because some songs were strictly for UK music streamers. So far the song made me a cult fan, but “Rock-a-Doodle-Do” sealed the deal. I haven’t had fun listening to experience music in a while.
I thought: “Is that her singing the verse and the chorus?” It was incredible hearing her cute octave jump in 30 seconds. That’s when I knew to keep Linda in mind. Many compared her voice to Minnie Riperton and while I thought the same at first, I heard a distinction. Linda can go from a sassy youthful voice to a sultry lower register. It was an artistry that was colorfully fluid.
Linda’s musical journey started very young. She stated that her mother got her singing in a shop at three years old, then later stage school. From there as a child she had small roles in television and film as a screaming fan in The Beatles’ A Hard Day Night. She was inspired by Billie Holiday, Smokey Robinson and Joni Mitchell’s folk style. Linda signed with Polydor as a teen and dropped her real surname Fredericks to Lewis in honor of singer Barbara Lewis. Her single “You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet” became a Northern soul hit. It wasn’t until the early ‘70s when her Reprise years started to take off.
Her Prime Years
Linda was the first black woman to perform at the second annual Glastonbury festival. She was a backing vocalist for Terry Reid, but it was a start for her to get seen. Albums like Say No More and Lark showcased her craft as singer-songwriter and musician. Her lyrics would stem from autobiographical to socially conscious themes on stripped-down folk tracks.
The latter, Lark is her critically acclaimed album and a personal favorite from her. “Reach for the Truth” should’ve received more attention for her songwriting alone. I love how it goes off in a gospel tangent at the end. “Feeling Feeling” is also another favorite of mine I’ve taken up to play on the guitar. There’s this peaceful transcendence that takes over when Linda’s sings it.
Lark is more notable however, for its “Old Smokey” sample on Common’s “Go!” The dreamy instrumentation created a great atmosphere for the song. Without it, the song wouldn’t have been a number-one R&B hit. Fathoms Deep carries the same flow of her prior two albums, but Not A Little Girl Anymore saw a huge shift. By moving to Arista, her songs shifted to a commercial sound.
Those songs included “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and her hit “It’s In His Kiss.” My favorite aside from “Sweeter” is “Rock and Rollercoaster.” It’s fun how she continued to play on the “Rock” theme. I love how slightly cheeky and playful the song was performed. She gives an innocent approach to sexual topics. This era made me wonder how the Soul Train audience would receive this song. I could picture them dancing with this if she went to an American market. By the end of the 70s, she left Arista Records because she didn’t want to be a disco diva. That led to her silence in the ‘80s. However, many didn’t know Linda was still making way for her younger sisters.
Her Later Career/The Lewis Sisters
In the 1980s, Linda recorded one album with Epic Records but it didn’t go anywhere. But Linda had “Class/Style” an underground dance hit in ‘84 that made up for it. “Class/Style” is the sort of song that you may have heard at least once somewhere. I liked how she had at least one '80s dance jam. By the mid-'80s she formed a group with her sisters Dee and Shirley. The Lewis Sisters recorded a few singles off Riva Records. “So Good/So Right” is a sweet ballad. They harmonized seamlessly together.
Even though they couldn’t go commercial, Linda led the backing careers for Dee and Shirley. Dee recorded backing for Kylie Minogue’s first number-one hit “I Should Be So Lucky.” She also had some solo success with her cover of “The Best of My Love.” Shirley had a 30-year career doing background for George Michael. Her voice is heard on “Father Figure” and “Freedom! 90.” It’s beautiful how Linda paved the way for her sisters to get these future opportunities. Years later, the Lewis Sisters would return on their final “Year of Decision” — an afrobeat/R&B conscious song about change.
Legacy
Towards her later years, Linda returned to Glastonbury in 03’ and ‘09 showcasing her hit songs. Even though she passed in 2023, her music is still known globally. “Old Smokey” was recently featured in an episode of Showtime’s The Chi. Linda’s artistry paved the way for black women in folk and soul music. She proved that black artists in Britain can be successful singer-songwriters. Linda even helped black female artists to pick up the guitar and write great songs. Her influence is heard in other folk artists like Tracy Chapman.
I think of H.E.R. as a modern artist who is also a guitarist at heart. Mariah Carey may have been unknowingly influenced by Linda as well as Minnie Riperton as well. How she would’ve crossover in America is up for interpretation. Linda may not have been the biggest soul artist, but her music was comforting to the soul. I think I fell upon her at the right time as an American fan appreciating her as a trailblazer.
Thanks for reading. I recommend listening to Linda Lewis’ Lark and Not A Little Girl Anymore for starters.
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