Hello Stranger - Music
Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis
Artist Biography For Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis Born 9 February 1943 In Salem Michigan Is A American Singer And Songwriter Whose Smooth Style Influenced Rhythm And Blues. Born In Salem Near Ann Arbor Michigan Lewis Was Writing And Recording By Her Teens With Producer Ollie McLaughlin. McLaughlin Was A Black DJ At Ann Arbor Radio Station WHRV Now WAAM Who Is Also Credited With Discovering Del Shannon. Her First Single Release In 1962 The Uptempo "My Heart Went Do Dat Da " Did Not Chart Nationally But Was A Local Hit In The Detroit Area. She Wrote All Of The Songs On Her Debut LP Including The Hit "Hello Stranger" . Though Her Follow-Ups Did Not Have The Same Success Her Song "Someday We're Gonna Love Again" Was Covered By The Searchers For A British Invasion Hit. In The 1960s Lewis Recorded In New York City With Producers Bert Berns And Jerry Wexler Leading To Commercially-Successful Hits Like "Baby I'm Yours" Which Is Written By Van McCoy 'The Hustle'1975 And "Make Me Your Baby." At The End Of The Decade She Released A Grittier-Sounding Album On Stax Records And After Its Lack Of Commercial Success She Began To Withdraw From Music. However Over The Next Decade A Number Of Other Artists Had Success With Lewis' Songs Most Notably Yvonne Elliman Who Made The U.S. Top 20 And #1 On The Adult Contemporary Chart And The UK Top 30 With Her Version Of "Hello Stranger" In 1977. "Baby I'm Yours" Also Charted In Versions By Jody Miller And Debby Boone The B-Side Of Her Single "God Knows" . In Canada Suzanne Stevens Had A Hit In 1975 With A Disco Version Of "Make Me Your Baby". Cover Versions Of Barbara Lewis' Tracks Continue Into The New Millennium With The Arctic Monkeys Including A Version Of "Baby I'm Yours" As A B-Side To Their 2006 Single "Leave Before The Lights Come On". In 1995 Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours” Was Featured On The Bridges Of Madison County Soundtrack. She Was Given A Pioneer Award By The Rhythm And Blues Foundation In 1999. The Backup Group On Many Songs From The Album "Hello Stranger" Are The Dells Who Enjoyed Some Hits Of Their Own.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Hello Stranger
Barbara-Lewis - Hello Stranger: The Best Of Barbara Lewis
"Hello Stranger" Was Written By Barbara Lewis Herself Who Was Originally Inspired To Write A Song With That Title While Working Gigs In Detroit With Her Musician Father “I Would Make The Circuit With My Dad And People Would Yell Out ‘Hey Stranger Hello Stranger It’s Been A Long Time’". The Song Is Notable Because Its Title Comprises The First Two Words Of The Lyrics But Is Never At Any Point Repeated Throughout The Rest Of The Song. Lewis Recorded "Hello Stranger" At Chess Studios In Chicago In January 1963. The Track's Producer Ollie McLaughlin Recruited The Dells To Provide The Background Vocals. The Arrangement By Riley Hampton - Then Working With Etta James - Featured A Signature Organ Riff Provided By Keyboardist John Young. The Track Was Completed After Thirteen Takes. Lewis Would Recall That On Hearing The Playback Of The Finished Track Dells Member Chuck Barksdale "kept Jumping Up And Down And Saying ‘It’s A Hit It’s A Hit.’...I Didn’t Really Know. It Was All New To Me.” 1 McLaughlin Flew To New York City To Pitch "Hello Stranger" To Atlantic Records Who Had Picked Up Lewis' Previous Two Singles For National Release. Atlantic Optioned "Hello Stranger" But Then Had Second Thoughts On The Viability Of Releasing Such An Unusual Track. The Ascendancy Of "Our Day Will Come" By Ruby & The Romantics To The Top Of The Pop And R&B Charts In March 1963 Motivated Atlantic To Release "Hello Stranger" That Month 2 Entering The Billboard Hot 100 In April 1963 The Track Took Another Month To Reach The Top 40 Impelled By Its #1 Status In St Louis MO Entering The Billboard Top Ten That June For A Five Week Stay.
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Biography - Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis Born 9 February 1943 In Salem Michigan Is A American Singer And Songwriter Whose Smooth Style Influenced Rhythm And Blues. Born In Salem Near Ann Arbor Michigan Lewis Was Writing And Recording By Her Teens With Producer Ollie McLaughlin. McLaughlin Was A Black DJ At Ann Arbor Radio Station WHRV Now WAAM Who Is Also Credited With Discovering Del Shannon. Her First Single Release In 1962 The Uptempo "My Heart Went Do Dat Da " Did Not Chart Nationally But Was A Local Hit In The Detroit Area. She Wrote All Of The Songs On Her Debut LP Including The Hit "Hello Stranger" . Though Her Follow-Ups Did Not Have The Same Success Her Song "Someday We're Gonna Love Again" Was Covered By The Searchers For A British Invasion Hit. In The 1960s Lewis Recorded In New York City With Producers Bert Berns And Jerry Wexler Leading To Commercially-Successful Hits Like "Baby I'm Yours" Which Is Written By Van McCoy 'The Hustle'1975 And "Make Me Your Baby." At The End Of The Decade She Released A Grittier-Sounding Album On Stax Records And After Its Lack Of Commercial Success She Began To Withdraw From Music. However Over The Next Decade A Number Of Other Artists Had Success With Lewis' Songs Most Notably Yvonne Elliman Who Made The U.S. Top 20 And #1 On The Adult Contemporary Chart And The UK Top 30 With Her Version Of "Hello Stranger" In 1977. "Baby I'm Yours" Also Charted In Versions By Jody Miller And Debby Boone The B-Side Of Her Single "God Knows" . In Canada Suzanne Stevens Had A Hit In 1975 With A Disco Version Of "Make Me Your Baby". Cover Versions Of Barbara Lewis' Tracks Continue Into The New Millennium With The Arctic Monkeys Including A Version Of "Baby I'm Yours" As A B-Side To Their 2006 Single "Leave Before The Lights Come On". In 1995 Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours” Was Featured On The Bridges Of Madison County Soundtrack. She Was Given A Pioneer Award By The Rhythm And Blues Foundation In 1999. The Backup Group On Many Songs From The Album "Hello Stranger" Are The Dells Who Enjoyed Some Hits Of Their Own.
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16 Similar Artists To Barbara Lewis - Frogtoon Music
Barbara Mason Brenton Wood Mary Wells Barbara Lynn Doris Troy The Shirelles Smokey Robinson And The Miracles Billy Stewart Betty Everett The Flamingos Brenda Holloway The Supremes The Elgins The Impressions Little Anthony & The Imperials Jerry Butler.
"Hello Stranger" was written by Barbara Lewis herself who was originally inspired to write a song with that title while working gigs in Detroit with her musician father: “I would make the circuit with my dad and people would yell out: ‘Hey stranger, hello stranger, it’s been a long time’". The song is notable because its title comprises the first two words of the lyrics but is never at any point repeated throughout the rest of the song.
Lewis recorded "Hello Stranger" at Chess Studios in Chicago in January 1963. The track's producer Ollie McLaughlin recruited the Dells to provide the background vocals. The arrangement by Riley Hampton - then working with Etta James - featured a signature organ riff provided by keyboardist John Young. The track was completed after thirteen takes. Lewis would recall that on hearing the playback of the finished track, Dells member Chuck Barksdale "kept jumping up and down and saying, ‘It’s a hit, it’s a hit.’...I didn’t really know. It was all new to me.” [1]
McLaughlin flew to New York City to pitch "Hello Stranger" to Atlantic Records who had picked up Lewis' previous two singles for national release. Atlantic optioned "Hello Stranger" but then had second thoughts on the viability of releasing such an unusual track. The ascendancy of "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby & the Romantics to the top of the Pop and R&B charts in March 1963 motivated Atlantic to release "Hello Stranger" that month;[2] entering the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1963 the track took another month to reach the Top 40 impelled by its #1 status in St Louis MO, entering the Billboard Top Ten that June for a five week stay.
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