Artist - Barbara Lewis - South Lyon, MI

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Pop-soul doesnt get much better than Barbara Lewis, whose seductive, emotive croon took Hello Stranger to #3 in 1963. The Michigan native had been writing songs since the age of nine, and began recording as a teenager with producer Ollie McLaughlin, whod also had a hand in the careers of Del Shannon, the Capitols, and Deon Jackson. Lewis wrote all of the songs on her debut LP (including Hello Stranger), and confidently handled harmony soul numbers (some with backing by the Dells) and more pop-savvy tunes, some of which, like Hello Stranger, were driven by an organ and a bossa nova-like beat. Follow-ups to Hello Stranger didnt sell nearly as well (although one of her singles, Someday Were Gonna Love Again, was covered by the Searchers for a British Invasion hit). In the mid-60s, she began doing some recordings in New York City, with assistance from producers like Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler, that employed more orchestral arrangements and pop-conscious material. The approach clicked, both commercially and artistically: Baby Im Yours and Make Me Your Baby were both big hits, and both among the best mid-60s girl group style productions.

Lewis cut an album in the late 60s for Stax (on the Enterprise subsidiary) that, as one would expect, gave her sound a grittier approach, without compromising the smooth and poppy elements integral to the singers appeal. It passed mostly unnoticed, though, and Lewis withdrew from the music business after a few other singles. The beach music scene of the Carolinas remains a bastion of appreciation for Lewis records, which continue to enjoy popularity and airplay there decades after their original release.

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