LINDA LYNDELL : What a Man
Here I Am (1968)
A good Stax track from the turntable at The Blue Note Club Manchester in 1968 by Linda Lyndell.
Then another even better from this double ‘A’ sided 45 to bring right back:
Bring Your Love Back
Fantastic and apparently re- discovered in 1970 by Les the Wheel DJ, it was already a hit at the Blue Note.
It reaches 293 on Kev Roberts Top 500. It was all all of these where – high on our play list at the Blue Note!
What A Man
Also a fantastic song that stood the test of time.
And YES all hits at the Blue Note in1968/69 – I know – I imported them and played ’em.
And Linda’s story is a little sad, hounded out of the business because she was a white singer, singing and associating with black soul singers, couldn’t happen today, we hope…
Re-printed from SOULDIRECTIONS: Soul appreciation and Civil Rights.
Another Stax song that has a curious history “What A Man” it was to become quit a famous popsong in recent years, but not by the original artists (such is the case with lots of Soul recordings). Linda Lyndell a WHITE Soul singer on the Volt subsidiary of the STAX record label made one all time classic Soul hit (certainly in Manchester!). This was What A Man recently a hit for Salt N Pepa and also En Vogue.
Her original version still remains the best! But she gave up a recording career after death threats from the Atlanta headquarters of the Klu Klux Klan. Presumably for being associated with black music!
Linda sang “What A Man” at the opening of the STAX Museum in Memphis.