Madeline Bell's final '60s album was, like her first (1967's
Bell's a Poppin'), made in Britain under the production supervision of
John Franz. And, like its predecessor, it unsurprisingly bore some resemblance to
Dusty Springfield's late-'60s work, both because
Franz also worked with
Springfield, and because
Bell sang backup vocals on
Springfield records. To stretch the comparison even further,
Bell had a style similar to
Springfield's (especially in her slight vibratos at the end of phrases), as well as a similar bent for varied soul-pop material. The overall impression was something of a
Springfield with a closer connection to genuine black American soul -- a connection that was honest enough, given that
Bell was an African-American singer. The songs on
Doin' Things, however, weren't as strong as the better material that
Springfield interpreted. Still, it's a solid enough record, whether you're coming at it from a sub-
Springfield angle or not, and it did contain some obscure compositions by
Van McCoy,
Billy Vera,
Georgie Fame ("For Your Pleasure"), and
John Lennon and
Paul McCartney ("Step Inside Love," which
the Beatles never recorded, but which
Cilla Black had previously done for a British hit single). Interestingly,
John Paul Jones -- who would join
Led Zeppelin shortly afterward, and plays bass as a session musician on the album -- wrote one of the songs, "Hold It," as well as co-writing two others with
Bell. [The 2004 CD reissue on RPM, in addition to including thorough historical liner notes, also adds six bonus tracks from 1968-1969 singles, among them the
Bell-
Springfield composition "Go Ahead On."] ~ Richie Unterberger