by Alex Henderson
William Bell's history illustrates just how singles-oriented soul was in the 1960s. Though he'd enjoyed a hit in 1961 with &You Don't Miss Your Water,& it wasn't until 1967 that Stax finally released his first album, the magnificent The Soul of a Bell. From that classic and Bell's moderate hits &Never Like This Before& and &Everybody Loves A Winner& to heartfelt versions of &Do Right Woman, Do Right Man& and &I've Been Loving You Too Long,& everything on this album (reissued on CD in 1991) illustrates the gospel-drenched richness of Southern soul. Meanwhile, the influence of Motown and the Four Tops is hard to miss on the riveting single &Eloise (Hang On In There),& which should have been a major hit, but surprisingly, never even charted. The 2002 CD reissue adds alternate versions of &You Don't Miss Your Water& and &Any Other Way&.