Discography and Biography of William Bell. Listen to all their hits.
William Bell Songs

(with biography below if available)

William Bell (born William Yarborough, July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is probably best known for 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water" (his debut single); 1968's "Private Number" (a duet with Judy Clay, and a top 10 hit in the UK); and 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", Bell's only US top 40 hit, which also hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King". As a songwriter, Bell co-authored the Chuck Jackson hit "Any Other Way" (itself a cover, since Bell issued it first, as a follow-up to "You Don't Miss Your Water"), Billy Idol's 1986 hit "To Be a Lover" (originally a hit for Bell under its original title "I Forgot to Be Your Lover"), and the blues classic "Born Under A Bad Sign", popularized by both Albert King and Cream. Although he was a long-time recording artist for Stax Records, he is unrelated to the label's one-time president, Al Bell.

Below is a list of William Bell songs, sorted by the most popular first. Place mouse on to see information about song. Click song title to play song and to read details about the song including lyrics (if available). Click year to list all songs from that year. Click label to list songs from that record label. Songs with chart position "---" either never made it into the US top 100 R&B or UK charts or we have no details of their highest chart positions if they did.

(Song are sorted in highest US R&B Top 100 and/or UK Top 100 chart position order)


showing 1-78 of 78 records
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artist discography/bio
read song lyrics, etc.
year
record label
1 record label: Mercury 73839
chart position: RandB #1, US #10
written by: Paul Mitchell & William Bell
album: Coming Back for More
William Bell Tryin' to Love Two
1976 Mercury
2 record label: Stax 0015
chart position: RandB #10, US #45
written by: Booker T. Jones and William Bell
album: Bound to Happen
William Bell I Forgot to Be Your Lover
1968 Stax
3 record label: Stax 248
chart position: RandB #16, US #86, UK #31
written by: William Bell and Booker T. Jones
album: Atlantic Soul Classics
William Bell A Tribute to a King
1968 Stax
4 record label: Stax 212
chart position: RandB #18, US #95
written by: Booker T. Jones and William Bell
album: The Soul of a Bell
William Bell Everybody Loves a Winner
1967 Stax
5 record label: Stax 0157
chart position: RandB #22, US #101
written by: Homer Banks, Joe Shamwell and William Bell
album: Relating
William Bell Lovin' on Borrowed Time
1973 Stax
6 record label: WRC 204
chart position: RandB #65, UK #70
written by: William Bell and Albert Burroughs
album: Passion
William Bell Headline News
1986 WRC
7 record label: Stax 191
chart position: RandB #27
written by: Steve Cropper, David Porter and William Bell
comments: [deep soul ballad]
William Bell Share What You Got
1966 Stax
8 record label: Stax 199
chart position: RandB #29
written by: Booker T. Jones, David Porter and Isaac Hayes
album: The Soul of a Bell
William Bell Never Like This Before
1966 Stax
9 record label: Mercury 73961
chart position: RandB #30
written by: Paul Mitchell and William Bell
album: It's Time You Took Another Listen
William Bell Easy Comin' Out (Hard Goin' In)
1977 Mercury
10 record label: Stax 116
chart position: US #95
written by: William Bell
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [southern soul ballad]
William Bell You Don't Miss Your Water
1962 Stax
11 record label: WRC 3001
chart position: UK #96
written by: William Bell and Albert Burroughs
album: Passion
William Bell Passion
1986 WRC
12 record label: Stax 237
chart position: RandB #33
written by: William Bell and Booker T. Jones
William Bell Everyday Will Be a Holiday
1968 Stax
13 record label: Stax 248
chart position: US #115
written by: William Bell, Al Bell (as Alvertis Isbell) and Booker T. Jones
William Bell Every Man Oughta Have a Woman
1968 Stax
14 record label: Stax 0198
chart position: RandB #39
written by: Emmett Gordan, James McDuffie, Rollie Hanson and William Bell
album: Relating
William Bell Gettin' What You Want (Losin' What You Got)
1974 Stax
15 record label: Stax 0032
chart position: RandB #39
written by: Booker T. Jones and William Bell
album: Bound to Happen
William Bell My Whole World Is Falling Down
1969 Stax
16 record label: Stax 128
chart position: US #129
written by: Booker T. Jones and William Bell
William Bell Happy
1969 Stax
17 record label: Stax 128
chart position: US #131
written by: William Bell
album: The Soul of a Bell
William Bell Any Other Way
1962 Stax
18 record label: Stax 0175
chart position: RandB #54
written by: Larry McIntosh and Al Jackson
album: Relating
William Bell I've Got to Go On Without You
1973 Stax
19 record label: Stax 0175
chart position: RandB #54
written by: Horace Shipp, Jr., James McDuffie, William Bell
album: Relating
William Bell You've Got The Kind Of Love I Need
1973 Stax
20 record label: Stax 0070
chart position: Cashbox R&B #159
written by: Calvin Carter
William Bell Lonely Soldier
1970 Stax
21 record label: Kat Family 03502
chart position: RandB #65
written by: Michael Stewart, Nat George and William Bell
album: Survivor
comments: [ballad]
William Bell Bad Time to Break Up
1983 Kat Family
22 record label: Mercury 73922
chart position: RandB #66
written by: Paul Mitchell and William Bell
album: Coming Back for More
William Bell Coming Back for More
1977 Mercury
-- record label: Stax 0198
written by: James McDuffie
album: Relating
William Bell All I Need Is Your Love
1974 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0221
written by: William Bell, James McDuffie
album: Relating
William Bell Nobody Walks Away From Love Unhurt
1974 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0221
written by: Harold Beane, James McDuffie, William Bell
album: Duets
William Bell Get It While It's Hot
1974 Stax
-- record label: Stax 5502
written by: Mack Rice
album: Relating
comments: [southern soul album cut]
William Bell Nobody But You
1973 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0157
written by: William Bell, Horace Shipp, Jr.
album: Phases of Reality
William Bell The Man in the Street
1972 Stax
-- record label: Wilbe 86 204
written by: William Bell, Mike Stewart
album: Passion
William Bell Let Him Pay The Band
1986 Wilbe
-- record label: Stax 5502
written by: James McDuffie, William Bell
album: Relating
comments: [southern soul ballad album cut]
William Bell Drinkin' And Thinkin'
1973 Stax
-- record label: Stax 5502
written by: James McDuffie, Rollie Hanson, William Bell
album: Relating
comments: [southern soul ballad album cut]
William Bell You Don't Want A Man
1973 Stax
-- record label: Stax
album: This Is Where I Live
comments: [southern soul ballad album cut]
William Bell The Three Of Me
2016 Stax
-- record label: Mercury 73961
written by: William Bell, Paul Mitchell
album: It's Time You Took Another Listen
William Bell Your Love Keeps Me Going
1977 Mercury
-- record label: Mercury 73922
written by: W. Bell, P. Mitchell
album: Coming Back for More
William Bell I Absotively, Posolutely Love You
1977 Mercury
-- record label: Wilbe 89 508
written by: William Bell, Michael Stewart
album: On The Roll
comments: [southern soul ballad]
William Bell Getting Out Of Your Bed
1989 Wilbe
-- record label: Kat Family 3995
written by: W. Bell, M.A. Stewart, N. George
album: Survivor
William Bell Playing Hard To Get
1983 Kat Family
-- record label: Wilbe 85 201
written by: William Bell, Albert Burroughs
album: Passion
William Bell That's What You Get
1985 Wilbe
-- record label: Kat Family 3995
written by: W. Bell, M.A. Stewart
album: Survivor
William Bell The Truth In Your Eyes
1983 Kat Family
-- record label: Mercury 11146
written by: James McDuffie, Paul Mitchell, William Bell
album: Coming Back For More
comments: [album cut]
William Bell Relax
1977 Mercury
-- record label: Stax 0128
written by: George Soule, Terry Woodford
album: Phases of Reality
William Bell If You Really Love Him
1972 Stax
-- record label: Wilbe 92 619
written by: William Bell, Reginald Jones
album: Bedtime Stories
comments: [beat ballad]
William Bell Bedtime Story
1992 Wilbe
-- record label: Wilbe 89 508
written by: William Bell, Michael Stewart
album: On The Roll
William Bell Short Circuit
1989 Wilbe
-- record label: Wilbe 85 201
written by: William Bell, Joe Shamwell, Homer Banks
album: Passion
comments: re recording
William Bell Lovin' On Borrowed Time
1985 Wilbe
-- record label: Wilbe 90 515
written by: William Bell
album: On The Roll
comments: [southern soul ballad]
William Bell I Need Your Love So Bad
1989 Wilbe
-- record label: Stax 2042 (UK)
written by: James McDuffie, William Bell
album: Relating
comments: [ballad]
William Bell Such A Fever
1976 Stax
-- record label: Mercury 73839
written by: W. Bell, P. Mitchell
album: Coming Back for More
William Bell If Sex Was All We Had
1976 Mercury
-- record label: Stax 0106
album: Wow
William Bell All For The Love Of A Woman
1971 Stax
-- record label: Stax 191
written by: Cropper, Jones
William Bell Marching Off To War
1966 Stax
-- record label: Stax 199
written by: Cropper, Bell
William Bell Soldiers Good-Bye
1966 Stax
-- record label: Stax 146
written by: Thomas, Cropper, Bell
William Bell Who Will It Be Tomorrow
1964 Stax
-- record label: Stax 212
written by: Jones, Bell, Shamwell
album: The Soul of a Bell
William Bell You're Such A Sweet Thang
1966 Stax
-- record label: Stax 227
written by: Hayes, Porter
William Bell One Plus One
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 719
written by: Jerry Butler, Otis Redding
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [southern soul ballad album cut]
William Bell I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 719
written by: Chips Moman, Dan Penn
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [ballad album cut]
William Bell Do Right Woman--Do Right Man
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 174
written by: Cropper, James
comments: [deep soul]
William Bell Crying All By Myself
1964 Stax
-- record label: Stax 174
written by: Cropper, Bell
comments: [northern soul]
William Bell Don't Stop Now
1964 Stax
-- record label: Stax 141
written by: Bell, Jones
comments: [deep soul]
William Bell I'll Show You
1963 Stax
-- record label: Stax 128
written by: Robertson, Blair
William Bell Please Help Me I'm Falling
1962 Stax
-- record label: Stax 141
written by: Bell
William Bell Monkeying Around
1963 Stax
-- record label: Stax 135
written by: Bell, Cropper, Parker
William Bell Just As I Thought
1963 Stax
-- record label: Stax 138
written by: Jones, Moman
William Bell Somebody Mentioned Your Name
1963 Stax
-- record label: Stax 135
written by: Bell, Cropper
William Bell I'm Waiting On You
1963 Stax
-- record label: Stax 719
written by: Toussaint L. McCall
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [southern soul ballad album cut]
William Bell Nothing Takes The Place Of You
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 719
written by: John Loudermilk
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [ballad album cut]
William Bell Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0092
album: Wow...
William Bell A Penny For Your Thoughts
1971 Stax
-- record label: Stax 116
written by: Bell
William Bell Formula Of Love
1961 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0092
written by: E. Floyd, A. Isbell
album: Wow...
William Bell 'Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone
1971 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0106
written by: Eddie Floyd
album: Wow...
William Bell I'll Be Home
1971 Stax
-- record label: Stax 2025123 (UK)
written by: William Bell
album: Phases Of Reality
William Bell Lonely For Your Love
1972 Stax
-- record label: Stax 2025 025 (UK)
written by: Al Bell, Booker T. Jones, Eddie Floyd
album: Wow...
William Bell Winding, Winding Road
1971 Stax
-- record label: Stax 128 (UK)
written by: B.T. Jones
album: Bound To Happen
William Bell Johnny, I Love You
1969 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0054
written by: B.T. Jones
album: Bound to Happen
William Bell A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)
1969 Stax
-- record label: Stax 719
written by: Isaac Hayes, Joe Shamwell
album: The Soul of a Bell
comments: [album cut]
William Bell It's Happening All Over
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 227
written by: Booker T. Jones, William Bell
album: The Soul of a Bell
William Bell Eloise (Hang On In There)
1967 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0015
written by: W. Bell, B. Jones
album: Bound to Happen
William Bell Bring The Curtain Down
1968 Stax
-- record label: Stax 143 (UK)
written by: B.T. Jones, W. Bell
album: Bound To Happen
William Bell Born Under A Bad Sign
1969 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0032
written by: B. Jones, W. Bell
album: Bound To Happen
William Bell All God's Children Got Soul
1969 Stax
-- record label: Stax 0038
written by: B. Jones, W. Bell
William Bell My Kind of Girl
1969 Stax
-- record label: Stax 2025123
written by: Horace Shipp, Jr., William Bell
album: Phases Of Reality
William Bell Save Us
1972 Stax




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