Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell

The Bee Gees Too Much Heaven
The Bee Gees Too Much Heaven
June 10, 2018
The Stylistics Break Up to Make Up
The Stylistics’ Break Up to Make Up
June 13, 2018

Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell

Anita Ward Ring My Bell

Disco Music

Whether he rings her chimes or rings her bell, we suspect that the lady wants an encounter of  the intimate kind. No obscure hidden meanings here. The song was written by singer/songwriter Frederick Knight, and he also produced the record. It was written originally as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the phone for 11-year-old Stacy Lattisaw. However, Lattisaw signed with a different label, and Knight asked Anita Ward to sing it. Although the lyrics are clean, with a lovely grown woman singing them, they became sexually suggestive. And this did not cause any issues in the 1970s. Ward is a gospel and R&B singer. She did not really like the song, the story goes. It became her biggest hit.

And what an international hit it was! In 1979, “Ring My Bell,” went to #1 in the U.S. — Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Disco Singles, and Hot Soul Singles, as well as #1 in Cash Box and Record World. It went to #1 in Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, Norway,  and Spain. It was in the Top 10 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, and South Africa.

The song is one of the first big hits to feature a synthesized drum (that is, the Synare electronic drum) that was then used on many other disco records. To produce the song’s innovative sounds, it required three studios, four engineers, two remixers, a midnight mix by Richie Rivera, as well as Knight, who also sang backup vocals.

A bit of trivia about the song is that rapper and singer Snoop Dogg says that this was the first record he ever bought.

Here are the lyrics to “Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward:

 

I’m glad you’re home
Now did you really miss me?
I guess you did by the look in your eye
(Look in your eye, look in your eye)
Well, lay back and relax
While I put away the dishes (put away the dishes)
Then you and me can rock a bell

You can ring my bell, ring my bell
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
You can ring my bell, ring my bell

The night is young
And full of possibilities
Well, come on and let yourself be free
My love for you (love for you, love for you)
So long I’ve been savin’
Tonight was made for me and you

You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ding-dong-ding)
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ring-a-ling-a-ling)
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ding-dong-ding)
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell . ring-a-ling-a-ring)

You can ring my bell
You can ring my bell
(Ding, dong, ding, ah-ah, ring it)
You can ring my bell, anytime, anywhere
(Ring it, ring it, ring it, ring it, ow)

You can ring my bell, you can ring my bell
(Ding, dong, ding, ah-ah, ring it)
You can ring my bell, anytime, anywhere
(Ring it, ring it, ring it, ring it, ow)

Bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ding-dong-ding)
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ring-a-ling-a-ling)
You can ring my bell, ring my bell
(My bell. Ring my bell, ring-a-ling-a-ling)
You can ring my bell, you can ring my bell
Ding dong ding ahhha ring it
You can ring my bell anytime anywhere
Ring it ring it ring it ring it Ahhhh
[repeats of various lines and you get the basic idea]

For More 70s Tunes

The System has daily featured music from all sorts of genres of 1970s music. You’re welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections in The System. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed “Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *