William Bell (born July 16, 1939) – Save Us (1972)

This powerful, socially conscious anthem was co-written by the unsung Stax singer/songwriter best known for co-writing "Born Under A Bad Sign."

Jul 17, 2024

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William Bell is a singer/songwriter who recorded for Stax Records in the 1960s and is best known for his 1961 debut B-side “You Don't Miss Your Water” and writing the blues classic “Born Under A Bad Sign,” first recorded by Albert King in 1967 before being covered by Cream.

Born in Memphis, William Yarborough began singing in church and was influenced by Sam Cooke’s early gospel group the Soul Stirrers. He was hired by Stax Records in the early sixties, initially as a songwriter, but soon became a recording artist himself.

His debut single “Formula of Love” came out on the label in 1961, b/w a laid back song Bell wrote titled “You Don't Miss Your Water.” It was later covered by Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, the Byrds, the Wailers, and Brian Eno, among others.

In 1969, he and Booker T. Jones co-wrote the superb jam “All God's Children Got Soul,” which was produced by Jones, and issued as the B-side to “My Whole World Is Falling Down.”

For his 1972 album Phases Of Reality, Bell wrote or co-wrote most of its songs. They included its stellar title track, and the powerful, socially conscious anthem “Save Us,” which he co-wrote with Horace Shipp, Jr.