THOM BELL-DIDN’T I BLOW YOUR MIND? THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA 1969-1983.

dereksmusicblog ♦ June 27, 2024 ♦ Leave a comment

Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983.

Label: Kent.

Format: CD.

During the late-sixties and seventies, Thom Bell was one of the architects of Philly Soul, and worked with everyone from The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Spinners to M.F.S.B., The O’Jays, Three Degrees and New York City. Artists came from far and wide to work with the prodigiously talented arranger, producer, songwriter and musician. This included everyone from Dusty Springfield to Elton John and Nancy Wilson. 

Sometimes, artists whose career had stalled travelled to Philly to work with Bell, in the hope that he could reinvent them or transform their ailing fortunes. That was the case with Johnny Mathis and The Spinners who were two of Thom Bell’s biggest success stories. 

He produced seven albums in eight years for The Spinners during the seventies, and five of these were certified gold. Bell was the man with Midas touch.

He wrote, arranged and produced some of the finest and most memorable examples of Philly Soul. These are timeless tracks which showcase his trademark sound which includes a French horn, lush strings. Other times he would deploy what were unusual instruments for a soul song including a harpsichord or sitar. However, Bell was an innovator whose imagination knew no bounds. 

Proof of that is a new compilation that was released by Kent, Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983. It features many of the great and good of Philly Soul, the music Thom Bell has dedicated three decades of his life to.

Bell was born in Jamaica on January the ’26th’ 1943, and his family moved to Philadelphia when he was a child. He grew up in a middle class household, and unlike many of his friends there was no radio he could listen to R&B on. There was no time for that.

Just like his siblings, Bell was classically trained musician. By the time he was nine, he could play piano, drums and flugelhorn. He remembers: “From when I was five ’til I was 17, I studied two or three hours a day.” This would eventually pay off and he would enjoy a successful musical career.

Before that, Bell heard one of the songs that would influence him: “First thing I heard on the radio was Little Anthony & the Imperials’ ‘Tears On My Pillow’. I thought, What kind of music is this? This is nice music!”

Bell became the singer in a new duo. His partner was none other than Kenny Gamble. He would later form a successful partnership with Leon Huff. That was all in the future, and 

A year later the duo expanded to a five-piece, Kenny Gamble and The Romeos, and started to pick up work as session musicians at Philadelphia’s hot Cameo and Parkway labels. This allowed Bell to hone his skills that he would put to good use in the not so distant future.

When Bell left Kenny Gamble and The Romeos, he was replaced by Leon Huff, the future third member of The Mighty Three. However, he continued to work at Cameo-Parkway and just like Gamble and Huff, was given the freedom when he recorded singles for Eddie Holman, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp. However, Bell’s time at Cameo-Parkway came to an end in 1967 when the label folded. It was the end of an era.

Of all the artists and groups signed to Cameo-Parkway, Bell saw potential in The Delfonics who he took to Philly Groove Records. He worked on the four albums the group released on the label. The Delfonics also open Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983.

Bell and William Hart, the lead singer of The Delfonics cowrote ‘Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).’ Bell arranged the track which he produced with Stan Harris. When released as a single in 1970, this heartachingly beautiful  Philly Soul ballad reached number forty in the US Billboard 100 and eight in the US R&B charts. The song which is now a Philly Soul classic, opens the group’s third album ‘The Delfonics,’ which was their most successful, reaching sixty-one on the US Billboard 200 and four in the US R&B charts.

Bell reinvented The Spinners and rejuvenated their ailing careers. After the group signed to Atlantic Records, it was a like a phoenix rising from the ashes. In 1976, they released ‘Rubberband Man,’ which was written by Bell and Linda Creed. She was later described as a poet, and wrote the lyrics to many of Bell’s best known songs. ‘Rubberband Man,’ which is an uptempo track where hooks haven’t been spared. The album version is a seven minute epic. However, an edit was released as a single, reaching number two in the US Billboard 100 and topping the US R&B charts. Sadly, it was the group’s final US R&B number one. The song featured on the album ‘Happiness Is Being with the Spinners,’ which was released in July 1976, reaching number twenty-five on the US Billboard 200 and five in the US R&B charts. This resulted in the album being certified gold. For The Spinners it was their fourth and final gold disc.

Another Bell and Creed composition is ‘You Are Everything,’ which was released by The Stylistics in 1971. This future Philly Soul classic reached number nine on the US Billboard 100 and ten in the US R&B charts, and was certified gold. This beautiful, heartfelt ballad full of emotion and neediness  featured on the group’s debut self-titled album. When it was released in 1971, it reached number twenty-three on the US Billboard 200 and this in the US R&B charts. This gave the group the first of four gold discs in America.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin had been a hugely successful songwriting team. However, in 1976, they decided to split. The final project they worked on was with Bell. Despite John being a huge fan of Philly Soul, the recordings took place in Washington. Joining the English singer-songwriter were The Spinners and The Sweethearts Of Sigma who added backing vocals. MFSB provided the strings and horns. They were joined by other members of MFSB including Bobby “Electronic” Eli, Charles Collins and Larry Washington. One of the songs recorded during the session was the sensuous and soulful sounding ‘Nice and Slow.’ Sadly, the relationship between Bell and John broke down, and ‘The Complete Thom Bell Sessions’ wasn’t released until 1989. 

New York City’s best know track is the much-sampled, million selling single ‘I’m Doin’ Fine Now.’ It was released in 1973, and lent its name to the group’s debut album, which was arranged and produced by Bell. He returned to arrange and produce their sophomore album Soulful Road, which featured ‘Take My Hand.’ This ballad is a mixture of emotion and intensity and showcases a talented band. Sadly, the album wasn’t as successful when it was released in 1975, stalling at number fifty in the US R&B charts. Not long after this two members of the group left. Niles Rodgers and Bernard Edwards went on to form Chic.

When Deniece Williams recorded her fourth solo album ‘My Melody,’ Bell was chosen to coproduce it with her. When the album was released in 1981, it reached number seventy-four in the US Billboard 200 and thirteen in the US R&B charts. The album was certified gold in the US. When ‘Silly’ was released as a single, it reached fifty-three on the US Billboard 100 and eleven in the US R&B charts. This was slightly disappointing given the quality of Williams’ stunning vocal and Bell’s arrangement which featured lush strings and woodwinds which added texture and referenced another musical legend, Burt Bacharach.

In 1974, The Spinners released their third album for Atlantic Records, ‘New and Improved.’ It was produced by Bell and reached number nine on the US Billboard 200 and was their third consecutive album to top the US R&B charts, and be certified gold. That’s no surprise give the quality of music. This includes ‘Then Came You,’  a collaboration with Dionne Warwick. She duetted with lead singer Bobby Smith before Phillippe Wynne takes over lead duties towards the end of the song. Along with MFSB at the peak of their powers, they’re responsible for an irresistibly-catchy slice of dancefloor friendly soul. It topped the US Billboard 100, reached number two on the US R&B charts and this timeless track was certified gold.

After six successful years singed to Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, Lou Rawls signed to Epic. His first album for his new label was ‘Now Is the Time.’ It featured the bedroom ballad ‘Kiss Me One More Time’ which Bell cowrote with Deniece Williams. Like the rest of the album is was arranged, conducted and produced by Bell. He provided the perfect backdrop for a seductive and sensuous vocal from Rawls. Sadly, the single failed commercially and is one of the hidden gem in the late, great, singer’s back-catalogue.

The second song by The Stylistics on the compilation is Betcha By Golly, Wow. It’s another Bell and Creed composition, and was released as a single in February 1972, reaching number three on the US Billboard 100 and two in the US R&B charts. This resulted in another gold disc for the group. This beautiful heart-wrenching ballad that features a soul-baring vocal as another track from the group’s self-titled album and is a soul classic.

In 1969,  Epic decided that they wanted lounge jazz legend Nancy Wilson to change direction. The label wanted her to move towards R&B. To do this, they hired Gamble and Huff who brought onboard Bell, Bobby Martin and Lenny Pakula as well as Norman Harris and Alan Felder. Ten tracks were recorded. They were a mixture of vocal jazz and Philly Soul. This included Joe, penned by Felder, Huff and Harris. Wilson breathes life, meaning and emotion into this tale of heartbreak and hurt. It’s without doubt one of the highlights of the album which stalled at fifty-four on the US Billboard 200 and forty one on the US R&B charts. ‘Now I’m a Woman’ is an oft-overlooked from Wilson’s extensive back-catalogue, and ‘Joe’ is a tantalising taste.

‘Brandy’ by The O’Jays closes Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983. This beautiful Philly Soul ballad was arranged and produced by Bell, and featured on their 1978 album ‘So Full of Love.’ It was released on Philadelphia International Records and features MFSB.  The album reached number six on the US Billboard 200, topped the US R&B charts and was certified platinum. However, when ‘Brandy’ was released as a single it stalled at seventy-nine on the US Billboard 100 and twenty-one in the US R&B charts. It’s the one that got away for The Stylistics, and is a reminder of Thom Bell, one of the architects of Philly Soul at the peak of his considerable powers.

Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983 features twenty songs from familiar faces, old friends and new names. There’s Philly Soul classics and album tracks on a compilation which is a reminder of Bell’s skills as an arranger, conductor, musician, producer and songwriter. 

He was, without doubt one of the architects of Philly Soul. and his arrangements and productions are instantly recognisable. His arrangements and productions for The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Spinners resulted in countless Philly Soul classics and are truly timeless. 

However, as this new compilation shows, there’s more to the late, great, Thom Bell than his work with these three groups. He was hugely in demand between the late sixties and early eighties, the period the compilation covers. His arrangements and productions featured on a whole host of commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums. Many were certified silver, gold and platinum and are now Philly Soul classics.

Sadly, after a lengthy illness Thom Bell passed away on December 22, 2022, aged seventy-nine, in Bellingham, Washington. Philly Soul had lost one its architects. 

He was known as a perfectionist, who was also demanding of the musicians he worked with. Bell who was a hugely talented, was a modest man, respected by those he worked with and always in demand by labels and artists. Despite this, he seemed to live in the shadow of Gamble and Huff. That’s grossly unfair.

The songs Bell wrote with his songwriting partner Linda Creed have stood the test of time, and sound as good as the day they were released. Numerous are now regarded as Philly Soul classics.

Many of Bell’s other compositions as well as his arrangements and productions have a timeless sound. They showcase a truly talented man who was one of the architects of Philly Soul. Proof of that are the twenty tracks on Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983, which are a reminder of one of the greatest songwriters, arrangers and producers in the history of Philly Soul.

Thom Bell-Didn’t I Blow Your Mind? The Sound Of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983.