Thomas Randolph Bell (January 27th, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist, and composer known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He found success as a producer and songwriter for the Delfonics,

Stylistics Stylistics, a branch of applied linguistics, is the study and interpretation of texts of all types and/or spoken language in regard to their linguistic and tonal style, where style is the particular variety of language used by different individu ...

, and Spinners. In June 2006, Bell was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Bell was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

Background

Thomas Randolph Bell was born in Jamaica and brought over by his Jamaican parents at the age of four based on his interview with Terry Gross.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

His father was from amaica, and his mother was born in Jamaica. His grandparents were born in Jamaica and so too Thomas Bedward Burke, his maternal grandfather, who was born in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

.His father was a botanist.His mother a secretary. He grew up poor in the large family.

Career

Bell, classically trained as a musician, sang as a teenager with

Kenny Gamble Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...

Leon Huff Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...

, and

Daryl Hall Daryl Franklin Hohl (born October 11, 1946), known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock, R&B and soul singer and musician, best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Daryl Hall and John Oates (with guitarist and ...

(of

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

fame). Bell's first big break in soul music came with

Cameo Records Cameo Records was an American record label that flourished in the 1920s. It was owned by the Cameo Record Corporation in New York City. Cameo released a disc by Lucille Hegamin every two months from 1921 to 1926. Cameo records are also noted ...

in Philadelphia where he worked as a session player and arranger. In 1967, he was introduced to a local group called

The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La (Means I Love You)", "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This ...

, producing two singles for them on subsidiary label, Moonglow. Bell brought a mellifluous, hypnotic haut en couleur style to soul music and soon his production talents yielded several big

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...

for the group on the Philly Groove label, run by their manager Stan Watson. These releases included "

La-La (Means I Love You) "La-La (Means I Love You)" is an R&B/soul song by American vocal group The Delfonics. Released on January 26, 1968, by Philly Groove Records, the song was written by Thom Bell and William Hart, and produced by Bell and Stan Watson. Background Th ...

" and "

Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" is a song co-written by record producer Thom Bell and William Hart, lead singer of the American R&B/Soul vocal group the Delfonics. It was released by the group in 1969 on the Philly Groove record label and ...

", the latter of which was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

in 1970. Bell had also joined the fast-growing record production company operated by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in Philadelphia, working as an arranger for acts such as

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ...

Archie Bell & The Drells Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include " Tighten Up", "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 19 ...

Jerry Bell Jerry Bell may refer to: *Jerry Bell (American football) (born 1959), American football player *Jerry Bell (pitcher) (born 1947), American baseball player *Jerry Bell (baseball executive) (born 1937), American baseball executive See also *Jeremy ...

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor h ...

, and

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dra ...

. He arranged some of the early big hits, including the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers", on Gamble & Huff's own record label,

Philadelphia International Records Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. I ...

, which they launched in 1971. He also joined the two in setting up a music publishing company for their songs, Mighty Three Music. By 1971, Bell had moved on to produce another local group,

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All ...

, this time on

Avco Records Avco Records was a record label started by music producers/composers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore together with film and TV producer Joseph E. Levine in 1968 as Avco Embassy Records. History Hugo and Luigi had previously worked togethe ...

. By then, he had teamed up with the Philadelphia-born

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

Linda Creed Linda Diane Creed (December 6, 1948 – April 10, 1986), also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with Thom Bell to produce some of the most successful Philadelphia soul groups of the 19 ...

and this partnership, along with Russell Thompkins, Jr., the lead singer of the Stylistics, generated three albums full of memorable tracks. Bell and Creed became one of the era's dominant soul songwriting teams, penning hits such as " Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "

You Are Everything "You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed and originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. The Stylistics version An R&B ballad, it was the sixth track from their 1971 debut self-titled albu ...

", " Betcha by Golly, Wow", "

Break Up to Make Up "Break Up to Make Up" was a 1973 hit by the Philadelphia soul group the Stylistics. The song was written by Thom Bell, Linda Creed, and Kenneth Gamble. An R&B ballad, it was the seventh track from their 1972 album ''Round 2'' and was released as ...

", "

You Make Me Feel Brand New "You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. Background Stylistics tenor Airrion Love starts out the song and then alternates with ...

", and "

I'm Stone in Love with You "I'm Stone in Love with You" is a 1972 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. The song is noted for lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr.'s distinctive falsetto singing, which he employs through most of the record. The song was written ...

" (the latter with Anthony Bell). In 1972, Bell agreed to produce The Spinners for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

. The group, who had long been with

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

, had joined Atlantic after failing to get the attention they wanted. It was the start of a successful collaboration that lasted for seven years and eight original albums. Bell revitalized the group, producing five gold albums that included chart success with singles such as " I'll Be Around", "

Could It Be I'm Falling in Love "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" is a 1972 song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). It was co-written by Melvin and Mervin Steals, two songwriter brothers working for Atlantic, who were ...

", " Games People Play", and "

The Rubberband Man "The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by the American vocal group the Spinners. The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. In ...

". In 1974, he was awarded a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Producer of the Year. In 1975, Bell produced an album with

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...

called ''Track of the Cat'', one year after he had teamed her with the Spinners on the song, "Then Came You", which topped the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and reached #2 on the R&B chart. He also worked with acts such as

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

(two albums),

Billy Paul Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single '' War of the Go ...

, Ronnie Dyson,

Little Anthony & The Imperials Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul vocal group from New York City founded by Clarence Collins in the 1950s and named in part for its lead singer, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his h ...

, and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in the mid to late 1970s, but generally with less commercial appeal. Subsequently, Bell had success with

Deniece Williams Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1951) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs "Free", "Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two ''Billb ...

, including her R&B #1 and Top 10 re-make of

The Royalettes The Royalettes (also credited as Sheila Ross and her Royalettes) were a four-girl group from Baltimore, Maryland who exemplified the "sweet soul" style of the mid-60s. They were originally signed with Philadelphia-based Chancellor Records and lat ...

' "

It's Gonna Take a Miracle "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and Lou Stallman. It was first an R&B hit in 1965 for The Royalettes, which reached the Top 30 on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard' ...

" in 1982;

James Ingram James Edward Ingram (February 16, 1952 – January 29, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career i ...

with "

I Don't Have the Heart "I Don't Have the Heart" is a song written by Allan Rich and and recorded by American R&B recording artist James Ingram. It is Ingram's only number-one single as a solo artist on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and his second number-one single ov ...

" in 1990 (Bell's second #1 pop hit); and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, whose EP, ''

The Thom Bell Sessions ''The Thom Bell Sessions'' (internationally titled as ''The Thom Bell Sessions '77'') is an EP recorded by Elton John in the second half of 1977, but was not released by MCA Records until June 1979. The project was a departure for John, and hi ...

,'' featured back-up by the Spinners and produced the Top 10 hit, "Mama Can't Buy You Love", in 1979. Other artists Bell produced in the 1980s included

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman is best known for her music during the late 1970s through the early 1990s, some of her most notable songs were "You Know How to Love Me" ...

, Dee Dee Bridgwater, and he even re-united briefly with the Stylistics in 1981 on Philadelphia International's subsidiary, TSOP.

Warner Chappell Music Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. Warner Chappell Music's catalogue consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 65,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries. ...

acquired Mighty Three Music in 1990. A December 2008 interview with Bell featured on the Philly Soul

box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

, ''Love Train'', stated he would soon compose a piece for the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...

. Past Orchestra members played in

MFSB MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom B ...

, the

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

who played on many Bell productions. Bell was known for being a perfectionist in his writing and very budget conscious, demanding that session musicians play his compositions as they were written and not improvise.

Personal life

Bell married Sylvia Bell in 1965 but they later divorced in 1984. He married the former Vanessa Joanne Wittrock in Seattle on December 29, 1985. He is survived by six children. Bell died on December 22, 2022, at the age of 79. He died at his home in

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the most populous city in, and county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies south of the U.S.–Canada border in between two major cities of the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, British Columbia (lo ...

after what was described as a "lengthy illness". No further details have been given. Bell's manager and lawyer, Michael Silver, announced his death.

Producing and songwriting

* 1965: "Pass Me By" –

Hattie Winston Hattie Mae Winston (born March 3, 1945) is an American film, television and Broadway actress and voice artist. She is known for her roles as Margaret Wyborn on '' Becker'', Lucy Carmichael in ''Rugrats'', ''The Rugrats Movie'', and the spin off s ...

* 1968: "

" –

* 1969: " Brand New Me" -

* 1970: "

" – The Delfonics * 1971: "Hey Love" – The Delfonics * 1971: " Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" –

* 1971: "

" – The Stylistics * 1972: " People Make the World Go Round" – The Stylistics * 1972: " Betcha by Golly, Wow" – The Stylistics * 1972: "

" – The Stylistics * 1972: " I'll Be Around" – The Spinners * 1972: "

" – The Spinners * 1973: "

I'm Doing Fine Now "I'm Doin' Fine Now" is a song by American R&B group New York City. Released in 1973, the song reached number 17 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States ...

" – New York City * 1973: "

One of a Kind (Love Affair) "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). It was written by Joseph B. Jefferson and produced by Thom Bell. The Spinners recorded the song at Philly's ...

" – The Spinners * 1973: " Ghetto Child" – The Spinners * 1973: "

" – The Stylistics * 1973: "

Rockin' Roll Baby ''Rockin' Roll Baby'' is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in November 1973 on the Avco label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studio North in Philadelphia. This was the gro ...

" – The Stylistics * 1974: "

" – The Stylistics * 1974: " Mighty Love (Part I)" – The Spinners * 1974: " Then Came You" – The Spinners ''(with

)'' * 1975: " They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)" – The Spinners * 1976: "

" – The Spinners * 1979: "

Are You Ready for Love "Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by English musician Elton John in 1977 and first released in the UK in 1979 as the first single from the EP '' The Thom Bell Sessions''. It was written by Leroy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, an ...

" –

''(with the Spinners)'' * 1979: " Mama Can't Buy You Love" – Elton John * 1980: ''

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

'' * 1981: "

Silly Silly may refer to: Places * Silly, Belgium, a town * Silly Department, a department or commune of Sissili Province in southern Burkina Faso Music * Silly (band), an East German rock group from the 1970s * The Sillies, an American punk rock ...

" –

* 1982: "

" – Deniece Williams * 1990: "

" –

References

External links

Exclusive Thom Bell Interview published January 2012

2006 Interview with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air"

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Thom 1943 births 2022 deaths American musicians of Jamaican descent Grammy Award winners Record producers from Pennsylvania American music arrangers American male organists 20th-century American keyboardists Musicians from Philadelphia Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century organists 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American male singer-songwriters MFSB members American organists