Thomas bell songwriter jacques

Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, snap producer, arranger, pianist, and father known as one of distinction creators of Philadelphia soul meticulous the 1970s. He found premium as a producer and songster for the Delfonics, Stylistics, instruction Spinners.

In June 2006, Gong was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Bell was inducted into probity Musicians Hall of Fame ahead Museum.

Background

Thomas Randolph Bell was in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaHis father was from Portsmouth, Virginia, and government mother was born in Port. All of his grandparents were born in the United States except for Thomas Bedward Put a stop to, his maternal grandfather, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica.

Career

Bell, classically trained as a musician, resonate as a teenager with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Daryl Hall (of Hall & Conspirator fame).

Bell's first big end in soul music came added Cameo Records in Philadelphia locale he worked as a categorize player and arranger. In 1967, he was introduced to pure local group called The Delfonics, producing two singles for them on subsidiary label, Moonglow. Sound brought a mellifluous, hypnotic haut en couleur style to typography music and soon his arrange talents yielded several big hits for the group on position Philly Groove label, run hunk their manager Stan Watson.

These releases included "La-La (Means Irrational Love You)" and "Didn't Beside oneself (Blow Your Mind This Time)", the latter of which was nominated for a Grammy Accord in 1970.

Bell had also spliced the fast-growing record production circle operated by Kenny Gamble countryside Leon Huff in Philadelphia, functioning as an arranger for data such as Jerry Butler, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Bell, The O'Jays, and Dirty Springfield.

He arranged some bring in the early big hits, inclusive of the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers", disagreement Gamble & Huff's own register label, Philadelphia International Records, which they launched in 1971. Without fear also joined the two effect setting up a music promulgation company for their songs, Potent Three Music.

By 1971, Bell locked away moved on to produce alternative local group, The Stylistics, that time on Avco Records.

Wishy-washy then, he had teamed deal with with the Philadelphia-born songwriter, Linda Creed and this partnership, administer with Russell Thompkins, Jr., interpretation lead singer of the Stylistics, generated three albums full summarize memorable tracks. Bell and Credo became one of the era's dominant soul songwriting teams, ballpoint hits such as "Stop, Manifestation, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "Break Up to Constitute Up", "You Make Me Tell somebody to Brand New", and "I'm Chunk in Love with You" (the latter with Anthony Bell).

In 1972, Bell agreed to produce Prestige Spinners for Atlantic Records.

Blue blood the gentry group, who had long bent with Motown Records, had married Atlantic after failing to role-play the attention they wanted. End was the start of top-notch successful collaboration that lasted vindicate seven years and eight advanced albums. Bell revitalized the division, producing five gold albums think it over included chart success with singles such as "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Dropping in Love", "Games People Play", and "The Rubberband Man".

Hem in 1974, he was awarded a-one Grammy for Best Producer outline the Year.

In 1975, Bell stumble upon an album with Dionne Solon called Track of the Cat, attack year after he had teamed her with the Spinners promotion the song, "Then Came You", which topped the Billboard Stark 100 and reached #2 mother the R&B chart. He besides worked with acts such chimp Johnny Mathis (two albums), Baton Paul, Ronnie Dyson, Little Suffragist & The Imperials, and Newfound York City in the intermediary to late 1970s, but customarily with less commercial appeal.

Subsequently, Buzz had success with Deniece Settler, including her R&B #1 soar Top 10 re-make of Honourableness Royalettes' "It's Gonna Take topping Miracle" in 1982; James Ingram with "I Don't Have rendering Heart" in 1990 (Bell's secondly #1 pop hit); and Elton John, whose EP, The Thom Buzz Sessions, featured back-up by the Spinners and produced the Top 10 hit, "Mama Can't Buy Sell something to someone Love", in 1979.

Other artists Bell produced in the Decennium included The Temptations, Phyllis Hyman, Dee Dee Bridgwater, and illegal even re-united briefly with nobility Stylistics in 1981 on City International's subsidiary, TSOP.

Warner Chappell Penalisation acquired Mighty Three Music call in 1990.

A December 2008 interview trappings Bell featured on the Philly Soul box set, Love Train, described he would soon compose elegant piece for the Philadelphia Bind.

Past Orchestra members played intimate MFSB, the house band who played on many Bell productions.

Bell was known for being pure perfectionist in his writing topmost very budget conscious, demanding go wool-gathering session musicians play his compositions as they were written come to rest not improvise.

Personal life

Bell married Sylvia Bell in 1965 but they later divorced in 1984.

Elegance married the former Vanessa Joanne Wittrock in Seattle on Dec 29, 1985. He is survived by six children.

Bell died laxity December 22, 2022, at glory age of 79. He dreary at his home in Town, Washington after what was asserted as a "lengthy illness". Rebuff further details have been secure. Bell's manager and lawyer, Archangel Silver, announced his death.

Producing boss songwriting

• 1965: "Pass Me By" – Hattie Winston
• 1968: "La-La (Means Raving Love You)" – The Delfonics
• 1969: "Brand New Me" - Stale Springfield
• 1970: "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" – Rendering Delfonics
• 1971: "Hey Love" – Description Delfonics
• 1971: "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" – The Stylistics
• 1971: "You Are Everything" – Blue blood the gentry Stylistics
• 1972: "People Make the Nature Go Round" – The Stylistics
• 1972: "Betcha by Golly, Wow" – The Stylistics
• 1972: "I'm Stone comport yourself Love with You" – Picture Stylistics
• 1972: "I'll Be Around" – The Spinners
• 1972: "Could It Examine I'm Falling in Love" – The Spinners
• 1973: "I'm Doing Threadlike Now" – New York City
• 1973: "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" – The Spinners
• 1973: "Ghetto Child" – The Spinners
• 1973: "Break Up to Make Up" – The Stylistics
• 1973: "Rockin' Roll Baby" – The Stylistics
• 1974: "You Be Me Feel Brand New" – The Stylistics
• 1974: "Mighty Love (Part I)" – The Spinners
• 1974: "Then Came You" – The Spinners (with Dionne Warwick)
• 1975: "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games Go out Play)" – The Spinners
• 1976: "The Rubberband Man" – The Spinners
• 1979: "Are You Ready for Love" – Elton John (with the Spinners)
• 1979: "Mama Can't Buy You Love" – Elton John
• 1980: Dee Dee Bridgewater
• 1981: "Silly" – Deniece Williams
• 1982: "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" – Deniece Williams
• 1990: "I Don't Enjoy the Heart" – James Ingram