Thom Bell

Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell (born January 26, 1943) is a Jamaican-born American songwriter, arranger and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.

Biography

Bell was classically trained as a musician, but as a teenager had sung with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame). Bell's first big break in soul music came with Cameo Records in Philadelphia where he worked as a session player and arranger. In 1967, he was introduced to a local group called The Delfonics, producing two singles for them on subsidiary label, Moonglow. Bell brought a smooth, lush style to soul music and his production talents yielded several big hits for the group on the Philly Groove label, run by their manager Stan Watson. These included "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," the latter nominated for a Grammy Award 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, Archie Bell & The Drells, The O'Jays and Dusty Springfield. He also arranged some of the early big hits, including the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers", on Gamble & Huff's own record label, Philadelphia International, which they launched in 1971. He also joined the two in setting up a music publishing company for their songs, Mighty Three Music.