12/5/2023 0 Comments Thomas bell master debater![]() In 1967, Bell was introduced to a local harmony group formed by brothers Wilbert Hart and William “Poogie” Hart: the Delfonics. “I said yes, not knowing anything about being a musical conductor,” he said. ![]() “I mean, that’s what he told me.”Īlong with doing lead sheets for copyrights and penning songs for Cameo-Parkway Records in the early 1960s, Bell went on the road with fellow Philadelphian Chubby Checker, serving as pianist and musical conductor for the man who brought “The Twist” to the world. “Kenny used to come to my house on Parrish Street in West Philadelphia so that my sister could help him with his homework,” said Bell. Instead, he met up with Kenny Gamble and formed a doo-wop vocal group, Kenny and the Romeos, in 1959. Invariably, when other producers and musicians would say that my sounds were odd for R&B, I would just tell them, ‘I don’t do R&B - I do music.’”īorn Januin Kingston, Jamaica, Bell moved to Philadelphia with his family when he was a child. He began studying classical music in his teens with the goal of becoming a conductor. Maybe you call that an obsession, I don’t know. Once I got a sound in my mind, it would grow and grow, and it would stick with me through the writing process, rehearsal and into the studio. It was all organic on my part - just what I happened to hear. “I didn’t plan it out to be different or set out to do what hadn’t been done before. “Everything I wrote and played, I heard first in my head,” he said. “I met and hung out with him too, in Milano, and he introduced me to some of his native instruments.”īell’s melodies lived within him long before he put pen to paper. Independent of Gamble and Huff, however, Bell was famed for writing and producing creamy, dreamy, harmony-laden R&B hits of the late ’60s and ’70s such as “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” for the Delfonics, “You Are Everything” and “Betcha by Golly, Wow” for the Stylistics, and “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “Games People Play” for the Spinners.Īlong with his love of classical instrumentation, the use of the ondioline and the ceterone in his songs came from Bell’s love of Ennio Morricone, the composer and orchestrator of Italian film themes from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “For a Few Dollars More.” “I was definitely influenced by Morricone,” said Bell. Together, the Philly trio was responsible for smashes from the O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers” to Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “I Miss You.” No cause of death was cited, but Bell’s publicist said he died at his home in Bellingham, Washington.īell, a Grammy-winning producer and a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is best known as one of “the Mighty Three” - a co-creator of the richly-orchestrated “Sound of Philadelphia” brand of soul along with fellow songwriters and producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Daesaun Johnson rushed for 150 yards and scored five touchdowns in a 36-6 win over the Carson Graham Eagles last week.Producer, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Thom Bell died Thursday at the age of 79. Vancouver College (5-1 overall, 3-1 in conference) has a potent ground game of its own. 6 and 7-leading rushers overall in Greyson Planinsic (608 yards) and Michael Udoh (605), respectively. New West (5-1 overall, 4-0 in conference) feature Triple A’s Nos. The Hyacks became the third team to take top spot so far this season after the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers’ 10-7 loss to the Kelowna Owls on Sept. 1-ranked team until losing 38-23 to the host South Delta Sun Devils on Sept. 3 Vancouver College Fighting Irish on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. 1-ranked New Westminster Hyacks visit the No. ![]() Article contentįor more information, check out Semiahmoo boys basketball on instagram or contact the school at 60. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt. ![]()
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