When Thom Bell died in late December 2022, I needed to link to some of his songs. After all, he, along with “Mighty Three” partners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, created “The Sound of Philadelphia,” which was “a dominant sound of the early and mid-’70s.”
As the page highlighting his induction into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame noted, he was “one of R and B music’s most prolific hitmakers…
“Born in 1943 in Jamaica, Bell studied classical music as a child… He learned to play multiple instruments and planned to become a classical conductor, but at age 22, he became a staff writer and touring conductor for The Twist singer Chubby Checker. He then earned his first production gig for a local group called the Delfonics in 1968…
“Bell’s early work set the stage for his style of production and arrangements. He created unique arrangements using seemingly odd instruments, such as sitars and bassoons, to create first-of-a-kind Soul sounds that others would try to emulate for years afterward. His productions tended to be lush and orchestral (influenced by his classical background) but with hot, pulsating beats and excellent vocal arrangements.”
(A) Brand New Me – Dusty Springfield, co-written by Kenneth Gamble and Jerry Butler (1969)
The Delfonics
All songs were co-written by William Hart, lead singer of the group.
La-La (Means I Love You) – #2 for four weeks RB, #4 pop in 1968. Co-produced by Stan Watson.
Ready Or Not, Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love) – #14 RB, #35 pop, #41 in the UK in 1968. Co-produced by Stan Watson. The song has been sampled and interpolated in numerous songs, including Ready or Not by The Fugees
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) – #3 RB for three weeks, #10 pop, #81 in Australia in 1970. #22 in the UK in 1971. Gold record. It won the Grammy for Best R and B Vocal Performance by a duo or group
The Stylistics
Linda Creed co-wrote all songs.
Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart) -#6 RB, #39 pop in 1971
You Are Everything – #10 RB, #9 pop in 1972, gold record
Betcha By Golly, Wow – #2 for two weeks RB, #3 pop in 1972, gold record. It was initially titled “Keep Growing Strong” and recorded by Connie Stevens on the Bell label in 1970.
People Make The World Go Round-# 6 RB, #25 pop, #25 adult contemporary in 1972
You Make Me Feel Brand New – #5 RB, #2 for two weeks pop in 1974
The Spinners
Known as “Detroit Spinners” in the UK
I’ll Be Around-#1 for five weeks RB, #3 pop in 1972. Co-written by Phil Hurtt. “It was initially released as the B-side of the group’s first single on Atlantic Records, How Can I Let You Get Away. The group’s first gold record
Ghetto Child – #4 RB, #29 pop in 1973. Co-written by Linda Creed.
The Rubberband Man – #1 RB, #2 for three weeks pop in 1976. Gold record. Co-written by Linda Creed. The song was about Bell’s son “being teased by his classmates for being overweight. Intended to improve his son’s self-image, the song eventually evolved from being about ‘The Fat Man’ to ‘The Rubberband Man.'” I own the album with the seven-minute version.
These are the most awarded songs #7. They’ve won commendations from the Grammys, the Oscars, Rolling Stone magazine, RIAA, ASCAP, CMA, NPR, and similar entities. Yet, there is one song on this list I had never heard before. Naturally, it came out after 1999.
Once again, I’m doing the