Thom Bell, Grammy-Winning Producer/Songwriter Who Was One of Philly Soul’s 'Mighty Three' With Gamble & Huff, Passes At 79

Thom Bell

THOMAS RANDOLPH BELL, who helped create the SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA as a songwriter with his “Mighty Three” partners, KENNETH GAMBLE and LEON HUFF, establishing himself as one of the most important R&B/soul figures in modern music, passed away after a short illness at the age of 79.

Born JANUARY 26th, 1943 in KINGSTON, JAMAICA, moving with his family to PHILADELPHIA when he was five years old, BELL was classically trained as a musician, then as a teenager, sang with KENNY GAMBLE in his doo-wop group THE ROMEOS, as well as with LEON HUFF and DARYL HALL. BELL learned to play multiple instruments and planned to become a classical conductor. Instead at the age of 22, he became a staff writer and touring conductor for CHUBBY CHECKER of “The Twist” fame. 

He met GAMBLE while both were still teenagers, recalling, "KENNY went to school with my sister, and one night she was helping him with his homework at our house. I was over on the piano having lessons and KENNY came over and introduced himself as a songwriter, he said ‘Hey, maybe we could get together sometime?’ And that was it. I was 17, he was 16 and a week later we sat down at my house and started writing.”

His first big break came with CAMEO RECORDS, where he worked as a session player and arranger.   In 1968, he met a local PHILLY group, THE DELFONICS, producing a pair of hit singles for them on subsidiary label, MOONGLOW, “La La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” the latter of which won a GRAMMY AWARD in 1971 for Best R&G Group, Vocal Or Instrumental.

BELL’s early work set the stage for his lush, lavish production and arrangements. He was known as being extremely organized and precise, but was also quite adventurous. He generally came to the studio with a specific sound in mind, and often created unique arrangements using seemingly exotic instruments such as sitars ad bassoons, to create soul records that would be slavishly copied for years. His productions, given his classical background, tended to be orchestral, but with hot, pulsating beats and pristine vocal arrangements. While his work took off from the ‘60s MOTOWN sound, BELL clearly took soul music to yet another level.

Joining with the production company formed by KENNY GAMBLE and LEON HUFF, BELL worked as an arranger for acts such as JERRY BUTLER, ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS, THE O’JAYS and DUSTY SPRINGFIELD.  He also served as an arranger on hits like THE O’JAYS’ “Back Stabber” on GAMBLE & HUFF’s PHILLY INTERNATIONAL label, which they had launched in 1971.  He also joined the two in setting up a music publishing company for their songs, MIGHTY THREE MUSIC.

By 1971, BELL was producing another local PHILLY group, THE STYLISTICS, for AVCO RECORDS, teaming up with songwriter LINDA CREED in a partnership with STYLSTICS lead singer RUSSELL THOMPKINS, JR, which generated three albums of memorable songs. BELL and CREED became one of the era’s dominant soul songwriting teams, with credits like “Stop. Look. Listen (To Your Heart),” ‘You Are Everything,” “Betcha By Golly, Wow,” “Break Up To Make Up” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”

The following year, BELL agreed to produce THE SPINNERS for ATLANTIC RECORDS after joining the label from a long association with MOTOWN. The hugely successful collaboration resulted in eight albums over seven years, producing five gold records and such hits as “Mighty Love,” “Ghetto Child,” “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” and “The Rubberband Man.” BELL took home the GRAMMY for Best Producer Of The Year in 1975.

BELL produced DIONNE WARWICK’s album, “Track Of The Cat,” in 1975 a year after teaming her with THE SPINNERS on the song, “Then Came You,” which went to #1 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100. He also worked with JOHNNY MATHIS, BILLY PAUL, RONNIE DYSON, ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS and NEW YORK CITY.

BELL was also good friends with BOB MARLEY. He worked with the I-THREES, his back-up singers – RITA MARLEY, JUDY MOWATT and MARCIA GRIFFITHS– on their album “Beginning,” before MARLEY got sick in 1980. He penned three songs for the trio.

BELL went on to experience success with DENIECE WILLIAMS, including her #1 R&B hit, a remake of THE ROYALETTES’ “It’s Gonna Take A Miracle”; JAMES INGRAM with “I Don’t Have The Heart” (BELL’s second #1 Pop hit) and ELTON JOHN, whose “The THOM BELL Sessions” featured back-up by THE SPINNERS and produced the Top 10 hits, “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” in 1979.  Over 20 years later, a FAT BOY SLIM dance remix of the pair’s collaboration on “Are You Ready For Love?” soared to the top of the charts in EUROPE.

In the ‘80s, BELL moved to small SNAG ISLAND in WASHINGTON state after his first wife was diagnosed with an incurable circulatory disease, continuing to produce acts like THE TEMPTATIONS, PHYLLIS HYMAN and DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, reuniting with THE STYLISTICS on PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL subsidiary TSOP for their “Closer Than Close” album.  For HYMAN’s album, “Living All Alone,” BELL co-wrote and produced the chilling ballad, “Old Friend,” some of the best work in his long and illustrious career.  BELL collaborated with artists as disparate as DAVID BYRNE and JOSS STONE. 

He also worked on the soundtrack for the basketball movie, “The Fish That Saved PITTSBURGH,” with JULIUS ERVING, MEADOWLARK LEMON and KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR. BELL was inducted into the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME in JUNE, 2006.  

He went on to work on new albums by RON ISLEY and EARTH, WIND & FIRE, as well as a GENE VINCENT biopic, “Be Bop A Lula.”

Talking to BILLBOARD at the time of his induction, BELL claimed not to realize he was laying the foundation for a uniquely contemporary R&B sound. "I would love to say, 'Oh, yes, I planned it that way!' That it was something I looked in the mirror and saw no one else was doing and I decided I was going to do it… That's horse manure. It just sounded good to me."

BELL is survived by his second wife and eight children.

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