Thom Bell composed a rosary of hummable tunes during the ’60s and ’70s, many of them done in collaboration with the extraordinary lyricist Linda Creed. Their songs propelled such groups as the Stylistics, the Delfonics, the Spinners and the O’Jays to the top of the charts. Bell, a third of the Philly Sound triumvirate, was equally prolific as a producer, arranger and orchestrator. He, along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, were popularly known as The Mighty Three, put the Philly Sound on the map, rivaling Motown and Stax. Bell died on Dec. 22 at his home in Bellingham, Wash. He was 79.
His manager and attorney, Michael Silver, confirmed his death but cited no cause.
Bell was born January 26, 1943, in Philadelphia to Leroy and Anna Bell. His father was from Portsmouth, Va. and his mother from Baltimore. Other than his maternal grandfather who was born in Jamaica, the other grandparents were born in the U.S.
He was classically trained as a pianist, and as a teenager began his long and productive affiliation with Gamble and Huff. In 1967, he was introduced to The Delfonics, and began producing for them while introducing the lush sound that would characterize many of the later hits. The group recorded his “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” in 1970; the latter tune earned them a nomination for a Grammy.
At the same time he was working with The Delfonics, he was arranging for Gamble and Huff, whose company was gaining momentum in the recording industry. When the duo launched Philadelphia International Records, Bell arranged “Back Stabbers” for the O’Jays that gave the new label a considerable boost in the market.
After the Mighty Three publishing company was established, Bell moved on to produce The Stylistics, by this time teaming up with Creed. They, along with Russell Thompkins, the group’s lead singer, produced a trove of unforgettable songs, including “You Are Everything,” “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart),” “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and the ever tuneful “Betcha by Golly, Wow.”
When Atlantic Records came calling, Bell agreed to work with The Spinners, who were no longer with Motown, and he revitalized the group with such songs as “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “Rubberband Man.” In 1974, he was awarded a Grammy for best producer of the year. A year later he was in the studio with Dionne Warwick, teaming her with The Spinners on “Then Came You,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #2 on the R&B chart.
Bell worked with a number of top recording artists—Elton John, James Ingram, the Temptations, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Phyllis Hyman. There was even a reunion with The Stylistics in the early ’80s.
On the personal side, Bell married Sylvia Bell in 1965 and they divorced in 1984. Two years later he married Vanessa Bell and they had six children.