That 1970's Soul/R and B is some of my favorite music ever, so this man had an influence on me without even knowing it.
There’s warmth and grace in the way you remember, and not just the songs, but the texture of life surrounding them: the chatter of friends, the smell of carpeted turf, the sound of a radio in the dark. These are the hidden coordinates of existence. Thom Bell gave them music; you’ve given them voice.
Can I get in here between you and say you just hit the sweet spot? That Philly soul is luscious like a caramel and I have never grown tired of it! All praise for Thom Bell and his lifetime of hitting the mark.
To begin, Thom Bell is a certified genius. Yes. Funky as a motherfucker.
Second, I also went to Burns Park. Third, my dad and I used to make a ritual out of Putt-Putt. The one on Washtenaw. Its name has changed as Putt-Putt folded, but you understand.
Bell was a certified musical genius; so much of the best soul music of the '60s and '70s had his hand in it somewhere. And we must not also forget the late Linda Creed, who wrote the incredible lyrics to many of his best songs.
Great column. Love the subject. I had a similar revelation with a song but it was with "Then Came You" by the Three Degrees. It really hit me and melted me. 5th grade I think. It wouldn't be long before Kiss came along (and ruined everything), but early on Philly Soul, especially the O'Jays' "Love Train" and the Spinners' stuff had me good. Also, you likely knew that Bell recorded with Elton John in the 80s but I thought I'd throw that in there.
Oh yeah — I mention Elton in the piece as one of the folks who sought Bell out when a change in musical/career direction was needed. But I've heard that Elton and Bell didn't exactly vibe...
My favorite Elton John songs, as it happens, are the ones he didn't write...."The Thom Bell Sessions"! As for your last sentence, that's what I uncovered, and it's in one of my Bell pieces.
I found a video (which is in whichever article about it) from the Bell Sessions, where Elton looks somewhat out of place, as if, in the presence of Bell, he appears to be a little lost and over-matched....just body language, and perhaps from the possibility he's not used to having someone else (even Gus Dudgeon or whomever) calling the....all.....the shots!
Plus, far more tracks were recorded than, ultimately, got released! Which is one reason the project was delayed from release by a couple (at least) years, and was issued more as an EP than LP.
And, thank you for following Nick's sage (and oregano) advice, pointing you to my "Audio Archaeology"!
BTW, Dan.....I know we talked about Tune Tag before your Redd Kross book; I'd love to get one together for the near future, if you're relatively free! We can be as leisurely as you'd like, and it's all done in DMs, with no deadlines or pressure! LMK there, OK? And, thanks again!
Fantastic
That 1970's Soul/R and B is some of my favorite music ever, so this man had an influence on me without even knowing it.
There’s warmth and grace in the way you remember, and not just the songs, but the texture of life surrounding them: the chatter of friends, the smell of carpeted turf, the sound of a radio in the dark. These are the hidden coordinates of existence. Thom Bell gave them music; you’ve given them voice.
Goddammit, man — that's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my writing. Thank you!
Can I get in here between you and say you just hit the sweet spot? That Philly soul is luscious like a caramel and I have never grown tired of it! All praise for Thom Bell and his lifetime of hitting the mark.
You certainly may — and Mr. Bell certainly did!
To begin, Thom Bell is a certified genius. Yes. Funky as a motherfucker.
Second, I also went to Burns Park. Third, my dad and I used to make a ritual out of Putt-Putt. The one on Washtenaw. Its name has changed as Putt-Putt folded, but you understand.
Hell yes — BP alums in the house! And yeah, the one on Washtenaw was where this scenario (and also my 12th birthday party) took place!
Thank you for this. 70s soul doesn't get the love it deserves.
Bell was a certified musical genius; so much of the best soul music of the '60s and '70s had his hand in it somewhere. And we must not also forget the late Linda Creed, who wrote the incredible lyrics to many of his best songs.
Great column. Love the subject. I had a similar revelation with a song but it was with "Then Came You" by the Three Degrees. It really hit me and melted me. 5th grade I think. It wouldn't be long before Kiss came along (and ruined everything), but early on Philly Soul, especially the O'Jays' "Love Train" and the Spinners' stuff had me good. Also, you likely knew that Bell recorded with Elton John in the 80s but I thought I'd throw that in there.
Oh yeah — I mention Elton in the piece as one of the folks who sought Bell out when a change in musical/career direction was needed. But I've heard that Elton and Bell didn't exactly vibe...
My favorite Elton John songs, as it happens, are the ones he didn't write...."The Thom Bell Sessions"! As for your last sentence, that's what I uncovered, and it's in one of my Bell pieces.
I found a video (which is in whichever article about it) from the Bell Sessions, where Elton looks somewhat out of place, as if, in the presence of Bell, he appears to be a little lost and over-matched....just body language, and perhaps from the possibility he's not used to having someone else (even Gus Dudgeon or whomever) calling the....all.....the shots!
Plus, far more tracks were recorded than, ultimately, got released! Which is one reason the project was delayed from release by a couple (at least) years, and was issued more as an EP than LP.
Ahhh the elevated sensorial ether of the summer putt-putt courses! “Play through,I’ve got to BOOGIE!!!” - laughed out loud man!
Hahaha, right on!
A great tribute, thank you for sharing.
I would just add that "Hand me down my walking cane" is an older lyric: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_Me_Down_My_Walking_Cane
Also, you might be interested in Brad Kyle's article which talks about Thom Bell: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-archaeology-the-birth-of-disco
Wow, very cool — thanks for the historic context! (And I love Brad's Substack!)
Oh, YOU'RE the one! Just kidding, Dan....thanks! I just added your "Funky Farewell," here, to my Bell rememberies, which you may not have seen:
https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/a-life-worth-singing-remembering
And, thank you for following Nick's sage (and oregano) advice, pointing you to my "Audio Archaeology"!
BTW, Dan.....I know we talked about Tune Tag before your Redd Kross book; I'd love to get one together for the near future, if you're relatively free! We can be as leisurely as you'd like, and it's all done in DMs, with no deadlines or pressure! LMK there, OK? And, thanks again!
Yeah man - let’s do it!
Thanks, Nick, for your kind recommendation! I'm going, now, to check out your Spinners pre-cursor lyric! Thanks again!
The strangest, and only tangentially related, thing I spotted in that Wikipedia entry is the Bing Crosby album 101 Gang Songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Gang_Songs
This is such a lovely piece, Dan, truly great writing, and it did what it says on the tin, and more, as it had to me rushing to play his catalogue.
Thank you for brightening up my morning with this fabulous recollection and its magical soundtrack.
Thank you, Mark! So glad it hit the spot and brightened your day!