Thom Bell, a pioneering producer and songwriter, has passed away at the age of 79. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Together with producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Bell is credited with some of the most iconic hits of the 1970s, such as songs by the Delfonics, the Stylistics, and the Spinners as well as Elton John’s 1979 song Mama Can’t Buy You Love.
Philadelphia soul, which combined sophisticated 60s soul sounds with funky danceable rhythms, helped pave the way for the disco explosion of the 1970s and served as a major inspiration for David Bowie’s 1975 album Young Americans.
Bell, a classically trained musician, started out playing sessions in Philadelphia before collaborating with the vocal group the Delfonics. For them, he would produce three hits, including the Grammy-nominated Didn’t I? (Blow Your Mind This Time).
In the 1970s, Bell experienced even greater success as a producer, songwriter, and arranger for rising Philly soul artists, contributing to hits like the O’Jays’ Back Stabbers and reviving the career of the Spinners, a former Motown band. He was named the year’s Grammy Award-winning producer in 1974, and the following year he worked with Dionne Warwick on her album Track of the Cat.
In a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Gamble said that he and Bell “have been best friends for over 60 years”. “When we first met, we decided to start writing songs together and form a singing duo, Kenny and Tommy, and then our band The Romeos,” he said. “He was a great talent and my dear friend. Rest in peace buddy.”
Huff added that Bell was his “favourite musician, arranger, songwriter and music producer of all time”: “It was my esteemed honour and pleasure to work with him creatively and as a business partner. Rest in peace.”