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Thom Bell - World of Philly Soul
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Get used to hearing the word [i]genius[/i] when you hear the name Thom Bell. If Gamble & Huff were Philly Soul's grit, the classically trained songwriter/producer/arranger was its polish, lushing up the mix with sumptuous strings and sophisticated sounds. Bell brought a symphony full of elegance and eloquence — aided by longtime partner Linda Creed's street-savvy lyrics — to the Spinners' "Ghetto Child," planting a flag squarely in the mind-blowing space between Burt Bacharach's pop sensibility and Curtis Mayfield's social conscience. After splitting with writer Bernie Taupin, Elton John enjoyed a little Philadelphia freedom with Bell at the boards, and after two years locked in the vault, the champagne-pop sparkle of "Mama Can't Buy You Love" finally just couldn't be contained, boosting Sir Elton into the Top 10 for one last time in the '70s. And Bell isn't just resting on his numerous laurels, as you'll hear in the silk-draped anguish of Joss Stone's ballad "Spoiled," graced by one of his signature arrangements. From the Delfonics' "He Don't Really Love You," on which Bell literally plays [i]every[/i] instrument, to the hyper-rare Gamble/Huff/Bell/Creed collaboration on Dusty Springfield's "I Wanna Be A Free Girl," we've got all the stirrings of a sound being born . . . and perfected.