The Society Hill Orchestra - Stop, Look And Listen: A Tribute To Thom Bell - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

When it comes to Philly Soul music, it is no secret that Butch Ingram is one of the most prolific producers on the scene, with a career of producing and promoting the music for well over 5 decades. Who better then to pay tribute to his colleague and long-time friend - the quintessential composer, arranger, conductor, producer and multi-instrumentalist Thom Bell? Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Thomas Randolph Bell moved to Philadelphia as a child where he was classically trained as a musician. As a teenager he sang with future luminaries Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame). His first professional foray into the world of soul music started with Cameo Records where he worked as a session player and arranger. At the tender age of 24 in 1967, he was introduced to a local group called The Delfonics, and subsequently produced two singles for them on Cameo's subsidiary tag, Moonglow. Bell brought an entirely new vibe to the process - a sweet, soulful and hypnotic sensibility that set him apart from other producers of the day. Soon his unique production talents yielded several big hits for The Delfonics including InchLa-La (Means I Love You)Inch and InchDidn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time),Inch which yielded him his first Grammy Award in 1970. Soon Bell joined the production company operated by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, where he worked as an arranger for such acts as Jerry Butler, Archie Bell & The Drells, and The O'Jays. He arranged many of the early big hits, including the O'Jay's InchBack Stabbers,Inch on the newly launched Philadelphia International Records tag. In 1971, Bell produced another local group, The Stylistics, on the Avco Records tag. By this time, he had forged a songwriting partnership with Philadelphia-born songwriter, Linda Creed. With Creed, along with Russell Thompkins, Jr., the lead singer of the Stylistics, Bell and Creed became o