| The Thom Bell Sessions | ||||
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| Released | June 1979 | |||
| Recorded | Autumn 1977 | |||
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| Length | 18:05 | |||
| Label | MCA (US) Rocket (UK) | |||
| Producer | Thom Bell | |||
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| Singles from The Thom Bell Sessions | ||||
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The Thom Bell Sessions (internationally titled as The Thom Bell Sessions '77) is an EP recorded by Elton John in the second half of 1977, but was not released by MCA Records until June 1979.
The project was a departure for John, and his band was not used for these sessions. Until that time, he had worked almost exclusively with lyricist Bernie Taupin and record producer Gus Dudgeon. This project brought Elton John together with R&B songwriter and producer Thom Bell, who had previously worked with such artists as The Stylistics, The Delfonics and The Spinners.
Apparently, relations between the producer and the artist became difficult rather quickly. Although John was eager to work with one of the creators of the Philadelphia soul sound, recording sessions did not go smoothly and ended before an entire album could be finished. During these sessions, Thom Bell also advised Elton John on vocal skills, including encouraging him to sing in a lower register. [3]
Bell had recently relocated from Philadelphia to Seattle, so the initial sessions were recorded at Kaye-Smith Studios - then the top Seattle studio. Additional overdubs were done back at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. Bell produced all the tracks and co-wrote one of the songs with his nephew, LeRoy Bell, and Casey James, who together comprised the popular singing duo Bell & James. Bell and James co-wrote the other songs in this set. The Spinners sang backing vocals on the project.
Although at least six songs were recorded during the 1977 sessions only 3 completed tracks were made available on a 12-inch EP in 1979. The project ended up producing one top 10 single: "Mama Can't Buy You Love", which peaked at #9 (#1 Adult Contemporary) on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1979.
| The Complete Thom Bell Sessions | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | February 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
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| Length | 34:57 | |||
| Label | MCA Records | |||
| Producer | Thom Bell | |||
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The Complete Thom Bell Sessions brings together the complete recording session by Elton John and producer Thom Bell onto one album. Released in 1989 by MCA Records, the album is composed of the material previously released in 1979 as well as the songs that were recorded at the original session but had then gone unreleased. Two of the "new" songs were co-written by John - "Nice and Slow" was co-written with Thom Bell and longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin, and "Shine on Through" with lyricist Gary Osborne. Because the recordings were shelved at the time, the latter was re-recorded and included on John's 1978 LP, A Single Man .
Though not noted on the CD, the mixes of "Are You Ready for Love," "Mama Can't Buy You Love" and "Three Way Love Affair" are not the Elton and Clive Frank remixes from 1979, but the original 1977 Thom Bell mixes. "Are You Ready for Love," for example, now includes Bobby Smith and John Edwards of The Spinners singing the second verse instead of Elton, among other more subtle differences. The original EP remixes of the songs would later re-surface on the 'CD2' edition of Elton's 1992 single for "The Last Song"; [4] an edited version of the remix of "Are You Ready for Love" would be re-released as a single in 2003, and went on to hit #1 on the UK and US Dance charts.
"Nice and Slow" was later released as the B-side to the 7-inch vinyl edition of John's 2004 UK single, "All That I'm Allowed".
Bernard John Taupin is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin is behind the majority of John's songs, dating back to the 1960s.
The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan, in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group continues to tour, without any original members, after Henry Fambrough retired in 2023.
Thomas Randolph Bell was an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. Hailed as one of the most prolific R&B songwriters and producers ever, Bell found success crafting songs for Delfonics, Stylistics, and Spinners. In June 2006, Bell was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Bell was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by English musician Elton John. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was released in May 1975 by MCA Records in America and DJM in the UK and was an instant commercial success. The album was certified gold before its release, and reached No. 1 in its first week of release on the US Billboard 200, the first album to achieve both honours. It sold 1.4 million copies within four days of release, and stayed in the top position in the chart for seven weeks.
"Daniel" is a song written by English musician Elton John and his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was first released on John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player.
It Ain't Easy is a 1971 album by Long John Baldry. It marked his return to the edgier blues sound that he performed in the mid-60s. It was Baldry's fifth solo album.
David William Logan Johnstone is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band.
David Murray Oates, known as Dee Murray, was an English bass guitarist. He was best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band.
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was John's second single released by The Rocket Record Company. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship which is falling apart.
"Take Me to the Pilot" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's eponymous second album in 1970.
"Philadelphia Freedom" is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was released as a single in 1975, credited to the Elton John Band. The song was the fourth of John's six number-one singles in the US during the early and mid-1970s, which saw his recordings dominating the charts. In Canada it was his eighth single to hit the top of the RPM national singles chart.
"Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by English musician Elton John in 1977 and first released in the UK in 1979 as the first single from the EP The Thom Bell Sessions. It was written by LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, and was originally produced in Philadelphia by Thom Bell, who had already produced a series of hits for the Spinners, the Delfonics and the Stylistics. While the song "Mama Can't Buy You Love" from the EP charted in 1979, this song and the other track on the three-track 12-inch vinyl disc, "Three Way Love Affair", were only minor footnotes at the time. The song originally peaked at number 42 on the UK Single Charts in 1979.
Don't Take Love for Granted is an album released in late 1978 by Lulu on Elton John's label, The Rocket Record Company.
"Mama Can't Buy You Love" is a hit single for English musician Elton John from the EP The Thom Bell Sessions. The song was written by LeRoy Bell and Casey James. Bowing at number 69 on the Hot 100 on 9 June 1979, the track became John's first US top ten hit in almost three years when it peaked at number 9 on 25 August 1979. "Mama Can't Buy You Love" also spent one week at number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In the US, it was certified gold on 17 August 1979 by the RIAA.
LeRoy Bell is an American singer and songwriter. He and his friend Casey James played in Special Blend, and then went on to form their own duo Bell and James, also composing songs that were hits for other artists most notably two charting hit singles for Elton John. Later Bell became a member of the trio Only Friends. In 2011, Bell applied for the American The X Factor and was chosen for the Final 16 and went on to the live shows being mentored by Nicole Scherzinger. He was eliminated after the fifth live show being the sixth contestant eliminated in the inaugural season of the American The X Factor when he was in bottom three with Marcus Canty and Lakoda Rayne.
The Diving Board is the twenty-ninth studio album by English musician Elton John. It is the second of his studio releases since 1979's Victim of Love without any of his regular band members. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2013 and debuted at No. 3 on the UK album chart, his highest-charting studio album in his home country since 2001's Songs from the West Coast, and at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It is also his highest-charting solo album in the United States since Blue Moves in 1976.
Mathis Is... is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on February 21, 1977, by Columbia Records and reunited the singer with producer Thom Bell for the first time since their collaboration on I'm Coming Home in 1973. As with that project, Mathis Is... focuses primarily on new songs, the one exception being a cover of "Sweet Love of Mine" from the 1975 Pick of the Litter album by The Spinners.
Maxine Feibelman is a former seamstress for California bands who was married for several years to Elton John's frequent collaborator Bernie Taupin. Her romance, marriage, and break-up with Taupin influenced some of Taupin's and John's songs, she provided the title and refrain for one of their songs, and she supported John's path toward his distinct stage costume style.
Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin and Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin are two tribute albums to English musician Elton John and his frequent songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, both released on 6 April 2018. Revamp was described as John's project and features covers of the duo's back catalogue by pop, rock and R&B artists, whereas Restoration was seen as Taupin's project and features covers by country music artists. Revamp was released via Island Records and Restoration by Universal Music Group Nashville. The release of the albums coincided with John's 2018–2023 Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Regimental Sgt. Zippo is the thirty-first studio album by English musician Elton John. Recorded during late 1967 and early 1968, it was originally intended to be John's debut album, but his publisher Dick James did not approve of the record's musical style, and the album was scrapped. John then recorded and released Empty Sky (1969) as his debut album instead. Regimental Sgt. Zippo remained unreleased until Record Store Day of June 2021, when it was issued in mono on vinyl. It was followed by a wider release of the album in July 2022 in stereo vinyl and stereo/mono CD.
