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In the pre-Christmas rush...and the onset of the super blizzard that affected almost everyone in the US and Canada...there was a headline from the world of music that I want to go back and write about.
On December 22nd, songwriter/producer Thom Bell passed away at the age of 79. As always for comprehensive obituaries, I defer to Variety Magazine. https://variety.com/.../thom-bell-dead-soul-music.../
In the Variety headline, Thom is called "The Key Architect of Soul Music's Philadelphia Sound," and that is a HUGE understatement.
Along with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Linda Creed, Thom was responsible for DOZENS of albums, singles, and "Great SONGS of the "70s" from artists like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, The Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, Dionne Warwick, and even Elton John!
The obituary gives you a fantastic overview of why Thom was the winner of multiple Grammy Awards and a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
With such a rich catalog to choose from, (and I've highlighted his handiwork at least a dozen times on this blog), I wanted to feature 1973's "I'm Coming Home" by Johnny Mathis. Yes, Johnny Mathis.
At that point is Johnny's career, nothing much was happening. It seemed his peak had been in the late '50s and early '60s with "Great Songs" like "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say."
But Thom had an idea and begged his record company to let him work with Johnny. They were skeptical, but relented.
The result was a #1 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and a revitalized career for Johnny.
On top of it all, Thom was quoted as saying that Johnny was one of the best, most professional artists he'd ever worked with.
For that reason and MANY others, we tip our hat to Thom Bell, may he rest in peace, and Johnny Mathis, who, thanks to Thom, was back on top with "I'm Coming Home:" a "Great Song of 1973! " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovIqMLRLY4
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