Bell Records

PrimeCutsLtdPrimeCutsLtd jersey fresh 2,632 Posts
edited April 2008 in Strut Central
I was listening to "i got it" by the masqueraders on 45. Thinking to myself..."damn bell records is alright!
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  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Yeah, definitely!

    Particularly their R&B-oriented years in the sixties, although some of their bubblegum-slanted records from the 70's with the silver label are alright, too. I even wrote a chapter about Bell in the book Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth.

    But, before they became the Home of David Cassidy, Bell was almost up there with Atlantic as far as southern soul went. Had some good rock records in the sixties as well, like the Box Tops, Crazy Elephant, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels (on New Voice, distributed by Bell) and the Syndicate of Sound.

    In late 1974, Clive Davis took over the Bell label and changed the name to Arista, who is still with us.

  • All I'm going to say is Bobby Reed "Time Is Right For Love". What a great song.

  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
    i have a few oscar toney jr 45s on bell that i love!

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    Just got this album a couple days back


    I was going to start a thread about it because it is such a great album and it would be soooooo much better if they just didn't add in fake crowd sound at the beginning, end and in-between songs.

    Still though this album is fantastic

  • fake crowd sound at the beginning, end and in-between songs.

    That has to be one of my biggest pet peeves right there. Never heard or even saw that O'Jays album, although I have a couple of their Bell 45s.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Just got this album a couple days back


    I was going to start a thread about it because it is such a great album and it would be soooooo much better if they just didn't add in fake crowd sound at the beginning, end and in-between songs.

    Sundazed reissued it on CD minus the crowd noise...

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    some more cool acts on bell's subsidiary labels:

    - lee dorsey (on Amy)
    - eddie hinton ("a railroad trestle in california," a 45 on Pacemaker)
    - bob brady & the concords (white group from baltimore, sounded just like smokey & the miracles...on the bell-distributed Chariot label)
    - the van dykes (on Mala)
    - moses & joshua dillard (on mala)

  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    some more cool acts on bell's subsidiary labels:

    - lee dorsey (on Amy)
    - eddie hinton ("a railroad trestle in california," a 45 on Pacemaker)
    - bob brady & the concords (white group from baltimore, sounded just like smokey & the miracles...on the bell-distributed Chariot label)
    - the van dykes (on Mala)
    - moses & joshua dillard (on mala)

    please not to forget the Sam Most 45 'jungle Fantasy b/w Plop Plop Boom' on Bell

    killer flute funky jazz, quite a way from the soul and pop names associated with the label

  • My fave...



  • bluewaterbluewater 145 Posts
    soul partners - spead :heavy:

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    please not to forget the Sam Most 45 'jungle Fantasy b/w Plop Plop Boom' on Bell

    killer flute funky jazz, quite a way from the soul and pop names associated with the label

    yeah, bell wasn't associated too much with jazz, although sonny cox (formerly of argo recording artists the three souls) had a 45 on the label

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    another shockingly good bell release:

    "the night they drove old dixie down" by the symbols

    a soul version of The Band's song, released right after Joan Baez had a hit with it - really good!

    im not sure, but the cat singing lead sounds suspiciously like dobie gray


  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts



    Yeah, I mentioned them up thread. Even though they were affiliated with bubblegum, that album is worth investigating for psych fans.

    Don't sleep: the B-side of their one hit, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'", is a psych MONSTER entitled "Dark Part Of My Mind."

  • Don't sleep: the B-side of their one hit, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'", is a psych MONSTER entitled "Dark Part Of My Mind."

    Yeah, "dark part of the mind" is killer fuzzy track! Pretty common too!

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    After Bell "went white" in the seventies, they released quite a few glam-rock goodies from the UK: the Sweet, Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro, Mud, and Alvin Stardust, although that History Of Bell U.K. compilation on Arista is just a little too heavy on the bland pop sounds for me.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    please not to forget the Sam Most 45 'jungle Fantasy b/w Plop Plop Boom' on Bell

    killer flute funky jazz, quite a way from the soul and pop names associated with the label

    I actually didn't find that record impressive at all (didn't ever play it out or listen to it at home) but I was quite happy to let it go for a large wad of cash...

  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,118 Posts
    The O'Jays are in my top 3 mainsream soul groups, but I hate the lo-fi feel of those overdubbed, "live" budget LPs with the clapping! All that aside, the self-titled one with "Look Over Your Shoulder", "Just Another Guy" and such are really good. Oh yeah...



    I met her Friday. Really cool lady, although it wasn't a great look how all the grey haired 60's rock dudes were making sly moves on her during the Q&A section of her clinic. Great documentary. I think I'll watch it again today. I thought about going to the OAS runion thing in Orange later in May, but it's too expensive for me.

  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    a favorite bell 45:
    Rupert's People "Hold On"

  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    please not to forget the Sam Most 45 'jungle Fantasy b/w Plop Plop Boom' on Bell

    killer flute funky jazz, quite a way from the soul and pop names associated with the label

    I actually didn't find that record impressive at all (didn't ever play it out or listen to it at home) but I was quite happy to let it go for a large wad of cash...

    whoa
    I reckon it's the finest double sided record (if you know what I mean) I ever owned. Bar none
    I searched for 2 years, finally found it in Chicago for a few bucks and walked on air for the next six months.
    I have now more or less worn it out.
    Anyone want to pm me with a minty copy....

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I like a lot of the Bell stuff already mentioned. One that hasn't been though is Al Green's "Let Me Help You"/"Guilty" 45. I don't even know if it is an 'original' Bell 45, but my copy is on Canadian Bell. "Let Me Help You" in particular is A great uptempo soul track that I think should get more props than it currently does.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I like a lot of the Bell stuff already mentioned. One that hasn't been though is Al Green's "Let Me Help You"/"Guilty" 45. I don't even know if it is an 'original' Bell 45, but my copy is on Canadian Bell. "Let Me Help You" in particular is A great uptempo soul track that I think should get more props than it currently does.

    Those two songs were on Al's first album, Back Up Train, on the Hot Line Music Journal label, which was distributed by Bell ca. '67. In 1972, when Al was hotter than a firecracker, Bell reissued the album as Al Green and got a small hit out of "Guilty" when it was released as a single.

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    whoa
    I reckon it's the finest double sided record (if you know what I mean) I ever owned. Bar none
    I searched for 2 years, finally found it in Chicago for a few bucks and walked on air for the next six months.
    I have now more or less worn it out.
    Anyone want to pm me with a minty copy....

    Jazzman reissued it

    You should worn out the reissue and left the OG alone!

  • ostost Montreal 1,375 Posts
    Co-sign with Pickwick regarding Lee Dorsey and basically any Allen Toussaint production from that era.
    I just picked this up & I think it's worthy of an honorable mention in this thread, here it is:

  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Co-sign with Pickwick regarding Lee Dorsey and basically any Allen Toussaint production from that era.
    I just picked this up & I think it's worthy of an honorable mention in this thread, here it is:

    Probably one of the biggest hits on the label (at least from the oldies POV) but it never gets old...

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    James & Bobby Purify (who had two Bell albums + a later Arista best-of) were pretty cool all around...in addition to their biggest hit, other good things they did included "Wish You Didn't Have To Go" and the ace ballad "I Don't Want To Have To Wait."

    Another huge Bell hit worth mentioning (it was running through my mind just the other day): Al Wilson's "Show & Tell," on the Bell-distributed Rocky Road label.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    That Al Wilson LP is pretty cool from memory, I also like his "Willoughby Brook" 45. I picked up J&B Purify's 2nd LP last weekend & can say it is a real solid listen. I have other 45s of them that I like better than "Puppet". Also a good southern soul LP on Bell is Solomon Burke's "Proud Mary"

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    That Al Wilson LP is pretty cool from memory, I also like his "Willoughby Brook" 45.

    As I've said on the Strut before, I always thought Al wahit or miss, but he's pretty good when he hits. Other cool Al Wilson moments on Carousel/Rocky Road (both Bell labels): "Born On The Bayou" and the single of "I Hear You Knocking" b/w "Sugar Cane Girl."

    I picked up J&B Purify's 2nd LP last weekend & can say it is a real solid listen.

    The one that DOESN'T have "I'm Your Puppet?" That's the one I have, too.

    Also a good southern soul LP on Bell is Solomon Burke's "Proud Mary"

    Oscar Toney, Jr. was another good soul act on Bell. He was best known for his version of "For Your Precious Love," but a single to seek out is "You Can Lead Your Woman To The Altar" b/w "Ordinary Guy."

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts


    As I've said on the Strut before, I always thought Al wahit or miss, but he's pretty good when he hits. Other cool Al Wilson moments on Carousel/Rocky Road (both Bell labels): "Born On The Bayou" and the single of "I Hear You Knocking" b/w "Sugar Cane Girl."

    I have 2 of his earlier 45s on Liberty & I think I like them a bit better than the Rocky Road stuff, although his work for both labels is pretty different stylistically, so comparing is a bit tough.



    The one that DOESN'T have "I'm Your Puppet?" That's the one I have, too.
    But it does have "Shake A tail Feather" & other good stuff. I've never come across the first one.


    Do the Box Tops count as good Bell stuff? I love that band.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts

    Do the Box Tops count as good Bell stuff? I love that band.

    I'm a fan, as well. I have all four of their Bell LP's (I'm not counting their best-of) plus quite a few of the singles, including some non-album things.

    The first LP - The Letter/Neon Rainbow - is by far the best, although Dimensions is interesting because (a) it contains my fave Box Tops' song, "Soul Deep" and (b) this is their "progressive" LP, where they decided to Go Psychedelic, experimenting with white blues and abstract lyrics. It doesn't always work, either, but it's still worth hearing.
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