Didn't I Blow Your Mind? Thom Bell: The Sound of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983 in Bloomington, MN

A sequel to the 2020 compilation
Ready or Not: Thom Bell Philly Soul Arrangements & Productions 1965-1978
, the 2024 collection
Didn't I Blow Your Mind?: Thom Bell The Sound of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983
shifts focus somewhat. Where
Ready or Not
included singles from
Bell
's early years,
Didn't I Blow Your Mind?
opens with the titular
Delfonics
hit, a single that effectively ushered in the glory years of Philly soul, an era this collection celebrates. Compiler
Bob Stanley
doesn't shy away from big hits this time around -- "The Rubberband Man," "Then Came You," and "Betcha by Golly, Wow" anchor this comp -- but he doesn't follow a strict chronological order, allowing himself to bounce back and forth from the beginning of the '70s to the decade's conclusion and aftermath. This allows the listener to appreciate the constants in
's work: the sumptuous swing, the elegant funk, the lush harmonies, and the gleaming style. It's possible to hear this connective thread in
's productions for such prominent artists as
Elton John
,
Johnny Mathis
the O'Jays
, and
Lou Rawls
, but part of the pleasure of
Didn't It Blow Your Mind?
is discovering that doo wop vets
Little Anthony & the Imperials
could effortlessly adapt to
's style, or realizing that the yacht soul of
Bell & James
' "Nobody Knows It" is a natural outgrowth of the smooth sounds of the early '70s. ~ Stephen Thoms Erlewine