LeRoy Bell: Difference between revisions
| Line 67: | Line 67: | ||
==Solo career== |
==Solo career== |
||
Starting in the 2000s, he worked solo and toured extonsively. In the process, he released various albums including his debut solo EP ''Spending Time'' (on his own label Martez Music Group), followed by ''Two Sides to Every Story'' in 2006, ''A Change Is Coming'' in 2008 and ''Traces'' in 2010. |
Starting in the 2000s, he worked solo and toured extonsively. In the process, he released various albums including his debut solo EP ''Spending Time'' (on his own label Martez Music Group), followed by ''Two Sides to Every Story'' in 2006, ''A Change Is Coming'' in 2008 and ''Traces'' in 2010. |
||
In 2011, he was part of a project ''United in Song'' affiliated to [[USA For Africa]]<ref>[http://www.usaforafrica.org/ USA for Africa website]</ref> to bring the best in World Music to celebrate peace and unioty. The project included [[Angelique Kidjo]], Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aurelio Martinez with [[Youssou |
|||
N'Dour'', Lila Downs, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Razia Said, Abigail Washburn & the Shanghai |
|||
Restoration Project, Luisa Maita, G Love & Special Sauce, and Vieux Farka Toure and LeRoy Bell contributing tracks to ''United in Song'' |
|||
==Part of LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends== |
==Part of LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends== |
||
Revision as of 08:32, 3 November 2011
LeRoy Bell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951 |
| Genres | Pop , R&B, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Drums |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Website | www.leroybell.com |
LeRoy Bell is an American singer and songwriter. He played and Casey James played in Special Blend and then formed 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, he applied for the American The X Factor as one of the Final 16.
Part of Bell and James
Bell and James was a duo formed by Leroy Bell (on drums and guitar) and Casey James (on guitar, bass and keyboards). They both had played for a while in the band Special Blend, before they decided to team up together as Bell and James. The duo released three albums: Bell and James (1978), Only Make Believe (1979) and In Black and White (1980), and had a number of singles, the most successful and well-known being "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)" released on A&M Records. It reached #15 on the U.S. Hot 100.
LeRoy also released his own EP "Spending Time" on his own label, Martez Music Group, releasing "Two Sides to Every Story" from the EP as a single.
Songwriting
Bell and James also wrote many songs for others. They were encouraged by LeRoy's uncle Thom Bell who owned Mighty Three Music, a music production company along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The latter were a famous duo collaboration Gamble and Huff to whom Bell and James provided some of their composition.
Their songs were recorded by a number of groups including The Spinners, The O'Jays (in "This Time Baby"), The Temptations, Rita Marley, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, The Three Degrees.
- With Elton John
Most notably, two songs that were recorded by Elton John. One was "Mama Can't Buy You Love" and the other "Are You Ready for Love". The songs, a LeRoy Bell-Casey James co-composition appeared in the "The Thom Bell Sessions" in 1977. Elton John's song version of "Mama Can't Buy You Love" went to the Top 10 in the general charts and #1 the Adult/Contemporary chart in the fall of 1979, earning Elton a Grammy Nomination for "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance". His song "Are You Ready for Love" was even a bigger hit.
Tracklist of Elton John single:
- Side 1: "Are You Ready for Love" (LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell, Casey James) (8:31)
- Side 2.1: "Three Way Love Affair" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James) (5:31)
- Side 2.2: "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James) (4:03)
In February 1989, the The Complete Thom Bell Sessions released by MCA Records, although it had been recorded in 1977. It featured three additional songs, including "Country Love Song" also co-written by LeRoy Bell.
- 1. "Nice and Slow" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Thom Bell)
- 2. "Country Love Song" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James)
- 3. "Shine on Through" (Elton John, G. Osborne)
- 4. "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James)
- 5. "Are You Ready for Love" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James)
- 6. "Three Way Love Affair" (LeRoy Bell, Casey James)
In 2003, Fat Boy Slim mixed Elton John's single version making it to the British Singles Chart. The song also charted in many European charts.
- Teddy Pendergrass
- 1979: "I'll Never See Heaven Again" on the album Teddy
- 1979: "Set Me Free", also on album Teddy
- 1982: "Loving You Was Good" on album This One's for You
- 1983: "Heaven Only Knows" from the album Heaven Only Knows (lead song) Pendergrass album
- 1990: "Glad to Be Alive" from the album Truly Blessed
- Lou Rawls
- 1979: "Bark, Bite (Fight All Night)" on the album Let Me Be Good to You
- 1980: "Heartache (Just When You Think You're Loved)" and "You Are" on album Sit Down and Talk to Me
- Others
- In 2002, he cowrote with James and Jennifer Lopez the latter's song "Still" on the album This Is Me... Then.
- Bell has written songs for The Freemasons most notably in the song "Love on My Mind"
- He has also written for Phyllis Hyman
Solo career
Starting in the 2000s, he worked solo and toured extonsively. In the process, he released various albums including his debut solo EP Spending Time (on his own label Martez Music Group), followed by Two Sides to Every Story in 2006, A Change Is Coming in 2008 and Traces in 2010.
In 2011, he was part of a project United in Song affiliated to USA For Africa[1] to bring the best in World Music to celebrate peace and unioty. The project included Angelique Kidjo, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aurelio Martinez with [[Youssou N'Dour, Lila Downs, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Razia Said, Abigail Washburn & the Shanghai Restoration Project, Luisa Maita, G Love & Special Sauce, and Vieux Farka Toure and LeRoy Bell contributing tracks to United in Song
Part of LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends
LeRoy Bell and His Friends | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Pop , R&B, Soul |
| Members | LeRoy Bell Terry Morgan Davis Martin |
| Website | www.leroybell.com |
LeRoy Bell also formed his band Only Friends as LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends, featuring Terry Morgan on bass and Davis Martin on drums. Morgan had played with Dee Daniels, Pat Wright & The Total Experience Gospel Choir, Dave Lewis, Thelma Houston and others) on bass, whereas Martin was previously a memeber of the band Maktub.
On the American The X Factor
In 2011, he applied for the American The X Factor auditioning singing the song "Lean on Me". Becoming one of the Top 32, he performed in Judges House the song Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" in front of Enrique Iglesias and mentor Nicole Scherzinger becoming one of the finalists (Final 16), qualifying for the live shows in the Over-30s category mentored by Scherzinger.
In live show 1 he sang Nobody Knows from Pink and was safe moving to Final 12, where he sang in week 2 "I'm Already There" from Lonestar.
Discography
Albums
- As part of Bell and James
- 1978: Bell and James
- 1979: Only Make Believe
- 1980: In Black and White
- Solo
- 2004: "Spending Time" (EP) (on his own label Martez Music Group)
- 2006: Two Sides to Every Story
- 2008: A Change Is Coming
- 2010: Traces
- As LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends
- 2007: Live in 3D
Singles
- As part of Bell and James
- 1979: "Livin' It Up (Friday Night)"
- 1979: "Shakedown"
- 1979: "You Never Know What You've Got"
- 1980: "Only Make Believe"
- Solo
- "Two Sides to Every Story"
External links
- LeRoy Bell Official website
- LeRoy Bell Twitter
- LeRoy Bell YouTube
- LeRoy and His Only Friends Facebook