A sequel to the 2020 compilation Ready or Not: Thom Bell Philly Soul Arrangements & Productions 1965-1978, the 2024 collection Didnt I Blow Your Mind?: Thom Bell The Sound of Philadelphia Soul 1969-1983 shifts focus somewhat. Where Ready or Not included singles from Bells early years, Didnt 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 doesnt shy away from big hits this time around -- "The Rubberband Man," "Then Came You," and "Betcha by Golly, Wow" anchor this comp -- but he doesnt follow a strict chronological order, allowing himself to bounce back and forth from the beginning of the 70s to the decades conclusion and aftermath. This allows the listener to appreciate the constants in Bells work: the sumptuous swing, the elegant funk, the lush harmonies, and the gleaming style. Its possible to hear this connective thread in Bells productions for such prominent artists as Elton John, Johnny Mathis, the OJays, and Lou Rawls, but part of the pleasure of Didnt It Blow Your Mind? is discovering that doo wop vets Little Anthony & the Imperials could effortlessly adapt to Bells 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

Rovi