hope he prepared hisself...

Philly Legendary Producer and Songwriter Thom Bell Dead At 79
Bell was a legend in soul music. He was a prolific songwriter, producer, and arranger. As one of the original creators of Philly Soul, he worked with countless legends, including The Delfonics, The Spinners, and The O’Jays. He wrote and arranged timeless records like "I’ll Be Around" and "Betcha By Golly Wow" by The Stylistics, "Rubberband Man" by the Spinners, "Backstabber" by the O’Jays and "Mama Can’t Buy You Love" by Elton John.

Artist: The Spinners
Album: Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
Song: "Rubberband Man"
Songwriters: Thom Bell & Linda Creed
August 1976 Atlantic Records




The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. Intended to improve his son's self-image, the song eventually evolved from being about "The Fat Man" to "The Rubberband Man".

The last major hit by the Spinners to feature Philippé Wynne on lead vocals, "The Rubberband Man" spent three weeks at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (blocked from the top spot by Rod Stewart's massive hit single "Tonight's the Night") and topped the U.S. R&B chart at the end of 1976. It was also a top-20 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 16 in October 1976.