Vinnie Bell
Vinnie Bell | |
|---|---|
 Bell in 1967 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Vincent Edward Gambella |
| Also known as | Vincent Bell |
| Born | July 28, 1932 Brooklyn,New York,U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 2019(aged 87) Tenafly, New Jersey,U.S. |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1955–2019 |
| Website | www |
Vincent Edward Gambella(July 28, 1932 – October 3, 2019),[1]known asVinnie Bell,was an Americansessionguitarist, instrument designer and pioneer ofelectronic effectsinpop music.[2][3]
Life and career
[edit]He was born inBrooklyn,New York City,and studied guitar from childhood.[1]He made his first recordings as a session musician on singles by such instrumental groups as the Overtones and the Gallahads, and played in nightclubs in New York City in the late 1950s.[3]During this time, he developed his characteristic "watery" guitar sound, popular in instrumentalrecordingsin the 1960s.[4]By 1962, Bell decided to devote his energies to working as astudiomusician in New York and Los Angeles.[5]In 1963, he did a session with the FrenchJean-Jacques Perreyfor Kai Winding, in which he played the guitar and Perrey played theOndioline.After that Vinnie along with Perrey recorded several successful commercials, when Jean-Jacques got a contract with theVanguard Recordslabel. Perrey asked him to be the lead guitarist for his recording sessions as "E.V.A." fromMoog Indigo(1970).[6]
He also helped design a number ofelectric guitarmodels with the companyDanelectrofor its Coral™ line of instruments, including the "Bellzouki" electric12-string guitar,[5]and theelectric sitar,[7]which was used, not necessarily by Bell, on such hits as "Cry Like a Baby"byThe Box Tops,"Green Tambourine"byThe Lemon Pipers,and a cover of the love theme from the 1970film,Airport.[8]The last of these sold over one million copies and was awarded agold disc.[9]It also won aGrammy AwardforBest Instrumental Compositionin1971,while Bell was nominated for Best Instrumental Performance.[10]
As well as being notable for his technical innovations, Bell worked extensively as a session player, playing on tracks such as "The Sounds of Silence"bySimon & Garfunkel[11]and for artists such asThe Four Seasons[11]andBob Dylan,specifically his "Desire" album.[12]He also recorded occasionally under his own name, his albums includingThe Soundtronic Guitar of Vincent Bell(Independent Record Company, 1960),Whistle Stop(Verve, 1964), andPop Goes the Electric Sitar(Decca, 1967).[3]
He died on October 3, 2019, at the age of 87.[1]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- The Soundtronic Guitar of Vincent Bell(1959)
- Whistle Stop(Verve, 1964)
- Big Sixteen Guitar Favorites(Musicor, 1965)
- Pop Goes the Electric Sitar(Decca, 1967)
- Good Morning Starshine(Decca, 1969)
- Airport Love Theme(Decca, 1970)
Singles
[edit]As sideman
[edit]WithQuincy Jones
- Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini(Mercury, 1964)
WithLes McCann
- Les McCann Plays the Hits(Limelight, 1966)
WithClark Terry
- Mumbles(Mainstream, 1966)
References
[edit]- ^abc"Vincent E. Gambella 1932 - 2019".Legacy.com.RetrievedJanuary 25,2020.
- ^Fiks, Ethan (1998).Tricks and special effects: the player's guide to unusual sounds and techniques.Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Pub. Co.ISBN0882849581.OCLC42001348.
- ^abc"Vinnie Bell".Spaceagepop.com.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^Countryman, Dana (2010).Passport to the future: the amazing life and sounds of electronic pop music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey.Young, Frank M. Everett, Wa: Sterling Swan Press.ISBN9781453865873.OCLC757178430.
- ^abBacon, Tony (2010).Rickenbacker electric 12 string: the story of the guitars, the music, and the great players(1st ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books.ISBN9780879309886.OCLC432407412.
- ^"Welcome to Vinnie Bell.com!".Dana Countryman.Retrieved22 December2021.
- ^Saufley, Charles (December 7, 2015)."Danelectro Baby Sitar Review".Premierguitar.com.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^"Vinnie Bell".Discogs.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^Murrells, Joseph (1978).The Book of Golden Discs(2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.274.ISBN0-214-20512-6.
- ^"Vincent Bell".GRAMMY.com.2019-06-04.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^abSimons, Dave (2004).Studio stories: how the great New York records were made: from Miles to Madonna, Sinatra to the Ramones(1st ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Backbeat Books.ISBN0879308176.OCLC57543979.
- ^Fanelli, Damian; Hart, Josh."The Top 30 12-String Guitar Songs of All Time".GuitarPlayer.com.Retrieved2019-06-23.
- ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 32.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
External links
[edit]- Vinnie Bell website (Preserved at danacountryman.com)
- Vinnie Bell InterviewatNAMM Oral History Collection(2017)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1932 births
- 2019 deaths
- 20th-century American inventors
- American rhythm and blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American rock guitarists
- American session musicians
- Decca Records artists
- Guitarists from New York City
- Musicians from Brooklyn
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians