Bobby Eli
Encyclopedia
Bobby Eli is a Grammy Award
winning musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia, USA. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio group MFSB
.
, The Jacksons, Chris Brown, David Bowie
, Jay Z, Hall and Oates, Patti LaBelle
, Elton John
, Phyllis Hyman
, B.B. King, Billy Paul
, Wilson Pickett
, George Clinton
, The Spinners and The Temptations
.
Bobby's credits as a songwriter include "Love Won't Let Me Wait
", recorded by Luther Vandross
, and Major Harris
; "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" by the Main Ingredient; album tracks for Atlantic Starr
, and Rose Royce
; and Deniece Williams
' Grammy-Nominated album Love Niecy Style. He is credited with the success of Jackie Moore's number one Disco Dance classic "This Time Baby
". He has also produced, arranged and performed on hit singles for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
, Lloyd Parks
, William "Poogie" Hart of The Delfonics
, The Whispers
, Regina Belle
, Englebert Humperdink, The Dells
, Isaac Hayes
and Sister Sledge
. Eli's 1974 composition "Sideshow
" recorded by Blue Magic
was a million-selling certified Gold single reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100
. He wrote and was lead guitarist on the sessions for the follow-up single "Three Ring Circus" which went to No.5 on the Billboard R&B chart
.
Bobby's productions for the 1974 Blue Eyed Soul group The Sons of Robin Stone is comparable to Thom Bell
's Atlantic work with The Spinners. Their hit single "Got To Get You Back' was released on Avco records
in the states and in the UK on Atlantic
. The flip side also produced by Eli is the fully orchestrated Philly soul ballad "Love Is Just Around The Corner" in the style of Blue Magic. The following year Eli composed and performed lead guitar on tracks for Damon Harris
' post Temptations group Impact.
In 2007 Bobby helped to unite three of Philly's most successful lead singers, William Hart of The Delfonics
, Tedd Mills from Blue Magic
, and Russell Thompkins, Jr.
of the Stylistics
. The project was billed as the "Legendary Tenors of Soul" and featured the three vocalists alternating leads on mostly soul standards. Eli recruited Hall & Oates
to join the soul trio for an original track on the CD All The Way From Philadelphia.
In 2009, Bobby Eli opened up his own recording facility, "Studio E", in the Philadelphia area.
, Stevie Wonder
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
. He is producing the new CD for funkmaster George Clinton
. Eli has contributed as a guitarist, arranger, and member of MFSB to the "A Soulful Tale of Two Cities" album project which joins legendary artists from Motown and Philadelphia International Records
.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia, USA. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio group MFSB
MFSB
MFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the...
.
Biography
A multi-instrumentalist, Bobby Eli's contributions can be heard on recordings by such artists as Teddy PendergrassTeddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
, The Jacksons, Chris Brown, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jay Z, Hall and Oates, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
, B.B. King, Billy Paul
Billy Paul
Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences...
, Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
, George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, The Spinners and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
Bobby's credits as a songwriter include "Love Won't Let Me Wait
Love Won't Let Me Wait
"Love Won't Let Me Wait" is a 1975 single by Major Harris, a former member of R&B/soul group The Delfonics. Written by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli, the single is considered to be a staple of classic soul playlists and was Harris' only entry into the top five on both the soul and pop charts...
", recorded by Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, and Major Harris
Major Harris
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
; "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" by the Main Ingredient; album tracks for Atlantic Starr
Atlantic Starr
Atlantic Starr was a 1980s R&B band. Among their biggest hits were "Always" and "Secret Lovers."- History :The group was started in 1976 in White Plains, New York by trumpeter Duke Jones , drummer Porter Carroll Jr., bassist Clifford Archer, percussionist and flautist Joseph Phillips, and three...
, and Rose Royce
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
; and Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
' Grammy-Nominated album Love Niecy Style. He is credited with the success of Jackie Moore's number one Disco Dance classic "This Time Baby
This Time Baby
"This Time Baby" is a 1979 disco single by Jackie Moore, a cover of a song by The O'Jays of their 1978 album So Full of Love. The single was number one on the U.S. disco chart for one week in August 1979. It also reached the top 30 on the soul singles chart...
". He has also produced, arranged and performed on hit singles for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...
, Lloyd Parks
Lloyd Parks (R&B singer)
Lloyd Parks is an American R&B/soul singer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is an original member of the Grammy-Nominated Philadelphia International Records group Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Lloyd is noted for his high tenor and falsetto vocal leads and harmonies...
, William "Poogie" Hart of The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
, The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Regina Belle
Regina Belle
Regina Belle is a singer-songwriter who first surfaced in the late 1980s. She is notable for her Grammy award winning duet with Peabo Bryson, "A Whole New World".-Biography:Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey...
, Englebert Humperdink, The Dells
The Dells
The Dells are an R&B and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues...
, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
. Eli's 1974 composition "Sideshow
Sideshow (song)
"Sideshow" is a song recorded by American R&B soul vocal quintet Blue Magic, released in 1974. It was first released on the album Blue Magic and when issued as a single it sold over a million copies, going to #1 R&B and #8 pop in the United States in the summer of 1974. It was covered as a reggae...
" recorded by Blue Magic
Blue Magic (band)
Blue Magic is an American soul music group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, they were originally composed of lead Ted Mills, Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt...
was a million-selling certified Gold single reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. He wrote and was lead guitarist on the sessions for the follow-up single "Three Ring Circus" which went to No.5 on the Billboard R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
.
Bobby's productions for the 1974 Blue Eyed Soul group The Sons of Robin Stone is comparable to Thom Bell
Thom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
's Atlantic work with The Spinners. Their hit single "Got To Get You Back' was released on Avco records
Avco Records
Avco Records was a record label started in 1968 by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and Joseph E. Levine as Avco Embassy Records. In the late 1960s, they released a psychedelic rock album by the group Bead Game, titled Welcome. The Embassy name was dropped in 1971 making the label Avco Records...
in the states and in the UK on Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. The flip side also produced by Eli is the fully orchestrated Philly soul ballad "Love Is Just Around The Corner" in the style of Blue Magic. The following year Eli composed and performed lead guitar on tracks for Damon Harris
Damon Harris
Damon Harris is a three-time Grammy Award-winning African-American soul and R&B singer. He is most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975. Twenty years old when he joined the group, Harris was the youngest member of The Temptations during his tenure in the group...
' post Temptations group Impact.
In 2007 Bobby helped to unite three of Philly's most successful lead singers, William Hart of The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
, Tedd Mills from Blue Magic
Blue Magic (band)
Blue Magic is an American soul music group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, they were originally composed of lead Ted Mills, Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt...
, and Russell Thompkins, Jr.
Russell Thompkins, Jr.
Russell Allen Thompkins, Jr. is an American soul singer. Noted for his high-pitched tenor and falsetto vocals, Thompkins is the former lead singer of the Philadelphia soul vocal group The Stylistics.-Career:...
of the Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
. The project was billed as the "Legendary Tenors of Soul" and featured the three vocalists alternating leads on mostly soul standards. Eli recruited Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
to join the soul trio for an original track on the CD All The Way From Philadelphia.
In 2009, Bobby Eli opened up his own recording facility, "Studio E", in the Philadelphia area.
Current projects
Current and recent projects written, produced and arranged by Bobby Eli include recordings with El DebargeEl DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. He is producing the new CD for funkmaster George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
. Eli has contributed as a guitarist, arranger, and member of MFSB to the "A Soulful Tale of Two Cities" album project which joins legendary artists from Motown and Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
.