Vinnie Bell
Encyclopedia
Vinnie Bell is a leading American
session
guitarist
and pioneer of electronic effect
s in pop music
.
He played in nightclub
s in New York City in the late 1950s. By 1962, Bell decided to devote his energies to working as a studio
musician both in New York and Los Angeles
, California
, developing a "watery" guitar sound popular in instrumental
recordings
in the 1960s. Although he only recorded occasionally under his own name, Bell left an indelible mark on hundreds of hit
pop recordings. Vinnie played on Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York", for one. He also invented a number of electric guitar
models, including the first electric 12-string guitar, and the electric sitar
, using it on such hits as "Green Tambourine
" by The Lemon Pipers
, "Band of Gold
" by Freda Payne
, and the main theme from the 1970 film
, Airport. The latter sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. It also won a Grammy Award
for Best Instrumental Composition
in 1971.
According to Joel Whitburn
's Top R&B Singles 1942-1995, Bell was responsible for the 1959 instrumental, "The Clouds", credited to The Spacemen, written by Julius Dixson
and released on Dixson's Alton record label
. This reached #1
on the Billboard
R&B
chart
, becoming the first #1 song on any chart released by an African-American owned independent record label
. However, Bell's involvement in this record is uncertain, and other sources give the main performance credit to pianist
, Sammy Benskin
.
Sources: Billboard Top Pop Hits, Billboard Archives
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and pioneer of electronic effect
Electronic effect
An electronic effect influences the structure, reactivity, or properties of molecule but is neither a traditional bond nor a steric effect. In organic chemistry, the term stereoelectronic effect is also used to emphasize the relation between the electronic structure and the geometry of a...
s in pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
He played in nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s in New York City in the late 1950s. By 1962, Bell decided to devote his energies to working as a studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
musician both in New York and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, developing a "watery" guitar sound popular in instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in the 1960s. Although he only recorded occasionally under his own name, Bell left an indelible mark on hundreds of hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
pop recordings. Vinnie played on Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York", for one. He also invented a number of electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
models, including the first electric 12-string guitar, and the electric sitar
Electric sitar
An electric sitar is a kind of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the traditional Indian instrument, the sitar. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar...
, using it on such hits as "Green Tambourine
Green Tambourine
"Green Tambourine" was the primary hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track to their debut-album Green Tambourine. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum pop chart-topper. Released towards the end of 1967, it peaked at number one on the U.S...
" by The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
, "Band of Gold
Band Of Gold (Freda Payne song)
"Band of Gold" is a popular song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland under the pseudonym Edythe Wayne, and Ron Dunbar, and first recorded by Freda Payne...
" by Freda Payne
Freda Payne
Freda Charcilia Payne Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944. is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She was also an actress in...
, and the main theme from the 1970 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Airport. The latter sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. It also won a Grammy Award
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...
for Best Instrumental Composition
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition
The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of the music.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
in 1971.
According to Joel Whitburn
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
's Top R&B Singles 1942-1995, Bell was responsible for the 1959 instrumental, "The Clouds", credited to The Spacemen, written by Julius Dixson
Julius Dixson
Julius Edward Dixson was an African-American songwriter and record company executive.-Life and work:...
and released on Dixson's Alton record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. This reached #1
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
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,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, becoming the first #1 song on any chart released by an African-American owned independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
. However, Bell's involvement in this record is uncertain, and other sources give the main performance credit to pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, Sammy Benskin
Sammy Benskin
Samuel "Sammy" Benskin was an African American pianist and bandleader.He was born in The Bronx, New York City, and made his professional debut around 1940 as piano accompanist to singer and guitarist Bardu Ali. He worked throughout the 1940s with jazz musicians including Stuff Smith, Benny Morton...
.
Singles
- "Airport Love Theme" (USBillboard Hot 100The 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...
# 31, 1970; AC # 2, 1970) - "Nikki" (1970) Did Not Chart
Sources: Billboard Top Pop Hits, Billboard Archives