The Complete Thom Bell Sessions

The Complete Thom Bell Sessions brings together the complete recording session by Elton John and producer Thom Bell onto one album. Released in 1989 by MCA Records, the album is composed of the material previously released in 1979 as well as the songs that were recorded at the original session but had then gone unreleased. Two of the "new" songs were co-written by John - "Nice and Slow" was co-written with Thom Bell and longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin, and "Shine on Through" with lyricist Gary Osborne. Because the recordings were shelved at the time, the latter was re-recorded and included on John's 1978 LP, A Single Man.
Though not noted on the CD, the mixes of "Are You Ready for Love," "Mama Can't Buy You Love" and "Three Way Love Affair" are not the Elton and Clive Frank remixes from 1979, but the original 1977 Thom Bell mixes. "Are You Ready for Love," for example, now includes Bobby Smith and John Edwards of The Spinners singing the second verse instead of Elton, among other more subtle differences. The original EP remixes of the songs would later re-surface on the 'CD2' edition of Elton's 1992 single for "The Last Song"; an edited version of the remix of "Are You Ready for Love" would be re-released as a single in 2003, and went on to hit #1 on the UK and US Dance charts.
"Nice and Slow" was later released as the B-side to the 7-inch vinyl edition of John's 2004 UK single, "All That I'm Allowed".
=== Track listing ===
# "Nice and Slow" (Elton John, Bernie Taupin, T. Bell) – 4:43
# "Country Love Song" (Joseph Jefferson) – 5:05
# "Shine on Through" (John, Gary Osborne) – 7:46
# "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (L. Bell, James) – 4:09
# "Are You Ready for Love" (L. Bell, T. Bell, James) – 8:16
# "Three Way Love Affair" (L. Bell, James) – 5:00
Category:Albums